(3) The Scandalous Famous Actress

"Charity! Where were you last night? You've been missing!"

Violet rushed into the empty hallway where Charity stood, dragging herself forward in confusion.

Charity looked at Violet in a daze. Even she didn't know what had happened or how she had ended up sleeping in a room occupied by a Cassian. She couldn't answer Violet's question. Instead, she desperately gripped her friend's elbows.

"I... I must have been too drunk, Violet. I woke up alone in an empty room," Charity lied, stuttering through her words.

"Goodness. Sammy has been worried sick, you know? Come on, let's get you ready." Violet puffed her cheeks.

"Ready for what?"

"For the speech tonight, remember? Don't tell me you forgot that you and Sammy are hosting tonight's event on this cruise."

Charity blinked, finally recalling the date. She absentmindedly nodded and murmured her agreement with Violet. Too much had happened that morning. She hadn't even begun to process the whirlwind of emotions she had felt upon waking up beside Lucas.

"Hey."

Violet snapped her fingers to catch Charity's attention. She could barely hide the irritation in her voice as she said, "I'm not going to snitch on you. I'll handle Sammy so he won't keep asking questions. You look like you've got a lot on your mind."

"M-me? No, no... I just... I need some air. Let's go."

Charity let out a quiet breath and walked ahead of Violet, trying to calm herself, barely noticing the scheming smile spreading across her friend's face.

That same night, exquisite lights and an elegant orchestra took center stage on the cruise's grand deck. Politicians, businessmen, celebrities, and influential figures mingled throughout the lavish crowd as thousands of illuminated drones painted the night sky. Everyone watched in awe, and the festive atmosphere couldn't have been more spectacular.

Among the sea of elegantly dressed guests stood two tall men who were impossible to overlook because of their commanding height and distinguished appearance.

Lucas leaned casually against the golden railing, one hand tucked into his pocket while the other lazily swirled a glass of wine. His sharp, unapproachable features kept the young women around him buzzing like bees. A single indifferent glance from him was enough to send their hearts racing.

"Did you notice? None of them are wearing wedding rings." Paige, ever the chatterbox, nudged Lucas with his elbow. "Damn. Of all the people to get involved with... have you completely lost your mind?"

"My diagnosis says so," Lucas scoffed, ignoring the irritated glare directed at him.

Paige was about to lecture him when the surroundings suddenly fell silent.

The orchestra stopped playing.

The crowd quieted.

A spotlight illuminated the upper deck.

"It's time, honey."

Samuel turned to Charity, adjusting his tuxedo one last time before smiling at her.

She looked breathtaking in her elegant white cocktail dress, perfectly complementing his cream-colored suit. The diamonds adorning her neck and ears sparkled brilliantly beneath the lights, giving her an almost ethereal presence.

"Don't mess it up, love."

Violet winked before gently pushing Charity forward.

Maintaining her smile, Charity walked beside Samuel toward the spotlight. She knew her speech by heart, but the memories from that morning had left her strangely nervous. Guilt slowly tightened around her heart with every step.

"Please welcome tonight's most beloved couple! The Chairman of Advance, the renowned technology-driven corporation, and the Queen of the Media herself—Mr. Samuel Collins and Mrs. Charity Collins!"

Violet rolled her eyes as she watched the couple approach the stage. Holding her phone, she heard a soft click before a satisfied smile spread across her face.

"Send it now."

At her command, the audience, who had been preparing to applaud, suddenly heard their phones buzzing all at once.

One by one, they reached for their devices as Charity and Samuel stepped before the microphones.

"What's happening?"

Samuel frowned as he felt his own phone vibrate.

Charity had no answer.

Instead, an overwhelming sense of dread settled deep within her chest.

Her blue eyes searched the silent crowd, praying her instincts were wrong.

They weren't.

Every pair of eyes turned toward her.

Contempt.

Disgust.

Judgment.

Every emotion was unmistakably written across their faces. Murmurs spread throughout the crowd, yet no one looked away from her.

"Slut!"

Someone shouted.

Before anyone could react, a bottle of wine came flying toward her.

Charity instinctively raised her arms to shield herself.

The bottle shattered against the floor with a deafening crash, shards scattering across the stage and grazing her skin as dark red wine splashed across the front of her white dress.

Samuel immediately pulled her away from the edge as more people began hurling whatever they could at her.

Yet Charity remained frozen.

Confused.

Her eyes slowly filled with tears.

