The Price of Fame

My girlfriend had a dream of stardom. She told me she would marry me the day she won the Golden Magnolia for Best Actress. I mobilized all my connections and resources to push her to the top, giving her hundreds of millions of followers. Yet on the day of the awards gala, she held up the microphone and gave a tearful, heartfelt confession to her first love. All because her first love had nearly broken his leg just to show up at her ceremony. When I confronted her, she was brazenly righteous. "He was willing to risk his life for me! Would you ever do that?" "We're just dating! It’s not like I sold myself to you!" Listening to the busy tone buzzing from the other end of the line, my heart turned completely cold. So, to her, we were merely "just dating." I pulled out my phone and dialed my assistant. "Pull all the investments we put into Luna Vance. Every single one." My assistant froze for a moment, unable to process it. "What? Mr. Vance—sorry, Mr. Hayes, are you sure?" He knew better than anyone how much I had pampered Luna, holding her like a precious gem in the palm of my hand. Ever since Luna made her debut, I had poured countless millions into her behind the scenes, using my own network to secure her major sponsorships and prime roles. That was the only reason she was able to skyrocket in just one year, becoming a household name and winning Best Actress. All because she once said that only on the day she stood on the winner’s podium would she be ready to officially marry me. So I had foolishly given everything, silently waiting for that day to arrive. And now, the day I had looked forward to with all my heart had finally come, only for reality to slap me brutally across the face. I stood outside in the freezing wind for a long time. Only when my hands and feet went completely numb did I return home, utterly defeated. The moment I stepped through the front door, the sound of laughter and chattering drifted from the living room. Seeing me walk in, Luna’s smile tightened slightly. Then, she casually kicked the pile of gowns on the floor toward me. "Why are you back so late today? Wash these for me. Remember, use warm water and hand-wash only." I glanced at the clothes piled waist-high on the floor. Aside from the designer gown she wore to accept her award today, there was also a set of men's clothing. Right then, Julian Miller smiled at me and chimed in: "Thanks for the hard work, Luke! Oh, by the way, my suit is bespoke Haute Couture. Make sure you're extra careful with it." I said nothing. I simply stepped straight over their clothes and walked into the bedroom. I was done being Luna’s personal servant. Seeing this, Luna screeched at the top of her lungs, "Luke Hayes, have you lost your damn mind?! Do you have any idea how expensive that dress is? How dare you step all over it!" I tuned out her screaming completely, emotionlessly pulling a suitcase out from the closet. Now, Luna was genuinely stunned. "What do you think you're doing? So what if I publicly confessed to Julian on stage? Are you seriously throwing a tantrum and running away from home over this? Do you honestly think I’m scared of your little games?" Of course she wasn’t. Luna had never once feared my threats. Instead, during our eight years together, I had been the one terrified of her breaking up with me, humbling myself down into the dust. But now, I was truly exhausted. This one-sided relationship where only I gave and gave—I didn't want to carry it anymore. Julian followed her into the bedroom right behind. Wearing a deeply hurt, remorseful look, he turned to me, his voice full of soft pleading. "Luke, I'm so sorry. It’s all my fault for getting between you and Luna. I shouldn’t have shown up." "I should have just died in that car crash back then. That way, you two wouldn't be fighting because of me." Hearing this, Luna instantly pulled Julian behind her back. Her brows knotted together, and she urgently clamped a hand over his mouth. "Stop talking nonsense! You're not the one who should be dead!" Then, Luna spun around, violently slapping the clothes out of my hands onto the floor. Acting as if she were the deeply wronged victim, she raised her voice shrilly. "Luke, apologize to Julian right this second!" "Don't you ever forget—you still owe me a life!"Staring at the clothes scattered across the floor, I suddenly found it laughable. The next second, I looked up at Luna. "Owe you a life? Luna, did I sell my soul to you? Am I not even allowed to have my own basic human dignity anymore?" Luna raised her hand, looking like she wanted to strike me. "I always knew you were a shameless bastard! If my dad hadn't died saving you back then, why would he be gone?!" "If he knew from beyond the grave that he gave his life to save an ungrateful leech like you, who knows how much he’d regret it!" Five years ago, Luna’s father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He traveled all the way from his rural hometown to find me. He begged me to take good care of Luna, even leaving all his modest life savings with me for her. On the drive back, however, we were hit by a catastrophic car crash. The person who was supposed to die in the driver’s seat was me. But in the final terrifying moment, her father threw himself over me, taking the fatal impact. He died on the spot. By the time Luna rushed to the scene, she didn't even get to see her father one last time. She had no idea that her dad was already dying of terminal cancer with less than a month to live. All she knew