Chapter 1

My girlfriend, the newly crowned Best Actress, announced her engagement during the awards ceremony.

I walked toward the stage, my heart racing with excitement, only to be pushed aside by her cold hand.

"Could you step out of the way? You're blocking my fiancé's camera angle," she whispered.

While I stood there in a daze, a male idol shoved me off the stage entirely.

Seven years of silent sacrifice and companionship flashed before my eyes.

I was sick of being the "invisible" man in her life.

Watching them kiss under the spotlight, I left the venue without a single word.

I went home, packed my bags, and sent one final text:

"I wish the two of you a lifetime of exactly what you deserve."

1

Jade Sinclair didn't bother coming home until two in the morning.

Seeing me pack, she picked up the lemon water I'd prepared and finished it in one gulp.

"Silas Montgomery, what was that text supposed to mean? The engagement with Xavier is just a PR stunt arranged by the agency," she said.

"He's had too many scandals lately. If we don't fix his image, it will tank the box office for the new movie."

"It's just a show for the fans. I can't believe you actually fell for it. Can you stop being so difficult for once?"

As her former manager, I knew exactly how the industry worked.

Tonight was the biggest night of her career. She had just won Best Actress for her role in that blockbuster drama.

It was also our seventh anniversary.

She had promised me that today, she would finally go public with our relationship.

She promised that I, her "assistant" who lived in the shadows, would finally have a name.

Near the end of the ceremony, Jade had finally told the media she had been in a long-term relationship.

The crowd gasped. I was the only one in the room with sweaty palms and a racing heart.

"All these years, my partner has stood by me in silence. Without his sacrifice, I wouldn't be the woman I am today," she said.

She had tears in her eyes. Her voice trembled as if she were about to break down.

I walked onto the stage, holding the flowers and the gift I had prepared months ago.

But as soon as she took them, she shoved me away with a look of pure annoyance.

"Assistant Montgomery, why are you just standing there?"

"Could you step out of the way? You're blocking my fiancé's camera angle."

I moved back, feeling like a ghost.

I watched Xavier Ford slide up to her side, their fingers interlacing perfectly.

He deliberately shouldered me off the stage.

The two of them shared a passionate kiss in front of a thousand flashing cameras.

Watching that, I walked out of the building in silence.

Seven years of hope turned out to be nothing but a fever dream.

I wasn't going to wait anymore.

When I zipped my suitcase shut, Jade's expression softened slightly.

She wrapped her arms around me from behind, her voice husky with exhaustion.

"Silas, I know you're hurt, but I didn't have a choice."

"I cleared my schedule for next week. Didn't you say you wanted to go to the Maldives? I bought the tickets. Just the two of us."

This was her pattern―dismissing my pain with a luxury vacation.

I gently broke her grip and pulled a diamond ring from my pocket, placing it in her palm.

"If you're getting engaged, you shouldn't be missing this, right?"