I sponsored Caleb Vance for ten years. From a trailer park nobody to Hollywood’s A-list heartthrob. Tonight was his big night—Best Actor at the Golden Screen Awards. I sat in the shadows of the mezzanine, genuinely happy for him. The host asked about his journey to fame, prompting him to thank someone special. Caleb gripped the golden trophy, his gaze sweeping the audience with laser precision until it landed on me. The spotlight hit me instantly. I blinked, blinded and flustered. But Caleb looked into the camera, his handsome face twisted in disgust. "I want to thank that woman up there," he said, his voice dripping with venom, "for teaching me what harassment looks like." "She claims to be my sponsor. For ten years, she has bombarded me with letters and stalked me to every event." "Today, I just want to tell her: your delusions make me sick." "I, Caleb Vance, earned this award myself. It has absolutely nothing to do with you." The audience gasped. Twitter blew up instantly. Millions of insults flooded my notifications. But on the massive screen behind him, the credits for his production company began to roll. Founder & CEO: Victoria Sterling. That is my name. Chapter 1: Public humiliation "Omg, that’s her? She looks normal, but she’s a psycho stalker?" "Ten years? Yikes. Caleb is a saint for dealing with that." "Gross. Keep that creep away from me." I sat frozen in my seat. My phone vibrated violently in my clutch. I didn't need to look to know that my face, tagged as "The Stalker," was trending #1 nationwide. On stage, Caleb basked in the applause. He looked down at me, his eyes gleaming with the thrill of revenge. Security guards approached me as the ceremony awkwardly continued. I stood up. Under thousands of gazes filled with judgment and morbid curiosity, I walked toward the exit. As I passed the VIP row, a starlet in a pink haute couture gown suddenly stuck out her foot. I tripped, lurching forward and slamming my knees hard onto the carpeted floor. "Oops! Sorry about that... ma'am." It was Bella Rose, the new "it girl" my company had just started promoting. She covered her mouth in mock surprise, but her eyes were curved into crescents of pure malice. "I didn't mean to. Why were you walking so fast? Rushing to stalk someone else?" A ripple of suppressed laughter ran through the crowd. I pushed myself up, sharp pain shooting through my knees. A pair of polished dress shoes stopped in front of my face. Caleb. He looked down at me like I was a pile of garbage on the sidewalk. "Done making a scene?" His voice was low, but every word was a dagger. "Ms. Sterling, you’re embarrassing me." I looked up. Under the stage lights, his face was flawless, but his words were colder than ice. "I warned you. Stop showing up in front of me." Bella immediately clung to his arm, staking her claim. She whispered in a frightened, baby voice, "Caleb, don't get mad. It's not worth it. She's so scary... what if she has a knife?" Caleb patted her hand gently. "Don't be afraid. I'm here." He looked back at me, his gaze freezing over. "Security, throw her out." "From now on, this woman is banned from any event I attend." Two burly guards grabbed my arms, their grip rough and humiliating. I was half-dragged toward the backstage exit. As we passed an empty dressing room, Caleb’s voice rang out from behind. "Wait." The guards stopped. Caleb walked over and waved them away. The door clicked shut. In the narrow room, it was just the two of us. He dumped a heavy cardboard box at my feet. "These are those trash letters you wrote." "I'm giving them back." "I never read a single word." Spilling out of the box were hundreds of letters I had written over the last decade. Every single one carried my hopes and encouragement for him. Now, he called them trash. He leaned down, his lips brushing my ear, whispering so only I could hear: "You know what? Every time I see your self-righteous face, I want to vomit." "You think throwing some money at me makes you my savior?" "Let me tell you, Victoria. The thing I hate most is people looking at me like I'm a stray dog." "Your cheap charity was the biggest insult of my life." My body went rigid. He knew my name. He had known all along. "You..." "Surprised?" He straightened up, smiling cruelly. "I investigated you ages ago. You're just a nobody running a small agency. Did you really think you were someone important?" He raised his hand as if to pat my face, then stopped mid-air as if touching me would dirty him. Instead, he flicked my collar with a finger. "Stop dreaming." "We are not in the same world." He turned and opened the door. Bella was waiting right outside. Seeing me, a flash of triumph crossed her eyes before she switched back to her innocent mask. "Caleb, let's go. The after-party is starting." "Yeah." Caleb walked away without looking back. The door closed slowly in front of me. I looked at the letters scattered on the floor. The pain in my knees mixed with the pain in my chest. My phone finally stopped