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Synopsis
Four years ago, my boyfriend was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's.
That day, with bloodshot eyes and tears streaming down his face, he pulled me into his arms, choking back sobs:
"Chloe, I want my memory to freeze forever at the moment I still remember you."
Then, on New Year's Eve, he threw himself into the stormy ocean.
I searched for him like a woman possessed, combing the freezing waters for two whole months, but I never found so much as a single strand of his hair.
Later, though I had never believed in god or fate, I went on a solitary pilgrimage through the blizzard, circling the frozen mountain trails eighty-one times, praying only that we might meet again in another life.
Eventually, my story caught the media's attention. I became a minor influencer, sharing memories of our past on social media.
Until one day, I posted an old photo of his profile.
The comment section exploded: "Girl, stop lying! Isn't that Chad Sterling, the youngest heir to the Sterling Empire? He's alive and well, and he's about to marry a trending young starlet!"
I stared at my phone screen, but I didn't cry. Instead, I burst out laughing.
Because I was getting married, too.
And the man I was going to marry was his uncle.
Hearing Chad's name again four years later didn't surprise me.
My followers had already told me he was alive.
Yet when he walked onto the film set with Sienna Cole clinging to his arm, the hobby knife in my hand still slipped, slicing right across my skin.
How pathetic.
Back then, he had sneered with pure disgust: "A manipulative snake like your stepsister? Looking at her takes years off my life!"
Now, he treated her like she was the center of his universe.
Meanwhile, I, the ex-girlfriend who had spent years mourning him, had become the only person he supposedly "forgot."
"Oops, Chloe! My hand slipped."
Sienna had just deliberately shattered the miniature model I spent seventy-two sleepless hours crafting.
We had only been on set for seven days, and this was already the eighth model she had smashed.
She tilted her head, giving me an innocent, mocking smile.
Unable to take it any longer, I lunged forward and grabbed her wrist. Before I could say a word,
Director Miller shot up from behind his monitor.
"Chloe! Let go of her!"
"Sienna is with our lead investor! What the hell is wrong with you?"
Before I could explain, a deep, icy male voice cut through the air behind me.
"What's going on here?"
My spine froze instantly. My breath caught in my throat.
It was Chad.
Four years had made him look much more mature.
Dressed in a bespoke designer suit, he reeked of effortless wealth from head to toe.
Sienna took the chance to pull away from me and threw herself into his arms, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.
"Chad, it's all my fault. I accidentally broke Chloe's model!"
Chad naturally wrapped his arm around her waist—the exact way he used to hold me.
Now, to him, I was just an insignificant nobody.
"A piece of cheap trash like this is worth causing a scene?"
He sneered down at me, lifting his shoe and grinding the broken model into dust beneath his heel.
"Director Miller, I didn't pour eighty million into this production to watch Sienna get bullied."
"Of course, of course!" Miller wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and ordered me to apologize immediately.
Chad scoffed. "An apology? As if that's enough. Tell her to pack her bags and get out!"
I stood frozen in place, my throat tight.
This was the same man who once nearly ripped Sienna's tongue out just because she called me a bad name. Now, he was humiliating me just to protect her.
"Well..." Miller hesitated.
Tomorrow's hospital explosion scene required that miniature. In the entire industry, no one could replicate such intricate detail except me.
Sienna pretended to speak up for me. "Chad, don't be too harsh. Chloe is your ex, after all..."
"Ex?"
Chad raised an eyebrow, sizing me up with pure disgust.
"You think I'd ever settle for cheap garbage like her?"
"Oh, wait—are you the desperate stalker who made up rumors on Ins last year claiming to be my ex? Did you lose your mind over money?"
The surrounding crew burst into mocking laughter.
"Either remake it by tomorrow morning, or get the hell off my set!"
Working late into the night, my eyes burned with exhaustion. I stood up to step outside and catch my breath.
That was when Chad's friends' laughter drifted over from the VIP trailer next door.
"Man, that desperate girl really bought your amnesia story! The way she looked at you today—like a dog in heat waiting to lick your boots!"
"Seriously! You put on a little act four years ago, and she took out massive loans to pay for your 'treatments,' then jumped into the freezing ocean searching for you for two whole months! What a gullible idiot!"
