My boyfriend wanted to be a star, so I secretly pulled strings to help him rise to fame. And yet, he ended up fooling around with a producer ten years older than him. When I confronted him, he waved me off dismissively.

“Can you stop?” he said with irritation. “I never planned on marrying you. The years we spent together? It was just for fun.”

“I’ll give you money to make up for the time you’ve spend on me. Take that money and stay out of my life.”

The female producer standing next to him sneered at me, her voice dripping with disdain. “You’re just a country bumpkin. Don’t ever dream of becoming someone big.”

“Kieran’s destined to become a superstar, adored by millions. You and he will soon be worlds apart, so you’d better give up on the ridiculous idea of marrying him. Take that money and get as far away as possible.”

I stared at them, completely stunned with their audacity.

A superstar adored by millions? A top-tier producer with endless resources? They had no idea I could end both their careers and life with just a call.

***

For a week, I couldn’t get ahold of Kieran. My calls went unanswered, my texts ignored. He’d mentioned going out of town to shoot a film and said he’d be out of contact for a while. At first, I believed him. But as the days passed, worry began to creep in. There had been news of an actor recently being scammed overseas and barely making it back.

Just as I was about to use my family connections to track him down, Kieran returned.

The first words he said to me upon returning felt like being doused with ice-cold water, freezing me in place, making my entire body stiff and numb.

“What did you say?” I asked, trying to make sure I’d heard him correctly.

He sighed impatiently. “I’m breaking up with you.”

“I’ll give you money to compensate the time you’ve spent on me. From now on, let’s never see each other again. My career is taking off and I can’t risk the paparazzi catching the picture of us together. That could ruin my reputation.”

As he spoke, he pulled out a $1,000 check and tossed it onto the table before heading into the bedroom to pack his things.

Did I just get dumped? Me, the eldest daughter of a wealthy family, dumped out of the blue with no warning whatsoever? I couldn’t process it. I stood at the bedroom door, watching Kieran shove his belongings into a suitcase.

“You’re joking, right? This is just a prank. You’re trying to prank me because it’s my birthday.”  My voice trembled as I asked.

Without even looking up, he snapped, “I’m not joking!”

“I’ve thought this through, Lila. It’s the best decision for both of us. At least we won’t have to keep hiding our relationship anymore. Plus, I’ve got a huge fanbase, most of them women. If they find out I secretly have a girlfriend, they’ll get angry. Not only will it affect my image, but the more obsessive ones might try to track you down and hurt you. I’m doing this for your own good.” “There’s something you’re not telling me. What is it, Kei? ” I pressed on, my voice rising. “Didn’t you say that as long as this movie that you’re starring in gets released, you’d finally step into the ranks of second-tier stars? And that when the time comes, you’d publicly announce that I’m your girlfriend?”

“How is it that after just a few days away, you come back and suddenly want to break up with me?”

Kieran grew even more impatient and snapped, “Why are you so nosy?”

“Why are you angry?” I sanpped back.

He threw his hands in the air and said irritably, “Look, if you loved me, you'd stop pestering me. Let's just go our separate ways. It's for the best.”

Just as I was about to ask more questions, there was a loud, forceful knock on the door.

I opened it to find a woman in her thirties standing there.

Margot Hickman. She was a well-known name in the entertainment industry—a powerhouse producer who had made stars out of countless actors and held a wealth of resources at her fingertips. What was she doing here?

Before I could say anything, Margot’s eyes swept over me with thinly veiled disdain. She scoffed, clearly unimpressed. “So, you’re Kieran’s secret girlfriend? Lila, is it?”

She didn’t wait for my response, continuing with an air of superiority. “You’re pretty, I’ll give you that, but it’s painfully clear you lack sophistication. Someone like you doesn’t belong by Kieran’s side.”

Margot took a step closer, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. “Let me give you some advice, sweetheart. If you know what’s good for you, break up with Kieran and disappear from his life. Don’t make me resort to... unpleasant measures to deal with you.”

Hearing Margot's voice in the house, Kieran hurriedly came out carrying his suitcase. He immediately took Margot's hand and coaxed her gently, “Don't spend your time talking to her. I'm done packing. Let's go.”

Seeing their intimate scene, I couldn’t hold back and snapped, “Wow, Kieran. I didn’t think your standards could sink so low. I never imagined you’d be so desperate as to date this old hag!”

My words struck a nerve. Margot’s face twisted in annoyance. Without a second’s hesitation, she slapped me hard across the face.

“Watch your filthy mouth, little girl! Insult me again and I’ll rip that filthy mouth right off your face!”

The slap left me stunned. No one had ever dared lay a hand on me—not even my parents. And now this Margot—who the hell did she think she was? How dare she hit me?

Before I could react, Kieran stepped between us. He glared at me, his tone dripping with irritation. “Listen, Lila, I never planned on marrying you. The years we spent together? It was just for fun.”

He added coldly, “Take that money and stay out of my life.”

Then, as if flipping a switch, he turned to Margot, his voice soft and full of admiration. “Let’s go. We need to get ready for the film’s wrap party tonight.”