vibrating. I pulled it out. A text from my assistant, Leo. "Boss, the company website... it's been hacked." Chapter 2: The Truth I didn't go home. I had the driver take me straight to the office. The skyscraper was empty at midnight, save for the lights in my corner office. Leo was pacing anxiously at the door. Seeing my torn dress and bruised knees, his eyes instantly reddened. "Boss, you..." "I'm fine." I pushed the door open. "What does PR say?" "It's useless." Leo’s voice trembled. "It's a coordinated attack. The bot farm is massive. Our statements get buried instantly. The whole internet is destroying you. They even doxxed the office address; people are threatening to protest tomorrow." I walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the traffic below. "Where is Caleb?" "The after-party... is still going. He and Bella are trending #1. The headline is 'A Match Made in Heaven'." Ironic. I built his throne with my own hands, and he climbed it just to hold another woman while trampling on my bones. Leo knelt to clean the wounds on my knees. The sting of the alcohol wipe snapped me back to reality. "Boss, let's call the cops. This is defamation!" "Won't work." I shook my head. "He's smart. He only said 'that woman.' He never named me. If I defend myself now, the public will just see it as a guilty stalker lashing out." "Then... what do we do?" I didn't answer. My gaze fell on a framed photo on my desk. It was ten years old. A scrawny boy in ill-fitting clothes, lips pressed into a stubborn line, eyes wild and fierce like a wolf cub. That was the first time I met Caleb. No, back then, his name was Cletus Miller. In that forgotten, poverty-stricken town in Appalachia, he had been cornered by a shopkeeper for stealing a sandwich. The man was beating him with a broom handle. Everyone called him "white trash," the son of addicts, a thief. Only I walked over and paid the man. I asked him, "Why did you steal?" He didn't speak. He just clutched the dirty, squashed sandwich to his chest. I learned later it was his little sister’s birthday. She hadn't eaten in three days. I took him out of that hellhole. I gave him a new name: Caleb Vance. A name that sounded strong, clean, successful. I sent him to the best private schools. I paid for his life, his sister’s medical bills, everything. I wrote him letters telling him to stand tall, to read, to see the world. The day he got into drama school, he called me for the first time. His voice shook with excitement: "Vic! I got in! I'm going to make so much money. I'll pay you back, I promise!" That nickname, "Vic"... I remembered it for years. When he entered Hollywood, to protect his ego and image, I established this agency. I used every connection I had to pave his road. I retreated behind the scenes, becoming the mysterious "Ms. Sterling." I thought I was the person he trusted most. Turns out, it was just a one-woman show. My phone pinged. A DM from a verified account. It was Bella Rose. "Auntie Victoria, are you asleep? Sorry about tonight. Caleb is just so... honest. He hates liars." "He says people like you, trying to hijack his life with a little charity, are disgusting." "Oh, and Caleb said those letters you wrote made him feel dirty just looking at them. He burned the rest in the trash can backstage." "Auntie, you should have some self-awareness. Don't covet things that don't belong to you. Right?" Every word was a poisoned needle. I turned off the phone and looked at Leo. "Notify Legal and PR. Mandatory board meeting. Tomorrow morning, 9:00 AM." Leo paused. "Boss, are we...?" I looked at the black sky outside. "We are taking back everything I gave him." Chapter 3: The Counterattack 8:50 AM. I arrived at the lobby. It was swarming with paparazzi. Flashbulbs went off like strobe lights. "Ms. Sterling, do you admit to stalking Caleb Vance?" "Is it true you used your money to harass him?" I put on my sunglasses, kept my face stone cold, and let security wedge a path to the executive elevator. As the doors closed, I heard someone scream, "Don't let her run! Expose the pervert!" 9:00 AM. I pushed open the conference room doors. The entire executive team, Legal, and HR were present. My seat—the head of the table—was empty. But sitting right next to it were Caleb, his agent Mark, and Bella Rose. Seeing me, Mark’s face darkened. "How did you get in here? Who let her in?" Bella let out a dramatic gasp and hid behind Caleb. "Caleb! She... she followed us to the company! Is she going to hurt you?" Her voice was sugary sweet, painting me as a monster. Caleb patted her back, then lifted his eyes to me. Pure disgust. "You again. What the hell do you want?" "Was humiliating yourself on national TV not enough? Now you chase me to my agency? Have you no shame?" I ignored him and walked straight toward the head of the table. Mark jumped up, blocking my path, chest puffed out. "Ma'am, this is a private board meeting. Get out before I call the cops!" "Yeah, throw her out!" Bella peeked out, grinning