"It's the label." Justin rolls his eyes as he hands me the cordless phone.    

Needless to say, I'm a little surprised. I can count the number of times the label has called my home phone on one hand. Hell, sometimes I actually forget I even have a stationary phone. I practically live out of my cell, much like the rest of the world.    

"Hello?"

"Madison, Richard Hall. How are you doing?"    

I breathe a sigh of relief and smile. "Good, how are you?"    

I'll admit, when Justin said it was the label, I was preparing myself for a panic attack. It's never good news if they're calling me personally, but Richard Hall calling, is a good sign.    

Mr. Hall is head of promotion at RCA and does a majority of scheduling for the artists. Since he's the one calling, there's a pretty good chance they've finally found my new manager and I'm about to go back to work. Which honestly, I really need right now.    

The press is having a field day with Jc and his stupid book, so naturally, Justin and I can hardly even breathe without being questioned about it. Neither of us has read it, and honestly... we probably won't.     

There's really no telling what kind of bullshit is in that thing and I think we're better off not knowing. It'd probably just piss one of us off anyway.    

The really strange thing though, as many interviews and crap as Jc's been doing, I haven't seen much of Beth. Her name is on the cover right under his, but she hasn't made a single appearance or given even one interview. It's almost like she fell off the face of the earth or something.     

It doesn't make sense, but whatever. I'm putting those two and their nonsense behind me.    

"I'm good, I'm good." Richard replies happily. "I won't bore you with small talk because I've got some pretty important news for you."    

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes. Now, as you know we've been looking for your new manager and so far, have come up empty handed. Unfortunately, this has kept you from working and with the album doing so well, you really need to be out there promoting the hell out of this thing. So, we've reached a decision." He clears his throat and I can hear paper rattling on his end. "You're going to pick up right where you left off. I've taken the liberty of booking your schedule for the next few months, including the tour. It's going to be Chelsea's job to make sure this schedule is executed down to the last second, and that is no small feat. So, we've brought on another P.A, who's got the experience and comes highly recommended. I've already spoken with the two of them and faxed over the itinerary. So, take the rest of the week to yourself, get some sleep and relax. We need you back full force on Monday."    

"Re..really?" I stutter, not fully believing what I just heard.    

"Yes, really." He chuckles. "I've got to get going, but like I said, get some rest these next few days. You'll need it, trust me. Have a good one Madison." The line goes dead and all I can do is sit with my mouth hanging open.    

This is almost too good to be true.    

Despite everything that's been happening, all I really wanted was to get back to performing and now, I'll be doing just that. A small part of me was beginning to wonder if it would ever actually happen. I certainly wasn't expecting it to be so quick, but I'm not complaining.    

The only problem now is breaking the news to Justin. And, I know that won't be pretty.

****************    

Well.... I did it.

I caved and finally started reading Jc's stupid book, even though I promised myself, and Justin that I wouldn't.

I couldn't help it, really. My curiosity started to get the better of me and I just... I had to know. I had to find out for myself if Jace really is the backstabbing asshole we've assumed him to be.    

I'm only the first couple chapters in and honestly, I haven't come across anything earth shattering yet. The first two chapters are mostly history on Justin and I. Where we grew up, how we got started, what kind of people we are. It's all pretty innocent so far.    

Before I started reading, I decided that I was going to put all my personal shit aside and dive into this thing with an open mind. I guess there's still this small part of me that refuses to accept Jace as the bad guy.    

I know I'm a little too trusting sometimes and obviously, it's come back to bite me in the ass a few times, but I just can't bring myself to say, "Ok, Jc screwed me over" and move on.     

I basically put my life in his hands. I depended on him to guide my career and make me what I am today. If it weren't for him and all the incredible things he's done, I'd still be waiting tables and playing open mic nights. I can't just turn my back and ignore that, no matter what he's said or done.    

Call me crazy, but part of me wants to believe he still has my best interest at heart.    

Maybe I'm just being naive or maybe, this book isn't what it's been hyped as. Maybe it's just an outside opinion of what Justin and I did.    

Although, what's really the point of it? I won't deny that what we did was wrong, but why does the entire world need to know about it? That's the one thing I just can't understand.    

