Coralie Sweeney POV
The moment the interview ended, I felt the tension drain from my shoulders. I walked backstage, my legs suddenly heavy. The fluorescent lights of the studio hummed, a dull drone against the ringing in my ears. I found an empty chair in a quiet corner and sank into it, closing my eyes. My body sagged, my muscles screaming in protest. The composure I had maintained for the past hour crumbled.
His words echoed in my head. Built on deception. Only taught me to focus on what's real. Each phrase was a fresh wound, tearing at the old scars. My mind, defiant, refused to let the past stay buried. Memories flooded back, vivid and unwelcome.
I was twenty years old, a junior in college, buried under textbooks and self-doubt. My world revolved around a keyboard and screen. That's where I found "Ace." It started innocently enough, a late-night match in our favorite online game. My character was a quick-witted rogue; his was a stoic tank. We were a formidable duo, our strategies complementing each other perfectly.
"Nice move, Aria," he typed after I saved him from a near-death ambush.
"You're not so bad yourself, Ace," I shot back, a grin spreading across my face. It was easy to be witty and confident as "Aria." Behind the screen, nobody saw Coralie, the girl who ate lunch alone in the library, the girl who felt invisible.
Our in-game banter soon moved to private messages, then to voice chat. His voice was deep, comforting, and filled with an easy humor that disarmed me. He listened to me talk about my classes, my frustrations, my clumsy attempts at coding. I listened to him talk about his dreams of going pro in esports, the pressure from his father, the weight of expectations. We spent countless nights talking, sharing secrets we wouldn't dare tell anyone else. He was the first person who made me feel truly seen, truly understood. He didn't know about the extra pounds, the frizzy hair, the social anxiety. He knew "Aria," the confident, funny girl who could defeat dragons and conquer virtual worlds.
"I think I'm falling for you, Aria," he'd whispered one night, his voice thick with emotion.
My heart had soared. I felt it too, a dizzying, terrifying thrill. "Me too, Ace," I'd confessed, my cheeks burning. He sent me a photo, a blurry, distant shot of him on campus, playing football with friends. He was handsome, athletic, everything I wasn't. I sent him filtered photos, carefully chosen angles, images that hinted at a beauty I didn't possess. I was Aria, a lie. But the feelings were real. The connection was real.
Then came the day my world shattered. I was walking across campus, head down, when I saw him. Emmett Burke, quarterback of the college football team, a golden boy, surrounded by a crowd of admirers. There was a poster, advertising an upcoming esports tournament, featuring his face prominently under the name "Ace." My stomach dropped. I knew that face. I knew that name. My "Ace" was Emmett Burke. The campus star. The world spun.
And then, the second blow. A week later, my mother, Henretta, announced her engagement to Hughes Burke, Emmett's father. My mother, the social climber, was marrying his father. I was going to be his stepsister. The walls closed in on me. How could I face him? How could I explain "Aria"? The lie was too big, the gap between my online persona and my real self too vast. I was nothing like the girl in the filtered photos. I was overweight, awkward, and terrified. I couldn't be his stepsister and the girl who had deceived him. The shame was suffocating. I deleted everything. I vanished. I ghosted him. It was the coward's way out, but in that moment, it felt like the only way to survive.
A sharp knock on the door startled me. My eyes flew open. Maria poked her head in. "Coralie? We're all heading out for dinner with the team. You in?"
My first instinct was to say no. To retreat, to lick my wounds in solitude. But then, a thought struck me. This was my job. I had to maintain my professionalism. To refuse would be unprofessional, perhaps even raise suspicion. "Yes," I said, pushing myself up, my voice firm. "Let me just grab my bag."
We ended up at a trendy sports bar, the kind with giant screens broadcasting various games. The Vanguard team, including Emmett, settled into a large booth. I sat opposite him, next to Maria, trying to appear nonchalant.
Emmett slid a menu across the table to me. His fingers brushed mine briefly. A jolt went through me. I quickly pulled my hand back, my cheeks warming.
"Thanks," I mumbled, avoiding his gaze. I scanned the menu, my mind still reeling. When the server arrived, I ordered a salmon salad. "And please, no shellfish," I added almost automatically. "I have a severe allergy."
Emmett, who had been looking at his own menu, slowly raised his head. His eyes, direct and piercing, fixed on mine. There was a flicker of something in them, a momentary spark of curiosity, or perhaps something else entirely. His brow furrowed slightly. He stared at me for a beat too long.
My heart hammered again. I felt a cold knot form in my stomach. I kept my face impassive, forcing a small, polite smile. He couldn't possibly remember. It was just a shellfish allergy. Lots of people had them. I tried to project an air of calm confidence, but inside, I was a trembling mess.
But he did remember. The memory flashed unbidden. It was a cold winter night, nearly three years ago, when "Aria" had gone silent for days. He had messaged me constantly, worried sick. I had been rushed to the emergency room, my throat closing up after accidentally ingesting a dish with hidden shrimp. My old roommate had called him, frantic, telling him I was in the hospital. He had stayed online, waiting, agonizing, until I finally messaged him back, weak but safe.
"Thank God, Aria," he had typed, his relief palpable even through text. "I was so scared. Can I come see you? Where are you?"
I had panicked. Seeing me, the real me, in a hospital gown, pale and vulnerable. It was unthinkable. "No," I typed back, a wave of shame washing over me. "I'm fine. Just... need some rest. I'll be offline for a bit." My lie was elaborate, pathetic. I told him I was going on a family trip, to a remote cabin with no internet access. He knew I was lying. He understood I was pushing him away. He never asked again.
I pushed the menu back towards him, my hand trembling slightly. He took it, his gaze still on my face. I averted my eyes, pretending to be engrossed in the bustling restaurant.
I stole glances at him throughout dinner. His profile was sharp, his dark hair falling over his forehead. He laughed at Grady's jokes, a deep, resonant sound that sent a shiver down my spine. This was the man who had once loved "Aria." The man I had betrayed. He was so polished now, so successful, so utterly out of my league. My heart ached with a familiar, bitter yearning. He was the same "Ace" who made me feel alive, but he was also a stranger, a cold, distant professional who believed I had cruelly toyed with his emotions. The contrast was agonizing.
"Emmett," Maria chirped, breaking the awkward silence, "You've achieved so much. What's your most cherished memory from your journey?"
Emmett paused, his glass halfway to his lips. He slowly set it down. His eyes, now devoid of the earlier curiosity, held a cynical glint. He looked directly at Maria, not at me, but his words were clearly meant for the entire table.
"My most cherished memory?" he repeated, a dry, humorless laugh escaping his lips. "It's not a memory of winning a championship, surprisingly enough. It's the memory of learning a hard lesson. The lesson that some people will create an entire fantasy, build an entire fake persona, just to mess with someone else's feelings. That was a truly unforgettable experience."
A collective gasp went around the table. People shifted uncomfortably. His teammates exchanged nervous glances. Maria looked mortified. My smile, which I had painstakingly maintained, instantly froze.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, a cold realization took root: this project wasn't just a career milestone anymore. It was going to be a slow, public execution of everything I used to be—one interview, one dinner, one bitter remark at a time. And I had signed up for every single second of it.
