Isla's POV

The day Dominic Vale went bankrupt, he tossed me a black card and said, “This is all I’ve got left. Take it, don’t suffer with me.”

But I tore up my Harvard admission letter right in front of him and courageously replied, “If you’re going down, I’m going with you.”

From that moment on, the once-spoiled rich girl, who used to spend tens of thousands on a single meal, took off her jewelry and started bargaining with a vegetable vendor for hours over a few cents.

When Dominic finally made his comeback, the very first thing he wanted was to give me the wedding of a lifetime. I was nervous, but excited.

Until the moment I stood at the door of a private dining room and saw him slip the diamond ring meant for me onto another woman’s finger.

“Mr. Vale, you said this wedding was supposed to be for your wife. If you’re giving it to Marina instead, won’t she be furious?” someone teased.

Dominic held Marina Holt’s delicate hand and smirked. “When we couldn’t even afford food, she tore up her Harvard letter just to stick by me. You think a wedding ring is what’ll break her? If she really has the guts to leave me over this, then maybe I’ll actually be impressed.”

I froze where I stood, then soon forced a bitter smile.

Fine. Let’s break up then.

——

“Are you throwing money at me again? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

The black card smacked against Dominic’s face.

Marina’s brows pinched together as she snapped, “Dominic, I’m not some caged canary you can buy with cash!”

The room went dead silent as the card fell to the floor.

But instead of anger, Dominic just chuckled, eyes fixed on the pouty girl in front of him. His thumb grazing the diamond on her finger, he apologized, “My bad. I shouldn’t have treated you like the kind of girl who can be bought.”

Marina pulled her hand away, crossing her arms as she turned her back on him. “I’ve told you before. I’m with you because I like you, not because of your money. Rich or broke, it doesn’t matter. If you can’t understand that, we’re done.”

“Come on, sweetheart.” He reached for her hand, but she yanked it free.

The almighty Dominic, once feared and untouchable, was now smiling helplessly at a girl’s tantrum. He glanced at his men, his eyes brimming with indulgence.

"Alright, sweetheart. I’m sorry,” he cooed.

But Marina just spat, “Get lost!”

Yet instead of losing his patience, he pulled her into his arms and pacified her even more. “Okay, okay. It’s my fault. How about I make it up to you with the Best Actress award this weekend?”

Her expression instantly softened at that.

But my fists clenched tight.

Then, one of his men hesitated. “Boss, wasn’t that award meant for your wife?”

“Marina’s not bad either,” Dominic replied, then sat her on his lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “She works hard, her acting’s solid. Besides, the list hasn’t been made public yet. So, go and change it.”

Before his people could move, I kicked the door open with my foot.

Startled, Dominic had pushed Marina aside fast and muttered, “Isla?”

Ignoring the dull ache in my waist, I fixed my eyes on him and asked, “Who are you giving that award to?”

He looked down, avoiding my gaze.

He knew. He was there when I fell during a high-wire scene, refusing a stunt double just to give my best on camera. He also watched as I was pinned together with eighteen steel screws right after my fall. Despite all that, he saw me drag myself back to set the same night. He even held me as I shook and cried through the pain, drenched in cold sweat.

He wasn’t ignorant of any of it.

But he still looked away, reasoning, “Marina’s new, yet she’s made it this far on her own. It hasn’t been easy. Besides, you’re her senior. Just give this to her.”

“No way!” I shouted. Then, jabbing my finger at Marina, I retorted, “If she were better than me, fine, I’d accept it. But when I memorize my lines, she just mouths ‘one-two-three-four-five-six-seven.’ When I do my own stunts, she hides behind eight doubles for a single scene. And you want to hand her an award that takes an actor eight years of blood and sweat to earn? Just to a pretty face?!”

Isla's POV

“Isla!” Dominic suddenly raised his voice, his gaze cutting through me with a coldness I’d never seen before. “Know your place!”

The words had barely left his mouth before even he looked startled, as if he hadn’t meant to say them.

I stared at him in disbelief. “My place? You mean as a senior actress who hasn’t ‘stayed in her lane’? Or as the girlfriend who’s stood by you for ten years?”

“Isla, I…”

For once, Dominic seemed lost for words. But slips of the tongue cut the deepest because that was when the truth leaked out.

“Come on, you don’t need to treat me like some mistress you’re competing against.” Marina lifted her chin, her pride practically dripping from every word. “I don’t wanna waste my time on that nonsense catfight. Mr. Vale just happens to be my type, and I’m the kind of girl who loves hard and hates hard, that’s all.”

She then dangled the black card in front of me, smirking. “See this? He tried to give it to me earlier, but I refused. Because, unlike you, I fight for what I want for myself. Don’t worry, I’m not after his money. Rich or poor, it doesn’t matter to me.”

After that, she tossed the card against my face, turned on her heel, and started for the door.

But one look from Dominic and his men immediately blocked her way.

“You won't leave,” he said and scooped Marina into his arms as if she weighed nothing. “Erase Isla’s nomination and replace it with Marina’s. Right now.”

Hearing his instruction to his men, I shouted, “Dominic!” I shouted.

But he cut me off, lowering his gaze to Marina, his peach-blossom eyes full of indulgence. “And another thing, spending money on you is my choice. It has nothing to do with anyone else. With me, you’ll never be a canary in a cage.”

Marina struggled a little, pretending to pout, but in the end, she melted into his arms. As he carried her out, she glanced back at me over his shoulder, her eyes flashing with the kind of triumph she didn’t bother to hide.

