Betrayed Spotlight
Chapter 51: Redemption

Chapter 51: Redemption

Back at the hospital, Sarah was pacing around her room while Mason sat in the chair that Silas had been occupying earlier.

"Why did you have to say it?" Sarah demanded, turning to face Mason.

"Say what?" Mason asked, genuinely confused.

"Why did you tell him that you’re my husband?" Sarah’s voice was frustrated and angry. "I’m the one who’s supposed to tell him. I haven’t even told him yet. Why did you tell him?"

Mason looked at her with surprise. "He had to know."

"You have no right to tell him!" Sarah said, her voice getting louder. "I’m the one who’s supposed to tell him. Our marriage is fake, remember?"

Mason stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he looked down at his hands.

"I’m sorry," he said quietly.

Sarah stopped pacing and looked at him in surprise.

"I’m sorry for the way I treated you at the restaurant," Mason continued. "The meeting with Diana that you saw on the news - it was just a business meeting. Her name is Diana Han. If you want, you can call her and confirm it."

Sarah stared at him, not knowing what to say. He looked genuinely sorry, and she could tell he was telling the truth about the business meeting.

She felt all the fight go out of her. She was tired and confused and her head still hurt from the accident. She didn’t have the energy to be angry anymore.

"Fine," she said quietly. "I believe you."

Mason looked up at her with relief. He stood up and walked over to her, gently pulling her into his arms.

Sarah was surprised but didn’t pull away. His embrace felt warm and comforting, and she realized that she had missed this closeness with him.

Mason held her carefully, his hand gently touching the bandage on her forehead.

"You should sue Silas for causing the accident," he said softly. "He could have killed you."

"No," Sarah said firmly, pulling back to look at him. "Leave Silas alone. It was an accident. He didn’t mean for it to happen."

Mason wanted to argue, but he could see the determination in Sarah’s eyes. She was protecting Silas, even after everything that had happened.

"Okay," he said reluctantly. "I’ll leave him alone."

Sarah smiled at him gratefully, and Mason felt something shift in his chest.

The doctor came in a few minutes later to discharge Sarah, and Mason drove her home in comfortable silence, both of them thinking about the complicated situation they had found themselves in.

The next morning, Sarah woke up with a dull headache that had nothing to do with her accident the day before. She had barely slept, her mind replaying the events at the hospital over and over again. The look on Silas’s face when Mason had announced he was her husband kept flashing in her memory.

She got dressed carefully, choosing a light blue blouse and black pants for her meeting at the company. Before leaving, she looked at herself in the mirror and touched the small bandage on her forehead. The cut wasn’t deep, but it was visible enough that people would notice.

Mason had already left for work by the time she came downstairs. They had driven home in silence the night before, both lost in their own thoughts about everything that had happened. Sarah found herself feeling strangely disappointed that he wasn’t there to say goodbye.

The drive to the record company took longer than usual because of morning traffic. Sarah used the time to think about what she would say to Silas when she saw him. She knew he would have questions, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to answer all of them.

When she arrived at the building, Sarah took a deep breath before walking through the glass doors. The receptionist smiled and waved her toward the elevator, and Sarah pressed the button for the fifth floor where the main offices were located.

The elevator doors opened to reveal the familiar hallway lined with gold and platinum records on the walls. Sarah had walked this hallway dozens of times over the past few weeks, but today it felt different. Today, everything felt different.

She knocked on the door of Zachary’s office and heard his voice calling for her to come in.

"Sarah, good morning," Zachary said, looking up from his computer. Then his eyes focused on her forehead, and his expression changed to one of concern. "What happened to your head? Are you okay?"

Sarah unconsciously touched the bandage on her forehead. "I had a little accident yesterday. Nothing serious, just a small cut."

"Are you sure you’re okay? You look pale," Zachary said, standing up from his desk. "Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"No, no, I’m fine," Sarah said quickly. "I already went to the hospital yesterday. It’s just a minor injury."

Zachary nodded but still looked worried. "Well, if you need to rest or postpone anything, just let me know. Your health is more important than any business meeting."

Sarah smiled gratefully. "Thank you, but I really am fine. Is Silas here yet? I thought we were all supposed to meet this morning."