"Hey, she probably thought she was being heroic!"
My breath hitched. The plastic frame in my hands snapped in two.
Chad sounded slightly drunk. "Heroic, my ass! Her eighty-one laps around that stupid mountain almost cursed me to death."
"If Sienna hadn't come up with the fake terminal illness and staged suicide, how else could I have ditched that clingy leech so fast and enjoyed four years of freedom before getting tied down?"
One of his buddies chimed in with a sleazy grin: "So you're completely done with Chloe, right? If you don't want her, pass her to me! A naive, attention-starved beauty like that is so easy to manipulate..."
Chad threw a glass across the room. "Back the fuck off! I'm not done playing with her yet!"
"She waited four years for me. Once I'm married, all it'll take is a snap of my fingers, and she'll come crawling right back with her tail wagging. She can stay on the side and keep Sienna company."
Raucous laughter echoed through the night.
It felt like a bed of nails rolling over my heart, sending bone-chilling pain through my veins.
So the amnesia was fake.
And his tragic suicide wasn't because he loved me too much to let me watch him fade.
Chad, why did you even bother?
Did you really think I was the kind of woman who couldn't let go?
The years of crushing guilt and grief vanished in an instant, replaced by cold, mocking ridicule.
I pulled out my phone and texted my fiancé:
"I've made up my mind. As soon as this shoot wraps, let's get married."Opening Ins, the posts about Chad had stopped back in June of last year.
Back then, egged on by curious followers, I had shared a side profile photo of him.
That was how I found out he was the youngest heir of the powerful Sterling Group.
At the time, he was vacationing in Saint-Tropez with Sienna, who had conveniently spent three years abroad.
I had bought an overnight ticket to confront him, only to be stopped at the airport gate by Sterling Group's security team.
That was the first time I met Julian Sterling.
He wasn't much older than Chad, yet he was already the undisputed head of the Sterling empire, carrying an aura of quiet authority far beyond his years.
From Julian, I learned the entire ugly truth behind Chad's faked death.
At first, I refused to believe it. I thought it was just family politics aimed at driving us apart.
Then, Julian played an audio recording of Chad's voice:
"Every woman who throws herself at me claims she loves me. Real or fake, I stopped caring long ago. But Chloe is different... The more pain she suffers for me, the more real her love feels. That's why I want to break her. I want to see just how far she'll go for me..."
My hands had trembled so violently that I could barely hold my boarding pass. Julian had quietly handed me a glass of water.
"You heard him. My nephew is sick in the head. Staying away from him is the best thing you can do for yourself."
Later, after learning I was a concept sculptor, he asked for my number.
Later still, on a stormy night, two lonely souls found solace in each other's arms, and affection bloomed in the dark.
Thank God I didn't waste the rest of my life chasing a ghost.
A few days later, the production held a dinner banquet. Chad brought Sienna and sat at the head table.
Right there, he announced an additional twenty-million-dollar investment to boost her role.
"Chloe, what are you waiting for? Come toast Mr. Sterling and Sienna to thank them!"
Director Miller chimed in smoothly, clearly eager to offer me up for their entertainment.
Not a single cent of that money was going into my pocket. Why the hell should I drink?
Seeing me remain still, Chad let out a light laugh.
"What's wrong, Chloe? Seeing me in person makes you want to play the good, quiet girl?"
One of his friends immediately picked up the cue:
"I heard while Chad was studying abroad, you lived in a rat-infested basement that even stray dogs avoided, scrubbing toilets by day and doing sketchy streams by night. Why don't you chug this whole bottle of whiskey for Director Miller? Maybe Chad will feel generous and pay off your debts!"
Back then, to pay for Chad's supposed medical bills, I had borrowed heavily.
After his fake suicide, I did struggle for a while to pay it back. But with my miniature sculpting skills, my life was never as pathetic as they claimed.
Chad shot me an amused glance, deliberately pulling Sienna in for a kiss.
"As long as my girlfriend is cool with it, I don't mind handing out charity."
