Chapter 3

Sylvia woke up with a splitting headache.

She dragged herself out of bed, opened the door, and saw Edwin sitting in the living room, looking grim as he read through a script.

There was a cold cup of coffee in front of him, and the ashtray was overflowing with cigarette butts.

Edwin was someone who took care of his health and rarely smoked, unless he was really upset.

Sylvia knew Edwin was mad, just sitting there, waiting for her to make things right like she always did.

Every time they argued, no matter whose fault it was, she was always the one who backed down first.

She'd whip up his favorite breakfast, cling to him from behind, and say softly, "I'm sorry. It's my fault. Please don't be angry, okay?"

But today, Sylvia didn't try to comfort him.

She ignored Edwin and walked straight into the bathroom.

The cold water on Sylvia's face instantly cleared her head.

When she came out, Edwin looked up at her, his eyes filled with expectation and a touch of vulnerability.

Sylvia ignored him completely. She put on some light makeup, grabbed her car keys and coat, and was about to leave.

"Where are you going?" Edwin asked, his voice dry and a bit stunned.

"The office," Sylvia said, not bothering to look back.

When Sylvia got to the office, she went straight to her agent.

"I want to terminate my contract," Sylvia said, placing the documents on his desk. Her tone was brief and to the point.

Her agent nearly jumped out of his chair. "Sylvia, have you lost your mind? You're just hitting your stride. Do you even know how much your popularity exploded after that period drama aired?

"The company has three major studio projects lined up for you next year. And now you want to break your contract? Do you even realize how insane the breach fee is?"

Sylvia had joined the company just because Edwin was there.

He said being at the same company would make it easier for them to see each other, so Sylvia signed without a second thought.

All these years, the company had always given Edwin the best resources. Sylvia got whatever he didn't want, or roles that only existed to make him shine.

But she never said a word. As long as she was with him, any role was fine. But now, that didn't matter to her anymore.

"I'll pay the penalty," Sylvia said. "Let's end the contract as soon as possible."

When the boss found out, he made several attempts to persuade her to stay, even offering her more creative control and a bigger share of the earnings. But Sylvia refused every offer.

Because right after she woke up, Sylvia got the message. She'd passed the audition for a film by her absolute favorite director from Havenport.

That had been her dream ever since she started out.

Back in school, her graduation project was recreating the iconic monologue from that director's most famous movie.

But at the time, to stay by Edwin's side and pursue her career locally, Sylvia turned down that chance.

She comforted herself, thinking staying here was just as good. Wherever Edwin was, that was where she belonged.

She was grateful it wasn't too late to chase her dream, even if it was five years late.

After finalizing the contract termination, Sylvia stood outside the company building. The sunlight was almost blinding, and the day was bright.

She pulled out her phone and called Chloe Carter, her best friend from college, who was now a well-known screenwriter.

"Chloe, I ended my contract. I passed the audition for that Havenport film," Sylvia said, her voice trembling, though she didn't even notice.

There was a three-second silence, then Chloe let out a scream. "Damn, Sylvia, you're freaking awesome. I knew you'd pull it off.

"Our teacher always said you were the one with the most spark in the whole class. So, when are you heading out? Let me give you a proper send-off."

Sylvia laughed sincerely, and as she laughed, tears began to flow from her eyes.

Chloe caught on and asked carefully, "So what about your boyfriend? Is he heading to Havenport, too? Are you guys going together?"

Sylvia wiped her tears, watching the traffic go by. Her voice was calm now. "No, just me. We're done."

Chloe let out a sigh. "Maybe it's for the best. Sylvia, I've been meaning to say this for so long. These past five years, ah, never mind. You really deserve better."

*****

After finishing all the handovers at work, Sylvia started handling all the paperwork for her move to Amerland.

She had to deal with visas, plane tickets, renting an apartment, and contacting the talent agency there.

There was so much to do that Sylvia didn't have time to think about Edwin.

Sylvia's parents had immigrated to Sumonlia years ago, so in this city, except for a handful of friends like Chloe, Edwin was the only one she had.

Her world got smaller because of Edwin, and her friends slowly faded away because of him.

Once, Sylvia believed that wherever Edwin was, that was home for her.

Wherever he was, that was her ultimate haven.

But now, Sylvia no longer had a home. She was like a cloud, drifting wherever the wind took her, and wherever she landed became her temporary shelter. Though lonely, she also enjoyed the freedom.