BE MY OBSESSION

CHAPTER 21

•SHELBY•

Three days after the public announcement of our engagement, my life turned upside down.

Close friends were taken aback by the news and flooded Instagram with their excitement, tagging me in numerous posts and stories. Even acquaintances from high school reached out to verify if it was true.

Normally, I wasn't much of a social media user, but after the press conference, my phone was flooded with messages and notifications. It became overwhelming, and I had no choice but to go through them all, attempting to mute them while still needing my phone for work.

Among my family, only they, Adam, and William's assistant, James Mitchell, knew the engagement was fake. My parents insisted on keeping it confidential, all for the sake of maintaining the façade.

My mother's idea was to post a picture of the extravagant ring on my Instagram to spread the news and garner attention from followers and friends. Reluctantly, I followed her advice, but I couldn't bring myself to engage with people's questions and well wishes about the fake engagement. Pretending to be happy in front of others was challenging enough, but faking it online added to my stress.

There was a limit to how much I could pretend in a day.

Arriving at the company, I noticed everyone looking and smiling at me, still captivated by the news. I forced a large, fake smile and acted like I was genuinely happy. Inside the elevator, just as the doors were about to close, William appeared and joined me. I glared at him, making sure to keep my distance.

"Have you seen the news on social media?" he asked directly, and I rolled my eyes.

"No, unless it's about people still being excited about our engagement. Please spare me the details. I'm tired of all the attention."

"It's actually the opposite. People are starting to suspect that this whole arrangement might be a business stunt," he replied.

Surprised, I turned to face him, finding him already looking at me with a serious expression.

"What do you mean? We've done enough to convince them that we're really engaged."

He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Well, apparently, it hasn't been enough. Rumors and gossip have already surfaced on the internet, and about eighty percent of people believe it's all a charade. There's even a gossip forum dedicated to it, where they're posting alleged evidence to prove that it's all fake."

I shook my head in disbelief, realizing that William might have inadvertently sparked this gossip. Given his fame and popularity, it wouldn't be surprising if the people running that website were his fangirls who despised me for "stealing" him.

Yet, I had no choice in the matter. If I were given an option, I would gladly relinquish this facade and return to how things were before.

We reached my floor and stepped out of the elevator together. I stopped at Adam's desk to inquire about my schedule for the day, only to be met with an anxious expression on his face as he hastily stood up to face me.

"Mr. Falcon has been waiting for you in your office, and he's not in a good mood," he informed me.

Curiously, I glanced inside my office, and true enough, my father was sitting there, waiting for me.

"He wants to see you too, Mr. Fontane," Adam added, addressing William.

Confused, William asked, "What does this have to do with me?"

"No idea. But he's definitely not in a good mood this morning."

Entering my office, I opened the door and walked in. My father's head snapped up the moment he saw us, and he rose from his chair, ready to address us.

"It's only been three days! Three days, and there are already rumors and gossip circulating about the two of you since we announced the news," he scolded us. 

I folded my arms, narrowing my eyes at him.

"What else were we supposed to do? We've done our part and had to wait for the public's reaction. And this is it. What did you expect, Dad?"

He glared at me immediately.

"This is not the feedback I anticipated. You're not doing enough to convince people that your engagement is real."

"Are you saying this is my fault?" I snapped, my anger mounting. He scoffed and looked away.

"I've been doing everything you wanted, after the two of you agreed to this stupid idea without my consent. So don't blame me. If you're looking for someone to point fingers at, it should be him. All of this is happening because his sluts are jealous and mad that he's suddenly engaged and won't have time to play around anymore."

Dad stared at me, his face etched with anger, before shifting his gaze to William, who remained silent beside me.

"Mr. Fontane, I am well aware of your reputation with women, and I'm not here to question you about it. But do you think some of your female friends could be behind all this?"

"I doubt it. Although there are a few who might be heartbroken enough to resort to this."

I scoffed in disgust and turned away from him. It was audacious of him to say that.

Dad sighed heavily, contemplating the situation with a pensive expression.

"How do you suggest we handle this?" he asked William a moment later.

"Honestly, Mr. Falcon, I'm not sure. Miss Falcon is right; we have already done everything expected of us. But I leave the decision to you. Whichever way you want to handle it, I'll accept."

Dad gave him a direct look, then turned to gaze at me. I didn't like the way his mind was working, or the ideas he might come up with. So, it was a bad idea for William to leave the decision to him regarding our next move.

"I have an idea, and you won't like it. But for now, it seems to be our only option," Dad finally said.

William and I exchanged a quick glance, and I uncrossed my arms, staring directly at my father, waiting for him to voice that idea.

I already had a sinking feeling that I would hate whatever came out of his mouth next. And I was right.

"I think the two of you should move in together."