As a notorious paparazzi, famous for digging up every juicy bit of celebrity gossip, I was staking out a hotel garage, following a tip. A black car pulled up, and a man and a woman stepped out. The camera clicked, capturing a clear shot of them locked in a passionate kiss—the celebrity, it was my wife, Olivia Vance. As the man wrapped an arm around her waist and led her into the hotel, she glanced back, her eyes flashing a warning. Before I knew it, a black-clad bodyguard smashed my camera, dragged me to a corner, and broke my arm. “That’s a lesson for you.” I wiped the blood from my mouth, fumbled for the memory card in my pocket, and dialed a gossip blog: “Top-tier actress, late-night make-out photos. What’s your offer?” 1 I lay in a hospital bed for three days. Olivia didn't show up, didn't even send a message. It wasn't until a rival tabloid offered a higher price for the photos that she burst into my room, fully made-up and dressed. “Delete the photos!” Her hand went straight for me, as if she couldn’t see my arm in a cast. “Rumors are flying everywhere, I need to do damage control.” My hand, holding a glass of water, froze. “No explanation for what happened that night?” She looked exasperated. “How was I supposed to know you were there?! It was just a business meeting, my agent was there too. Don’t believe me? Ask him!” Her voice suddenly rose. “Do you know how important that movie deal is? You have to trust me!” I gave a bitter laugh. The glass “slipped” from my hand, splashing water all over her. She jumped back, her eyes reddening. “Just this one time, and you hate me enough to try and ruin me?” “One time?” I stared at her. “Running into you kissing someone, or running into you having your sugar daddy’s bodyguards break my arm?” She clenched her hands, taking a deep breath. “You’re fine, aren’t you? This kind of thing happens all the time in this industry. I didn’t even cross the line.” “So what does count as crossing the line? Do I not even have the right to ask questions?” I pointed to my cast. “I’ve been in the hospital for three days. Did you ask me a single thing? My co-workers even came to visit me. Where were you?” She finally looked at my injured arm, freezing. We’d been together since I was eighteen. She’d never lifted a finger for anything; I’d practically spoon-fed her. After a long moment, she said, “I’m busy. Your injury seems to be healing well anyway. Handle the photos yourself. I’ll come when I have time.” With that, she rushed out. My heart felt a chill. Ten years, and she still acted like this when she felt guilty. 2 When I returned to the studio after my arm healed, rumors of Olivia and Carter Hayes, the second son of the powerful Hayes family, were already rampant—Carter was the man in the photos. My boss, looking apologetic, said, “You’re fired.” “Why?” This was the guy I’d worked with since graduation. “A lot of people’s privacy in the studio has been exposed. Fans are threatening revenge. I have to look out for everyone else…” He sighed. “You should know who you can and cannot provoke in this business.” I looked at the studio logo I’d personally designed—back when Olivia wanted to break into entertainment, I became an entertainment journalist, writing her press releases, taking stunning photos, and digging up dirt on her rivals. Now, all because of her and Carter, I was out. A flashy sports car pulled up outside. Carter stepped out, wearing sunglasses, followed by Olivia. She saw me, her eyes darting away as she hid behind Carter. Carter scoffed, tossing a wad of cash at me. “This should be enough for your medical bills. Stay away from Olivia, or next time, it won’t just be an arm.” I didn’t take the money. Instead, I picked up an old candid photo of Olivia from the ground—back then, she was just a small-time actress, and I’d spent three days staking out the set to get that shot. On the back of the photo, etched in pencil, were the words, “When I make it big, I’ll marry you,” the handwriting already faded by time. I tore the photo to shreds, scattering the pieces into the air. “Carter, Olivia, have fun.” As I turned to leave, I heard Olivia call my name behind me, her voice tinged with panic. But I didn’t look back. Ten years of a relationship, shattered the moment she had her bodyguards break my arm, just like my camera. As for those photos? I’d already sent them to every gossip blog out there—top-tier actress cheating on her husband with a sugar daddy. That’s enough drama to keep Hollywood busy for a while. As for me, it was time to find my own life. The man who came down was Carter. “Well, well, healed up now, have we?” His tone dripped with malice. “You think taking photos can threaten anyone? I found out you’re her husband! What good does that do?” “Of all the people to cross, you just had to cross me for a woman. Do you even know who I am?” He patted my shoulder, squeezing hard. My still-healing arm throbbed faintly. Looking at the man, who was half a head shorter than me, I scoffed aloud. “Then do you know who I am?” I retorted. He looked surprised for a moment, then his eyes filled with contempt. I scoffed. So he thought his identity was so impressive that others would just hand over their belongings. What antiquated notion was this? I grabbed his collar and punched him in the face. Blows rained down on him like a storm. “Who am I? I’m the one hitting you.” At first, Carter was still defiant. “My bodyguards will be here any minute, and you’ll be finished.” “You don’t want to work in this industry anymore, do you?” “Do you want to know how your wife hooked up with me?” All he got in return were relentless punches. The moment he appeared, I judged that he hadn’t brought anyone with him. If I didn’t teach him a good lesson, my name wasn’t Chen. In the end, Carter could only cover his