Page 99 of My Spanish Love Affair

I try to brush it off and focus on the things that matter, and I think that I’m generally getting better at it. I’m trying to find some dry humour in it all, too -

But I’m only human, and sometimes, it gets to me.

Javier says that I’m overthinking it, that it’s only normal for people to be interested in my life. After all, I’m not just ordinary Olivia Bennett anymore - I’m the girlfriend of Santiago Ortiz, and with that comes certain expectations.

I might want to be known for being so much more than that,but as Javier says, facts are facts.

The media have hopped between being highly critical to now calling it a fairy tale romance - no doubt due to his manager’s influence, I’m sure - and people expect me to fit that image.

The problem is that I just don’t know how to be a fairy tale.

∞∞∞

The article is released on a Tuesday morning.

I sit down on the couch, already dressed in my work clothes. Javier said it would be released today, and at seven am on the dot, an alert from the local news outlet pops up on my phone.

The headline jumps out at me immediately.

Ortiz’s Girl: How Olivia Bennett Won Over Spain’s Golden Boy.

It hits me like a punch to the gut.

My heart beats faster as I click on the link, already knowing I’m not ready for what I’ll find.

For weeks I’ve been avoiding the media, avoiding the spotlight and trying to push through the noise. But the world seems to have other plans, and what Javier promised would be a good idea - no, agreatidea, a perfect move - already isn’t off to the best start if that headline is anything to go by.

The article starts as I expect. It’s all pretty words, gushing about Santi and his Rugby career and painting us as the perfect couple. It’s the kind of immature, fairy-tale nonsense that people can’t help but romanticise, and my eyes roll at the ridiculous nature of it.

The article goes on to talk about Santi’s rise to fame, hischarm, his golden-boy status, and how lucky I must be to have captured his attention. The tone is syrupy sweet, and the words are like honey, smooth and easy to digest.

Javier was right, though: everyone loves a love story, especially when it's wrapped in the glossy, magazine-cover image of a celebrity relationship.

It’s not the first time our relationship has been covered in the press, but this time feels different. The attention feels louder, more invasive - no doubt assisted by my own contributing interview. It’s not all speculation anymore, this is live from the horse’s mouth, the information coming directly from me and Santi’s team.

It’s my life being pried open for everyone to see, to scrutinise, and it’s the most bizarre feeling in the world.

I skim through the first few paragraphs, my fingers trembling as I try to steady my breath, pushing back the wave of nausea threatening to rise in my throat. The whole piece feels surreal. It’s as if I’m reading about someone else’s life - someone else’s story.

And then I reach the second half of the article.

Olivia Bennett, the woman who has somehow captured the heart of Spain’s rugby sensation, Santiago Ortiz, is, by all accounts, a pleasant and charming individual.

Though she may have been content in her quiet, humble life in England, far removed from the spotlight, the move to Spain has thrust her into a world she never truly bargained for. Beneath her polished exterior, she has struggled to find her place and newfound fame.

It’s clear that the overwhelming media attention that comes with dating one of the country’s most eligible bachelors has left her torn. It’s a tough balancing act, but perhaps it’s one she’ll eventually learn to manage, though it’s not clear yet how much she’s willing toembrace this new life.

My stomach drops.

Struggled to find her place…?

This isn’t what I said.

Or, if it is, then this isn’t what I meant.

How could they twist my words into something so...weak?

It’s as if they’ve taken everything I’ve said and turned it into a narrative about a woman in crisis, and I never wanted to portray myself like that.

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