The Comeback Queen (Phoebe Jenkins) novel Chapter 5

When Phoebe got back to her apartment, the first thing she did was log into her Twitter account and change the password.

Leon was supposed to be "managing" it, but his idea of managing was posting something random every few months—basically leaving it to rot.

She opened the comments, already bracing herself, and it was as ugly as she'd expected: one hateful comment after another, mostly from Reece and Jamar's fans.

She remembered the time she'd gone out to eat with Reece. They'd been friends since they were kids, but one casual dinner had somehow turned into a "scandal" after the paparazzi spotted them.

The next thing she knew, Reece's fans were accusing her of riding his coattails, calling her a fame-chaser, saying she was't good enough for him, and warning her to stay the hell away.

She was honestly grateful their relationship wasn't public, or it probably would've been a million times worse.

And Leon didn't give a damn. He flat-out refused her request for any PR help. That was when she seriously started thinking about ditching Jenkins Entertainment.

The nasty comments hurt, but Reece's indifference was worse. He didn't shut down the rumors. Instead, he actually suggested she wasn't cut out for the industry. He hinted she should just leave altogether. They'd had a huge argument about it.

Looking back, it was laughable in the worst way. This was her childhood boyfriend, and he stood back, silent, letting the public rip her apart without even trying to defend her.

It all just confirmed the idea that she was supposedly using him for fame.

And then there was Jamar. He'd invited her to join him at a dance practice, and naturally, the paparazzi caught them too.

Cue another round of abuse from his fans, calling her shameless, accusing her of trying to latch onto him next. They went after her, calling her a "slut," saying she couldn't make up her mind between Reece and Jamar, like she was just jumping between guys.

She even ended up trending, getting dragged from every angle.

She asked Jamar to set the record straight, but he just shrugged it off, saying, "Innocence needs no defense." He figured making a statement would look like making excuses, that their friendship didn't need public declarations.

And Leon stayed just as silent as ever.

With both of them refusing to say a word, she knew that if she tried to explain herself, it would probably just throw fuel on the fire and make the hate even worse.

Not long after, Leon got photographed shopping with Sienna, carrying her bags, practically doting on her. And, of course, that blew up online too.

The Jenkins boys and Sienna didn't use their real last name in the industry. Instead, they went by their mother's surname, Jones.

With "Jones" being so common among celebs, agents, and directors, hardly anyone caught on that they were related.

Because of this, Sienna sometimes took heat from Jamar's fans, which often put her in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. But this time, Jamar didn't stay quiet.

He jumped onto Twitter, fiercely defending Sienna and revealing publicly that they were siblings. Leon quickly got the PR team involved, clearing up any confusion and even turning it into a chance to show off the strong family bond between Jamar and Sienna.

After all this, Phoebe—before her tragic end—started to distance herself more and more from Jamar and Leon. She wanted out, away from the Jenkins family and their company.

But before she could go through with it, she was kidnapped and killed.

*****

Soon, the show officially announced its cast on Twitter.

Phoebe responded by deleting all her old posts about Leon and sharing the show's announcement tweet instead.

As expected, the comments section exploded. Apart from the excitement about the mystery male guests and Jamar's guest appearance, most of the comments were brutal towards Phoebe.

[Wait, Phoebe is one of the female guests? Are they kidding?]

[Look at the lineup. She's the least popular one there. What the hell were they thinking?]

[She must've gotten in through some backdoor deal. Bet she's got a rich sponsor covering her.]

[Yeah, cozying up to the right people is what she does best.]

[Oh no, is she gonna be all over Marr on the show?] Fans lovingly called Jamar "Marr."

[She's probably gonna stick to Marr the whole time, trying to ride his fame.]

[This is fucking messed up! Marr came to support his sister, not drag her along. Keep her away from him!]

[Ugh, why'd they have to bring out that annoying Phoebe first? Already over it.]

[This has to be a popularity thing, right? Saving the big names for last.]

[Who the hell cares about her? I'm here for Marr and Sienna.]

[She's got no business being on this show.]

Phoebe's fans weren't having it and fired back: [OMG, no filters, and Pheebs still looks incredible. Unreal!]

[Pheebs is out here slaying—she's stunning!]

Most of her fans were here for her looks, showing up just to support her. They flooded the feed with love, hyping her up in every comment.

[Forget everything else; you can't deny she's got the looks.]

[Alright, I kinda get it now. If she can just keep her act together, I might actually be a fan.]

Other than Jamar and Sienna's die-hard fans, everyone in the crowd—from fans of the other guests to casual onlookers—was instantly hooked by Phoebe's entrance. The first thought? Damn, she was drop-dead gorgeous.

Soon, the second, third, and fourth cars pulled up. Lexie Bradley, the popular singer, was first out, rocking trendy athleisure and oozing youthful energy.

Right after her came Erika Leach, the rising actress, stepping out in a stunning long dress that screamed elegance.

Finally, James Lloyd, the well-known actor, made his entrance, all class and sophistication, flashing the women a warm smile.

Phoebe greeted James with a casual smile, then waved to Lexie and Erika. Lexie grinned and jumped straight into friendly chatter, clearly thrilled to connect.

Erika, though, was a different story. She acknowledged Phoebe with a polite nod and a hint of a smile, but there was a chill there—just enough to say, "I'm not here to make friends."

Just then, another car rolled up, moving slow, hinting at the arrival of yet another guest.