Chapter 8

When Cecilia appeared on the big screen, gasps of shock rang out both inside and outside the venue.

The director swept the camera down her body from head to toe before settling on her pale, lifeless face.

Within a minute, the scandal was trending everywhere online.

#CeciliaLangstonLingerieScandalAtAwardsCeremony

#CeciliaLangstonSellsHerself

#BoycottAndBlacklistCeciliaLangston

Yvette watched Cecilia try to cover herself with both hands on the big screen. A smile slowly spread across her face.

She lowered her head and sent the text she had prepared. "The fun can begin now."

Suddenly, chaos broke out in the audience. Several people with face masks rushed past security and headed straight for the celebrities' seats.

Before Cecilia could react, a rotten egg hit her in the face.

"You shameless whore! Someone like you deserves to die. How disgusting!"

"Will you do anything for fame, Cecilia? Someone with no shame like you doesn't deserve to live!"

"I'm going to teach a bitch like you a lesson on behalf of everyone watching online!"

Every camera in the venue focused on Cecilia. The security guard didn't arrive until five minutes of insults and attacks had passed.

"Ms. Langston, we've just checked with the organizers. No one invited you to this awards ceremony. You're trespassing.

"Please leave at once. Our lawyers will take legal action against you for the damage you've caused to this event. We expect your full cooperation."

Cecilia didn't even dare look up at the big screen. She kept her head down as people stared at her from every direction.

She should have been the star of the ceremony that day, wearing a dress she loved and receiving the applause and trophy she had earned.

But Damian had ruined everything. He had made her life a living hell, destroyed her reputation, and made sure her career could never recover.

Cecilia hurried out of the venue. When she climbed into the car, she finally let the tears fall.

But she had no time to dwell on the shame and pain. With trembling hands, she called Damian.

"I did everything you asked! Where's Elliot?"

There was a long silence on the other end, and Cecilia grew frantic. "Damian?"

"Cecilia, calm down," Damian finally said. "Elliot saw the news about you and ran out of the car. We haven't found him yet. I've already sent all the bodyguards out to look for him."

The phone slipped from Cecilia's hand. She started the car in a panic but had no idea which way to go. Harborcrest City was huge, with so many cars on the road. What if…

Cecilia couldn't bear to think about it.

When the phone rang again, she snatched it up, hoping to hear that Elliot had been found. Instead, she heard Yvette's voice.

"Cecilia, Elliot is just as stupid as you are. My people only told him you'd been so humiliated that you jumped into the sea to kill yourself. He actually believed them and went to save you.

"Do you idiots think you can take what's mine? I'm the one who deserves the Best Actress award, and I'm the one who should be Damian's wife!

"If you know what's good for you, disappear quietly. Otherwise, I'll send you to your grave so your family can be together again."

Yvette kept talking, but Cecilia could no longer hear a word. She floored the gas and raced to the shore. But when she got out, her legs felt too heavy to move.

A crowd had gathered by the beach. She walked toward them, her legs trembling, staring at the person lying on the ground.

When the police turned the body over, she saw the face she knew so well.

In an instant, the world spun around Cecilia.

Elliot used to run after her, calling her name. He would slip treats into her pockets and always put her first.

He was never coming back.

Now she had no family left in this world.

…

Only when the funeral home worker placed the urn in Cecilia's arms did she finally let out the cry of pain and despair she had been holding back.

"Elliot, I'm so sorry. I'll never let them get away with this!"

After placing Elliot's urn beside Marika's grave, Cecilia sat in the cemetery all night.

She stood at an intersection at dawn, feeling numb as a replay of the awards ceremony played on the big screen in front of her.

"Now, please welcome Mr. Lane to present the Best Actress award to our winner, Yvette Shaw!"

Thunderous applause filled the venue. Dressed in a sharp suit and beaming, Damian placed the heavy trophy in Yvette's hands.

"Congratulations. You deserve this."

Yvette threw herself into his arms excitedly and wrapped both arms around his neck. When the cameras turned toward them, she covered her face in embarrassment.

"Sorry, I'm just so happy! Someone tried to disrupt the ceremony, but that's okay. I still got the award I deserved. I'd like to thank Mr. Lane for believing in me and encouraging me, and I'd also like to thank…"

Cecilia stared at the pair on the screen, her eyes filled with hatred.

Then a black sedan with no license plate pulled up in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing a sharp, chiseled face.

"Ms. Langston, we've cracked the encrypted file. We can move forward with your plan now."

Cecilia got into the car and took one last look at the big screen.

"Goodbye, Damian," she said softly.