Chapter 2

I went to the after-party.

I was going to announce that I was quitting the industry.

The party was a lavish affair.

It wasn't only the company's talent who showed up, but names from every corner of the industry.

Charity stood at the center of the crowd on James's arm, everyone orbiting around her.

When they saw me arrive, old colleagues who used to be friendly murmured among themselves. Not one of them came over to say hello.

That's how this world works: praise those on top, trample those beneath.

Once you have no value left, you'll hardly find a single smile.

Three years of this. I'd long since gotten used to the cold looks.

Charity spotted me and came over, taking my hand.

"Celine, I've been waiting and waiting for you to get here."

"You're my lucky charm, you know. If it weren't for all your hard work, I never would've won this award."

She winked at me. "Keep it up, Celine. I want to sweep every award there is."

That taunting posture.

Nothing like the timid little thing who'd stolen my Best Actress trophy three years ago.

"Is my blood sweet? Go on and enjoy it. This is the last time you'll get to."

I threw off her hand.

Charity let herself fall to the floor with it, dropping to her knees in front of me.

Eyes turned toward us from every direction.

She wept prettily, tears streaming down.

"I was wrong, Celine. I'll give you the trophy, just don't be angry."

"And please stop letting your fans mob me and curse me online. I really didn't mean any of it."

"I'm just a small-time actress. I'm begging you, don't blacklist me."

The next second someone slammed into me, hard.

The champagne along the table went over all at once.

The wine splashed down my body.

Then James's voice came, cool.

"With me here, who exactly do you think you're going to blacklist?"

He looked down at Charity on the floor and rounded on me.

"Celine, bullying Charity again."

"Can't win an award yourself, so don't drag innocent people into it. You've got a temper, take it out on me."

He must have learned his lesson from all the times before.

He shielded Charity behind him, guarding against me like I was some raging flood.

I smoothed the wet hair at my temple, my sorry state a stark contrast to Charity, whose makeup hadn't smudged at all.

"Who's really bullying who here?"

"You're saying Charity, a Best Actress winner, threw her own reputation away just to kneel to me?"

"Or that I somehow forced her to her knees in front of everyone?"

"Don't waste your breath, Celine. I know exactly what kind of person Charity is."

We'd met in college. More than ten years I'd known him.

And he chose to believe Charity, who he'd known barely three.

The lines between close and distant couldn't have been clearer.

"Think whatever you want."

I wasn't there to argue with them again.

I gave James one last disappointed look and turned to go.

James watched my back, and something in his chest ached, from where he couldn't say.

He started to say something. Charity tugged at the hem of his shirt. "James, I don't feel well."

James quickly scooped her up in his arms.

As they passed me, Charity kicked out and knocked me to the ground, as if by accident.

James's step faltered. He moved to help me up.

But Charity, in his arms, clutched his collar and thrashed. "It hurts, my stomach suddenly hurts so much. Am I going to die?"

James knotted his brow, his gaze sweeping over me without a trace of feeling.

"If anything happens to Charity, I'll make you pay for it."

For a moment the world blurred.

Back when I was filming.

An actor had gone too far in a scene and smashed a beer bottle over my head.

That was exactly how James had threatened that actor.

The person he'd once shielded had become the person he stood against.

The shards of glass driving into my thigh felt like they were driving into my heart.

The pain went almost numb.

James didn't spare me another glance. He carried Charity out.

I got up off the floor, wiped the mess from my clothes without much care, and walked calmly into the middle of the party.

I picked up a microphone.

"I, Celine Pierce, am announcing here and now that as of today, I'm quitting the industry."