Chapter 3

Cecilia stared at the screen in disbelief. Her nails dug into her palm until blood stained the white couch cushion.

How could Damian do this to her?

Her chest heaved, and she struggled to breathe.

Then again, Damian had covered up Yvette's hit-and-run and even married Cecilia for Yvette's sake.

What wouldn't he do for Yvette?

If Yvette wanted Cecilia dead, he would kill her without a second thought!

The pain in Cecilia's chest was so intense that she couldn't stand up straight. She rushed into the kitchen, grabbed a paper bag, and held it over her mouth as she gasped for air.

Just as her breathing began to settle, it quickened again when she heard Yvette's voice.

"Even though I've been blamed for Cecilia's actions, I don't hold it against her. I'm sure she has her reasons, even if she can't talk about them.

"The recent scandal over her nude photos has already put Cecilia through a lot. I hope everyone can show her some kindness. If she's truly sorry and willing to change, she deserves another chance."

Yvette turned to Damian. "It's just that… Thank you for everything, Mr. Lane. Thank you for clearing my name."

She opened her arms and threw herself into his embrace.

Camera shutters clicked nonstop, and someone started applauding Yvette.

The reporters eagerly thrust their microphones toward Damian.

"Mr. Lane, you're the head of the biggest entertainment company in Harborcrest City. Why would Cecilia still need to sleep her way into roles?"

"Will this scandal end your three-year marriage to Cecilia, Mr. Lane?"

"How will the company make this up to Ms. Shaw?"

Cecilia turned off the comments, leaving Damian's sickeningly pretentious face on the screen.

"People are never satisfied with what they have. Perhaps I've neglected Cecilia and have failed to meet her needs.

"But let me be clear. No matter what happens, I will never give up on my marriage. I will always stand by Cecilia, and I'll be the one person she can count on.

"As for compensation, the company will shift all its focus to Yvette from now on. Cecilia's projects and other resources will also go to Yvette to help her career reach new heights."

He said he was the one person Cecilia could count on?

She hurled the tablet to the floor. Its screen shattered on impact.

Messages flooded the screen, one after another.

"Go to hell, Cecilia! You slut!"

"I made a memorial photo for you in advance. I hope you get to use it tomorrow."

"You should know your place and quit the industry. You and Mr. Lane should get divorced, too. He and Yvette belong together. Stop getting in their way!"

Cecilia opened the memorial photo, and tears finally slid down her cheeks.

Damian knew all too well how cruel online abuse could be. He was so afraid of Yvette getting hurt that he'd deliberately made Cecilia the target instead.

Within minutes, the trending topics updated again.

#YvetteShawWrongedCeciliaMustApologize

#YvetteIsBeautifulInsideAndOut

#CeciliaLangstonIsTrash

#GetCeciliaLangstonOutOfShowbiz

Tears blurred her vision. Why should she have to put up with all this in silence?

Just as she tapped to write a post, she was suddenly logged out of her account.

A message from Camila came right after.

"Cecilia, the company is taking control of all your accounts for now. You're not allowed to post anything yourself. If you do, you'll be in breach of contract and owe a one-billion-dollar penalty."

The phone slipped from her hand, and she sank to the floor.

"Damian, you've really outdone yourself."

Even after the room had gone completely dark, Cecilia didn't move.

When the foyer light came on, Damian stopped short at the sight of her curled up on the floor. He walked over and saw how pale she looked. Then he lifted her into his arms and set her down on the couch.

"Have you eaten? I'll make you something."

Cecilia caught his sleeve and yanked him back. "Don't you have anything to explain?"

Damian sighed and sat beside her, placing both hands on her shoulders.

"It all happened so suddenly. I didn't have time to discuss it with you. Yvette is innocent. That director, Lester Wane, drugged her. She's a victim, too."

"What about me?" Cecilia threw his hands off her and stared straight into his eyes. "Do I deserve to take the fall for her? Damian, have you ever thought about how I feel?"

Damian hadn't expected her to react so strongly.

He had often made Cecilia take the blame for Yvette in trending scandals, but she had never refused or even gotten angry.

But when he met her bloodshot eyes, filled with hurt and disbelief, he instinctively looked away.

"From a business standpoint, Yvette is a contender for the Best Actress award, while you've been disqualified. The company had to make sure at least one of you could still win.

"And personally, Yvette is your niece. She calls you Aunt Cece. How could you let a scandal like this ruin her future? All you had to do was take the blame for one trending story."

As she listened to his cruel words, Cecilia's heart sank lower with every sentence.

No matter how she looked at it, Damian valued Yvette far more than he valued her.

Damian reached for her waist again, but Cecilia pulled away at once.

He frowned. He had already told Cecilia he wouldn't divorce her. Wasn't that enough?

He lost his patience, and his voice grew sharper. "I'm exhausted from dealing with your nude photos. Can you think about the bigger picture for once and stop being so selfish?"