Chapter 2

By the time I finally made it back to my apartment, it was already four in the morning.

I flopped onto the couch and pulled out my phone.

Blowing up online was a shot of Mason carrying Jasmine into a hotel.

One trending topic read, [The CEO's First Love]

Another one reported, [Rising Star Jasmine's Romance Exposed]

Jasmine really was Mason's first love, whom he could never forget.

On our wedding night, he got drunk and cried in the bridal suite, calling out Jasmine's name.

Back then, I thought everyone had someone they couldn't forget.

Mason had his.

And I had mine.

So why should I demand more from him?

The next day, he was extra attentive, gently calling me honey, and never mentioned what happened at the wedding. I figured either he didn't remember or he was deliberately hiding it.

Now that I thought about it, he was hiding it all along.

He never forgot about Jasmine.

The next morning, I was woken up by my phone.

As soon as I picked up, Mason yelled, "Deborah! Where the hell did you go?"

I rubbed my sleepy eyes and checked the time.

It was seven in the morning.

"You done already?" I said, getting up from the couch and glancing at the mess of furniture I hadn't even bothered to unpack yet.

Mason paused, then shouted, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Didn't you check into a hotel room with Jasmine?" I asked.

"I, I just took her back to the hotel," he stammered.

I yawned and let out a laugh that turned into a hiccup. "So what? You two went back to the hotel for a game of cards? Oh, wait, that's usually for three or four people. With just the two of you, you might find another way to pass the time."

Mason took a deep breath on the other end. "You can be pissed, but don't go overboard! Why'd you take the bed, too?"

I let out a short laugh. "I bought it."

He shouted, "What about the couch?"

I said, "I paid for that, too."

Mason gritted his teeth. "And the TV? The washing machine?"

"All mine. Need the receipts?" I shot back.

"Fine, take what you paid for, whatever! But why'd you even rip out the keypad lock?" he snapped.

Glancing at the keypad lock in the trash, I couldn't help but laugh. "Mason, I took everything that was mine. I'll email you the divorce agreement. If you're good with it, let's split clean."

I hung up and blocked him.

I deleted him from my contacts.

And I did it all in one sweep.

I stared up at the ceiling and let out a long breath.

It was best to know when to walk away.

Once I'd finally sorted out my apartment, my phone rang. It was the director, Liam Higgins.

He said the last movie was a hit and wanted me to come to the wrap party.

I knew he was extending an olive branch, hoping to direct my next big original script.

I'd been working on that script for three years.

I kept tinkering with it on and off, and only just finished it a few days ago.

I didn't expect him to catch wind of it so quickly.

Not long after, Liam had a custom-made latest spring collection gown delivered right to my place.

That was pulling out all the stops.

"The dress is your size. I'll be waiting for you. All the big investors are itching to meet the mysterious star writer. Come on, do me a solid," he said.

I held the invitation and scanned the list of attendees.

Mason and Jasmine were both on it.

But a name on the list caught my eye.

"Why is Everett on the list?" I asked.

Liam said eagerly, "That's exactly why I need you there. I still don't get why Everett wants to show up at my wrap party, but his agent says he's dying to work with me on my next project, and that project has to be yours, Deborah."

"But I haven't even figured out what to do with the script yet," I said.

"Just leave it all to me. I'll shoot both the movie and the TV series simultaneously," he replied, sounding totally confident.

Liam's voice shot up. "I've got everything mapped out. Now that you're getting divorced, it's time to reveal who you really are. With your name out there and Everett backing you up, this one's going to leave all the competition in the dust!"

My mind was spinning.

Everett probably didn't even know who I was, so saying he was coming just for me felt like a bit of a stretch.

I gave a wry smile. "Alright, I'll be there on time."

Liam was excited. "Deborah, I freaking love you! I'll send a car to you, and the makeup artist is on the way. Just chill. I've got it all sorted!"

The party was set for the top floor of the fanciest hotel in Atrika.

One had to book this place a month in advance.

Liam was waiting outside, his eyes practically sparkling when he saw me. "Whoa, look at you! Usually, you're rocking glasses and loungewear, even when you're signing contracts of tens of millions. But tonight? You could totally outshine the leading lady."

I slipped my arm through Liam's. "Let's roll, Liam."

Liam grinned. "Roger that!"

We walked into the lobby, laughing and chatting.

"Man, you really went all in for this," I said, genuinely impressed.

Liam nodded toward a group in the middle of the room, and Mason was right there among them.

"Those big shots are all raking it in, but I swear, I have no idea how your brain works. Every script you write turns into a hit. They all say you've got some magic touch," Liam laughed.

"Wanna go over and say hi?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Not feeling it."

Right at that moment, Jasmine, quick on the uptake, spotted Liam and made her way over in a flash, a glass of red wine in hand and her silver mermaid gown shimmering. "Mr. Higgins, you worked the hardest on this film. Here's to you."

I turned my back, not intending to even look at her.