Chapter Three: The Lie Begins    

In October of 2007, Madison completed vocals for her second major label album, and it was headed straight for production. We all knew that the next few months would be hell on earth, with wrapping the album, scheduling the promotion and tour, hiring the band, and finally heading out on the road. We'd all run ourselves ragged during recording, with writing sessions and late night studio time, and we needed a break.    

Madison, more so than anyone else.    

I wasn't exactly thrilled at the prospect of her jetting off to Vegas, but as I've had to remind myself countless times over the years, I'm her manager, not some over-protective big brother figure. She needed to escape, and who was I to stop her? So, off she went.    

The night she left for Vegas, I received a piece of information that not only shocked me, but broke my heart as well.    

Beth Preston had been Madison's assistant from the very beginning. When "Don't Tell Me" was released as Madison's first single in 03' none of us could have expected or planned for the immediate success. It shot up the charts and almost over night, Madison Fox became a superstar.     

When she reached number one on the Billboard singles chart, I knew I wouldn't be able to handle the business aspects of her career on my own anymore. So, an assistant for Madison became a necessity almost instantly.    

Thousands of people applied for the job. RCA and myself spent weeks interviewing applicants and pouring over resumes before we finally found the one.    

Beth Preston was fresh out of UCLA with a degree in public relations and her enthusiasm was unmatched by anyone else we'd seen. We had to have her.    

She clicked with Madison from day one and I was confidant that she'd be a great asset to Madison's blossoming career. Unfortunately, there were things about Beth that none of us could have known or predicted.    

I was in the middle of booking photo shoots for the album when a contact I'd made at US Weekly called to inform me about something in their employee files that didn't quite gel.   

He'd been asked to update their files for tax purposes and stumbled across the file of a woman named Beth Cook. All employee files at US Weekly contain a picture ID and my source was quite shocked to find that the photo of Beth Cook bared an uncanny resemblance to the woman the world knew as Madison's assistant.     

I spent nearly 48 hours straight investigating the claim and unfortunately, found it to be true. Beth Preston and Beth Cook, were one and the same.    

Beth Cook was a reporter for US Weekly and her assignment was to dig up whatever dirt she could on Madison Fox.    

Luckily, at that point in time, Madison had been doing a pretty good job of keeping her nose clean. She'd dealt with her fair share of negative publicity, but we all believed it was finally behind her.    

However, that all changed after her weekend in Vegas.    

I had every intention of going to RCA with what I'd turned up and was more than ready to get Beth as far away from Madison and her career as humanly possible.    

I had a meeting scheduled with RCA for eight a.m. Monday morning. On Sunday afternoon, I received yet another phone call, this one more shocking than the first.    

Madison was about as calm and collected as I've ever seen or heard her when she casually explained that she had married Justin Timberlake."        

I hear footsteps in the hallway and I immediately shove the book under my pillow before flipping on the TV and engrossing myself in whatever crapfest is on. The door opens and Justin strolls in, muttering to himself about car keys.    

"What are you doing up here?" He asks distractedly, searching through his desk drawer for his missing keys.    

"Nothing." I shrug. "Watching TV."    

"You know we've got a living room for that, right?"    

"Yep. But your super comfy bed isn't down there, now is it?"    

"Point taken. Have you seen my damn keys?"    

"Downstairs on the table in the hall." It's almost kind of sad that I know this house better than he does.     

I wouldn't exactly say I live here, but... I guess I might as well. It's become pretty rare to find me at my own home, but luckily, Justin doesn't seem to mind.    

Unfortunately, come Monday... I won't have much of a home here, or at my apartment.     

I know I need to tell him that I'm going back to work, but I just don't know how to go about it. There's really no way to tell how he'll react, and the last thing I want is to start a fight.     

"Alright, cool. I'm hitting the golf course with Trace, you wanna come?"    

"Seriously?" I laugh and roll my eyes. "I think not."    

"Suit yourself." He shrugs and crosses the room before planting a kiss on my forehead. "I'll be back later. Love you." He breezes out of the room and the first thing I do is grab my book to continue my reading.     

I don't know why, but I've got this sinking feeling that my hiding these petty little things is going to create some major problems.

