Aislinn sat across from Ryan, swirling the wine in her glass but barely tasting it. The soft murmur of the restaurant's ambiance seemed far away, like a distant hum drowned out by the whirlwind of her thoughts. As Ryan spoke about his day, she forced a smile, nodding at the appropriate times, but her mind was elsewhere—trapped in the cracks that had begun to show between them.
What is happening to us? she wondered. They were supposed to be the perfect couple—powerful, beautiful, envied by everyone. Yet, lately, the distance between them felt like an ever-widening chasm, and she wasn't sure how to bridge it.
Ryan, oblivious to the storm inside her, reached for her hand across the table. His touch felt warm, comforting, but at the same time, strangely distant.
"Are you even listening?" he asked, his voice teasing but with a hint of concern.
Aislinn blinked, bringing herself back to the present. "Of course," she lied. "I'm just… tired, that's all."
Ryan's brow furrowed. "You've been tired a lot lately."
She could hear the unspoken question in his tone: Is there something wrong with us? But instead of answering, she deflected. "It's just work. It's been overwhelming lately."
That wasn't entirely a lie. Work had been overwhelming—but that wasn't the real reason for the knot in her chest. She was beginning to feel as if the foundation of her life, of her relationship, was starting to crack. And no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, the cracks were widening.
The waiter came to take their order. As soon as he left, Ryan turned to Aislinn, his eyes searching hers. "You've been distant lately."
Aislinn bit her lip. She had heard this from him before. It wasn't the first time Ryan had pointed out her growing focus on her career. "It's just work. Things are crazy right now, you know that."
"I get it," Ryan said, leaning back in his chair. "But sometimes it feels like work is all that matters to you. We hardly talk anymore, and when we do, it's about your next big move or some investor meeting."
Aislinn opened her mouth to protest, but the words caught in her throat. He wasn't wrong. Her life had become a blur of business deals, contracts, and power plays. It wasn't just that she was driven—it was that she couldn't afford to slow down. Not when the stakes were this high.
"You know how important this is to me," she finally said, her voice soft but firm. "I've worked my whole life to get here, Ryan. I can't just stop now."
"But at what cost?" Ryan asked, his tone gentle but insistent. "I miss the way we used to be. It feels like I'm losing you to your career."
Aislinn's chest tightened. She hated this feeling—the push and pull between her ambition and her personal life. She loved Ryan, or at least she thought she did, but there was a part of her that wasn't willing to sacrifice her dreams for anyone. Not even him.
"I'm not going anywhere," she said, forcing a smile. "Things will settle down soon, I promise."
Ryan sighed, his eyes scanning her face as if searching for something deeper. "I hope so," he said quietly. "Because it feels like you're slipping away, Aislinn."
They ate in relative silence after that, each lost in their own thoughts. Aislinn's phone buzzed on the table, and she quickly glanced at the screen. It was a message from one of her business partners. Without thinking, she opened it, her mind already shifting gears from their conversation to work.
Ryan noticed, his jaw tightening. "Seriously? Now?"
Aislinn looked up, startled. "It's just one message. It won't take a minute."
"That's not the point," Ryan said, his voice edged with frustration. "We're supposed to be having dinner, spending time together, and you can't even put your phone down for five minutes."
Aislinn's temper flared, but she quickly tamped it down. "I'm doing this for us, Ryan. You know that."
"Do you really believe that?" he asked, his voice dropping to a quiet intensity. "Because it feels like you're doing it for yourself."
The words hit Aislinn harder than she expected. Was he right? Was all of this really just for her own ambition? Or had she convinced herself that she was doing it for them, to build a future together?
But instead of answering him, she simply put her phone away and forced a smile. "Let's just enjoy the evening, okay?"
Ryan didn't respond immediately, but the tension between them lingered, heavy and unspoken. Aislinn could feel the cracks widening, and for the first time, she wondered if maybe—just maybe—Bell's curse wasn't just empty words after all.
<< Bell's P.O.V. >>
Bell stepped into the recording booth, headphones slipping over her ears as she eyed the microphone in front of her with a sense of impending doom. This was it—the moment where she'd have to sing. She could feel her heart racing, and her palms started to sweat.
I guess I can't fake this part, she thought bitterly, adjusting the headphones.
From the control room, the producer gave her a thumbs-up. "Ready when you are, Vivica," he called, his voice tinny through the speakers.
Bell took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and willed herself to channel Vivica's persona. But when she opened her mouth to sing, the result was far from what anyone expected. Her voice wobbled and cracked, missing the rhythm entirely. She winced, pausing, only to hear the producer's awkward cough through the speakers.
"Uh... maybe we can try that again, Vivica?" he suggested, not trying to hide his confusion.
Bell flushed, her face heating up with embarrassment. She tried again, but it was even worse. She had no control over her pitch, and the high notes came out strained and off-key.