was that he lost his life in a crash while saving me. I still vividly remembered the day I was discharged from the hospital. Luna had held my hands, her eyes rimmed with red. She had whispered, "Luke, from now on, you're all I have left in this world. You can never betray me." I kept my promise. But I never imagined that she would be the first one to betray it. Thinking back on this, my heart turned entirely numb. And I never imagined she would drag that tragedy back out into the open, using it as a weapon to claim that I was the one who deserved to die. I didn't want to explain myself anymore. I didn't bother picking up the clothes on the floor. Instead, I grabbed my suitcase handle and headed straight for the door. "If that’s how you feel, then we go our separate ways." "By the way, I already informed the landlord that I won't be renewing the lease on this villa. You should find time to pack up and move out as soon as possible." This detached luxury villa was originally not available for rent. But Luna had fallen in love with it at first sight. I had pulled strings through my friends to track down the landlord living overseas, offering to pay ten times the market rate just to secure the place for her. Over the years, I had quietly shouldered every single cent of the astronomical rent. Now, I was done being her sucker. Luna froze slightly, then let out a scoff of utter disdain. "It's just rent! I'll renew the lease directly with the landlord myself! Did you really think I’d end up homeless without you?" "Let me tell you, I'm the nation's Best Actress now! I have millions of fans worshipping me! Walk away from me today, and you’ll be the one begging to come back!" Best Actress? An award bought and paid for with my money and endless resources. Without me, Luna Vance was nothing more than an obscure nobody who couldn't even book a background role in Hollywood. "You really think anyone can just stay a top star forever? Luna, haven't you ever heard the saying, 'The taller the tree, the harder the wind hits it'?" "If your character is rotten, the very fans putting you on a pedestal today will be the ones pushing you off a cliff tomorrow. Don't believe me? Just wait and see." Luna leaned against the doorframe, folding her arms. Hearing my words, she burst into loud, mocking laughter. She even pulled Julian in to mock me alongside her. "Did you hear what he just said? Classic sour grapes! If a superstar like me hadn't graciously offered you a job, you'd be starving on the streets by now, Luke! What right do you have to lecture me?" "Every single day I was with you, I regretted it. How did I end up with such a pathetic loser for a boyfriend? You're nothing but a broke, useless coward." "Now get the hell out of here. You're an eyesore." Julian quickly stepped forward to support Luna’s arm. "Don't get so worked up, Luna. Careful with the baby." My steps instantly ground to a halt. I whipped my head around, utterly stunned. What? When the hell did Luna get pregnant?My gaze swept over her frame, finally settling on her flat stomach. I remembered clearly. For the past two months, Luna had been filming overseas. To avoid paparazzi photos, we barely saw each other. Even on the rare occasions we met, we parted ways after just a few minutes. There hadn't been a single opportunity for intimacy. Yet here she was, pregnant. Something that even I, her legitimate boyfriend, knew nothing about, Julian knew down to the detail. Then it hit me. Luna’s recent overseas shoot had been in Seattle. And Seattle was precisely where Julian had been studying abroad. My shocked gaze bounced between the two of them. I never could have guessed that they had been sneaking around behind my back for this long. In an instant, pure, blinding rage tore through my chest. Watching Julian gently guide Luna to sit on the sofa, their intimate movements mirroring those of a long-married couple, I completely lost my temper. I marched over and delivered a vicious kick straight into Julian’s back. He let out a muffled grunt and crashed hard, sprawling pathetically onto the floor. "Luke, are you insane?!" Luna scrambled over to help Julian up. But when she looked up and caught the pitch-black, murderous fury on my face, the curses on the tip of her tongue choked back in her throat. "Luna Vance, have you ever stopped to think: if I leak all of this to the press, do you really think you’ll get to sit comfortably as the nation’s sweetheart?" Julian was the first to speak, scrambling into a submissive posture. "Luke, I'm sorry! It's all my fault! I was drunk that night and lost control of myself!" "If you're angry, hit me. Punch me twice more! I swear I won't fight back!" To be honest, I wanted nothing more than to beat him into a bloody pulp. But reason held me back. Mindless violence wouldn't solve anything. It would only drag me down into their filthy mess. Luna glared daggers at me. "Luke, let me warn you: I am pregnant, and I am a public figure! If you dare lay a finger on me, the public will tear you to shreds!" She shielded Julian like a protective hen guarding her chick. Seeing this, whatever lingering warmth was left in my heart died entirely. "Fine. I can't wait to see that." I really wanted to see how long Luna could survive in the cutthroat shark tank of the entertainment industry without my money and influence backing her every move. Hearing how dead my voice was, she faltered slightly, seemingly caught off guard by my absolute detachment. She bit her lip, stood up, and stared at me. "Luke, did