Love Contract

“How long are you planning to cry and sleep in here?” I asked her, as I raised the blinds in her dark bedroom. Seeing the chocolate wrappers and empty Ramen cups spread across the room, I couldn’t help but sigh. As her manager, I couldn’t bear to see her in that state. It was a struggle to drag her out of bed that morning to prepare for a meeting that I arranged with Phoenix – the current most popular gaming agency.

Eve was a variety streamer – someone who broadcasts more than one type of content – and gained a large fanbase within a short period with her cute and innocent facade. But in reality, she had always been arrogant and selfish and only cared about fame and fortune.

However, her fame didn’t last long. She received hate for being rude, inconsiderate, and fake in her streams after a video of her criticizing Alex, a pro gamer at an Esports event went viral. Generally, when there is a controversy around a celebrity, their fans try to defend them. But in Eve’s case, the fans didn’t come to the rescue since her behavior in that video is contradictory compared to her streams.

When everyone turned their backs on us, Phoenix contacted me, offering to help Eve if she were to sign with their company. Therefore, I took her to Phoenix, and she happily signed the contract to regain her reputation and the trust of her fans.

Later that week, the agency lied in an official statement saying Eve had been in a relationship with Felix- Alex’s rival, signed under Phoenix. They defended her, explaining she made those comments only out of love for her boyfriend and issued an apology letter addressing Alex to calm his fans down.

Felix loved playing video games since childhood. He dreamed of being a professional gamer as a child. But he was struggling while trying to participate in Esports events without an agency. Matthew, a senior at his college, approached Felix to be the first player recruited by his agency: Phoenix. Felix, who was at his lowest, was glad to hear from Matthew.

After a year, Felix and Phoenix gained recognition thanks to Felix’s skills and looks which attracted both male and female audiences. Matthew’s greed for power and money grew with their rising popularity. He made Felix work until he couldn’t concentrate on his games anymore. Above all, Matthew controlled Felix’s personal life to avoid scandals that would anger the fans.

Even though Matthew forced Felix to work against his will, Felix never gave up – Eve’s streams had always cheered him. Moreover, in his eyes, Matthew is his savior whom he could never oppose.

When everyone turned against Eve because of the video, Felix begged Pheonix to save her. Eve’s light-hearted streams gave him the strength to keep moving even though he was physically and mentally exhausted. At his request, the agency lied to the public about their relationship. This news led to fan wars; paparazzi followed them everywhere; despite their busy schedule, they had to meet regularly in public places to maintain the facade.

Felix loved Eve so much that he tried all the possible ways to turn her into a better person with his kindness. Eve though was annoyed at this. “How big of a loser is he?”, She often thought to herself.  Even though she sometimes craved a love that was constant, respectful, and kind, her dreams of fame and fortune drove her.

But she was forced to constantly be in presence of Felix. And people behaved differently when he was around. They smiled more, and they had a spring in their step as he never failed to compliment them. No matter how much she scowled at him when he did that – workers were supposed to be treated like workers right? Still, she found a feeling of warmth in herself – something that she never felt in pursuit of the next milestone.

As Eve learned to understand him, her behavior slowly changed.

After a few months, Eve visited Matthew to terminate her contract as she no longer wished to be controlled by the agency.

“Do you know you have to pay a heavy penalty if you terminate the contract before its term ends?” asked Matthew.

“Yes, I do. I’d rather pay the fee than play your puppet for the rest of my life. You should finalize the termination as soon as possible,” Eve replied before leaving without listening to his response.

Later that day, threatening to destroy Eve’s career, Matthew asked Felix to persuade Eve not to cancel the contract.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I am leaving this company as well,” said Felix, frustrated leaving Matthew dumbstruck.

“If you just leave, I’ll ruin both of your careers. I have evidence that your relationship is fake, and your fans will surely turn against you.” He threatened and continued, “I thought you loved Eve. This will make her stop acting as your girlfriend, and she’ll want you to announce your breakup.”

“Even after all these years at the company, do you think that I didn’t learn anything from you? I have recorded everything you said, and I will give it to your rival agencies if you threaten us. Also, even if you can prove our relationship is fake, no one will care – there are people who look forward to the downfall of Pheonix.”

“This, After everything I did for you? Did you forget the days I ran around begging people to sponsor you? Do you even know how hard I worked to bring you to this level?” asked Matthew, aghast, trying to control his anger.

“I remember everything. And I am grateful for what you did for me. No matter how much you mistreated me, you are the only reason I stayed. But I’ve finally come to my senses – Eve helped me through it – and realized I’ve done enough to pay you back, and it’s time for me to move on. In any case, I hope Eve and I can leave Phoenix without having to ruin its reputation.” Saying that Felix slowly walked out of the room.

After a few days, Mathew publicly apologized for mistreating Felix and resigned. Eve continued working as a freelancer while Felix joined another prestigious agency. An agency that didn’t restrict Felix’s private life, and gave him enough space to breathe. After everything that has happened, Felix and Eve decided to continue their facade in hopes of making their relationship real. Despite their busy schedules due to their rising popularity, they made time for each other and supported each other.