Chapter 1
Each year, my boyfriend would visit his late ex-girlfriend's resting place, earning him the reputation of being the entertainment industry's most devoted lover. That image was shattered on the day of our engagement party when he vanished without a trace. It turns out his ex-girlfriend had seemingly reappeared, and the pair were spotted in a passionate embrace by a cliff significant to their past. Devastated, I was involved in a car accident.
When I awoke, I found myself given a second chance at life. My gravely ill boyfriend had ventured into the stormy Alps to visit his ex-girlfriend once more. This time, I chose to let him go. Not long after, the news broke: the popular star had fallen off the cliff, suffering severe injuries and becoming paralyzed.
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After work, I returned home to catch up on the news. The reports were all about Orion Smith, a rising star in show business, who had fallen off a cliff while visiting his late ex-girlfriend. He remained in intensive care. The incident only cemented his status as the industry's most devoted lover. Before I could fully digest this, Miles Smith barged into my home.
In a meticulously tailored suit, his words were far from refined. "Where have you been? Orion's seriously hurt in the hospital, and you didn't bother to care for him. The mountain roads are treacherous at night, yet you let him go alone..."
"What's so important about your job anyway? A woman's main duty is to take care of her man; otherwise, what's the point?"
His harsh words brought back memories of when Orion and I first confirmed our relationship publicly. At a gathering, someone asked Miles about me. His dismissive answer was, "My son is young; she's just a fleeting fancy. She's not fit for our family."
Afterward, I faced ridicule for months from Orion's circle for being a small-time director daring to date someone of his stature. Miles wasn't done; he declared in an interview that I was merely a gold-digger, after the Smith family's wealth. This led to Orion's fans harassing me online, costing me several jobs.
Under pressure, I once considered breaking up with Orion. But around that time, my dad fell into debt from gambling, and his creditors were threatening him. Orion stepped in to resolve everything, keeping our family safe. He publicly declared that I was the most genuine, kind-hearted girl he'd ever met and vowed to marry no one else, asking those from influential circles and his fans to respect me.
I was touched, convinced Orion truly loved me. But I was naive; I didn't understand that the living can't compete with the memory of the dead, especially when the deceased was his first love.
Miles, noticing my blank stare, lashed out more viciously. He scrutinized me from head to toe and sneered. "What are you wearing? You’re embarrassing the Smith family. Go change and come to the hospital to take care of Orion."
Without a word, I went into my room and slammed the door, locking it behind me.
"Don't make me say it again. Get out here!" Miles bellowed, losing his composure.
Just then, my parents returned from the grocery store and saw Miles yelling outside my door. They hurriedly put the groceries down and started fussing over him, calling him "in-law" repeatedly.
Disgusted, Miles shot them a disdainful glare and shouted toward my door, "If you dare disrespect me like this, don’t ever think about joining the Smith family!"
I couldn't help but retort, "Who cares?"
Miles stopped, seemingly caught off guard. In the past, out of respect for Orion, I'd always treated him politely.
Seeing Miles at a loss, my parents started pleading for me to apologize. "Angelica, how can you talk to your in-law like that? After all, he's your elder, and you'll have to live with him in the future. Come out and apologize."
They knocked desperately on my door, worried I might upset Miles. They were eager for me to marry into the Smith family. Ever since they found out my boyfriend was a high-profile figure from an influential family, they urged me to marry quickly.
When I showed no signs of compliance, they leaked our relationship to the tabloids, making me a laughingstock in Orion's circle. Everyone dubbed me an opportunist, accusing me of trying to force a marriage.
When I discovered this, I was furious, but they acted as if nothing was amiss. "Who else would you marry if not Orion? We're helping you; don't be ungrateful."
"Do you think you're something special? Nearly thirty, and aside from Orion, who'd want you? Stop being so picky."
We had a massive argument then, and I avoided home ever since. Fortunately, Orion seemed to understand and continued to publicly stand up for me.
Irritated by Miles' booming voice, I put on my headphones. Outside, my parents continued to fawn over him, offering him coffee and asking him to stay for dinner. Their efforts were met with nothing but scorn: "What makes you think I want to be in-laws with people like you? Keep dreaming."
