Chapter 2
When I got home, I went straight to the safe and pulled out the divorce agreement Steven had penned three years ago.
At the bottom of the page, he'd signed it with a fountain pen.
Back then, he wasn't used to signing autographs yet, so his handwriting looked a bit immature.
But he'd put real effort into it, every stroke neat and easy to identify.
After I signed my name, Steven, who'd practically stopped coming home, unexpectedly showed up at the house.
He walked in carrying a box of Sweet Haven pastries, and from the look on his face, he was in a great mood.
Steven grinned, "Whatcha up to, honey?"
I leisurely tucked the divorce papers away and walked right up to him.
I asked, "How'd you know I was craving Sweet Haven?"
I smiled and reached out, but the moment I took the bag, I caught sight of a hickey on Steven's neck.
Steven coughed awkwardly. "That girl was just fooling around. Don't take it seriously."
I ducked my head and gave a little shake. "It's fine."
Steven paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, then wrapped me in a gentle hug.
He asked, "Are you mad? Lisa and I are just creating a bit of hype for the cameras. The new show just aired, and you know how important all that promo is. You're an actress too. You get it, right?"
"Yeah," I replied.
I was an actress, and one under Steven's own studio.
But he seemed to have forgotten that I hadn't had a single job in six months.
All my roles, all my resources, had gone to Lisa.
The person making those decisions was the same man now holding me.
He didn't stick around for long. Soon enough, Steven made up some excuse about work and headed out.
Meanwhile, my phone lit up with a message from Lisa.
She sent me one every single day, no exceptions.
Today's was a photo.
On Lisa's desk were three packs of Sweet Haven pastries.
Lisa: [He bought three. One for me, one for my agent, and one for my assistant.]
Lisa: [He only brought you one, huh?]
Lisa: [He's on his way to see me now.]
This time, I wasn't going to put up with her taunting anymore.
I screenshotted every message she'd sent, tapped her profile, and hit block.
Right then, another notification lit up on my screen.
[Splitting up the assets is a hassle, huh?]
[I helped you out and found a lawyer. You can talk to him.]
[Here's the business card]
I opened it and saw the name of the country's top divorce lawyer printed neatly across it.
He really helped me out.
I replied: [Thanks.]
I was twenty-four when Steven and I started dating.
He wasn't much of a talker. He always showed me how he felt through his actions.
It had been less than a year since my breakup, and I was really feeling low.
After messing up take after take on set, the director totally let rip at me.
It was right then that Steven showed up.
He was a background actor, just like me.
I crouched by the edge of the set, quietly wiping away tears, when this sudden warmth landed on my shoulders.
I glanced up. Steven had draped his jacket around me and was already sitting by my side.
He said, "It's totally normal to feel this way when you're new to acting. Trust me, you'll get the hang of it soon enough."
He cocked his head and handed me a tissue, that playful, crinkly-eyed smile burning itself into my memory.
Seeing I was still just one sniffle away from tears, he reached out and gently pinched my nose.
Steven joked, "That director's famous for being mean. Even A-list actors who've worked with him say he's like a big grumpy bear."
I always hated it when people tried to tell jokes just because I was feeling sad.
Because I honestly couldn't hold back my laughter.
When he compared the director to a "grumpy bear," I tried to hold it in, but the giggles just wouldn't stop coming.
Then, before I knew it, I accidentally blew a gigantic snot bubble right in front of Steven.
Even back in school, I'd never even blown bubble gum that big before.
Steven couldn't help but laugh too.
That day, we were just two bottom-rung wannabes hanging out on set, spending the whole afternoon laughing our heads off together.
At least, until the "grumpy bear" director showed up and literally kicked us both off the set.
Going from dating to getting married to Steven just felt so natural, like it was always meant to be.
The night he won the Newcomer of the Year award, he held me tight and just couldn't stop crying.
He cried and cried until I finally gave in and accepted his proposal.
It was just that both of our careers were starting to blow up, so we decided to keep things a secret.
We never had a wedding.
The day we got our marriage license, Steven took me to the beach.
He got down on one knee, slipped a ring on my finger, and his voice shook with sincerity. "Rhea Chavez, I swear I'll love you with all my heart forever!"
But hearts changed faster than tides.
In my dream, the ocean suddenly turned black. That was when I opened my eyes.
It was three in the morning.
Lisa just wouldn't quit. She messaged me from a brand-new number.
It was yet another photo.
Crumpled bed sheets, scattered condoms, and a man lying naked on the bed.
My husband, lying in another woman's bed. And judging from the mess, they had just hooked up.
Just thinking about it made my stomach twist.
I jumped out of bed and barged into the master bedroom where Steven and I used to live, angrily knocking the wedding photo off the table.
But then I turned around, and that massive photo was still hanging on the wall.
Steven was looking at me in my wedding dress, eyes melting with love.
As if he weren't the one sleeping with someone else.
I forced myself to calm down, then just dropped onto the floor, totally defeated.
A wave of helplessness slammed into me.
In the cold, lonely night, I clutched my phone and dialed a number.
"Rhea?" Benjamin asked.
"Benjamin Brooks... please, take me away," I whispered.