head, trying his best to protect his face from being too badly disfigured. I’d carried cameras for so many years; my arms had plenty of strength. I couldn’t beat professional bodyguards, but this guy, hollowed out by his decadent life? I could definitely take him. “Enough, enough,” Carter weakly cried. He hadn’t felt it was “enough” when he had people harass me. “Now, call off your targeting of my studio staff.” He gritted his teeth and nodded. Before handing him his phone, I warned him. “Put it on speaker. You better be honest, or I promise I can give you a truly unforgettable lesson before your bodyguards arrive.” Once confirmed that it was resolved, I kicked Carter aside. “Get lost!” He wiped his face, then stumbled into his car. He slowly rolled down the window. “Chen, you just wait for my family’s revenge!” “Ha!” I picked up my sunglasses and threw them directly at his face. Blood flowed from his nose. “I’ll be waiting for you, you trash.” He drove away, furious. Soon after, Olivia publicly thanked her fan groups at a movie premiere event. 3 It was her “shipping” fans with Carter. These days, the romance between a powerful CEO and a dazzling actress was the most popular. All the flattering words showered down on them. In the video, Olivia held a bouquet of roses, her eyes teary as she looked at Carter. “Thank you, Mr. Hayes, for your constant support, and thank you to all the fans who support our couple.” “As for the malicious business competition from Mr. Chen recently, I believe the law will provide an answer.” With these words, my social media accounts exploded. Olivia’s company sent me a cease-and-desist letter, publicly released to the media. Fans swarmed me like sharks smelling blood. Then, my gossip account was also dug up. It contained various celebrity scoops, critiques of acting performances. Paparazzi already had a bad reputation, and now fans from every camp were dragged into the fray. Many posts mentioned Olivia, all praising her, which many fans took as proof of a disgusting “sasaeng fan” (obsessive stalker fan). The most combative people on social media converged on my comment section. The insults were varied and relentless; even after years in the entertainment industry, it was unbearable. The last actress who was cyberbullied like this jumped from a building; she’s probably reincarnated by now. The online manipulation was very obvious. My schedule was leaked, and an obsessed fan nearly ambushed me. All this began to affect my daily life. I tried calling Olivia for help. “It’s just some rumors! Carter is furious right now, just bear with it! This movie project is my stepping stone into the film industry. Can you bear to see my long-standing career efforts go to waste?” Before I could say anything, I only heard the busy signal as the call was disconnected. I slammed the phone down. I anonymously posted the blurred image of our marriage certificate online. My face was pixelated, but Olivia’s high-definition photo was clearly visible. News of her marriage quickly rocketed to the top of the trending topics. The server even crashed for an hour. The next day, stacks of contracts were thrown onto my face. This was the first time Olivia had come home since the incident, and the second time I had seen her. “Look what you did! These are all the termination contracts for my endorsements.” “You couldn’t pay for this even if you sold yourself. Do you understand?” “I almost got stabbed by your fans last time. Do you know that?” This last sentence made the furious Olivia calm down. “But… but…” Just my luck, the cat, running wild, turned on the TV with the remote. The TV was playing the footage from that movie premiere, and Olivia’s words once again echoed in the ears of both of us present. “Couldn’t you have waited for me to come back to discuss it, if you were that mad? You know what the industry thinks about marriage.” She finally spoke calmly. But I wasn’t willing. “I can’t do everything, only to be branded a defendant in court by you.” “Do you think you helped me a lot? I think you just invested in the right person and now you want to demand a favor in return.” Olivia pointed at my nose, her suspicion unconcealed. My throat went dry. “You actually think that of me? How could you?” “Fine, fine, fine. Since you say I’m demanding favors, how can I not live up to that?” “What are you going to do?” Olivia looked at me, her eyes wary. “What are you going to do to me? Carter won’t let you get away with it.” “I just want to say, return the three million I gave you, three times over, and remember to calculate the interest from these past few years.” “Is that all?” “That’s all.” She seemed confused, as if this demand was incredibly easy for her. After all, Hollywood is full of walking millions. That initial three million was my entire life savings, a gamble on a slim chance. Fortunately, she succeeded. Thinking this, a hint of guilt appropriately flickered across her face. She left only a bank card and quickly departed. In just two days, all the trending topics about me were taken down. See? Public opinion is just a game of capital. I deleted all my accounts, including the fan page I’d meticulously curated for Olivia. That one hadn’t been exposed, but I no longer wanted to update it. Who knew if the comment section was still filled with people who had insulted me? I met up with my friend, leaving him three hundred thousand as compensation. His studio had suffered significant losses due to the fallout. Back home, Olivia was actually busy in the kitchen. She brought out dish after dish, wiping her hands on her apron. Smiling gently. “Come, let’s eat.” I took a bite and immediately recognized it as from her favorite private restaurant. I said nothing, silently eating. “After this movie, how about I go on a trip with you? We