viciously. "She's insane! The CEO, Ms. Sterling, will be here any minute. You don't want her to see this trash!" "Ms. Sterling?" I repeated the name softly, a dry laugh escaping my lips. I scanned the room. The executives looked down or stared at their iPads. They knew who I was, but nobody spoke. Cowardice is human nature. Caleb was the company’s cash cow. I was currently the most hated woman in America. Caleb leaned back, crossing his legs, looking at me with charity. "Look, you helped me a few times back in the day. I won't press charges for last night." He pulled a black Amex card from his wallet and flicked it onto the table. "There's a hundred grand on this. Take it and vanish. Don't let me see you again." A hundred grand. That wouldn't even cover one month of his sister’s dialysis treatments I paid for years ago. Bella squealed. "Wow, Caleb, you're a saint! She stalked you, and you give her money? You're too kind!" She picked up the card and tried to shove it into my hand. "Hear that, Auntie? A hundred grand. Enough for a nobody like you to live on for years. Take it and roll." I didn't take it. Her hand froze in mid-air. "What? Not enough? Don't be greedy." Caleb lost his patience. "Security!" he barked. "Get this woman out of my sight! Now!" Two guards rushed in. The room watched in silence. In their eyes, I was a dead dog being kicked to the curb. I finally lifted my eyes, looking past the circus to Leo. "Leo." My voice was calm. Leo nodded, picked up the conference phone. "Get Mr. Henderson from Legal and Director Lee from HR up here. Also, tell security to remove these trespassers." I pointed at the guards who had just rushed in. The room went deadly silent. Chapter 4: Identity Revealed The silence was suffocating. The guards stood confused, looking between Caleb and me. Mark laughed, a nervous, barking sound. "You? Who do you think you are? Summoning legal? Do you think you're the boss?" Bella giggled, her body shaking. "Caleb, did you hear that? She’s roleplaying CEO now! She’s totally lost it!" She turned to Leo, snarling. "And you! A little assistant playing along with a psycho? You’re fired! Get out!" Leo went pale but stood his ground behind me. Only Caleb didn't laugh. He narrowed his eyes, studying my calm face, looking for a crack. "What game are you playing?" I didn't answer. I looked at the head of security. "Did you not hear me?" My voice wasn't loud, but it carried authority. The head guard exchanged a glance with his partner, then nervously stepped toward me. "Ma'am, please don't make this difficult..." The doors swung open. Mr. Henderson, the chief counsel, and Director Lee walked in. Mark beamed, rushing to them. "Henderson! Lee! Thank God. This crazy woman broke in. Get rid of her!" Bella ran to Director Lee. "Director, fire that assistant too! He's helping the stalker!" The two executives ignored them completely. They walked straight to me. In front of everyone, they bowed slightly. "Ms. Sterling. Sorry we're late." Those two words hit the room like a bomb. Mark’s jaw unhinged. Bella’s smug smile froze, then shattered into pure terror. She began to tremble. And Caleb... The disgust, the arrogance, the pity—it all vanished. His face went blank with shock. His pupils dilated. He stared at me like he was seeing a ghost. The world seemed to stop spinning. I walked slowly, step by step, to the head of the table. Mark, who was blocking the chair, stood paralyzed. I stopped in front of him. "Move." His knees buckled. He practically crawled out of the way. I touched the cold leather of the CEO's chair. Then, I sat down. I slid a file across the mahogany table toward Caleb. The title was bold and clear: NOTICE OF CONTRACT TERMINATION. Caleb’s eyes locked onto the signature line at the bottom. The printed name. Victoria Sterling. He started to shake. Sweat beaded on his forehead. "Ms... Sterling?" He choked the name out. "You... you are Victoria?" I leaned back, lacing my fingers together, looking at him like a stranger. "Mr. Vance. Is there a problem?" "No... impossible..." He shook his head like a madman. "Impossible... you're just..." "Just what?" I cut him off, ice in my voice. "The stalker? The delusional fan? The 'disgusting' woman you threw a hundred grand at?" Every word drained more blood from his face. Bella had collapsed into a chair, unable to speak. I turned to Director Lee. "Director, announce the personnel changes." Lee cleared his throat, opening a folder. "Effective immediately, Mark Davis is relieved of his duties as Talent Director. Bella Rose's contract is terminated for breach of morality clauses and damaging company reputation. We will be suing for damages." "As for Mr. Caleb Vance..." Lee paused, looking at me. I tapped the termination notice. I smiled at Caleb. It was the first time I smiled in three days. "Caleb. You said your success had nothing to do with me, right?" "Good." "Now, give back everything you took from me. With interest."
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