The producer stopped the track and leaned forward. "What's going on? You're not sounding like yourself today. You okay?"
Bell gave a half-hearted laugh, but inside, she was screaming. This is a disaster. She swallowed hard and replied, "Yeah, I guess I'm just... off today. It happens."
The producer hesitated, clearly puzzled. "Well, let's call it for now. We'll come back to this later. Just, uh, get some rest or something."
After the failed attempt at the recording session, the session was called off, Bell ripped the headphones off and rushed out of the booth, her mind racing. Bell stepped out of the studio, she passed Lisa and Jacen on her way to the car without saying a word, lost in her thoughts. Her head low as she tried to steady her breathing. Jacen and Lisa followed her to the car, their faces tight with concern.
"Vivica, are you okay?" Lisa asked softly, stepping forward to touch her arm. "You didn't seem like yourself in there."
Bell forced a smile, trying to shake off the embarrassment of her performance. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... a little off today."
Jacen crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe with a worried frown. "A little off? Vica, that was more than just an off day. You looked like you were trying to fight your way through that track."
Bell avoided his gaze, her heart pounding. They're onto me. They know something's not right. "I know," she muttered. "It just wasn't working."
Lisa exchanged a glance with Jacen, and they both sighed. "Look, Viv," Jacen began, his tone gentler than before, "maybe we should push the recording sessions for a while. You've been going hard lately with the magazine interview, the photo shoot, and everything else. No wonder you're burned out."
Bell looked up, surprised. "Postpone it?"
"Yeah," Lisa chimed in. "I already talked to the producers after you left the booth. I told them you weren't feeling well, and they were cool with rescheduling. You don't need to rush back into the studio right away. Take some time to rest."
Rest? Bell thought. She wanted to laugh. Rest isn't going to solve my problem. I need to figure out how to sing like Vivica.
But the way they were both looking at her—so full of concern—made her hesitate. She didn't want to raise any more red flags, so she nodded. "Maybe you're right. I'll take a little time."
Jacen relaxed, a grin spreading across his face. "Good. We'll give you a few days, maybe even a week. Don't worry about anything. We'll make sure everything's lined up for you when you're ready."
Lisa smiled too, her relief evident. "Yeah, Vivica, just focus on feeling better. You're Vivica Winters—you've got this. Everyone has an off day."
Bell gave them both a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it."
As they started walking back toward the car, Bell couldn't help but feel a weight lift from her shoulders. At least for now, the pressure was off. But deep down, she knew that she couldn't put off the inevitable forever. If she was going to survive in Vivica's world, she would have to figure out how to perform at her level. No more excuses.
Jacen's voice cut through her thoughts. "Listen, Vica, I know you love to surprise us, but next time you drop something like that dance bombshell, at least give us a heads-up, okay?"
Bell chuckled, remembering how she had shocked them with her sudden dancing skills during the previous photo shoot . "I'll try."
Jacen raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, you blew me away. I didn't know you had moves like that. If you keep pulling stunts like that, we're going to need to rethink your whole branding. I can't stop thinking about it."
"Maybe I'm just full of surprises, that was a surprise also" Bell said, managing a playful grin.
Lisa laughed, shaking her head. "Whatever you're doing, it's working. Just don't push yourself too hard, okay? We don't want you burning out. And that was crazy so surprising please don't ever try that again."
Bell nodded again laughing, feeling thankful knowing that Jacen brought up the topic to make her smile, though her mind was elsewhere. "Okay I won't do that again."
Burn out? I haven't even started. She knew she had a long road ahead, but for now, she would take the time to regroup. And when she came back, she would be ready.
Back at her apartment, Bell sank onto the bed, groaning. "I guess everything doesn't come with the body," she muttered. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, feeling the weight of her new life pressing down on her.
What did I expect? she thought, bitterly. Just because I have Vivica's body doesn't mean I can magically sing like her. I have no idea how to be her, no idea how to handle this life.
She sighed deeply, the frustration bubbling inside her. Bell knew she was at a crossroads—either she could let this failure consume her, or she could fight her way through it. If I'm going to be stuck in Vivica's life, then I have to be better. I have to learn.
Pushing herself up, Bell grabbed Vivica's phone and scrolled through countless videos, interviews, and live performances of the superstar. Every time Vivica hit a high note effortlessly, Bell cringed, knowing how far she had to go.
"This is going to take work," she murmured. "I can't just wing it."
Her mind shifted to something she was more comfortable with—dancing. If she was going to survive in Vivica's world, at least she had a shot with that. Dancing had always been her thing, and maybe, just maybe, she could make that her strong suit while she figured out how to tackle singing.
Bell stood up, determination filling her chest. "Alright, let's start with the basics," she whispered to herself. She found a beginner's vocal lesson online, put her headphones on, and began following along with the exercises, feeling awkward but committed.
Step one, she thought. Learn to sing. Then I'll figure out the rest of Vivica's life.