you stop loving me a long time ago?" "No wonder... so much happened, and you didn't even say a word to fight for me. You're walking away so cleanly, and you're even acting this calm after finding out I'm pregnant." Faced with her barrage of accusations, I didn't even know what to say. Was I really the one who had changed? When a person’s heart is completely dead, do they really need to wail and throw hysterical fits just to prove it? Eight years of my genuine love had gone into this. I simply wanted to leave both of us a shred of dignity in the end. Luna walked up to me and reached out, clutching the hem of my jacket. "Look, I know you've probably messed around outside during this time too. As long as you cut ties with whatever women you have out there, I might consider not breaking up with you."I ripped my jacket out of her grip with force. "Save it. Luna, starting today, I want nothing to do with you. We are completely over. I truly hope you manage to stay afloat in that shark tank you call an industry." With that, I grabbed my suitcase and walked out the door without looking back. She seemed to chase after me, screaming something hysterically behind my back, but I didn't care in the slightest. The next morning, I was jolted awake by a ringing phone. It was Luna. The second I picked up, her shrill, furious voice blasted through the receiver. "Luke Hayes! What the hell did you say to the landlord?! Why is she refusing to rent to me no matter how much money I offer?!" "It's just a house! Did you really have to be this petty? I wasn't even asking you to pay the rent, and you went out of your way to slander me to her!" I didn't utter a single syllable. I hung up immediately and blocked her number for good. Last night, I had simply informed the landlord of the true situation. Without me vouching for her, why on earth would the billionaire landlord give an actress the time of day? What I didn't expect was just how utterly shameless Luna could be. Unable to reach me by phone, she actually mailed a wedding invitation straight to my address. As a newly crowned Best Actress, announcing a sudden wedding was enough to trigger a massive media storm. I originally couldn't care less. But then rumors began circulating online claiming that Luna had a secret billionaire sugar daddy backing her. Netizens even started digging, claiming this backer was none other than the reclusive second son of the real estate conglomerate Hayes Group. Which was me. However, I had always kept a low profile and grew up abroad for most of my youth. The paparazzi had zero photos of my face. Curious netizens flocked to Luna’s Ins comments, asking if she was really marrying into the Hayes family dynasty. Luna promptly posted a coy, ambiguous emoji in response. Instantly, the rumors exploded out of control. Unable to stomach her dragging my family's name through the mud to legitimize her fraud, I grabbed the invitation and drove straight to the wedding venue. When I arrived, the ceremony had just begun. Luna spotted me standing below the stage. She froze for a split second, then flashed me a deeply smug, provocative smile. Reporters below the stage were almost clambering over the railings with their microphones. "Julian, rumors say you are the second heir of Hayes Real Estate. Is that true? Have you been the one funding Ms. Vance’s career all along?" "There are reports that Mr. Hayes has been living abroad until now. Now that you're finally stepping into the spotlight, do you plan to take over the family enterprise, or enter the entertainment world yourself?" Realizing that everyone genuinely believed Julian Miller was the Hayes heir—believed he was me—my brow furrowed into a deep scowl. Julian didn't look guilty in the slightest. Facing the sea of flashing cameras, he smiled with effortless poise. "My focus will primarily remain on our family. Of course, I will also fully support Luna’s acting career." "Naturally, I am someone who prefers privacy, which is why I’ve kept a low profile overseas for so long. I hope everyone here can respect my wishes today and refrain from publishing too many close-up photos of my face." I let out a silent, contemptuous scoff. He wasn't humble; he was just terrified of getting caught playing dress-up. I couldn't stand the farce for another second. I strode directly up onto the stage. The harmonious, glamorous atmosphere shattered instantly. Whispers rippled through the hall as confused eyes locked onto me. "Julian Miller, do you have any shame left?" Seeing the chaos unfold, Luna’s expression turned utterly hideous. She shoved herself in front of Julian, glaring at me with raw disdain. "We're already broken up! Are you still not done harassing me? You actually have the nerve to crash my wedding?!" "Let me tell you something, Luke: I have real power backing me now. If you have any sense, you’ll get the hell out of here right now. Otherwise, if you cross the second heir of Hayes Real Estate, you won't even be able to survive in this city!" Looking at Luna’s arrogant, barking face as she borrowed stolen power, I found it almost comical. I looked left and right across the room. "Second heir? Where is he? Call him out. I’d love to meet him." She crossed her arms with a sneer. "A penniless peasant like you isn't worthy! Get lost before you end up dead without even knowing how you died!" Just then, a cool, commanding woman’s voice cut through the grand hall from the entrance doors. "I heard my son was having a wedding here today. How come nobody bothered to invite me?"