The day I won the Oscar, thanks to resources from my boyfriend, he found someone new. Later, to pave the way for his new lover, he stole my endorsements and movie roles. When I confronted him, he laughed mockingly, his tone cold. "You started out just like her. Give her a turn." I didn't argue. I simply deleted his name from my acceptance speech. Later, my secret social media account was exposed, documenting every moment of my love for him. My ex-boyfriend found me, eyes red and looking utterly broken. "Did you really love me that much?" I smiled and shook my head. "It's all in the past." Chapter 1 A mysterious tycoon spent forty million dollars to celebrate the wrap of rising starlet Bella Lin's new drama. The news instantly hit #1 on Twitter. In the fan-captured photos, Bella sat in a convertible, eyes shining as she watched the fireworks and the massive billboard. People said her smile was sweet, just like mine used to be. But my attention was on the corner of the photo, where I could faintly make out the elegant brow and nose of a man. Just from that silhouette, Bella's fans identified him. Lucas Sterling, CEO of Sterling Group. The comments were filled with how perfect they looked together, shipping them like it was the wedding of the century. My agent, Sandra, saw my pale face and scoffed. "Jealous? When I tried to set you up with sponsors before, you weren't interested." "You said you wanted to rely on your own talent. Why are you envying someone else now?" Envy? Hardly. It was just a pang of melancholy seeing my ex-boyfriend with another woman. Since we blocked each other, our only connection was the monthly transfer to my account. Four thousand dollars. Memo: Living expenses. So, seeing that woman receive forty million dollars worth of affection stirred something in me. I forgot how long ago it was when I told Lucas: "I love acting, but I make so little right now. I have to be frugal." He hugged me tightly, heart aching for me. "It's okay. My money is yours." Back then, his family had frozen his cards to "build his character." He only had a salary of four thousand a month, but that fool was willing to spend it all on me. Maybe that's why seeing such a grand gesture now felt so bittersweet. I opened my secret Twitter account, @HiddenLoveDiary, and typed: [Day 99 without him. Still miss him.] Chapter 2 Before we even reached the event venue, Sandra exploded again. "Chloe! Your endorsement got snatched!" "How could they do this? We were about to sign the contract, and they backed out last minute!" Seeing me calm, even trying to comfort her, she got even angrier. "Aren't you mad? Do you know what being the Asia-Pacific ambassador for Dior means for you?" I knew. But the person who snatched it was Bella Lin, and the man behind her, Lucas Sterling. If he wanted to make someone a star, he would bring the best of everything to her feet. I just happened to be in the way. After walking the red carpet, I saw Bella sitting in the seat that was originally assigned to me. She looked around curiously with her doe eyes. "Why are you here?" I asked. The moment she saw me, tears welled up in her eyes. Although her acting was mediocre, her timing for tears was impeccable. Just as a teardrop fell, Lucas arrived. Among the crowd of beautiful people, his looks weren't the flashiest, but his cold, aristocratic aura set him apart. Facing Bella, his voice softened. "Why are you crying?" He reached out to wipe her tear. They were truly inseparable. Bella wiped her eyes and stood up timidly. "Maybe I upset Chloe. She doesn't want me sitting here." Lucas looked at me with displeasure. "Chloe, don't be unreasonable." "Just give her the seat." I should have been understanding and left. Maybe the forty-million-dollar news had messed with my head, because I actually argued back. "I begged Director Su for this seat next to him. Why should I give it up?" Funny enough, I originally sought out Director Su for Lucas's sake. Now I was being asked to move, also for his sake. Fate is a cruel jokester. As soon as I spoke, Bella cried harder. Lucas looked up, glaring at me coldly, a sneer playing on his lips. "Didn't you climb up using a sponsor too? Can't you empathize with her?" "Didn't you do anything for resources back then? Why act so high and mighty now?" I was speechless. This was the first time Lucas humiliated me for another woman. He was right. We were both women relying on powerful men. What right did I have to speak? Chapter 3 When I first started dating Lucas, I didn't know he was the heir to the Sterling empire. I was an extra in Hollywood, playing corpses, stunt doubles, anything to get on camera. Sometimes I'd bring an extra box lunch home to share with Lucas. "Today they brought a real horse to set! But the lead actor couldn't ride, almost fell on his butt!" I told him about my dreams, my ambitions. He, who grew up in luxury, would stuff cheap food into his mouth and laugh at my stories. Later, Lucas climbed the corporate ladder quickly. I found out he was the Sterling prince. I was angry he hid it, but after he coaxed me for two days, I forgave him. "Omg, my boyfriend is a super rich heir!" I was laughing in my sleep. I recorded it on my secret account. [@HiddenLoveDiary: Day 561 with him. He's a secret billionaire! No more suffering for me!] That tweet went viral. Comments were full of lemon emojis (jealousy). Soon, I stopped being an extra. I asked him for the best acting coaches, the best trainers. Top movies that actresses fought tooth and nail for... I got invitations without even auditioning, just because Lucas made a call. I was living the dream. That night, I was excited until late. On the way home, he was silent. Near our house, Lucas suddenly spoke. "Chloe, do you love me, or the resources I can give you?" I froze, tongue-tied. He laughed self-deprecatingly, cupped my face, and touched his forehead to mine. "I don't know why you're so desperate to build a career." "But as long as I'm here, you can relax." Such a proud man, bowing his head for me. I should have been flattered. But, if one day you fall for someone else, what happens to me? We are from different worlds. How would I even see you then? [@HiddenLoveDiary: Day 611 with him. I'm getting scared.] Chapter 4 My mind went blank. Sandra pinched me hard before I realized I won. Best Supporting Actress. An Oscar. The applause and the heavy statue told me this wasn't a dream. I scanned the audience. Lucas stood out. No mockery, just looking down, seemingly expecting something. I read out the names in my speech, one by one. Until the final pause. I once told him, when I win an Oscar, we'll go public. I glanced at Bella in the audience. She looked pale, like a defeated rooster. So, I swallowed the last name and calmly thanked everyone else. "Thank you, Chloe. A netizen asks: You had so many expensive resources early in your career. Is there really a sugar daddy behind you?" The host was sweating. Someone else was setting me up. I looked at him for a moment, then laughed, raising the microphone. "Instead of a sugar daddy, let's say a lover. We dated as equals. No one depended on anyone." "I don't deny that because of him, I had a professional team and great teachers." "But I never tried to get things I didn't deserve. Winning Best Supporting Actress today is the result of my hard work." I stood tall, no cowardice. I used Lucas. There's no shame in that. Even now, I don't regret using his money to climb higher. "Do you still love him?" Lucas sat up straight in the audience, staring at me intently. He seemed to forget that long ago, I loved him humbly. "Lucas, I didn't just care about my career. I wanted to be closer to you." "I can't just be a useless trophy wife." "Calm down. Can we just... be together properly?" That day, the snow was heavy. Lucas walked fast. I fell behind him. I screamed his name, but he didn't turn back. Later, the doctor applied medicine to my wounds. I flinched in pain. The doctor comforted me like a child. "It's all over now." I met Lucas's gaze, smiled, shook my head, and told him what the doctor told me. "It's all over now."
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