Margot smirked, leaning in to kiss his cheek. She turned to me with a mocking sneer. “You’re just a country bumpkin. Don’t ever dream of becoming someone big.”

“I can make Kieran a star. Adored by millions,” she continued smugly. “His future is limitless. You and he will soon be worlds apart, so you’d better give up on the ridiculous idea of marrying him.”

She gestured dismissively at the table where Kieran had left a check. “Take that money and get as far away as possible. If I find out you’re still hanging around Kieran or spreading rumors that could damage his career, you can kiss your life goodbye.”

Her eyes narrowed into a cold, threatening glare. “I’ve seen plenty of girls like you—poor, with no background, living in a fantasy world where they could somehow marrying their idols. I’ve dealt with them all and I’ll deal with you if I have to. So, don’t test me. Got it?” With a self-satisfied toss of her hair, Margot linked her arm through Kieran’s and the two of them sauntered out as if they’d won some grand prize.

I pressed a hand to my burning cheek, fury bubbling up inside me until it felt like I might explode. My teeth clenched so hard my jaw ached. Reaching for the check Kieran had left, I tore it into tiny pieces and let them flutter to the ground.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, I pulled out my phone and called Ellis, my family’s head assistant.

“Ellis, cancel the plans I mentioned about secretly supporting Kieran Drake’s career. Oh, and one more thing—Velvetline Entertainment, that’s Margot’s company, right? Invite their executives to host the wrap party for their new movie at my family estate.”

A superstar adored by millions? A top-tier producer with endless resources? They were overrated, in my opinion. Let’s see if they could keep acting all high and mighty once I was done with them.

I wasn’t a saint. Turning the other cheek when someone slapped me wasn’t my style. If anyone dared to hurt me, I’d make sure they paid for it tenfold.

Tonight was the perfect opportunity for me to get my revenge. Tonight, I was going to make Margot feel what it was like to be humiliated and trampled on in front of everyone. But Kieran, on the other hand, got me into a mixed feeling. He was my first love, the one I could never quite forget, especially the memory of our first encounter.

It was a time when I was in my rebel phase. I disagreeing with everything, fighting with my family and deciding to run away. It wasn't planned—just a spontaneous decision, fueled by anger and hurt. That night, I had nowhere to go, not even a single dollar to my name, so staying in a hotel was out of the question. Hungry, tired and hopeless, I found myself standing at a crossroads: should I sleep on a park bench for the night or swallow my pride and go home to apologize?

Just as I was pondering my fate, exhausted and starving, two homeless men approached me, their eyes glinting with ill intent.

“Hey, pretty girl, what’re you doing out here all alone?” one sneered.

“Wanna come with us? Let’s head to the park and have some fun,” the other added, grabbing my arm.

They were strong, their hands grabbing me tightly, pulling me toward the dark path leading to a nearby park. I screamed, but the street was empty. No one could hear me, no matter how loud I shouted. I was seconds away from being dragged to dark alley when Kieran appeared.

Riding a battered old bicycle, he noticed the commotion and rushed to intervene. Without hesitation, he lifted his beaten-up bike and slammed it into the homeless men.

The impact sent them sprawling to the ground. Rising quickly, they charged at him blindly, ready to retaliate. However, Kieran wasn’t an easy target. His tall and strong frame made it difficult for them to overpower him. He easily dodged their wild swings, landing precise blows in return. He was clearly trained in self-defense. With quick punches and kicks, he swiftly overpowered them.

Bruised and humiliated, the two men scrambled to their feet and fled, stumbling as they vanished into the darkness.

Still shaken, I thanked him profusely. He responded casually, “You shouldn't be wandering around alone at this hour. This area is quiet and prone to crime.” His voice was firm, yet kind. “You better get going, head back to the safety of your home.”

Before I could pull myself together, he was already pushing his beat-up bike away. I rushed after him, insisting that he give me his contact information.

That night, I called home. My parents, frantic with worry, nearly lost their minds. When my father heard I had almost been assaulted, he sent people to track down and deal with those two homeless men.

From then on, I used my gratitude as an excuse to stay in touch with Kieran. I bought him a new bike as a token of thanks and started inviting him to hang out—shopping, eating and just spending time together. Gradually, we grew closer.

After getting to know each other better, I learned his story. He was a film school graduate without money or connections, struggling to survive in the entertainment industry.

One night, after a few too many drinks, he broke down in tears, clutching me tightly.

“Lila, you have no idea how hard this is,” he sobbed. “I worked part-time jobs all through school to get my degree, but life after graduation is even tougher. With no money and connections, it’s almost impossible to get anywhere.”

“Why is different. My classmates—some of them didn’t even do as well as me in school. They weren’t as talented, but they signed with big companies right after graduating. A year later, they’re already making names for themselves.”

“Why is the world so unfair? They don’t even need the money, but they’re flocking the industry, taking away the little opportunities we have just to survive.”

“You know what? I’ve decided. If I can’t make a name for myself in another year, I’ll quit. I’ll work in a factory or deliver food, or whatever. I’ll do anything but acting!”

That night, he poured out all his frustrations, years of pent-up bitterness and sorrow. My heart ached for him and I made a decision. I would use my family’s influence to help him from behind the curtains.