Chapter 1

After four years as a perennial nominee, I've finally won the Best Actress crown.

At the celebration party, someone playfully teased, "Mr. Quinn, when are you going to put a ring on the Best Actress?"

Edward Quinn smirked coldly. "A mere actress like her will never be worthy of my wife. The Quinn family will never accept her."

Two days later, I announced my retirement from showbiz and returned home to claim my family's fortune.

Later, Edward stood before the Sullivan residence and proposed to me in grand style, making quite a spectacle of it.

I taunted, "Edward, you're not even part of the Dandelih Bluebloods. What makes you think you're worthy of being my husband?"

"The Best Actress at this year's Golden Tree Awards goes to Vivian Sullivan," the host announced.

Drawing a deep breath, I gracefully rose to my feet, the entire room's attention fixed on me.

Five years since my debut, with four spent as a perennial nominee, I finally claimed the Best Actress crown, becoming the youngest Best Actress in the industry.

The host playfully teased me, "Vivian, you're truly lucky, so young, and already thriving in both your career and your love life."

I graciously offered my thanks and calmly delivered my acceptance speech.

As I took my seat, I received a text from my boyfriend, Edward Quinn.

Edward: [Congrats, sweetheart, on winning Best Actress. Tonight, we're celebrating at the Peony Ballroom at Fieatin Hotel.

I replied with a smile: [Sure.]

I first met Edward at the Quinn family gathering.

I had just won the Best New Actress award when Quinn Group's newly launched skincare brand, Pila, approached me for a collaboration.

Impeccably dressed and strikingly handsome, Edward represented the Quinn Group at the party. The moment we met, he gallantly intercepted a drink meant for me, then unabashedly confessed his love at first sight.

I didn't mind Edward's advances. He was a real gentleman and quite smart.

He pursued me relentlessly, yet always kept a perfectly safe distance.

From the moment we met, I just knew he was meant for me.

So, I gave dating him a try.

It was barely half a year into our relationship when we made it public. That same year, Pila's brand visibility skyrocketed, and Edward's influence within the Quinn family grew substantially.

Edward said I was his lucky charm.

I said with a playful smile, "As long as you stay good, I'll always be your lucky charm."

Completely drained after handling the press, I slumped into the car seat the moment I got in.

Sammy, the assistant, had a wide, goofy grin on her face.

I reached out and pinched her cheek lightly. "What's with that silly grin?"

Sammy threw her arms around me and exclaimed, "Vivian, you're absolutely phenomenal. This is the top Best Actress award at the Golden Tree Awards, the most prestigious honor. You finally did it."

To thank the team for their hard work, I had Sammy hand out gifts.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Edward.

"Dear Best Actress, is the awards show over?" Edward's deep voice came through, a little tipsy.

"It's over." I turned on the seat massager, savoring this brief moment of peace.

Edward whined, "I've been waiting for you for two whole hours. Jimmy and the guys are nearly drunk under the table."

The driver mentioned an accident ahead. We might be delayed.

I explained the situation to Edward. Though he sounded a little displeased, he still obediently said, "Got it, baby. Take care."

I was hoping to catch a quick break, but before I knew it, we'd already pulled up to the hotel.

As we hit the congested stretch, the traffic cops had cleared the way just in time.

After putting on my hat and mask, I was about to text Edward that I'd arrived.

But thinking of his voice earlier, both whiny and incredibly sweet, I suddenly wanted to surprise him instead.

The Peony Ballroom, originally Fieatin Hotel's conference hall, featured an opulent entrance, though it offered no soundproofing.

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I was greeted by Jimmy King's thunderous voice, as he led a rowdy finger-guessing drinking game.

I was about to push open the door when the waitstaff emerged from inside. I stepped aside to let them pass.

Just then, I caught snippets of conversation from inside.

"Did you hear? The heir of Linkage Technologies is getting engaged next week."

"Marrying so young? Wasn't he just a snot-nosed brat yesterday?"

Suddenly, someone egged on, "Hey Edward, when are you finally going to marry Vivian?"

A sudden hush fell over the Peony Ballroom, and I froze.

A moment later, Edward's icy voice drifted through the crack in the door.

"A mere actress like her isn't worthy of marrying me at all," he sneered.

A brief silence hung in the air before Jimmy led the uproarious shouts that nearly blew the roof off. "You're awesome, Edward."

I leaned against the door, my heart turning to ice.

Through four years of our on-and-off relationship, Edward never once showed any resentment toward my career. In fact, whenever I won awards or landed prestigious roles, he took even more pride than I did.

Yet now, behind my back, he was openly mocking me as some lowly actress unworthy of marrying him.

Men's minds were complicated. I smiled bitterly, shaking my head before calmly pushing the door open.

The instant Edward saw me, panic flashed in his eyes.

I fixed my gaze on Edward, who kept avoiding my eyes, and sneered, "Thank you, Mr. Quinn, for hosting this celebration for a mere actress like me. And thank you all for coming to honor a lowly actress."

The warmth that once filled Edward's eyes had completely vanished, replaced by an icy coldness and even a flicker of disdain.

The crowd that had just been egging him on exchanged bewildered glances. After an awkward beat of silence, they quickly switched to playing peacemakers.

Jimmy, Edward's childhood friend who knew me quite well, quickly rose to his feet to greet me as soon as he saw me come in.

"Vivian, what an honor. We failed to greet you properly. I'll take a drink as punishment." Jimmy, ever the smooth operator thanks to his family's hotel business, pulled me over to Edward, clapped him on the shoulder, and feigned being angry. "Edward, you must be drunk. Just because Vivian was late doesn't mean you can talk nonsense."

After finishing with Edward, Jimmy quickly switched to peacemaker mode. "Just a moment ago, he was pouring his heart out to me, saying he's not good enough for you now that you've won the Best Actress award. He's just drunk out of his mind. Don't take him too seriously."

But Edward's eyes were disturbingly clear, betraying no hint of intoxication.

I blocked Jimmy's drink, my gaze locked onto Edward's profile. Each word sharp and deliberate, I asked, "Edward, are you drunk?"

Edward clenched his fists, the veins on his forehead standing out. He exhaled sharply and roughly wiped his face before rising to his feet.

Being tall, Edward was intimidating enough, and not coupled with his icy expression, even Jimmy couldn't help but take half a step back, frantically shooting him warning glances.

I stood my ground, the forced smile fading from my lips.

Dark circles shadowed Edward's eyes, the whites bloodshot from too many late-night drinking sessions and too little rest. He fixed his gaze on me for a moment, then his lips suddenly twisted into a mocking smirk.

He said, "Vivian, you're only the Best Actress because I made you who you are. Without me, you're nothing."