Chapter 2

"That person is Nina Grant!"

"Thank you for being in my life, for giving me the courage to face challenges when I felt disappointed and hopeless time and again."

The spotlight fell on Nina.

She covered her mouth in surprise, smiling shyly.

Ethan smiled tenderly, his tone even more gentle.

"Welcome back, my superstar."

The venue immediately erupted with loud chants of "Get together!" like waves about to overturn the auditorium.

Online, netizens were going crazy, calling them "perfect for each other" and saying they wanted to see them get married.

I looked at the comments, then at the ring box I had spent a year choosing, and my nose instantly stung.

For five years, to send him to the top, I had turned down invitations from top international director Chris Evans time and again, locking myself in an 8-square-meter study to craft roles for him word by word.

I could even go three days without sleep to revise emotional turning points just to make one of his crying scenes more impactful.

People in the industry said Ethan was lucky, that from his debut he always landed scripts that perfectly suited his image. They didn't know that the souls that made him dazzle audiences were carved out bit by bit with my own blood and sweat.

But now he had erased my name—the name of his greatest contributor—from the crown of his deification.

Why?

He was the one who first held my hand and said to forget the past and embrace a new life together.

He was also the one who promised to propose to me tonight and make me the happiest woman.

I couldn't understand.

When Ethan and his agent, Charlie, went to the lounge during the intermission, I followed them, avoiding everyone else.

My hand had just touched the door handle.

Voices from inside reached me first.

"Ethan, have you lost your mind?"

Charlie's voice was filled with suppressed anger.

"Three months ago, you said you'd marry Sophia Mann after winning the Golden Dragon Award. We spent a whole month convincing the company. We even laid out the PR plan for you."

"The proposal procedure, the diamond ring—everything was prepared."

"But just now on stage, you didn't mention Sophia once. Instead, you mentioned Nina. How do you think that makes her feel?"

The room fell into brief silence.

Ethan took a drag from his cigarette, his expression hidden in the shadows, cold and vague.

"Nina just got divorced. She's having a hard time."

"She's sensitive. If her comeback isn't successful, she'll overthink things."

"Since she asked me for help, I'm just lending a hand, giving her some publicity buzz. That's all."

Charlie stamped his foot in frustration.

"What about Sophia? Don't you have any idea how much she's sacrificed for you these past years?"

"The latest script for 'Long Wind'—she worked on it for a year. She put all her heart into it for you!"

"If you break her heart and she leaves, what will you do then?"

The room fell silent.

I stood outside the door crack, holding my breath, waiting for his answer.

Waiting for a reason that would make me stay.

"She won't mind."

Ethan's tone was so certain it made me feel cold.

"She loves me. Even if I don't marry her, she'll still stay by my side."

My fingers tightened bit by bit. I could barely breathe.

"Besides, she's different from Nina. She has a strong heart. She'll understand me."

With that, he tore up the proposal plan in Charlie's hand.

And threw it in the trash like garbage.

"As for the proposal, we'll talk about it later. Bringing it up now would steal Nina's spotlight."

Those torn pieces of paper glared blindingly bright.

I stood in the dim corridor.

For the first time, I felt like my five years with him were a joke.

However, he was right about one thing—I did have a strong heart.