And unfortunately, I'm only bringing them on myself.

**********************    

"The original plan was simple. Madison and Justin would quietly annul their spontaneous marriage, and a crisis would be averted. I knew from the second I heard those words that this would cause nothing but problems.    

The publicity that surrounds Justin has this way of destroying everything around him. It's not his fault, but his fame is almost like a black hole of sorts. He outshines everyone he comes in contact with and it's been known to wreak havoc on several careers, mine included.     

I refused to see the same happen to Madison, so I was completely supportive of the decision to annul the marriage. But, Johnny Wright had a few very different ideas.    

Once Madison and Justin were back in L.A, Johnny insisted on rallying up the troops and rather than ask everyone what they wanted, he made numerous demands that I found completely ridiculous and unwarranted.    

I'll be the first to admit, Justin has never been the squeaky clean teen idol he's presented as, but by no means did he have an image issue. The world sees him as a charming, albeit overly confidant ladies man, and that's a pretty accurate description. But, Johnny decided that Justin needed an image overhaul, whether he liked it or not.    

Johnny laid out the rules and Madison and Justin were given no choice but to obey. And they did, reluctantly.     

I was against the whole thing from the beginning, but I did the respectable thing and kept my mouth shut. Unfortunately for Johnny, keeping my mouth shut meant I needed to find other ways to be heard.    

I confronted Beth two days after the story on Madison and Justin's marriage broke. She admitted everything immediately and was on the verge of handing in her resignation.  

That's when I explained that I had other plans for her.     

Beth's assignment was to air Madison's dirty laundry. Naturally, I didn't want my client having her life blasted across the tabloids, so Beth and I made an arrangement.    

When she finished school, her goal had been to get on with a respectable magazine, but with no experience, it was virtually impossible. I agreed to help her land the job she wanted, as long as she would only print stories I gave her, or ones that I approved.    

I know it wasn't exactly the most upstanding thing to do, and a part of me does regret it. But, I couldn't sit back and watch Madison become yet another industry toy. She deserved much better than what Johnny was doing to her and I was determined to make sure she got nothing but the best.     

My biggest regret, is that some of the stories that went to print, had a negative affect on Justin. I never meant to cause problems for either of them, but I couldn't sit back and watch the two of them compromise themselves.     

In the midst of what I thought was the perfect plot to get the truth out there, Madison and Justin did the last thing anyone expected, and they fell for each other.     

I can't explain it, but I've always felt a fierce protectiveness of Madison. In the years I managed her career, we became a family, and I do not tolerate someone hurting my family.    

I knew that when their minimum two years of marriage were up, Johnny would have them divorced, never to see or speak to each other again. Which I knew, would be devastating for the both of them. Anyone could see the spark between them, how fair would it have been to deprive them of that?    

They loved each other, in the simplest, purest definition of the word. And if someone didn't do something, they'd have to walk away from that.    

Maybe there was a better way to straighten things out. Maybe I went about things in the worst way possible, maybe I did more harm than good, but my goal was to keep both of them from getting hurt.     

They're together now, and that's something I'm damn proud of. I firmly believe that if I'd sat back and done nothing, they'd be missing out on something that has become the most important thing in either of their lives."    

I snap the book shut and wipe away the tears that are streaming down my face. I honestly never thought I'd say this, but Jc and his book have left me utterly speechless.     

I just... I wish I could have been mature enough to take a step back and really look at everything going on around me. Maybe if I had, I would have seen that Jc was trying to do exactly what he said.     

He was just trying to help.     

Sure, maybe there could have been a different solution, but hindsight is 20/20. We can't change what happened. The only thing any of us can do is accept our actions and the consequences, and move forward.     

If I hadn't been so damn hardheaded, maybe it wouldn't have come to this. Maybe this book was the only way Jc was able to explain himself, because Justin and I sure as hell weren't listening.    

We were both so wrapped up in playing the victims. We never took the time to think about the fact that maybe there was a little more to the story.     

We were idiots, plain and simple.    

And now, the only thing I can do is try to make it right.    

I have to talk to Jc.

*********************    

I make my way up the sidewalk and stop in front of the porch, taking a minute to collect my thoughts and figure out exactly what the fuck I'm doing here.     