By the time I got to my car, I slammed my fist against the steering wheel, my chest burning.

I hadn’t cared about the Best Actress Award or the People’s Choice Awards at first. I’d only stepped into the entertainment industry to earn extra money for me and Dominic when we were struggling. I, who once refused to bow my head to anyone, smiled and groveled just for the chance at a supporting role.

But somewhere along the way, I fell in love with the work.

Even after Dominic rebuilt his empire and tossed tens of millions at me, telling me not to wear myself out anymore, I refused to stop. Because by then, I wasn’t just his girlfriend. I was an actress.

And once you truly became an actor, the only way forward was growth, not chains.

When I stumbled home later that night, exhausted, I didn’t expect to find someone already inside.

“That one. And that one too. Move them out.”

Marina was in my living room, directing movers as they boxed up my crystal ornaments and gold figurines.

“Put that down! Who gave you permission to break into my house?”

My sudden shout made her flinch, and her hand pressed against her chest. But annoyance quickly replaced her fear.

“What are you yelling for? Mr. Vale himself recorded my fingerprint in this house, so I can come and go whenever I please. Oh, take that too! Move everything to the new place Mr. Vale bought for me.”

She was pointing at the little gold ring on my vanity. It was barely five grams, worth less than five hundred. Dominic had skipped meals and eaten instant noodles for three months just so he could buy it for me back when we had nothing.

Back then, he swore he’d give me the best life.

Now, even though I owned necklaces worth millions, that tiny gold ring was still the most precious thing I had.

Before the worker could touch it, I grabbed his hand with a cold, mocking smile tugging at my lips. “What’s this, Marina? I thought you said you didn’t care if a man was rich or poor. Yet even this cheap little trinket, you can’t let it go?”

Isla's POV

Marina’s face immediately darkened. “It’s not that I care about money itself. But wherever the money is, that’s where love is. Miss Isla, if you want something, you should fight for it yourself.”

I let out a cold laugh. “That’s the first time I’ve heard someone dress up gold-digging like it’s something noble.”

“No need to be jealous,” she said, stepping closer. “In the end, it all depends on Mr. Vale’s choice. As for these things...” she waved her hand at the movers “...I’ll gladly accept them.”

Then she pointed at the top shelf of the cabinet. “That trophy looks nice. Take it down and pack it too.”

My head snapped in that direction, and my breath was instantly caught in my throat.

That was my mother’s trophy.

“Don’t touch it!”

I shoved past the worker and clutched the trophy to my chest.

Marina nearly stumbled from the impact. Her face twisted in anger. “Isla! Are you seriously making a scene over a stupid old trophy? It’s not like it even belongs to you! You’re just an actress! If I take Mr. Vale’s things, what does it have to do with you? Grab it from her!”

“You dare!” I shot back and raised my hand high.

Her face immediately went pale, and she shrank back and threw her arms over her head. “Ah!”

“Isla!”

Suddenly, my wrist was seized in a firm grip.

I turned around, only to see Dominic looming over me, his expression filled with disapproval. With a sharp flick of his arm, he shoved me back against the wardrobe.

“Mr. Vale!” Marina cried, running straight into his arms, her shoulders trembling just enough to look pitiful.

He pulled her tighter against him and scolded me. “Isla, it’s just a trophy. Why go this far?”

I stared up at him, stunned. “Dominic, what did you just say?”

Only then did his eyes drop, finally noticing what I was clutching.

It was my mother’s last honor. Her last gift to me.

Even in the days when we couldn’t afford food, when I pawned every piece of jewelry I owned, I never once thought of selling it.

Just then, Dominic’s face shifted, a flicker of conflict in his eyes. But looking away from me, he again defended his girl. “Marina’s your junior. She can’t actually hurt you. There’s no need to overreact.”

“Can’t hurt me?”

A bitter laugh tore from my throat. “You call emptying out everything of value from my house ‘not hurting me’?”

Marina’s face went white.

Only then did Dominic seem to notice that most of my valuables were already packed and carted off under her direction.

“Dominic,” I said, my voice shaking with rage. “This woman even tried to take the five-gram ring you gave me when we had nothing. And you still believe she doesn’t care about your money?”

“Mr. Vale!” Marina suddenly spoke up, her tone sharp. “If you really believe her, then I’ll walk away right now. Everything you’ve ever given me, I’ll return it, every last thing.”

She then spun around as if to leave, but Dominic caught her wrist.

Her eyes flashed with tears, her voice full of righteous fire. “Yes, I wanted that ring. Because it was something you gave her! I’m not the kind of woman who can just smile and act generous while the man I love hands gifts to someone else. I still get jealous, even if it’s just a worthless scrap of paper, I want it to be mine. But Mr. Vale, if you think that means I’m greedy for your money, then fine. I’ve got nothing else to say.”

Watching her perfect performance, a sharp and bitter laugh escaped my mouth. “Wanting to be a whore and still setting up a shrine to virtue? You really do want it both ways, huh?”

“And I suppose you don’t?” Dominic suddenly snapped his head toward me, his voice rising in a roar.

I froze.

At that moment, Marina finally stopped struggling, so he took the chance to pull her tighter into his arms, holding her close as his tone softened. “Enough, just let it go.”

I glared at him, my chest aching. “So, in your eyes, I’m the one who wants it both ways?”

He paused for a moment.