Sienna beamed with smug triumph, her voice high and sharp. "One bottle isn't enough! Chad's money doesn't grow on trees. She has to finish at least twenty bottles!"
I slowly looked up. After a moment, I said calmly, "I'm pregnant. I can't drink."
Remembering his conversation from that night, I added evenly:
"And besides, I'm getting married soon."
Director Miller immediately gave me a rough nudge.
"Chloe, cut the crap! Mr. Sterling is giving you a chance—don't be ungrateful!"
Someone else sneered, "Everyone knows you nearly died in the mountains crying over Chad! Who the hell would believe you're getting married?"
"Exactly! Chloe, if you were really getting married, how could my mom not know? Unless..."
Sienna suddenly covered her mouth with a dramatic gasp.
"Oh goodness! You didn't sell yourself for quick cash, accidentally get knocked up, and now you're scrambling into a shotgun wedding to hide your shame, did you?"
Chad's eyes darkened for a split second, then he let out a harsh scoff.
"Chloe, are you making up cheap lies just to test my reaction? Give it a rest. I don't give a damn who you are anymore. Looking at you just pisses me off."
"Fine. Then I won't stay and offend your eyes, Mr. Sterling."
Just as I stood up, Chad grabbed a glass of wine and splashed it right into my face.
"Did I say you could leave?"
"Chad, what do you want?"
He arched an eyebrow, pulled out a black credit card, and stepped in front of me.
"Didn't you say you're pregnant? Finish these twenty bottles, and this black card is yours."
"I'd love to see... if that bastard baby actually miscarries.""You have quite the twisted taste, Mr. Sterling. Too bad I'm not in the mood to play."
I pushed his hand away and moved toward the exit again.
"Not in the mood? Or is the money not enough?"
He whipped out a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills and slammed them hard against my cheek. "Money is the one thing I have plenty of!"
I slowly bent down, picked up the scattered cash, and smiled mockingly.
"Twenty bottles for a few grand? Still a way better deal than wasting four years funding your fake life."
"Chloe, you..."
Ignoring his stunned scowl, I walked over and shoved the stack of bills right down the front of Sienna's dress.
"I hear Mr. Sterling is getting married soon. Is it to my stepsister? Why don't you keep this cash as her bridal gift?"
A flash of mortification crossed Sienna's face.
"Chloe, stop stirring up trouble!"
Chad raised his hand and slapped me across the face. My left ear rang violently.
"I love Sienna! Even if family rules keep me from marrying her, I'll give her all the money and the future she deserves!"
Tears welled up in Sienna's eyes. "Chad, you don't have to. As long as you have me in your heart, that's enough."
A bystander chimed in, "Chloe, stop trying to drive a wedge between them. Sienna grew up as a high-society lady and travels the world with Chad. A broke nobody like you could never compete with her."
"I bet she's not even pregnant! She's just talking nonsense because she's scared Chad will call her bluff!"
I met Sienna's eyes, not bothering to hide the mockery in my gaze.
Ten years ago, my parents died in a tragic car accident, leaving behind a massive estate.
My aunt and uncle took me in, claiming it was out of the goodness of their hearts, but in truth, it was pure greed.
All these years, they used my parents' money to send Sienna to private elite schools, piano lessons, and ballet academies, while forcing me into the gloomy attic room to wear her hand-me-downs.
Since childhood, Sienna had to compete with me over everything, desperate to prove she was better.
Whatever I wanted, she had to steal—including my men.
Now, she had truly convinced herself she was a born heiress, while painting me as the pathetic Cinderella of her story.
How utterly laughable.
Unnerved by my stare, Sienna hurried over with a teapot, putting on an apologetic smile.
"Chloe, we were just joking around."
Suddenly, her wrist jerked, and scalding water surged toward me!
I instinctively pushed the kettle back. Water splashed through the air, but Chad blocked it with his bare hand.
Before I could even process what happened, another sharp slap landed on my cheek.
"Chloe, your jealousy has crossed the line! Sienna is an actress—are you trying to disfigure her?" Chad roared, his eyes blazing with fury.
I raised my hand to strike back, but he caught my wrist in a vice-like grip.
"You dare hit me?" He sneered, grabbed a cup of boiling water from the table, and threw it straight at my face.
