Stuck In Love (COMPLETED)

chapter-5

Sophie Esinberg's POV

Reporters went back to asking questions to other nominees on stage, and I was once again relegated to being a wallflower. No other questions came my way. I felt a mix of anxiety and relief, unsure if I had effectively communicated my message to the press or if they found my cause unworthy of highlighting.

Sitting on the stage for so long with a fake, plastered smile made my jaw ache. I marveled at how the others did it so flawlessly. My eyes were tired and puffy from constantly struggling against the spotlight to focus on the mass of people before me. I had almost forgotten Raymond was in the same room until reporters started directing questions at him. It was a blessing in disguise.

All these years, I had tried to move on, resisting the urge to look for him on the internet. But it had become more difficult over the past four years since he joined the U.S. football team. Now, through the barrage of media questions, I was getting to know him all over again.

Now, in the span of two and a half hours, I had learned more about his life than I ever wanted to know. He had recently signed a multimillion-dollar contract with a top football team, nurtured a previously unknown passion for painting, and had dated a famous actress, making headlines in various tabloids. He was involved in charity work, had founded a foundation for underprivileged children, and had made a remarkable comeback after a serious injury.

I listened intently, my heart aching with a mix of nostalgia and curiosity. Each new piece of information about him felt like a shard of glass, piercing through the fragile barrier I had built around my memories of us. It was as if the universe had conspired to make me confront everything I had tried so hard to bury. The irony of it all was not lost on me.

Here he was, thriving in the limelight, while I remained a wallflower, barely acknowledged. The anxiety of the moment weighed heavily on me, but I knew I couldn't let it show. Not here, not now. I had to maintain my composure, even as the past loomed large in my mind, blending painfully with the present.

I was exhausted, sitting on the high-backed chair with my chin up and shoulders straight. Every muscle in my body screamed for relief, but I couldn't afford to show any sign of weakness. I just wanted to sigh and lean back, let the chair support my weary frame. My eyes felt tired and puffy, the relentless assault of the spotlight making it a struggle to focus on the sea of faces before me.  The ambient noise of murmured conversations and clicking cameras was a dull roar in my ears, and all I could think about was escaping this scrutiny, if only for a moment.

"My next question is for Raymond," a reporter's voice pierced through the air, carrying a hint of familiarity. I squinted, trying to place the high-pitched tone. My gaze swept over the mass of faces, finally landing on a slender figure standing amidst the crowd. The spotlight glared, making it hard to see her clearly, but I could make out her tall, poised silhouette.

"Yes, please," Raymond's deep, resonant voice echoed through the speakers. It was a voice I had both dreaded and desired to hear for the past seven years.

"Hello, I am from Celebrity Buzz New York," the woman reporter announced. My heart sank as I recognized the name of the notorious gossip magazine. Daniel had mentioned it to me multiple times, his frustration evident each time. He had tried to leverage a connection with a junior reporter there to secure me an interview. His efforts had been met with dismissal; apparently, no one was interested in the mundane, scandal-free life of a scientist. They claimed their readers would rather peruse The Federal Register than read about a struggling researcher.

As I sat there, my face still aching from the forced smile I had worn for hours, I couldn't help but agree. The media thrived on scandal and spectacle, not on quiet dedication to a cause. Yet here I was, trying to hold my own in a world that seemed to value everything I wasn't.