Chapter 3

It was a paparazzi blackmailing me.

I rolled my eyes and blocked the number immediately.

Whether Serena’s scandal leaked or not had absolutely nothing to do with me anymore.

Years ago, the first time she was caught kissing her sugar daddy, I spent all my savings and even sold the house my parents bought for my future wedding to cover it up for her.

Now, I wouldn't spend a single dime on her.

Besides, her affair with Carter was an open secret anyway. Who cared if it went public?

But the fallout went far beyond what I expected.

When I woke up the next morning, the video was indeed trending on Twitter.

The comments were a mess, but her PR team and fans quickly flooded the tags to bury it.

Just when I thought the storm would pass, Sterling Group’s official account released a statement. But it wasn't a denial. Instead, they dropped a bombshell: Carter Sterling was getting engaged.

The fiancée, however, was not the famous pop star Serena Vance.

Serena's fans went absolutely wild. They swarmed the Sterling Group page, cursing Carter out, calling him a cheating bastard who abandoned their "queen."

Some fans suddenly remembered me, posting that I was the only one who truly loved Serena.

Oh, so now they wanted me to play the backup boyfriend?

"Are you kidding me?" I muttered, rolling my eyes.

Just then, the front door clicked open.

Serena walked in. She looked exhausted, her eyes swollen from crying.

"You saw it?" she asked quietly.

I nodded. "It’s hard to miss when it’s all over my feed."

Serena threw her bag onto the floor and suddenly rushed over, throwing her arms around me. "Ryan, Carter and I were just putting on a show. There’s nothing between us! You know how the industry is, I couldn't afford to offend him."

I never knew she could act so well off-camera.

If Carter hadn't dumped her, she wouldn't have even remembered I existed.

"Let's get married, Ryan. Please don't leave me."

Once, I had dreamed of walking down the aisle with her, spending the rest of our lives together.

But she had drained my love, slowly crushing every bit of affection I had for her.

Now, her proposal was nothing more than an attempt to make Carter jealous. The second Carter waved her back, she would run to him without looking back.

"Let's break up."

I pushed her away, looking at her coldly.

Serena froze, tears streaming down her face. "What did you say?"

"I told you, Carter and I were just acting! I only love you! Why do you have to be so dramatic?" Serena’s voice spiked an octave.

Looking at her righteous indignation, I almost questioned if I was the one who cheated.

Even now, she didn't realize that people don't wait around forever, especially after being hurt over and over again.

I might have been a simp, but I wasn't pathetic.

"This has nothing to do with Carter. I just don't love you anymore, Serena. We're done."

With that, I walked into my bedroom and locked the door.

I had thought it through over the past few days. I couldn't waste my talent on her anymore. I was thirty now. It was time to find my own purpose and career.

I had much more important things to do.