Chapter 4
With trembling hands, Carissa tapped open the message, only to see Kelvin snapping at her—demanding why she hadn't brought the sachet yet, even accusing her of wanting to make Linda look bad.
That tiny spark of hope Carissa had felt was instantly snuffed out.
She opened Linda's chat again.
Linda said: [No need to look for it. The sachet's in my bag. I'm such a scatterbrain.]
Linda said: [Kelvin didn't mean to snap at you. He just gets all worked up because he cares about you. That's all. Seriously, don't hold it against him. I'll apologize on his behalf.]
Linda also sent over some photos from the show.
One showed Kelvin with tears in his eyes as he took the sachet, dropping to one knee like a knight before his princess, presenting her with a rainbow bouquet. There were even screenshots of the two locking eyes, hearts pounding in sync.
Ever since the hype began, Linda had been constantly sending Carissa intimate photos of her and Kelvin, full of subtle, suggestive looks.
At first, Carissa would feel sad and bitter, hiding under the covers to cry. But now, she was just numb.
"It's fine," Carissa murmured, pressing a hand to her still aching chest.
"Only thirteen days left. Just hang in there a little longer," she told herself.
Kelvin didn't come back until three days later.
Linda hooked her arm through his as they walked in.
She pouted, and Kelvin instinctively handed over the coffee he'd just had a sip of.
"Carissa," Linda greeted her with a bright smile as she walked over.
"I've been dragging Kelvin off to do outdoor shoots with me these past few days, so I got you some desserts to make it up to you," she said.
Carissa glanced at the half-eaten pastry and pressed her lips together, saying nothing.
Kelvin saw that she didn't reach for it, and his brows furrowed.
He said, "Alright, Linda already explained the whole sachet thing to me, so I'm not mad anymore. But don't let it happen again, and you really need to work on that bad habit of not replying to messages."
Kelvin sat down on the couch, still lecturing her.
He didn't even notice the ibuprofen she'd set out on the table.
Feeling unwell, Carissa just gave a quiet, barely audible "mm."
Things got a bit awkward for a moment.
Linda quickly jumped in to smooth things over.
"The Starlight Awards are tonight, and Kelvin and I are walking the red carpet. Carissa, you'll just be bored at home by yourself. Why not come with us and check it out? This is the biggest event in the entertainment industry, and even most celebrity assistants can't get in, no matter how hard they try," Linda said.
Carissa frowned, ready to turn them down.
But Kelvin grabbed her hand, flashing a proud grin.
"Carissa, I'm the headline act tonight! Seriously, you can't miss it. Snap a bunch of photos of me from the audience, Okay? Let's make some memories from our five years hustling together."
Carissa thought, 'Might as well just treat this as my last job as his assistant.'
Backstage at the ceremony, all the stars were getting their hair and makeup done.
As usual, Carissa was about to stay by Kelvin's side.
But Linda pulled her aside.
Then she said, "Carissa, my personal assistant's out today, and this dress is way too complicated for me to put on by myself. Can you help me out?"
With dozens of eyes watching, Carissa couldn't really say no.
When Linda started peeling off her clothes, Carissa finally caught onto what she was really pulling.
Her collarbone, chest, waist—even her thighs—were all dotted with hickeys and suggestive marks.
"Oh, Carissa, looks like I'm giving you a real show," Linda teased with a little pout. "My boyfriend just can't help himself. He goes wild every night. That man's got endless stamina! Honestly, I'm kind of worn out."
Carissa already knew the two of them had hooked up plenty of times.
But seeing all those marks out in the open like this still felt like getting sucker-punched.
The air felt heavy, thick with tension, making it hard to take a breath.
When they first signed their contracts, the company had a strict no-dating policy for artists.
And for a heartthrob like Kelvin, most of his fanbase were hopeless fangirls who treated him like their dream boyfriend.
To protect his career, Carissa agreed to keep things under wraps and pretend he was single whenever anyone was watching.
But anyone who really knew them could tell that they were a couple as they lived together.
Judging by the sly look in Linda's eyes, Carissa was definitely in on the secret.
But Linda still went out of her way to stir things up.
Carissa gave a wry, self-mocking smile.
'Figures—the ones who get special treatment always get away with anything,' she thought.
Good thing Carissa had already decided to leave, so none of it mattered to her anymore.
Not getting the reaction she'd hoped for, Linda was clearly frustrated.
She showed off her 7-million-dollar emerald necklace, casually leafing through the latest batch of couple photos from their shoot.
"Some people really have no dignity—mooching off someone for years as a free bedwarmer. But does it matter? No matter how hard a nobody struggles, she'll never make in her whole life what we earn in a day, let alone 'lock down a happy ending.' Isn't that right, Carissa?" Linda mocked.
Carissa didn't rise to her petty digs. She just quietly slipped on her gloves and fixed Linda's dress, swallowing her nausea.
Linda felt like she was throwing punches at thin air. Bored, she just rolled her eyes and shut her mouth.
Soon enough, the ceremony got underway.
The place was swarming with celebrities, camera flashes lighting up every corner.
Carissa knelt at the edge of the stage, taking photos of her boyfriend and his other woman.
As she looked through her lens at the pair, seeing the way they only had eyes for each other, Carissa absently touched her chest.
'Well, at least it doesn't hurt the way it used to,' she told herself.
But just as they were leaving, something unexpected happened.