Short stories

Wrongfully accused

“You’re a fool!”

“Calm down, Madeline. It is not good for your nerves.”

“I refuse to sing this shitty song at this shitty show. Do you understand me?”

“You have to know it’s one of the best songs written by Jim…”

“Jim is an idiot! He has no talent!”

“Then do it for me…”

She turned toward him, a mean smile on her lips.

“Charles, you’re just my agent.”

“This song is about your split-up and future divorce. Yours fans love it since it plays on the radio!”

She heaved a deep sigh, glaring at him. She put her hands on her lips and he suppressed a smile. Standing like she was, he thought she looked like a vase wearing spandex. Or a pitcher… But he refrained from passing any comment. She might throw him something. Madeline was very upset and when she was – like it was the case right now – she was able to do the worst to make everyone around her feel miserable.

“Okay. I’ll do the show, but I refuse to sing this fucking song.”

A man wearing a headset joined them and motioned to Madeline, saying it’ll be her turn soon. She cast a glance at her reflection, replaced her dark blue blouse and began to smile. Then she went on stage, her fake smile on her lips. The audience screamed at her sight. She sat down near the host, Sebastian Sims. She gave him a sweet glance, even if she thought he was an asshole of the worst kind. She sat in a chair from a very bright yellow.

“Hi MadLy!” Sebastian cried, which leaded to a wave of applause from the audience. “Not too mad?”

“A bit tired from the tour,” she began, “but I’ll survive!”

“But tell me, MadLy, rumors say that you are single again. Is it true?”

The smile on the young woman wavered somewhat.

“Where did you hear that?” she asked as she laughed.

In backstage, Charles’s shoulders slumped in despair. The crowd laughed too, but certainly not in the same way as Madeline did. The young woman felt very embarrassed to hear more about this story in front of a crowd of admirers. And from what she could see, the room was packed. Inwardly, she made a promise to personally berate the host. Sebastian even dared ask her if she found it difficult to be alone. She forced herself to expand her smile to hide the fact she wanted more than anything to beat him up in public.

“Absolutely not! We’re fine since our separation. When I’m in town, we’re having dinner together or go to the movies.”

“Your current tour is doing great, I think.”

“Yes. There are only two more shows in New York before we tackle the rest of the U.S. market.”

“Your new album is a real gem! Is it true that you’re preparing a new album to be released next fall?”

She nodded, very proud of her work.

“But there’s a song that I love and I want to hear tonight.”

“Oh really? Which one?”

“You must know! Can you interpret it for us?”

She shook her head quickly before stopping her own reaction, but the crowd began to scream with joy. The talk show host crossed his hands before his face with imploring eyes. Resigned, she finally got up and walked to the musicians. The first notes sounded in the studio. She took the microphone, asking herself how she was doing it. She hated the song more than anything else. Why she seemed the only one not to love it?