Chapter 2

When I first met Benedict, I was barely a nobody in showbiz, and he was just getting his business off the ground.

I was stuck playing extras in the studio, getting bossed around, and wondering if I'd ever catch a break. Meanwhile, Benedict was hustling for sponsors but getting doors slammed in his face everywhere he went.

That day, I was sitting in the shade, picking at my boxed lunch, when Benedict walked over and handed me a fragrant fried drumstick. "Hey, wanna be the leading lady in my movie?" he asked.

I looked up and met Benedict's eyes—he was smiling, his gaze full of warmth and tenderness. I felt my heart skip a beat. That was the first time, at twenty, I truly understood what it meant to fall for someone at first sight.

That summer, I stuck by him, helping him build his team, chase down investors, and drag his drunk ass home from countless business dinners.

The day filming wrapped, he pulled me into a hug and said, "Mer, I don't know what I'd do without you."

Everyone on the team just assumed we were a thing. They'd call me "Mrs. Fuller" whenever we were hanging out, and Benedict never said yes or no. He just let everyone joke about it.

Right before the premiere, Benedict changed the movie's name from Stars to Summer Night Stars, which I preferred. Everyone started joking around, thinking he was finally going to make things official between us.

I was secretly thrilled, thinking it was our unspoken thing.

But Benedict just laughed and said, "The original name was too common. It was causing some trouble with the censors, so I just tweaked it a bit."

I felt a twinge of disappointment but didn't say anything.

The movie was a total surprise hit, even though it was made on a shoestring budget. Benedict went from a nobody to the hottest new producer in showbiz overnight, with investors scrambling to get a piece of the action. He and his company's stock shot through the roof.

With Summer Night Stars blowing up, my phone was suddenly full of calls and casting invites. I finally got the chance to play second or third female leads in some real projects.

Whenever Benedict had some free time, he'd drop by the set. Every time, he'd treat the whole crew to coffee or fresh fruit, and he'd even give the director some gifts, just to make sure I got a little extra attention.

Faced with all his warmth and thoughtfulness, I'd sometimes get lost in the moment, wondering if maybe he did have feelings for me.

One time, I was filming a kissing scene, and Benedict happened to catch the whole thing. His expression turned stormy in an instant.

As soon as I finished, he dragged me into his car and shoved me onto the back seat.

Benedict ground out my name, syllable by syllable, "Me-re-dith."

He yanked at his collar, clearly agitated. "Can you just not take any more kiss scenes from now on?"

I let out a soft laugh, teasing, "What, are you jealous?"

Benedict huffed and turned his head away, refusing to admit it.

I shot back, totally unfazed, "You're not my boyfriend, so why are you acting all possessive?"

That set him off. Benedict grabbed my chin, all bossy, and growled, "Then starting now, I'm your boyfriend."

He leaned in, his cologne hit me—deep and intoxicating. His voice was low, with a hint of huskiness.

"Only I get to kiss these lips. No one else," Benedict said.

Then he bit down on my lips, hard.

"Okay," I whispered.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, our lips tangled together, and the whole car filled with heat and longing, every breath electric between us.

After that, I turned down every script with kissing or intimate scenes, all for him. My career got boxed in, and I missed out on a ton of roles and chances. I ended up stuck as a nobody, always hovering around the C-list, never making it big.

I'd always tease Benedict, saying he'd tanked my acting career, but he'd just hold my hand, grinning, and say, "No worries. I'll take care of you."

I asked him, "What if we break up?"

He grinned and said, "I'll give you a fat breakup fee if that ever happens."

My eyes lit up. "How much?"

He tapped my head and said, "Don't even think about it. I'm never breaking up with you."

I finally understood that those vows that sounded the most unbreakable were the most fragile of all.

When I asked Benedict if I could get out of my contract early, he shot me down right away. He told me, "Either wait it out until the contract ends, or cough up the penalty fee to break it."

The penalty fee was 15 million dollars—no way I could pay that kind of money. So I decided to head to his office and see if I could talk him down.

As soon as I walked into the office, my coworkers kept shooting me meaningful glances.

I was starting to feel something was off when Benedict's office door creaked open.

Out came a woman in a white dress, her arm wrapped intimately around Benedict's. She looked eerily similar to me, like she could've been my twin.

The two of them laughed and chatted as they walked by, not even sparing me a glance.

It wasn't until my assistant, Sabrina Parker, called out, "Meredith!" that Benedict finally noticed me.

He gave me an awkward wave and asked, "Meredith, what brings you here?"

Before I could get a word in, Lilliana checked me out, eyes wide with curiosity. "Wow, you do look like me! So, have you been the one hanging around Benedict all these years while I was gone?"

I gave a self-deprecating chuckle. "Miss Mason, you're giving me way too much credit. Mr. Fuller's a big shot. He's got no shortage of people wanting to be by his side. I'm just a C-list actress, sticking around for a paycheck."

Lilliana crossed her arms, chin tilted up with a smug smirk. "Sure, you've got a bit of a pretty face, but you're just a wannabe trying to copy me. You can never come from rags to riches, you know."

Everyone around us stopped what they were doing, their eyes glued to the scene.

I looked at Benedict, hoping he'd have my back like he always did before.

But he deliberately turned away, refusing to even look at me.

I was crushed.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. How could I measure up to you? You're Mr. Fuller's dream girl, whom he's always put on a pedestal," I said, my voice laced with sarcasm.

"At least you know your place," Lilliana said, snuggling up to Benedict's arm like she owned him. "But I still don't like her. She looks way too much like me. Benedict, can't you get rid of her for me?"

Benedict stared at me, not saying a word, just watching to see how I'd react. I looked back at him, completely emotionless.

He hesitated, then finally caved to Lilliana, saying, almost under his breath, "Okay."