Miles' words left my parents humiliated. Turning back to my door, he shouted, "Don't be ungrateful. I'm telling you for the last time, come with me to the hospital to take care of Orion! Get out here!"
Chapter 2
No matter how much he shouted outside, I ignored him. Eventually, Miles stomped away, grumbling under his breath. Not long after, I received a call from Corbin. He was a prominent figure in that circle, much like Miles, and had always looked down on me. Since I began seeing Orion, I had felt the cold shoulder from that group and had never reached out to them myself.
"Orion’s in the hospital, didn’t you know?" Corbin's accusatory tone was expected, though I had no idea how he got my number.
"So what?" I replied.
"Orion’s had a high fever for a week now, he can barely stand. You're supposed to be his girlfriend; why didn’t you stop him from going up the hill to pay respects? It’s dangerous to go up there during a rainstorm, and now he’s bedridden and vulnerable. You blocked his number and cut him off. Do you have any heart?"
He knew perfectly well that once Orion was determined to pay respects to his ex-girlfriend, nobody could stop him. But now that something had happened, everyone was quick to cast me as the villain, blaming me for everything.
"If he was willing to pay respects to his ex despite having a fever, it shows she meant more to him than his own health. Do you really think I could have stopped him?"
"Besides, I broke up with him half a month ago. Whatever happens to Orion now is none of my concern."
On the day I was given a new lease on life, I broke up with Orion. In my previous life, I was puzzled why Orion suddenly became so gravely ill. After being given another chance, I had a private investigator look into it and discovered that Orion had lost a bracelet given to him by his late ex-girlfriend during a trip in the Alps, and he’d spent the whole night looking for it, catching a severe cold as a result.
A man deeply sentimental, indeed. No wonder they call him the prince of romance in Hollywood.
When I told him I wanted to break up, he didn’t take it seriously. After all, we’d already chosen a venue for our engagement. He barely looked up and muttered, "Can you stop being a nuisance for a few days? You're really being annoying."
Every year around his ex-girlfriend’s anniversary, he was like this—listless and morose. Everyone in their circle knew how much Elouise meant to him. And me? I couldn’t compete.
Corbin's questioning tone came through the receiver. "Could it be because Orion’s paralyzed now that you’re trying to ditch him? Angelica, he’s been under so much pressure just to be with you these years, and now you’re dumping him as soon as something goes wrong. You’re heartless."
My voice grew colder. "During the years I dated Orion, I never received any expensive gifts, and we split our expenses evenly. I endured your circle’s disdain, and both you and his father publicly humiliated me. Who do you think was under more pressure?"
"Every time he publicly mourned his ex, it would go viral and I’d be ridiculed by everyone online for years. I endured it all just because I loved Orion."
My heart ached, and my eyes welled with tears. Yes, I once loved Orion. Last year at this time, we were already preparing for our engagement. Back then, I thought I was the happiest woman on earth. But Orion suddenly disappeared without a trace, leaving me alone at the engagement party. I sat there the entire day, making dozens of calls to him. He vanished as if into thin air. No explanation, no contact. He just abandoned me there.
That night, the news broke that Elouise was alive after all, and Orion was seen kissing her on a rooftop. And me? I was nothing but a laughingstock.
I despised Orion. That’s why this time, I broke up with him early and let him go up the hill to pay his respects. Whether he ends up paralyzed or worse, it’s no longer my concern. Before Corbin could say another word, I hung up.
Afterward, I called Viviana. She reassured me, "Everything's been taken care of, don’t worry."
The next day, a piece of news exploded online. A certain once-popular starlet had been leading a secluded life in a small village and had given birth to three children. Though the rumors didn’t mention names, the implications were clear, and netizens quickly connected the dots to Elouise.
[Could it be Elouise Black, the actress who disappeared due to illness? I loved her shows. Wasn’t she supposed to have passed away?]
[Passed away, my foot! She ran someone over with her car, faked her death, and went on the run. She’s actually alive and well.]
[It wasn't her; it was her co-star who crashed the car after drinking. I’ve got some insider info; she was just a passenger in the car. That guy took off afterward, and Elouise vanished too.]
The explosive nature of these comments, involving a hit-and-run murder case, quickly drew widespread attention. I didn't even need to spend a dime; the news made its way to the trending topics on its own.
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