"Charity... is it true?" Violet grabbed Charity's arm as though trying to protect her. "Is the reason you disappeared last night because you spent the night in another man's room?"

Oh, how long she'd waited for this moment.

"What are you talking about?" Samuel frowned. "Didn't you tell me Charity stayed in your room?"

"But this article says she was seen entering a room with another man." Violet defensively held up her phone. "She definitely wasn't sleeping in mine."

On the screen was a sensational tabloid titled:

Behind the Scenes of a Famous Actress

Beneath the headline was a blurry photograph of Charity lying on a bed while a man, his back facing the camera, reached toward her chest.

Charity nervously looked up at Samuel.

Her heart sank the moment she saw the fury and disappointment burning in his eyes.

His warm hand slipped away from her arm as he silently walked off, ignoring the countless amused gazes surrounding them.

"Isn't that Chairman Samuel's wife?" Paige muttered while reading the article beside Lucas. "You've been competing against Samuel's corporation for years. It must feel satisfying seeing him publicly humiliated."

He narrowed his eyes at the photographs.

Something about the man in the picture seemed strangely familiar.

"You!"

Paige gasped, whipping his head toward Lucas with wide eyes.

He suddenly questioned every career decision that had led him to work for such a troublesome employer.

Lucas merely shrugged, completely unfazed.

"She's the runaway Cinderella from last night."

Poor Paige looked utterly speechless.

Every pore on his face radiated disbelief.

"Of all the people..."

"Shh."

Lucas smiled faintly, raising a finger to his lips. A dangerous glimmer flashed across his amber eyes.

"She's mine."

The joyful celebration from moments ago dissolved into laughter and endless gossip.

No matter where Charity ran, people stared at her with mockery and condemnation.

They reveled in her downfall.

Grinding her teeth, she forced herself to ignore them.

The only thing that mattered now was explaining everything to Samuel.

Yes...

It had been wrong to let Violet lie for her.

But if she'd confessed the truth—that she'd woken up beside another man...

Would Samuel have believed her?

She already knew the answer.

He would've walked away all the same.

Eventually, the crowds disappeared behind her.

The whispers faded.

The rear deck was empty, cold, and cloaked in darkness.

At the far end stood Samuel.

"Samuel!"

As though chasing her final shred of hope, Charity ran toward him.

She wanted to grab his hand, but guilt stopped her just before she reached him.

"C-can you please let me explain?"

"It doesn't matter."

Samuel avoided her tear-filled eyes as he noticed someone approaching from behind.

"I don't need to hear you cry anymore."

"W-what?"

Charity froze.

Samuel had never spoken to her like this.

"Are you deaf?" he sneered. "I've got far too much at stake. I'm the husband who got cheated on. Imagine what my family will think now."

He finally looked directly at her.

Only disgust remained in his eyes.

"Sammy~!"

A familiar female voice echoed through the darkness.

Charity turned around.

Her eyes widened in horror as Violet casually walked toward them, smiling mischievously.

"Drop the act," Violet scoffed as she slipped her arm around Samuel's. "There's no audience here to applaud your performance."

She looked straight at Charity.

"I think she deserves to know the truth before she dies."

Her smile widened.

"Dead women tell no tales."

"Is... is this true?"

The guilt that had consumed Charity moments ago instantly disappeared.

Everything...

Everything had been planned.

"I make him happier than you ever could." Violet laughed shamelessly. "So what?"

"Samuel!"

Charity clenched her fists as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I stood beside you for five years! I endured every unreasonable demand your family made! I stayed with you when your company was falling apart! Tell me..."

Her voice cracked.

"How could you do this to me?"

Samuel looked at her as though she were a complete stranger.

Her pain.

Her tears.

Her desperate cries.

None of them meant anything to him.

"I told you."

His voice was as cold as ice.

"I hate listening to you cry."

"It doesn't matter," Violet chimed happily. "Like Sammy said."

She loosened her grip on Samuel's arm before slowly revealing the pistol hidden behind her back.

"Because the world will mourn a famous actress who took her own life after losing everything because of her infidelity."

Charity instinctively stepped backward.

Violet...

She couldn't possibly be serious.

Yet after everything they had done...

She knew.

Her best friend truly intended to kill her.

And the man she loved would watch without lifting a finger.

Bang!

Fireworks exploded brilliantly across the night sky, perfectly masking the sound of the gunshot.

The cheers of celebration swallowed the final tragedy of a once-beloved woman...

Betrayed by the two people she had trusted most.