Kourtney woke up the next day with her eyelids heavy and swollen from a restless night filled with tears. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, illuminating the room in a soft golden coloring that felt almost mocking against the turmoil in her heart.
She groaned, raising a hand to her forehead, which throbbed painfully-a reminder of her emotional breakdown from the night before. It was as if the universe had conspired against her.
“Good morning, sleepy head. Breakfast is ready!” Lilian’s cheerful voice floated into the room, cutting through the fog of Kourtney’s despair, a tray balanced delicately in her hands.
“I made your favorite-avocado toast with a poached egg. You need to eat something, sweetie.”
Kourtney didn’t respond immediately. She lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling, feeling utterly defeated.
Seeing her nonchalant attitude, Lilian placed the tray on Kourtney’s lap, her brow furrowing with concern. “You have to eat, Kourt. You haven’t had a proper meal since… well, since all of this.”
Kourtney finally sat up and turned her head, her brown hair falling like a curtain around her face. She forced a smile, though it felt more like a grimace.
“I’m not hungry, Lil. I just…” Kourtney stared down at the food, her stomach twisting in knots.
She didn’t have the slightest appetite……
“Hold on a second,” her eyes widened as if she just realized something.
“I… I need to go get my phone. I left it in the meeting room yesterday,” Kourtney said, trying to get off the bed in haste.
“What? You’re not going anywhere!” Lilian replied, her tone a mix of disbelief and frustration.
“But I need to check on things at work. I can’t just sit here,” Kourtney groaned, the weight of her responsibilities pressing down on her like a heavy blanket.
The Silverstone gala was now less than ten days away. It was supposed to be her big break in the world of events planning- her chance to showcase her hard work and connect with influential people in the industry. And she wasn’t about to let it flop, even though her whole life seemed like a total mess right now.
She looked at her friend, desperation creeping into her voice, but Lilian frowned, crossing her arms. “I said you’re not going anywhere, Kourt. Not in your state. You’ll just make yourself worse.”
“Please, Lilian,” Kourtney pleaded, her voice nearly breaking. “I can’t be stuck here like this doing nothing when I still have such a huge event to plan. Okay, why don’t you help me get my phone? I promise I’ll eat and rest a lot.”
With an exasperated sigh, Lilian relented. “Fine.”
Later that morning, Lilian returned not only with Kourtney’s phone but also some big, big news.
Kourtney was still curled up lazily on the bed, the sheets tangled around her like her thoughts. She barely noticed as Lilian burst into the room, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Kourt! You won’t believe this!” she exclaimed, waving Kourtney’s phone in the air like a trophy.
“What is it?”
“Look!” Lilian thrust the phone into Kourtney’s hands. “All those nasty posts and photos about you and Brandon? They’ve been taken down! Poof! Gone! Like the wind!”
Kourtney blinked, her heart racing.
“I know! It’s insane! The media houses! The pages that spread the gossip! They’re all wiped off the internet! Even the people who insulted you? Their accounts are banned across numerous platforms!” Lilian couldn’t contain her joy, and her voice crescendoed with each revelation.
“It’s as if everyone who talked bad about you has been wiped off the face of the internet for good! It’s like they’ve been erased from existence! Wow! KOURT! Your husband is so fucking powerful!” she exclaimed, unable to contain her admiration. “I mean, he must have used his serious connections to pull this off. This is huge! You’re practically untouchable now!”
Kourtney shot her a bombastic side-eye. She didn’t feel the slightest appreciation for what her so-called husband did. Instead, she felt a surge of emotions-anger, annoyance, and a flicker of something else she refused to acknowledge.
“Husband,” she muttered, the word tasting bitter on her tongue. “That man is a nightmare. He doesn’t care about me; he’s only trying to control the narrative. He didn’t do it for me, Lil. He did it for himself. For his image.”
Lilian frowned, her enthusiasm dampening. “But Kourt, you have to admit this is a good thing! Even if it was for his image, it still means he cares. You know how vicious social media can be. He’s made sure you’re not being dragged through the mud anymore. You can focus on the gala now without all those distractions. You can finally breathe!”
Kourtney tossed the phone onto the bed. “I don’t want to be saved by someone who treats me like I’m a prize to be won. Sure, he’s powerful, but at what cost? I don’t want to be a pawn in his game.”
“Game? Kourt, you’re his wife! This is love!” Lilian said, her tone incredulous. “He wants to protect you. He’s… he’s obsessed with you! Can’t you see?”
“Obsessed?” Kourtney scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Obsessed is not the word I would use. It’s more like controlling. He thinks he can just swoop in and fix everything with money and power. I don’t need fixing!”
“But you do need help!” Lilian argued, her voice rising. Her best friend was so stubborn!
“Okay! Maybe it’s not about needing him,” she started speaking more gently now. “Maybe it’s about knowing that you have someone in your corner, willing to go to war for you. You’ve been through hell and back, remember? Look at you! You were about to break down yesterday! You’re drowning, Kourt! He’s throwing you a lifeline, and you’re pushing it away!”