Semua Bab Standing on My Own: Bab 1 - Bab 10

Once the livestream ended, the studio erupted into wild cheers."We just hit seventy million followers!""Happy third anniversary, Jeline!"Staff members wheeled in a massive celebration cake, topped with photos of Julian and Evangeline, flanked by their official ship name, Jeline.Evangeline laughed softly, throwing her head back in delight.Julian stood close beside her, instinctively stepping in to block the party poppers before the falling confetti could stain her dress. "Take it easy, guys. Don't ruin her outfit."His voice wasn't sharp, but the action was so effortless that it was clear he’d shielded her like this a thousand times before.I sat behind the control panel, my headset still resting around my neck. The monitor was frozen on the final frame of the broadcast: Julian looking down at Evangeline, and Evangeline looking up at him with a glowing smile. The studio lights fell across their faces just right, like the picture-perfect climax of a long-planned romance.S

The business rep smiled enthusiastically. "Exactly! The brand said they want a 'destined for each other' vibe. With Julian and Evangeline blowing up right now, if we shoot a proposal, it's guaranteed to break the internet."My fingers froze on the page.When Julian and I first got together, he promised me that once our account hit ten million followers, he would propose.After hitting ten million, he said he was too busy and told me to wait until fifty million.Then, at fifty million, the channel was apparently in a crucial growth phase, and going public with our relationship would ruin our traction.Now, the account had seventy million followers, and the proposal shoot was finally here. Yet the bride standing in front of the camera still wasn't me.Julian walked over and glanced at the contract. "This looks good."He turned to look at me. "Willow, you handle the script. Evangeline said she wants a snow-capped mountain, a ring, and a tear-jerking confession. You're the best at c

Standing behind the monitor, I watched them embrace on screen.I felt so silly, stuck in the shadows behind the camera, watching someone else live out the life that was supposed to be mine.Once the director called cut, everyone crowded around the monitor to review the footage. The snow, the white gown, the ring—the imagery was breathtakingly cinematic. Julian and Evangeline looked so genuine that it felt impossible to fake.Julian suddenly walked over to my side.As if terrified someone might catch us, he discreetly reached out and slipped his fingers into mine.Then, slipping a second ring box from his coat pocket, he murmured, "Willow, that was just for the campaign. This one's yours."I had waited so long for this exact moment, for him to step away from the lens and choose me with absolute certainty. Yet as he slid the band onto my ring finger, not a single ripple of emotion stirred within me.The ring slid loosely down my skin. It was a full size too big, exactly Evangeline

Back at the studio, the Jeline account ran into trouble fast.Julian and Evangeline tried to shoot as usual, but without my scripts, they couldn't even manage a single line of natural dialogue in front of the lens.Evangeline tried to look up and smile the way she used to. However, Julian’s reaction was always half a beat too late.When the final edit went live, the comment section saw a shift in tone for the very first time.[Why does this feel so awkward?][All the intimacy from before is completely gone.][The lines are so cringe. It feels super forced.][Did they change their production team?]Even their brand partners were growing impatient.[Julian, when are we getting the script for the next shoot?]Julian sat alone in the studio, digging through the hard drive I had left behind. Every single folder was meticulously organized by year.[Jillow First Draft][First Snow Location Shoot][Julian’s Birthday Special]He opened that final folder titled "Proposal Script Dra

It was a hollow numbness built over years—the slow, exhausting process of being compared, replaced, and forced to say "it's fine" until nothing was left inside.I packed up my tripod, my tone measured and quiet."Evangeline, I don't hate you anymore."Her head snapped up, a faint spark of hope rekindling in her eyes."But I will never have you as my friend again," I added.Every last trace of color drained completely from her face. "Willow..."Slinging my camera bag over my shoulder, I brushed right past her. Evangeline stayed rooted to the spot, making no move to follow.When I reached the far end of the coastline, I glanced back once. She was still standing there, her white coat whipped wildly by the wind.I raised my camera, lined up the lens with the final sliver of the setting sun, and pressed the shutter.I registered my new account that very night.The first video was just black sand, crashing waves, and the howl of the wind.I stood in front of the lens, my voice sof