Chapter 1
The boy I'd sponsored for ten years, Lucas Grant, became the biggest star in entertainment.
Tonight, he was awarded Best Actor. I sat in the audience, happy for him.
The host asked about his journey and if there was anyone he wanted to thank.
He gripped his trophy, scanned the crowd, and his eyes landed on me.
The spotlight hit my face. I was caught off guard.
But he looked into the camera with disgust and said, "I want to thank that woman for showing me what harassment looks like.
"She claims she sponsored me, wrote me letters for years, and showed up at every event I had.
"Tonight, I want to say that your delusions disgust me.
"I got here on my own. None of it had anything to do with you."
The crowd gasped. The live comments exploded with hate aimed at me.
On the screen behind him, his company's promo video played, and the owner's name was Evelyn Rivers. That was me.
[Holy crap, that's her? She looks totally normal, but she's actually a psycho stalker?]
[Ten years? Damn, poor Lucas. He's been stuck with a nutcase like her all this time.]
[Ugh, I'm gonna puke. Keep her away from me. I don't need her bad vibes anywhere near me.]
I sat there, frozen in place, unable to move.
My phone was buzzing like crazy in my pocket. I didn't even have to check. My photo and the "psycho stalker" tag were going viral all over social media.
On stage, Lucas was soaking up every second of it.
He stared straight at me, a smug, revengeful grin in his eyes.
The awards ceremony was interrupted as security headed straight for me.
I stood up and walked toward the exit, with all those judgmental and nosy eyes on me.
As I passed by the VIP section, a female celebrity in a pink couture gown deliberately stuck out her foot.
I tripped and went sprawling, my knee crashing hard onto the floor.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry, lady," she said.
It was Sophie Lane, the company's new starlet this year. She covered her mouth in exaggerated shock, but her eyes sparkled with malicious delight, clearly enjoying my humiliation.
"Oops, my bad. But seriously, what's the rush? Off to creep on someone else now?" Sophie said.
Snickers and muffled giggles spread through the crowd.
I tried to push myself up, but a sharp pain shot through my knee.
A pair of polished leather shoes stopped right in front of me.
It was Lucas.
Lucas towered over me, looking down as if I was garbage. "Had enough?"
His voice was quiet, but every word hit like a punch to the gut. "Ms. Rivers, you really embarrassed me."
I looked up at him. Under the stage lights, his face was flawless, but his words were colder than a blade. "I warned you. Don't ever show up in front of me again."
Sophie immediately wrapped her arm around Lucas's, clinging to him as she owned him. She put on a timid act.
She said, "Lucas, don't let someone like her upset you. She's so creepy. What if she's got a knife or something?"
Lucas gave her hand a gentle pat, reassuring her, "Don't be scared. I'm right here."
He shot me a look, his eyes growing even colder. "Security, throw her out. From now on, this woman is banned from any event where I'm present. She's not allowed anywhere near me."
The two security guards came up, one on each side, grabbing my arms and manhandling me with rough, unforgiving force.
They yanked and dragged me toward the backstage exit.
As we passed by an empty dressing room, Lucas's voice called out from behind. "Wait."
The guards stopped in their tracks.
Lucas walked over and dismissed the guards with a wave.
The door closed behind us, leaving the two of us in the cramped room.
He slammed a heavy cardboard box down at my feet. "This is all that crap you wrote. Here, take it back. I never even bothered to read a single word."
Letters spilled out, hundreds of them, every single one I'd written to him over the past ten years.
Each letter was filled with all the hopes and encouragement I once had for him.
At that moment, he actually called them garbage.
He leaned in, his voice low and cold, for me to hear. "You know what? Every time I see that smug look on your face, it makes me sick. You really think tossing me a few bucks makes you my savior?
"Let me tell you, Evelyn, what I hate most is when people look at me like I'm some stray dog.
"Your cheap kindness is the biggest insult you could ever throw at me."
I froze, unable to move.
He knew my name. He'd always known.
"You..." I stammered.
"Surprised?" Lucas straightened up, a cruel smirk on his face. "I looked you up ages ago. You're some ordinary woman running a tiny, worthless company. Did you really think you were someone special?"
He lifted his hand as if he were about to touch my face, but stopped halfway, like I was too dirty for him. Instead, with a flick of his finger, he brushed my collar, as if I were nothing but dust beneath him.
"Stop dreaming," he scoffed. "You and I, we live in completely different worlds." With that, he turned and pulled open the door.
Sophie was waiting for him outside. When she saw me, her eyes flashed with smugness, but she quickly switched back to her innocent, doe-eyed look. "Lucas, let's go. The after-party's starting soon."
"Yeah," Lucas said. He walked away without looking back.