My wife, Ashley Miller, ditched me on our anniversary to go to her old flame's bachelor party. Unreal, right? She got back around 3 AM, and when she saw me asleep, she took her ripped fishnet stockings and set our freakin' house on fire, using gasoline. Seriously?! "If I hadn't said yes to your proposal, I would be marrying Chad tomorrow!" she yelled. "I really regret being with you!" I could barely breathe, and all I could smell was men's cologne on her. That's when I knew, she'd been cheating on me for years. And I was just a total simp, ending up with absolutely nothing. I woke up again, and it was the day I was gonna ask Ashley out. This time, I threw away all the stupid love letters and just focused on becoming a better version of myself. Ten years later, I'm still a washed-up, nobody actor, while she and her golden boy, Chad, are A-list celebs. On a reality TV show, she keeps putting me down. But the second she sees the freakin' Oscar-winning actress I'm dating climb into my lap, she loses it. "Ethan, didn't you say I was the only woman you'd ever love, in any lifetime?" she whined. 1. After chilling at home for six months, my wife, Sarah, gets annoyed that I’m just loafing around, so she randomly finds me a reality show gig. I don't get it. I'm basically a nobody actor, why would they want me on a show like that, except to be a filler? I was chilling in a corner, trying to stay out of camera shot, when I saw Ashley and her husband, Chad Johnson. "The director didn't say anything about this. Are they special guests or something?" I muttered to myself. Ashley was dressed in a perfect designer gown, and the freakin' rock on her finger was blinding. "Ashley and Chad are, like, the perfect couple in Hollywood. They even do reality TV together!" "It's so great that Chad respects Ashley so much. I remember there was this one movie that was kinda racy, but Ashley said it would help her acting, and Chad was totally cool with it." "Hey, what about that simp who used to chase Ashley around? The dude even wrote her songs!" "Probably saw Chad was about to become a superstar and chickened out. Plus, Ashley's not some newbie anymore." When they said my name, Ashley's smile froze and she looked super uncomfortable. She quickly recovered, though. One of the guests didn't notice and kept talking. "He was actually pretty into her, writing all those love letters and everything." "Back then, he was running around trying to find Ashley jobs, doing all kinds of stuff." Ashley saw Chad starting to look pissed, so she changed the subject. "I'm married to Chad now, why are you bringing up old stuff? Besides, I didn't ask him to do anything. It was all his own thing." Chad's face went back to normal, and he said with a smile, "Everyone makes mistakes when they're young. We're really happy now, so let's just leave the past in the past!" I just rolled my eyes. Seriously, still talking about stuff from years ago? If this show airs, my wife is gonna freak out! I coughed and said, "Actually, there wasn't really anything between her and..." "Oh my god! What are the chances?! Ethan's on this show too!" someone yelled, cutting me off. "Isn't that Ethan? You haven't said anything, you wouldn't have showed up because you knew Ashley was gonna be on this show, right? You really can't let it go, huh? She's married, dude." "Ashley and Chad are A-listers now, they just show up to these shows for fun. A washed-up guy like you should be practical and get as much camera time as you can. Or you'll never get another gig!" I ignored them. "I really didn't know they were coming to this show, or else..." "Or else what?" some young dude near Ashley asked, narrowing his eyes. "Or else you'd be waiting for Ashley backstage, right? You need to realize there's a big freakin' gap between you and Ashley. You're a nobody actor, you can't even compare to someone like Chad. You’re just here to watch them be in love. You don't have a chance." "You like stalking Ashley so much, why are you doing reality TV? You should be a paparazzi! Put that dedication to work, and you'll be successful, dude!" They were just trying to be funny for the camera, so I ignored them and started counting the lights on the ceiling, feeling like I was in freakin' jail. I thought about the afternoon filming and it was a pain in the ass. 2 I finally got to lunch, so I went into a random bistro and ordered a couple of things. After the first bite, I knew something was off, and I was about to ask the waiter to take it back. But then I saw Chad and Ashley coming in to eat. Behind them were the people who were making fun of me earlier. When they saw me, someone frowned and looked down their nose at me. "Yeah, right. You're not still in love with Ashley? You're eating here 'cause she likes French food? Don't try to act all rich, you can't afford this place as a B-list actor." I put down my silverware and frowned. "Can't I come here?" "Acting all gentlemanly, how much did you pay to learn that? You gotta know that she's awesome, and dating her can help you raise the bar, but you should realize your place. You're just a nobody actor, you can’t handle her." Ashley spoke up, "Honey, I really didn't know he was gonna be here. Wanna go somewhere else?" Chad looked at me and smiled. "Nah, let's stay here." Ashley gave me a look like I was a bug she wanted to squash. "I know you still have feelings for me, but I'm doing great now. Please don't bother me anymore." Then she frowned at the food on my table. "This place is expensive, you shouldn't come here. I'll pay for it this time." Before I could say no, the waiter brought a bottle of red wine to my table. Chad sat right across from me, poured a glass, and pushed it over. "Sorry we didn't send you a wedding invite, but you should still drink to our happiness. It'll help Ashley finally get over you." I thought they were acting crazy, so I waved my hand. "It's rare to be friends after a breakup. Since we're not friends, I don't need a wedding toast. If you want, I'll send a gift." Chad's face instantly turned cold, and he glared at me. "I was gonna get you some screen time on this show..." He kept talking, making it clear what he meant. "I still have some pull in Hollywood. If you don't drink today, you're gonna have a hard time getting work." I understood what he meant. He was gonna blacklist me. "You're hilarious," I said. I thought of all the crap I went through, and couldn't hold back a smile. Chad glared at me. Then he said, "Ashley, your simp still can't let you go! You make him drink!" Ashley looked pissed. She couldn't believe Chad was treating her like crap in public. And it was all because I was back in her life. Ashley took the glass and gave it to me. "Just drink it. It's been