Chapter 2

There was a clatter on the other end of the line, and after a long pause, Alan's excited voice finally came through. "Briseis, you finally said yes. I've been saving this role just for you.

"With you joining the cast, this movie is sure to take home a trophy."

Before Briseis married Aldric, his mother, Aeliana Vance, made it clear that once she became part of the family, she was expected to focus on taking care of the household and give up acting for good.

For the past three years, aside from occasionally accompanying Aldric to important events as his date, Briseis had basically disappeared from the spotlight.

She could barely remember what it felt like to be the youngest Best Actress, holding that trophy in her hands three years ago.

But soon, in a month, she'd finally get her divorce papers and be able to return to the career she truly loved.

"Briseis, when are you coming to Yorkland? I can't wait to see you," Alan exclaimed.

Briseis glanced at the calendar and said quietly, "The sixth of next month."

That happened to be the day she'd get her divorce certificate.

Once she got it, she'd be on a plane to Yorkland.

After chatting with Alan a bit more about the part she'd be playing, Briseis hung up the phone.

Just as she slid into the driver's seat, her phone buzzed with a priority alert.

Briseis checked her phone, and Aldric's latest Twitter post popped up: [If you agree to be with me, I'll do anything.]

The post included a photo of divorce papers and another of Aldric and Calanthe holding hands.

Aldric had registered his Twitter account seven years ago.

He'd only ever posted three tweets.

The first was when Briseis finally agreed to date him, and he went public with it.

The second was when he celebrated her win as Best Actress.

The third was a grand declaration of love on their wedding day.

But now, all three of those tweets had been deleted.

Only the latest one remained.

Calanthe's fans were blowing up the comments section, celebrating like crazy.

[OMG, Mr. Vance and the stunning star? I'm obsessed with this couple.]

[Calanthe deserves all the happiness. That ex-wife should've left a long time ago.]

Soon after, Briseis's name shot back onto the trending list for the first time in ages. [Former Best Actress Briseis Wexley Divorce Scandal], [Kicked Out Of The Vance Family], [Shocking Split, The Perfect Couple Falls Apart After Three Years].

When Briseis married Aldric, she never thought they'd end up like this.

They made it through the toughest days when the Vance family was against them, only for Aldric to change his heart in the end.

Briseis held back the ache in her chest and commented under Aldric's post: [Congrats, Mr. Vance, on winning your new love.]

Right after she posted the comment, her old agent Delyth's call came in. "Briseis, you and Mr. Vance?"

Delyth had been there for Briseis every step of the way, from her first days in the industry to winning Best Actress. Even after Briseis quit acting for marriage, they remained close.

Briseis could tell Delyth was struggling to find the right words, so she jumped in before Delyth could finish. "Delyth, it's true. Aldric and I have already signed the divorce papers."

Delyth paused, her voice tinged with deep emotion. "Back then, I watched Mr. Vance give you his all. I really thought he wasn't like all those other rich men."

Sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting a shadow over Briseis's face.

When she married Aldric, she'd truly believed he was one of those rare, loyal types among the rich.

But now, it seemed like Aldric had been a master at hiding his true self.

If he ever decided to become an actor, he'd probably win Best Actor hands down.

After all, his acting skills were so convincing that even she, a Best Actress, had been completely fooled.

"Never mind, let's drop it. Make sure you're not late for the awards ceremony. I'm already here," Delyth said.

Before she got married, Briseis played the lead in her last film, Eternal Eve.

Due to the massive post-production workload, the movie didn't hit theaters until last year, but it had already racked up several international awards.

Thanks to her performance, Briseis was nominated for Best Actress at the Golden Reel Awards.

The awards ceremony was happening today.

After hanging up, Briseis drove straight to the awards venue.

She'd settled into her seat when a commotion broke out at the entrance.

Briseis turned toward the noise and caught sight of Calanthe clinging to Aldric's arm as they made their grand entrance.

As soon as the reporters spotted them, they swarmed over, peppering them with questions.

"Mr. Vance, are you sorry that your three-year marriage with Ms. Wexley ended like this?"

"Ms. Thornwood, do you feel guilty that Mr. Vance left his wife for you? Isn't that crossing a line?"

Calanthe flashed a confident smile, completely unfazed by the reporters. "I am not the type to play the mistress. Aldric and I only started seeing each other after his divorce.

"His marriage with Ms. Wexley was already on the rocks way before I showed up. It's not on me."

Aldric gave Calanthe a fond look. "Not at all. When love is gone, marriage turns into nothing but a prison. Divorce is freedom for both sides."

Every word was like a blade, cutting deep and leaving Briseis aching inside.

'A prison? So that's what our marriage feels like to Aldric now, suffocating,' Briseis realized.

Delyth, sitting beside her, squeezed her hand with concern, her eyes full of worry and sorrow.

Briseis shook her head, her gaze landing on Aldric's hand as he carefully held up Calanthe's dress. She pulled a wry smile.

To her, it was a prison as well.

She knew their love had changed, but she kept lying to herself, pretending not to notice.

At least in a month, they'd both be free from this prison.

The awards ceremony officially began.

When it was time to announce the Best Actress, a fine sheen of sweat broke out on Briseis's palms.

When she filmed Eternal Eve, she thought it would be her last movie ever, so she poured her heart and soul into the role.

If she could win Best Actress tonight, it would be the perfect ending to her career back home.

The host held the card, letting his gaze linger on each nominee before finally announcing, "The Golden Reel Award for Best Actress goes to Calanthe Thornwood."

The audience erupted into thunderous applause.

Calanthe smiled and pressed a kiss to Aldric's cheek before rising to accept her award.

Briseis felt a pang of disappointment, but she quickly pulled herself together.

Delyth leaned in close, whispering angrily, "Briseis, I did some digging. Turns out the judges were all raving about your film. It should've been you winning Best Actress. Could it be that Mr. Vance paid off the judges?"

Before she could say more, Briseis cut her off. "No."

Aldric wasn't someone who blurred the lines between business and personal life, nor did he ever pull strings behind the scenes.

Even back when they were madly in love, he never pulled any strings for her.

"There's always someone new coming up. Maybe the judges were simply moved more by her performance," Briseis said.

Delyth was still fuming. "Seriously, how did her commercial film even win over yours?"

Briseis gently patted her hand. "None of that matters now. In a month, I'll be heading off to Yorkland for a new film shoot."

Delyth's eyes widened, and she couldn't hide her excitement. "Yorkland? Is it that director Alan who's reached out to you several times before?"

Briseis nodded with a smile.

"That's amazing. Alan is an internationally renowned director. Don't forget me when you're an international superstar." Briseis reassured Delyth again and again until she finally let her go to take care of other business.

After the Best Actress award was announced, there was nothing else keeping Briseis at the ceremony, so she quietly made her way out, ready to leave.

As she passed by backstage, she caught sight of Aldric standing at the side of the stage, a bouquet of red roses cradled in his arms.

Briseis's fingers tightened involuntarily. She forced herself to look away, acting as if she hadn't seen him, and turned to leave.

But then, a sycophantic voice called out from behind her, "Mr. Vance, we've already given the Best Actress award to Ms. Thornwood as you asked. Is there anything else you want us to do?"

Briseis froze.

Aldric replied, sounding unconcerned, "Keep quiet. Don't let Calanthe know the Best Actress was originally meant for Briseis."