28. ETHAN
CHAPTER 28
ETHAN
The studio feels emptier than usual. It’s late, and the quiet hum of the equipment is the only sound filling the room. I sit at the desk, the glow of the monitor casting harsh shadows on the walls. My coffee sits untouched beside me, cold by now, but I don’t care. I’ve been staring at the screen for what feels like hours, scrolling through stats, comments, and everything in between.
Our latest episode is performing well, better than I expected. Even though we have postponed airing the segment we shot for our #QuadLife, our channel engagement and views are climbing steadily, the likes outweigh the dislikes, and the engagement is through the roof. On paper, it’s a success.
But it doesn’t feel like one.
The episode was necessary—we had to address Jax’s departure from the channel, his court case, the entire situation. Our audience deserved transparency, and it was the only way to control the narrative. But as I scroll through the comments, a sinking feeling settles in my chest.
“He made the right choice. That kid needs a stable home.”
“Charlie Green is the worst. How could she weaponize a child like that?”
“Charmaine abandoned her own son and now acts like a saint. Disgusting.”
“Charlie deserves everything coming to her. I hope she suffers.”
I lean back in my chair, rubbing a hand over my face. The comments keep coming, one after another, most of them echoing the same sentiment: hate for Charlie, disdain for Charmaine. This wasn’t what we wanted. We weren’t trying to make them the villains of the story. We just wanted to explain.
But did we?
I click over to the stats, the numbers blurring in front of me. The episode’s performance should feel like validation, proof that people are invested in what we’re doing. Instead, it feels like a punch to the gut. I can’t help but wonder if we went too far…
Doing this won’t bring my best friend back.
My phone buzzes on the desk, pulling me out of my thoughts. It’s Marcus, his name lighting up the screen. I let it ring. I can’t talk to him right now. Not about this. Not until I figure out what the hell to do next.
I glance back at the screen, the comment section still alive with opinions, arguments, and hate.
The door to the studio slams open with a force that makes me jump. I swivel in my chair, my heart pounding, to see Charlie Green standing in the doorway. Her face is flushed, her chest heaving like she ran here—or stormed here. Probably the latter.
“What the hell is this?” she snaps, striding into the room, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. She holds up her phone, the screen glaringly bright, but I don’t need to see it to know what she’s upset about.
I turn back to my monitor, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms. “Nice to see you too, Charlie.”
“I thought we were over this,” she says.
“We were?” I say drily.
“Don’t give me that,” she hisses, slamming her phone onto the desk in front of me. “Do you have any idea what kind of hate I’ve been getting? My inbox is flooded with threats, Ethan. Threats. You need to take that episode down. Now.”
I meet her gaze, unflinching. “I don’t know what you thought would happen, Charlie. Actions have consequences. You, of all people, should know that.”
Her face flushes deeper, her hands curling into fists at her sides. “You made me a villain. You painted me as some kind of monster.”
I stand, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. “We told the truth,” I say, my voice low but firm. “If your own actions look ugly to you, imagine how ugly they look to everyone else.”
Charlie’s eyes widen slightly, but she recovers quickly, her posture stiffening. “This is defamation,” she spits. “I can sue you for this. I will sue you if you don’t take that episode down.”
I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. “Defamation? Are you serious? Is that the only threat you can give us? Guess why your previous case is still pending in court?”
“Everything we said in that episode is backed by fact. You leaked Adam’s identity to the press. You weaponized Jax’s past to make him look unfit as a father. All we did was show the world what you’ve been doing.”
She glares at me, her eyes narrowing. “You don’t know the full story.”
“Then tell it,” I challenge, stepping closer to her. “Go ahead, Charlie. Explain yourself. But don’t come in here demanding we clean up your mess because you don’t like the fallout.”
Her jaw tightens, but she doesn’t respond.
“This isn’t over,” she says finally, her voice cold. “You’ll regret this.”
I’m about to fire back when I hear voices coming from the hallway.
“Are you sure you’re fine?” Marcus’s voice drifts in, calm but insistent.
“Yes, yes, I’m okay,” Olivia replies, her tone quick and dismissive. A second later, the door opens, and they walk in.
Marcus looks ready to launch into something—probably about me ignoring his call—but his words falter the moment he sees Charlie standing in the middle of the room. His eyes narrow slightly as he takes in the scene, and Olivia’s gaze darts between the two of us, her brow furrowing.
“What’s going on here?” Marcus asks, stepping further into the room.
“Charlie’s here to let us know how much she hates our latest episode,” I say dryly, crossing my arms.
Marcus’s expression hardens, and before I can say more, he turns to Charlie. “Ms. Green,” he starts, his voice calm but firm, “you seem to forget that I’m a psychiatrist. I’ve stayed out of this long enough, but let me make something clear. If you can’t forgive Jax for what happened all those years ago, the problem isn’t him—it’s you. He’s given up his life with us for the sake of his child. If that doesn’t prove anything to you, nothing will.”
Charlie’s jaw tightens, but she doesn’t back down. “Oh, spare me the lectures. You think sacrificing his circus act with you is enough to erase the past? I have every right to protect my family.”
Marcus doesn’t flinch, but I can tell his patience is wearing thin. Before he can respond, Olivia steps forward, her posture straight and her voice sharp.
“And you forget that I’m rich,” Olivia says, her words cutting through the tension like a knife. “I employ very good lawyers who wanted to do far more to you than Jax allowed. But he wouldn’t consider it because he wanted to keep things civil. Let me tell you something—if you keep coming after us, I will instruct those lawyers to take every measure possible to ensure you’re out of our lives.”
Charlie bristles, her face darkening. “Are you threatening me?”
Olivia’s smile is cold, her tone even. “No, I’m making a promise. And I’m very good at keeping my promises.”
The room is silent except for the ticking of the clock on the wall. Charlie stares at Olivia, her lips pressing into a thin line. Finally, with a glare that could burn through steel, she snatches her bag off the table and storms out of the studio, slamming the door behind her.
For a moment, none of us speak.
Olivia massages her forehead.
“Everything okay?” I ask, stepping towards us.
“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” she snaps.
Marcus and I exchange a glance.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that,” she says. “The stress of the last few days has been a lot.”
I look at her, really look at her. Jax’s absence has taken a toll on her, it’s affecting her more than she understands. And then it hits me. She loves him. But instead of jealousy, I feel a sense of calm. Because when she looks at me, I see the same love in her eyes for me. And fear. She’s afraid of losing us, as well.
“I found her outside her apartment, she could barely stand up,” Marcus says, his brows furrowed.
“I’m fine,” Olivia says, decidedly. “But what are we going to do about her? I thought we had left her whole episode behind, but apparently not. This is going to get messy.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and rub the back of my neck. “Messy is an understatement,” I say, my tone bitter. “She’s not going to back off easily.”
Marcus sighs, leaning against the desk. “We’ll deal with it. Together.”