Zachary’s expression became troubled. "Actually, no. He hasn’t arrived yet, and that’s not like him. He’s usually the first one here in the morning."

"Have you tried calling him?" Sarah asked, though she suspected she knew why Silas wasn’t answering his phone.

"I’ve been trying to reach him all morning, but he’s not taking his calls," Zachary said, running his hand through his hair. "I’m starting to get worried. This is very unlike him."

Sarah felt a pang of guilt. She suspected that Silas was probably still upset about what had happened the previous day. The revelation about her marriage to Mason had clearly shocked him, and she could understand why he might need some time to process everything.

"I’m sure he’s fine," Sarah said, though she wasn’t entirely convinced herself. "Maybe he’s just not feeling well or something."

"Maybe," Zachary agreed, but he didn’t sound convinced either. "Well, why don’t we start our meeting, and hopefully he’ll join us soon."

Sarah made a mental note to call Silas later to check on him. She was worried about him, and she felt responsible for his current state.

Zachary gestured for her to sit down in one of the comfortable chairs in front of his desk. "So, I wanted to talk to you about the release date for your single."

Sarah’s eyes lit up with excitement. Despite everything that had happened, she was still thrilled about her music career. "What about it?"

"Well, originally we planned to release it in two days, but I’ve been monitoring the online buzz about your music, and I think we should consider releasing it tonight instead."

"Tonight?" Sarah asked, surprised. "That’s much earlier than we planned."

"I know, but hear me out," Zachary said, turning his laptop toward her. "Have you checked online recently? People are starting to recognize you and your music from your previous work."

Sarah shook her head. "I haven’t looked at social media in hours. I’ve been too busy with other things."

"Well, you should take a look at this," Zachary said, clicking on several websites. "Your old songs are getting picked up and shared again. People are remembering your voice and your style."

Sarah leaned forward to look at the screen. Her eyes widened as she saw comments and posts about her music appearing on various social media platforms. People were sharing her old songs and talking about how much they had missed her voice.

"Oh my goodness," Sarah whispered, reading through the comments. "I can’t believe people still remember my music."

"Not only do they remember it, but they’re actively looking for new material from you," Zachary said excitedly. "Look at these comments about your upcoming single."

Sarah scrolled through the comments, her heart swelling with joy as she read what people were saying:

"I’ve been waiting for Sarah to come back to music for so long!"

"Her voice is like an angel. I can’t wait for the new single!"

"Finally! Sarah’s music always made me feel better when I was sad."

"I’ve been playing her old songs on repeat. So excited for new music!"

Sarah felt tears welling up in her eyes as she read comment after comment from people who had been waiting for her return to music. She had forgotten how much her songs had meant to people, how many lives her music had touched.

"This is incredible," Sarah said, her voice filled with emotion. "I had no idea people still cared about my music."

"They more than care," Zachary said with a smile. "They’re eager for more. That’s why I think we should release the single tonight at midnight. Strike while the iron is hot, as they say."

Sarah felt a rush of excitement and nervousness. "Are you sure we’re ready? Is everything prepared?"

"Everything is ready on our end," Zachary assured her. "The single has been mixed and mastered, the digital distribution is set up, and we have the promotional materials prepared. All we need is your approval."

Sarah thought about it for a moment. She had been working toward this moment for weeks, and the idea of finally sharing her new music with the world was both thrilling and terrifying.

"Yes," she said finally, her voice filled with determination. "Let’s do it. Let’s release it tonight."

Zachary grinned. "Excellent! I’ll get everything set up for a midnight release. This is going to be huge, Sarah. I can feel it."

They spent the next hour discussing the details of the release, including how they would handle the media attention and what platforms the single would be available on. Sarah was so absorbed in the conversation that she almost forgot about Silas.

Almost.

The office door opened, and Silas walked in, looking completely different from his usual professional self. He was wearing casual clothes - jeans and a simple t-shirt - instead of his usual attire. His face looked flushed, and his eyes were slightly red, as if he had been drinking or hadn’t slept well.

"Sorry I’m late," Silas said, his voice hoarse. "I overslept."

Zachary looked at him with concern. "Are you feeling alright? You look like you might be coming down with something."

