Chapter 4

Damian hesitated, lips parting and closing, and finally, with obvious anxiety, he muttered, "No."

But the very next second, the clip on the big screen had everyone's jaws dropping.

On the screen, I stumbled out of a hotel room, looking a mess, clothes all rumpled.

Damian, eyes rimmed red, demanded to know why, but I just let out a sneer and slapped him hard across the face.

The crowd went dead silent for a second, then the insults came pouring out even louder.

Someone in the audience shouted, "Holy shit, so Elaine was the one who cheated on Damian?"

Another voice chimed in, "How dare she slap Damian? He went above and beyond for her, and even after they broke up, he still defended her."

Someone else scoffed, "Elaine never looked like the type to settle down. She got caught seeing someone else behind Damian's back and still has the nerve to act all righteous."

Another person laughed, "Damn, she said no so confidently, I almost bought it."

As the video played, Damian looked absolutely devastated, like his world had ended. "Elaine, just give up on the trial. I don't want you to embarrass yourself any further.

"Even after what you did, those three years we had still meant something."

The live chat was exploding with comments.

[Damian's still loyal to her, even after all this mess; he's still looking out for Elaine.]

[What you don't know won't hurt you. That's how you get by.]

[I mean, seriously though. This whole cuckold situation is low-key funny.]

[Come on, you guys are savage. My bro just got played and you're still roasting him.]

[Maybe it's just me, but does anyone else feel like there's still a plot twist coming?]

[Let's see what the judge says first. No point making calls before we know the whole picture.]

I rolled my eyes at Damian and said, "Only the guilty know what they've done. You're pushing so hard for me to drop out of the trial. Guess you're the one with something to hide."

Damian's face went pale, his voice stiff and cold. "Elaine, don't be so ungrateful! Guess my kindness just gets thrown right back in my face."

Harry's voice cut in again. "Here's the verdict. Elaine passes, and Damian doesn't."

As soon as Harry announced the verdict, Damian's fans went absolutely ballistic.

Some even started hurling things onto the stage.

Someone yelled, "No way! We all saw it clear as day. Elaine was the one who betrayed Damian."

Another shouted, "What's the judge playing at? Wasn't it obvious in the video who was cheating?"

Someone else complained, "Fine, you wanna whitewash Elaine, but do you really have to keep milking Damian for drama?"

Damian, standing on stage, was clearly shaken when the verdict dropped. His face was a mix of anxiety and forced composure as he tried to settle his fans down.

He said, "Everyone, please calm down. Don't get too worked up."

He just wanted his fans to not stir up trouble with the judge, but that only made them even more sure there was something shady going on behind the scenes.

Someone shouted, "No way! Show us the video!"

Another yelled, "Let everyone decide what's real; that's the only fair way."

Someone else chimed in, "Exactly. Who knows what tricks you guys pulled backstage?"

Damian's voice was drowned out by the crowd, but Harry's cold, commanding voice cut through the chaos. "Very well, as you wish."

The video started up again, but this time, I was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, Damian and his agent, Rowena, showed up at the hotel.

Damian looked uneasy, his voice awkward and hesitant. "Rowena, are you sure this is gonna work?"

Rowena stood off to the side, smoking with an air of superiority. "Damian, I'm only doing you this favor once.

"It's up to you. Do you want your girlfriend, or do you want Director Wayne's blockbuster?"

Cut to the hotel hallway—there I was, smacking Damian right across the face.

His eyes were red and teary.

Damian stammered, "Elaine, I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. You're my girlfriend. Please, just help me out this once, okay?"

I just scoffed and slapped him again. "So being your girlfriend means I'm just supposed to be tossed into someone else's bed for you? Damian, do you even know how to spell 'dirtbag'?"

When he saw I wasn't buying it, Damian wouldn't let it go, totally shameless.

He said, "It didn't even work out in the end, Elaine. Come on, be real with yourself.

"We've been together for years, and this is the only thing I've ever asked you for. Is it really that much to ask?"

I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh, then nailed Damian right in the family jewels.

He doubled over, clutching his crotch and howling in pain.

Expressionless, I just turned and walked off. "Damian, we're done. Just looking at you makes me sick."

And with that, the video replay ended.