My skin burned with searing agony.
"People like you never learn empathy until you feel the pain yourself."
"You freeloaded off Sienna's family for years, yet you constantly pick fights with her. I must have been blind to ever waste time on you..."
"Chad, so you finally admit your amnesia was a lie?"
"I don't have time for your bullshit! Miller, I don't want to see her on set tomorrow."
With that, he wrapped his arm around Sienna and stormed out.
The private dining room reeked of cheap perfume and stale alcohol, making my stomach churn.
"I'm going to the restroom."
When I came out, the entire crew had already packed up and left.
We were twenty miles from the city, so I had no choice but to find a motel for the night.
Late that evening, right after I stepped out of the shower, Sienna's messages flooded my phone.
Pictures of Chad feeding her cake, Chad rubbing her sore ankle, Chad holding her...
"Chloe, you're nothing but yesterday's news. I suggest you..."
I felt completely numb. "Sienna, are you really that desperate for a man's attention?"
She instantly started a FaceTime audio call. Disgusting, heavy panting echoed through the speaker.
I leaned straight into the absurdity. "Mr. Sterling, you should have told me earlier you needed phone sex!"
"Ten grand a minute. Keep going, I'm listening! Make sure you send the wire right after—don't even think about dodging it, I'm screen recording."
"Chloe, get the fuck out of my life!"
The next morning, while I was packing my suitcase, my motel door was kicked open by Chad.
"Did you drug Sienna's drink last night?"I didn't answer him, nor did I stop packing.
It didn't take a genius to figure out Sienna had pulled another dramatic stunt.
Chad kicked my suitcase roughly.
"Chloe, thank God it was me last night. If it had been anyone else, Sienna's reputation would be ruined by your dirty tricks!"
His words were beyond absurd.
I looked up, staring dead into his eyes.
"Chad, what makes you think you're so special?"
"If I really wanted to destroy someone, do you think I'd give a damn about who ended up in her bed?"
The light in his eyes flickered, and he instantly grabbed my shoulder, digging his fingers in:
"So you admit you did it?"
His grip burst the blister on the back of my neck from yesterday's scalding water, sending a jolt of pain through me that made me wince.
His expression froze. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tube of burn ointment.
"Yesterday... I went too far."
"Let me put this on for you."
I didn't push him away; the burn on my back was in a spot I couldn't reach anyway.
His fingertips, coated in cool ointment, brushed gently against my inflamed skin. Suddenly, he spoke up:
"I didn't mean to leave you behind yesterday. I told my assistant to drive back for you, but he couldn't find you."
I gave no response.
From the moment I confirmed his entire death was a staged lie, anything related to him had ceased to matter.
My only priorities now were my baby and my upcoming wedding.
Perhaps sensing my icy detachment, he threw the cotton swab aside in annoyance.
"Whatever! Do it yourself."
"Also, that recording from last night—name your price. I'll buy it."
So that was the real reason behind his sudden tenderness.
"What's with that look? Everyone knows you're obsessed with money."
"Sienna told me everything. You never sent a single dollar back to her family after you started working. Where is your conscience?"
I chuckled softly. "You're right, Mr. Sterling. If I knew it was worth money, I really should have recorded it."
My parents left behind an inheritance worth tens of millions—more than enough to raise ten of me.
The only time I refused to give her family money was when Chad faked his illness and I was desperately scrounging every penny for his medical bills.
Yet in Sienna's mouth, I had turned into an ungrateful gold-digger.
"Chad! Your little canary is threatening to jump off the balcony again!"
One of Chad's buddies poked his head into the room.
Chad scrambled to his feet.
As the door swung shut, their conversation drifted clearly into my ears:
"Chad, haven't you tested her enough? If you keep playing this game, you're gonna lose her..."
"What's the rush?" Chad's tone was full of cocky amusement.
"Every girl in the entertainment industry dreams of crawling into my bed. If Chloe wants me, she has to pay the price."
"Besides, if she truly loves me, what's a little humiliation? Once we're together, there'll be a lifetime of luxury waiting for her."I had no interest in watching Sienna's self-directed soap opera.