"I’m fine," Silas said, avoiding eye contact with both of them. "Just tired."

Sarah watched him carefully, noticing the way he seemed to be deliberately not looking at her. She could tell that he was still upset about what had happened the day before, but he was trying to act normal.

"Well, I’m glad you made it," Zachary said. "Sarah and I were just discussing moving up the release date for her single and the song with you to tonight."

Silas nodded absently. "That sounds fine."

For the next thirty minutes, they discussed the technical aspects of the release, with Silas contributing to the conversation but maintaining a professional distance from Sarah. She could feel the tension in the room, and she knew that Zachary could sense it too, even though he didn’t say anything.

Finally, Zachary said, "Well, I think we’ve covered everything. I’ll get started on the final preparations for tonight’s release. Sarah, I’ll send you the promotional materials to review, and Silas, can you handle the technical side of the digital distribution?"

"Of course," Silas said, still not looking directly at Sarah.

After Zachary left to make phone calls, Sarah and Silas were alone in the office. The silence between them was thick and uncomfortable.

Sarah took a deep breath and decided to address the elephant in the room.

"Silas, can we talk?" she said gently.

Silas finally looked at her, and she could see the hurt in his eyes. "What do you want to talk about?"

"About yesterday. About everything that happened."

Silas was quiet for a moment, then he said, "Why didn’t you discharge who you were married to?"

Sarah had been expecting this question, but it still made her heart ache. "It’s complicated, Silas."

"Complicated how?" he asked, his voice getting slightly louder. "You’re married to Mason Liu. How is that complicated to mention?"

"It’s a long story," Sarah said, not knowing how to explain the fake marriage arrangement without making things even more complicated.

"A long story?" Silas repeated. "Sarah, I thought we were friends. I thought you trusted me enough to tell me important things about your life."

Sarah felt tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Of course you’re my friend, Silas. But we’ve been apart for so many years. We’re not children anymore. We’re adults with our own lives and our own secrets."

"Secrets?" Silas said, his voice filled with pain. "Is that what your marriage is? A secret you couldn’t share with me?"

Sarah struggled to find the right words. How could she explain that her marriage to Mason was fake without betraying Mason? How could she tell Silas that she had married Mason for business reasons without making it sound like she was just a gold-digger?

"I’m sorry," she said finally. "I should have told you. I just... I didn’t know how to bring it up."

Silas stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then he sighed and looked away.

"It’s fine," he said quietly. "What’s done is done. There’s no point in dwelling on it."

But Sarah could tell that it wasn’t fine. She could see the pain in his eyes, the way his shoulders slumped with defeat.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Because I can see that you’re upset, and I hate that I hurt you."

Silas looked at her again, and for a moment, she saw a flash of the boy she had known when they were children. Vulnerable and honest and full of emotion.

"I’m not upset," he said, but his voice betrayed him. "I’m just... disappointed. I thought things would be different when we found each other again."

"They can still be different," Sarah said hopefully. "We can still be friends. We can still have a relationship."

"Can we?" Silas asked. "You’re married to one of the most powerful men in the world. You live in a completely different world from me now. How can we be friends when our lives are so different?"

Sarah felt her heart breaking for him. She could see how much he was hurting, and she knew that part of it was her fault.

Silas looked at her for a long moment, and she could see him wrestling with his emotions. Finally, he nodded slowly.

"Okay," he said. "I forgive you."

Sarah felt a wave of relief wash over her. "Thank you. I promise I’ll try to be more open with you from now on."

"I’d like that," Silas said, and for the first time that day, he gave her a small smile.

Without thinking, Sarah stepped forward and hugged him. She felt him tense up at first, but then he relaxed and hugged her back.

"I’m sorry," she whispered into his shoulder. "I’m so sorry for hurting you."

"It’s okay," he said, his voice muffled by her hair. "I forgive you."

When they finally pulled apart, Silas looked more like himself again. The pain was still there in his eyes, but it was mixed with something else now - hope.

"So," he said, clearing his throat. "Tonight’s the big night. Are you ready to become a star again?"

Sarah smiled, feeling lighter than she had all day. "I think I am. Are you ready to help me get there?"

"Always."