I mean... what am I supposed to even say to him?     

'Uh, hey Jace.. just read your book and wow.. I'm a total jackass, huh?'    

I don't think so.    

In all honesty, I don't really feel like I owe him an apology. Or, maybe I do and my stubbornness just won't let me admit it quite yet.     

The fact of the matter is, all of us screwed up. Jc probably should have just left well enough alone. Justin and I shouldn't have been so damn selfish. Johnny shouldn't have forced us into this ridiculous situation and Beth shouldn't have talked us into getting fucking married in the first place.    

Massive mistakes were made all around.     

As strange as it sounds, I'm almost to the point where I can't really place blame on just one person. This thing was a chain reaction. It all just kept snowballing until it got completely out of control.    

The blow up was inevitable. I should have known that. We all should have known that.     

I finally force my legs to carry me up the steps, to the front door and I ring the bell. A small part of me wouldn't really blame Jace if he slams the door in my face. I haven't exactly been the most understanding person on the planet lately. I never gave him the chance to explain, and he'd be well within his rights to tell me to fuck off.     

The door finally swings open and Jc's eyes widen slightly before he clears his throat and nods. "Madison."    

"Hey Jace... can I come in?"    

"Yeah, yeah." He takes a step back, allowing me to enter and I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing.    

It looks like a fuckin tornado ran through this place. Papers, magazines and empty food containers are strewn about, several of Jc's jackets are hanging on various chairs. But, I guess I should have expected this. I'm sure things have been pretty hectic for him since the book came out.    

"So... did you need something, or did you just come here to give me some more shit?"    

"Alright... I deserve that." I nod slowly. "I read the book... well... most of it."    

"And Justin allowed that? I'm impressed Madison."    

"You know... you were sure singing a different tune in that fucking book, Jace. Or was that just an act?" Alright, now he's just starting to piss me off and pretty soon, my defenses are going to kick in, and I'm gonna go ape shit.    

He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose before shaking his head. "Sorry... I'm just...a little stressed. And ya know... the whole being attacked thing the other day didn't exactly leave me in a good mood."    

In all the time I've known him, I've never felt as awkward around Jace as I do at this very moment. I really should have thought this out a little more before I decided to haul ass over here.     

"Look, Jace... I... I was pleasantly surprised when I read that. I just... why didn't you tell me? We could have avoided all the bullshit if you'd just been up front about it."    

"Honestly... I wasn't really thinking like that." He shrugs. "I was just... I wanted it all out in the open, mostly as a big fuck you to Johnny for forcing this on us to begin with. He was the problem, Madison. Not Beth, not me, not you, and not Justin. Johnny's the on who screwed us."        

I know I said I was having a hard time placing blame, but I can see where he's coming from. If Johnny hadn't made this life changing decision for us, Beth never would have had a story at all. Jc would have been able to fire her and be done with it.     

We could have gone about our everyday lives if Johnny hadn't intervened.     

"I'm not gonna lie... in a way, I'm glad things went down the way they did. It got all the bullshit out there and that's what I wanted. You're not a liar Madison. I couldn't watch you bend to what he wanted. And that's exactly what you were doing. The thing about you, is that you've always done things your way, then this came along and suddenly, all you wanted to do was please everyone else. I couldn't watch that. I'm sorry, but I just... couldn't. Something had to be done. Do I regret some of it? Yes. But, I'm glad it happened."    

I nod slowly and let his words really sink in.    

Once again, he's right.    

I completely bent over backwards to do everything Johnny wanted, and to this day... I don't know why.  Part of it was my wanting to help Justin, and maybe.. there was a little fear thrown in.    

If I hadn't agreed, Johnny could have destroyed me. But then again, he almost did anyway. Maybe I should have taken a stand and told him to go straight to hell. But how could I have known how things would turn out?    

When you get right down to it, I've got it pretty fucking good, all things considered.    

I need to do the adult thing here, put all of this behind me and forget about it.    

"Jace... I want you to come back as my manager." I say suddenly, almost surprised at the words coming out of my own mouth.    

A wide grin quickly spreads across his face and he nods slowly. "I think I can handle that."    

He can, but what about Justin?