can consider it our honeymoon.” Olivia tentatively asked. “Carter will be marrying soon, so he won’t be able to bother us anymore.” “I knew about this a long time ago, so there won’t be any future between him and me. At first, I was just resentful; all the actresses from my generation had won awards.” “I was just trying to secure a collaboration, and he took advantage. And you just happened to see it…” Olivia picked up a wine bottle nearby and poured me a drink. “I was confused for a while, blinded by greed. It was my fault. You’ve always loved me so much, and when things got difficult, you hit me like that. I just got emotional and spoke without thinking.” Under the lights, Olivia’s eyes, full of pitiful vulnerability, gazed at me. I took the wine from her hand and gulped it down, accepting her unspoken truce. Olivia, fearing I wouldn't believe her, showed me her agent's schedule, indicating she had indeed turned down many activities. “Trust me, after this movie is out of theaters, I’ll announce our relationship publicly.” My hand was held by Olivia. She promised me, word by word. I knew in my heart that her popularity was constantly rising, and her current promises would be meaningless then. “I believe you.” I hugged her, my fingers tangling in her long hair. 4 I knew in my heart that everything was beyond repair. The men’s perfume in her hair made me feel almost allergic. She had also become the spokesperson for Carter’s company’s products. She’d renewed her contract for a full ten years, and attending events for new product launches was inevitable every year. Besides her agent, Carter was the top contact in her WeChat. I didn’t intentionally see it; my phone automatically popped up notifications, and I just glimpsed it. Now, I could only say Olivia was as busy as a top. By day, she attended various events with Carter. By night, she came home and drew me all sorts of grand illusions. Perhaps there was a bit of sincerity, but not much. My hard drive, where I’d stored photos, had vanished. All the photos of us, big and small, were slowly disappearing from our home. As for our wedding photos, those were never even taken. Olivia was busy running around for appearances again. At various galas, Carter had already become her designated male companion for holding up her train. This had been widely publicized. That ambiguous marriage certificate from before had been skillfully spun by her company’s PR, painted in a misleading light. Everyone online was guessing Olivia was already with Carter. I could even see their endorsement ads displayed on giant screens when I went shopping. Fans affectionately called them “wedding photos.” At the same time, Carter’s WeChat sent me daily updates with pictures of Olivia’s various times, locations, and makeup looks. “Just a heads-up, I’ve already acquired the studio you used to work at. Let’s see who else in the industry dares to hire you.” I thought back to how my friend had looked so guilty when I offered to treat him to dinner. What a shame, after so many years of friendship. As for being blacklisted by the entire industry, that was just a joke to me. Olivia would occasionally sound me out, subtly. I just pretended not to know anything, even if she secretly slipped out in the middle of the night for events. One day, I received an invitation to a so-called high-society gathering. The place was dazzling, resplendent. I stood in a corner, holding a champagne glass, listening to them casually discussing multi-million-dollar deals. Olivia, arm in arm with Carter, forced a stiff smile, listening as Carter flattered the various moguls. Carter’s obsequious demeanor was unforgettable. The two of them glided through the crowd. Due to Olivia’s celebrity, she even had to go up and share a drink with people. But inadvertently, our eyes met. An involuntary mocking smile crept onto my face. Carter gripped his glass tightly, not even having time to erase his flattering expression. His face stiff, he dragged Olivia towards me. I watched Olivia stumble over her dress several times, pulled along by his speed. “How dare you show your face here?” “If you wanted to come, why didn’t you just ask me? Why did you sneak in?” “Don’t you understand? If you crash this kind of gathering, you’re finished.” Carter feigned kindness, his eyes gleaming with schadenfreude. “Security! Security!” Carter shouted loudly, and everyone’s gaze converged on us. “There’s a thief who snuck in. Security, please deal with this.” “I didn’t,” I said. I looked at Olivia. I couldn’t believe she didn’t know what kind of person I was. “Yes, this gentleman just stole my diamond earring.” Olivia’s red lips uttered a cold sentence. The next second, she splashed wine on me. The icy liquid felt like it drenched my entire body. The people around us watched the farce with disdain. “I didn’t. I didn’t even know you had diamond earrings.” Olivia’s face was cold, her arm linked with Carter’s. “Aren’t you embarrassed enough? Can’t you just leave?” “You claim to despise this glamorous world, so why do you insist on being here? This doesn’t belong to you.” The surrounding bodyguards slowly encircled me. I stood still. Olivia’s words made me realize that she was deliberately getting revenge because she had clawed her way into this world of fame and fortune, losing much, while I had been a constant stumbling block for her. I was held by the bodyguards, my arms twisted behind my back, about to be led away. Under my gaze, Carter turned and put the supposedly lost earring back on Olivia. His face was filled with triumph. I sighed softly. How could anyone be so ungrateful? Just as I was about to speak, the host of the party, who had arrived late, stopped the absurd scene. “Stop! This is my honored guest.”
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