Chapter 64: Consent is the Biggest Decider

Stephen was biting on his nails as the interview went on.

“He’s trying to make Cage look like an idiot,” he said to himself. He was going through all social media outlets, looking at the trending topics and hashtags and saw that the public was polarized.

When the interview was over, the reporter shook hands with Cage and let him off the set.historical

“So glad we didn’t get any makeup on,” Cage said as he reached Stephen.

“You are in the mood to crack jokes?” Stephen sighed as he looked over his artist. Cage looked tired from the interview but seemed to be at peace. “I hope you are happy with what you have caused.”

“I thought we agreed that this was the best way,” Cage grumbled.

“Of course it was the best way, but we could have let it all slide and no one would have remembered it in a few months,” Stephen sulked.

“I am just glad that this part is over, and I can concentrate on my next projects without a fuss.” In his head, he thought about Katherine and how they had not spoken properly in the past few months. He craved to listen to her voice and read her words. He took out his phone from his pocket as the assistants on set flocked to him and asked him for his autograph. Now that they had heard the story, their reception of Cage seemed to be different. It showed how affected the public was.

They had waited until neither of the two celebrities had something going on and all the releases were done to make the announcement and take an interview. They had chosen the biggest media outlet in the country and made sure that it would not adversely affect Cage’s career. But who could say what the public would think? Even the best PR people could sometimes fail.

“I don’t need to remove anything. Thank god,” Cage said as he went into the washroom and changed into more inconspicuous clothes. It had been a live show, and he could only imagine how many fans and anti-fans had gathered in front of the studio to get a glimpse at him or throw questions. He needed to covertly leave the premises.

“You can use the back door,” one of the employees said. “I will take you there.” Cage nodded and followed behind closely, knowing well that everyone around him was staring at him.

The craziest story they had heard in a while. And nothing like this would happen in some years, either. Of course, they were staring at them.

“What is the reception?” he asked once they were out of the building and sliding into the car.

“It seems pretty drastic. Do you want to read the comments?” Stephen asked, pushing his phone to Cage. Cage took it graciously and scrolled through, reading the comments.

Some of them made him grit his teeth.

[dusty: He is so high and mighty that being sexted by someone as hot as Keira Higgins was a concern for him.]

[justalad: Imagine being afraid of a woman.]

[fapmonster: Where can I get the emails that Keira sent him? I need fapping material.]

[oops: He’s lying if he says that he didn’t feel aroused. Or.. plot twist.. gay?]

The comments went on and on. They were emasculating comments that questioned his integrity and fears. He didn’t like them one bit. But on the other hand, there were people with long paragraphs who spoke about how stalking was not an isolated phenomenon that women face. Men were stalked, too, and the laws were not strict on such matters. Some people sympathized with him, demonizing Keira, while others thought she was mentally ill and needed to see a psychiatrist for whatever issues she was having. Clearly, she was delusional.

[alluring_smile: Dick pics aren’t the only things circulated. Plenty of women send indecent pictures of themselves online. It is still harassment.]

[kermitlover: @alluring_smile is right. I might be a girl but I know quite a few women who would impose themselves on men.]

[Collins: At the end of the day, consent is the biggest decider of what is right and what is wrong. If your messages are unwanted.. please don’t impose on others.]

[alluring_smile: @Collins You are right. We should distribute the tea meme once again. People still don’t understand consent.]

For some reason, most of those who sympathized with Cage were women. Having faced such events on a regular basis probably made them empathize with the woes of a fellow human being. Some men were outraged, others less so.. thinking that a single man like him must have replied, but overall, the response was positive and in Cage’s favor.

Not many people thought he was lying. And those that did were a small population and overshadowed by the enormous support from his fans.

For the first time in four months, Cage felt relief. He was now a free man. He could now fight whatever Keira threw at him without holding back.

[RayKon53: Are you there?] He typed out and sent to Katherine. He had missed her, and there could be no other way to distress from this situation than to text her.

“Texting Miss Austen?” his manager said, still looking at his phone.

“Can’t I?” he sulked.

“Of course. Make sure you don’t blow your cover,” Stephen said. By that time, he had gotten used to his artist’s love for the little girl online who sent him pictures. He smiled when he thought about how similar the situations were with Keira, but the fact that Cage was unwilling changed the scenario so much.

Of course, Cage was a healthy male. He didn’t want to date a celebrity and somehow found a common girl online who stole his heart. Wasn’t that a wonderful story? Moreover, the girl was a fan of this. He didn’t want to get between the two because he knew he would solidify their relationship further, so he just remained careful and watchful of what was sent. Cage wouldn’t reveal his identity under any circumstance. He would have to make sure of that.