Sitting in the airport lounge, I texted Julian:
"Julian, don't forget to pick me up."
He replied almost instantly: "Did something happen? Did the shoot wrap early?"
"Nothing happened. I just missed you. So I pulled diva behavior, rushed my scenes, and got out early."
He sent back a cute sticker of a husband hugging his wife.
Yes, the man I was going to marry was Chad's uncle, Julian Sterling.
I genuinely couldn't wait to hear Chad call me his aunt.
Unfortunately, my escape was cut short.
Sienna had blown the "spiked drink" scandal completely out of proportion.
The production called an emergency meeting, demanding that everyone delete any footage or photos.
When Director Miller saw me, his face was practically purple with rage. "Chloe! Why are you picking fights with a rising star?!"
"If this leaks, not only will you be blacklisted, but the entire movie's investment will go down the drain!"
The entire crew glared at me with pure condemnation, as if I were a deranged lunatic who would do anything to steal a man.
Sienna dabbed at her teary eyes, putting on a show of magnanimity. "Director, let it go... I honestly didn't know the man in my room was Chad... and I certainly didn't know Chloe was the one who drugged my drink..."
With a few innocent words, she made herself the ultimate victim.
Miller, clearly acting under someone's orders, insisted on searching my phone.
I said there was no recording, but nobody believed me.
They combed through every file, only to find dozens of custom wedding dress sketches.
They were all designs Julian had sent for me to pick from.
Someone sneered sarcastically, "Oh, look at all these bridal gowns! Don't tell me you're crazy enough to crash Chad's wedding?"
My past history with Chad had already become the hottest gossip on set.
Exhausted, I reiterated calmly, "Whoever I marry, it will never be Chad."
The room went dead silent for a second, followed by an explosion of mocking laughter.
"Who does she think she's fooling? What a psycho!"
"I believe she doesn't have the audio."
Once the crowd dispersed, Chad suddenly gripped my wrist.
"Chloe, I know you still have feelings for me. But the gap between our worlds is too wide. We can never have a real future. Why torture yourself like this?"
I almost burst out laughing. He actually believed I was going to crash his wedding!
Seeing my reaction, he assumed I was breaking down from heartbreak, and his eyes softened with patronizing pity.
"Chloe, considering you waited for me for four years... on the day of my wedding, if you show up to stop it, I'll marry you."
"Really? Then what about Sienna? Would you leave her behind for me?" I yanked my hand back, my voice completely flat.
Seeing him hesitate, I held up my left hand, letting the ten-carat diamond ring catch the light right in front of his face.
"Chad, don't flatter yourself by thinking the world revolves around you."
"I'm already getting married. To the true master of the Sterling family. Someone very different from you."
Chad's smug expression instantly morphed into venomous rage. His fingers clamped around my throat, squeezing until I couldn't breathe.
"Chloe, you've really grown some balls! You dared to go behind my back and seduce another man?"
"Tomorrow, you show up at my wedding whether you want to or not. Otherwise, neither you nor that pathetic bastard will survive!"
I struggled, tearing myself from his grip and gasping for air.
Even then, I didn't back down. Looking into his cold, arrogant eyes, I said, "Chad, do you really think Sienna is completely innocent?"
Chad scoffed with contempt. "You think everyone is as filthy as you? Sienna's love for me is pure. You? You're nothing."
With that, he spun around and left.
As I turned into the stairwell, I caught sight of Sienna and Chad whispering.
"Chad, if she really shows up... you wouldn't actually marry her, would you?"
Chad's answer was utterly careless: "I'm just stringing her along."
"My marriage was arranged by the family. Even the bridal dress was chosen by the Harringtons. It's boring as hell."
"Having someone crash the venue just adds some drama. Did you really think I'd marry a nobody like her?"
"What about the Harringtons, then...?"
"The moment Chloe objects, I'll reject her publicly. Victoria Harrington will see that and fall head over heels for my loyalty. Once I secure the Harrington alliance and take over my mother's Apex Corp, I'll be set for life."
I dug my fingernails into my palms until they nearly drew blood.
In four short years, this man's shamelessness had reached depths I couldn't even fathom.
Chapters (5)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
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