ten years, you need to move on." "Besides, I never really liked you," she said. I just glared at them. Then, because they wouldn't let it go, I spilled the beans. "My wife set me up for this show. I've been married for years." "You're thinking way too highly of yourself. I don't feel anything for you. And my wife and I are trying to have a baby, so I can't drink." I pushed the glass away again, getting annoyed. "You? Who in their right mind would want you?" Chad laughed. Everyone was trying not to laugh, but when Chad laughed, they all cracked up. "Ethan, looks like your wife isn't anything special. Thought you were dating a sugar mama. Is this the only show she could get you?" "Maybe you should just quit acting. I can find you a decent job that pays way more than you're making." "You suck at being a gold digger. I'll give you some money to buy some decent clothes." I took a deep breath, fighting back the anger they stirred up about my wife. "Not necessary. But I'm gonna warn you, watch out for karma!" Chad laughed when I said that. "Is that all you got? I thought you were gonna tell us who your wife is! Why won't you say her name? Is she that embarrassing?" Ashley seemed nervous when she heard I was married, but when she heard that, she gave me a smug look. "Chad's just trying to help you out, and you're acting ungrateful," she said. "That's how you always were. You gotta stop being so proud. Do you really think you're some kind of saint?" Hearing that, I felt really disappointed. I thought she'd be a better person this time around, but she was just as bad as before. I ignored them and got up to pay. Chad yelled after me as I walked away. "Ethan, we're working together! You can't even drink to us? Are we really gonna make this hard?" Someone else joined in. "Yeah, if you walk out now, we're gonna make you look bad on the show!" "Why are we even paying attention to him? Is he trying to get famous off of us?" I didn't look back and paid and left. 3 When I got to the studio in the afternoon, they gave me evil looks, like I owed them money. Filming started out okay, and they were just showing off near the cameras, so I didn't bother going over. But then they started playing some kind of competitive game, and I had to deal with it. They were all on the same team, and they were messing with me where the cameras couldn't see. They started getting more aggressive, and it was almost like they were actually trying to hurt me. "Snap!" I felt something snap on my neck. Then I saw Chad holding my necklace. "Give that back. My wife gave me that," I said, feeling bad. He thought the necklace was fancy and expensive, but when he heard my wife gave it to me, he scoffed. "This is cheap crap. I thought you bought it at a flea market." Ashley gave me a look when she heard us. Last time around, she only gave me one cheap necklace. I could tell she got the wrong idea. The one she gave me, I tossed after I woke up. This one, my wife gave me. Chad followed my gaze and saw Ashley's expression. He got furious, snapped the necklace, and threw it on the ground. Ashley glanced at Chad, took a deep breath, patted his back, and said, "It's just filming a show. Stuff happens. Since my husband broke it, I'll pay for it. Is five grand enough?" I was pissed at how she was treating me. "This was an anniversary gift. You can't just put a price on that." She didn't even look up. "Fine, I'll give you another five grand! Ten grand for your necklace." She was being mean, and all the good memories I had of her went out the window. Time really changes people. "You...never mind. I'm just gonna go," I said, trying to keep it cool. "You just want money, right? Here, take it. Why are you acting like this?" she snapped, blocking my way. I was sick of dealing with them, so I pushed her and tried to get past. "Move!" Ashley was shocked. She couldn't believe I was treating her like that. I used to be a simp who did everything she wanted. Even though I didn't make much money last time, she still lived a pretty good life. But after I woke up, she didn't get any special treatment from me, and I was actually way worse to her. She was thinking about the past and didn't notice Chad turning red. "You're dead!" Chad yelled and kicked me in the chest, forgetting they were filming. Everyone around us got ready to throw down. I kept dodging them and tried to fight back. Some of them were already on the ground, crying. Just when they were starting to hesitate, Chad yelled, "Just cut this out! I'll take the blame! Do it!" I kept my distance from them, not panicking at all. This was being filmed, this was a stage accident. I just needed to wait for the staff and security to come and break it up. "Bang!" I heard a loud noise above me, then I felt a lot of pain. I was seeing stars, and blood was dripping from my forehead. When I looked back, I saw Ashley holding a bloody microphone, looking ice cold. "I love you, Ashley!" Chad yelled 4 The people who were about to beat me up freaked out when they saw me lying on the ground bleeding. They were just there to get paid, and they only went after me 'cause Chad was a big star. Now that something actually happened, they all backed away and tried to act like they had nothing to do with Chad. The blood seemed to bring out Chad's animal side, and he was about to start hitting me again. Just then, a woman's voice came from behind the stage. "Stop it!" she yelled. Chad's eyes went back to normal, and he looked stunned when he saw who it was. "Willow Hayes? You're the special guest the director mentioned?" Everyone in the room was excited. "The director went all out, even getting an Oscar winner!" "She's the biggest star in Hollywood right now! Winning awards for acting, singing, everything!" "I wish I could be in Willow's management company!" The actress made everyone nervous. Willow just finished filming for the day and wanted to check things out. But when she got to the studio, it was chaos. "Chad? What happened?" Willow glared at everyone, and the people who felt guilty started shaking. She's one of the top talents and has a lot of power, and a ton of resources. If anyone could get in with her, they'd be set for life. "Sorry, Willow, we were just doing the game the director told us to do," Chad lied. "But someone wasn't following the rules and tried to harass my wife, so I lost it." Chad was putting all the blame on me. Willow looked at the necklace on the ground, didn't see me, and frowned. "Willow, my head hurts. Can you help me up?" I heard my wife say, sounding dazed. Chad swore when he heard my voice. "Who the hell are you to call Willow by her name?" Willow ran over to me, looking worried. "Honey, what happened?”
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