Page 12 of Love Unscripted
Simon recovered first—as he always did.
“Camille.” His face broke into a polished smile, as if this were a pleasant coincidence. “Darling. What a surprise.”
Before she could step back, he leaned in and wrapped her in a brief, controlled embrace. Not lingering—but familiar enough to feel invasive.
Camille didn’t hug him back. She simply endured it. The moment he released her, she took a deliberate step away.
“Simon.” Her tone was neutral. Flat.
Up close, he looked exactly the same—immaculate suit, composed, confident. As if nothing in his life had ever truly gone wrong. As if he hadn’t detonated hers.
“There’s no need to be cold,” he said lightly. “Not after everything we shared. You know I’ve always wanted the best for you.”
For a moment Camille simply stared at him, stunned by the scale of his self-delusion. After lying to her for years, then manipulating her, then threatening her—he had the audacity to say he wanted her best.
She decided to keep the conversation anchored to the most obvious point.
“You’re suing me,” she said. “That doesn’t feel like wanting my best.”
“I’m protecting the show,” he replied smoothly. “But I’d drop the lawsuit if you came back. We left your exit open. The fans are still asking for you.”
“I wouldn’t know. I don’t read fan sites,” she said coolly. “And I left for a reason.”
“You left because of Astrid,” he said quickly. “But we’re finished. We’re getting a divorce.”
Camille blinked. “You’re getting a divorce? I thought you told me you couldn’t leave her.”
“I never said that,” he replied. “I said you needed to be patient. I said that it was tied up over legal matters and it would take a while to be finalized. Now it has been.”
For a brief moment Camille simply looked at him, the pieces rearranging themselves in her mind. For a brief moment, she wondered if she should take him on. Then she snapped back to reality. It didn’t matter if he was telling the truth now. It didn’t change what had already happened.
She took another small step back, reinforcing the distance.
“I don’t care, Simon. I’m not coming back to your show, and I’m certainly not coming back to you. I left both you and the show because I became a Christian,” she continued quietly. “Neither you nor that show aligns with my values anymore. That season of my life is over.”
His smile thinned.
“What you’re doing now doesn’t compare to Aradia.”
The words hit her harder than she expected.
“I’ve seen the teasers,” he continued. “They’re… understated. You used to command the screen. Now who are you?”
His eyes flicked over her, measuring. “Don’t dim yourself.”
The words lingered longer than she wanted them to.
~*~*~*~
In the days that followed, as Aaron filmed the Haman sequences, Camille had too much time to think. Too much quiet.
At night, brushing her hair before bed, she replayed her scenes. Esther was gentle. Attentive. Faithful. But her performance felt restrained.
Scrolling through old footage fromShadow Peakunsettled her further. Aradia was bold, commanding, electric. Camille barely recognized that woman anymore.
When Simon’s message arrived late one night, she didn’t respond.
Don’t let them tone you down.
