The sharp crack of a slap echoed. I crumpled to the ground, my right cheek burning. Not far off, my boyfriend was holding my ex-boyfriend’s current girlfriend, glaring at me with ill intent. A pair of black leather shoes entered my blurred vision. Before I could even look up, a familiar, teasing voice reached my ears: “Only a few minutes apart, and you’re already such a mess.” I picked myself up, tugging uncomfortably at the sweet pink princess dress I wore. A sharp glint entered my eyes, completely clashing with my outfit. “You, who just got humiliated with a public betrayal, have no right to speak.” On the night of Liam’s new movie premiere, I waited backstage in a sweet pink princess dress, overjoyed at the thought of surprising him. People passing by gave me a wide berth. It was common knowledge that I had publicly attacked every rumored girlfriend for Liam and engaged in heated online battles with his fans. My reputation in the entertainment industry was utterly trashed. But what others thought didn’t matter to me. I only cared about Liam. Yet, the next second, I turned a corner and saw him passionately kissing Chloe, my long-standing rival. My mind went blank. Like crazy, I lunged forward and grabbed Chloe’s hair, only to be slapped to the ground by Liam. My boyfriend had slapped *me* for another woman. This should have been an incredibly painful moment. But I couldn’t stop my lips from curving upwards, wild joy surging uncontrollably in my chest. The obsessive adoration for Liam that I couldn’t shake off before, vanished in that instant. I was finally free from the control of that damned Obsession Protocol! Then, a tall figure’s shadow stretched over the ground, enveloping me. The black leather shoes and familiar voice told me I wasn’t the only one who had regained freedom. It was my ex-boyfriend, Julian. Julian and I broke up a year ago. At the time, I was a rising star in the entertainment industry, at the peak of my popularity, thriving in both my love life and career. But the moment I saw Liam, I was like a woman possessed, publicly declaring my love for him and completely forgetting Julian. Julian agreed to the sudden breakup without hesitation. A month later, he strangely concealed his identity and relentlessly pursued Chloe, a practically unknown actress at the time. Speaking of which, he hadn’t spoken to me in that tone for almost a year since that day. “Aria, can you stop being so unreasonable?” Liam growled, frowning. He must have been a bit drunk. Normally, he wouldn’t act so out of character for his carefully crafted public persona. I never understood why the Obsession Protocol chose Liam. After a long period of my mindless, obsessive pursuit, Liam had completely bought into my extreme infatuation with him. After several tests, he would occasionally show me his true self. After all, no one can wear a mask all the time. So, I’d seen his glamorous public facade, and I’d also seen his disgusting private self. I ignored Liam, instead shifting my gaze to Chloe, who was cowering in his arms, a knowing smirk on my face. “What about you? Getting all cozy with someone else right in front of your boyfriend? Aren’t you going to say anything?” Chloe clutched Liam’s shirt and stayed silent, just looking utterly pitiful at Julian, tears welling in her eyes, threatening to spill. Julian shuddered, instinctively taking a step back behind me. Having to endure a year by Chloe’s side, and pretending to pursue her… it must have been tough on him. And so did I. I slowly stepped forward. Liam boldly pulled Chloe behind him, acting all protective. “If you dare to touch her again, I’m breaking up with you.” This tactic always worked like a charm in the past. No matter how outrageous Liam’s actions were, this one sentence would instantly make me docile. But not anymore. And they seemed to forget that when I first entered the industry, my temper was known throughout the industry as being terrible. Before Liam could finish his last syllable, I landed a solid slap on him. He staggered back a few steps, clutching his face, accidentally knocking Chloe down behind him. The first slap wasn’t enough; my face still stung fiercely. Before he could steady himself, I slapped his other cheek. The next day, videos of me slapping the A-list actor twice went viral on social media.
“How dare she hit our Liam? Who the hell is Aria anyway?!” “Aria, just die already! Our Liam’s face is all red from her hitting him!” “As a neutral observer, wasn’t she head-over-heels for him before? Is this love turned to hate?” “Aria, are you crazy?! With that stunt, all of Liam’s schedules will be delayed! Can you be responsible for the company’s losses?!” In my bedroom, Marcus’s exasperated voice still echoed. I slipped on plastic gloves and took a satisfying bite of steaming hot fried chicken, my eyes narrowing in bliss. “Are you deaf?! Don’t think the company will bail you out of every mess! Do you have any idea how much we lost this time?!” “I’m listening. Weren’t you always hyping up me and Liam’s relationship before? Now I’m trending at number one for all the wrong reasons, hasn’t that saved you money on those negative PR campaigns you used to buy?” I responded sarcastically into the phone. When I first joined the company, I was a key talent they were heavily investing in. Marcus was kind and amiable to me, nothing like his aggressive, temperamental self today. But then I refused unethical demands from a high-level executive, and I tore him a new one. After that, my opportunities dwindled, my projects were downgraded, and everyone’s true colors were completely exposed. It was just my luck that before I could terminate my contract with the company, I was taken over by the Obsession Protocol and completely lost control of my body. Marcus sputtered, “You—you—” for a good while before hanging up. He must have been furious. I tossed my phone aside and took a big gulp of bubble tea. After being controlled by the Protocol, I had been constantly dieting to conform to Liam’s aesthetic. My once curvy figure had been reduced to a skeletal frame. I needed to gain some weight back soon. And no, it definitely wasn’t because I’m a glutton. The TV was playing the popular drama I had recently starred in. The moment I appeared, the on-screen comments were filled with remarks telling me to get out of the industry. My reputation was so bad not just because of Liam’s fans and the company’s insidious manipulation, but also because my portrayal of villains was so convincing it made audiences seethe with hatred. I binge-watched with relish, marveling at my own acting. The ringing of my phone pulled me back to reality as the sun had already set. I casually picked it up, and a low, clear voice instantly flowed into my ear. “Want to grab a drink?” … When I arrived at the bar, it was already crowded. But Julian seemed to possess a magical aura that made me spot him sitting at the bar instantly. “Excuse me, handsome, is this seat taken?” a girl asked softly, circling to Julian’s side. I quickened my pace, resting my hand on Julian’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, he’s already got plans.” As the girl walked away, I withdrew my hand and sank into the seat next to him. “One Vodka Lime, please.” “You just came like that? Aren’t you afraid of being photographed by paparazzi?” “Afraid of what? Another trending topic just means more exposure, and I’m all for it.” “So, what’s up?” Julian took a sip, not answering immediately. I could pretty much guess what he wanted to say. I had always been the one to initiate things, so it was normal for him to be unaccustomed to speaking first. “Since we’re both free from the Obsession Protocol, Aria, can we get back together?” He stared intently at me, his gaze deep and passionate, his voice slightly hoarse, laced with a hint of seduction. I could never resist his gaze. My eyes traced down his deep-set eyes, stopping at his thin lips. “Have you ever kissed her?” “Only you.” During the time I was controlled, the only fortunate thing was that the Obsession Protocol couldn’t make us violate our bottom lines. Julian cupped my hand and gently kissed my palm, then slowly leaned in closer until our noses lightly brushed, rubbing against each other. Just before our lips met, something suddenly struck me. I used my finger to separate our mouths. **截断点** “Julian, even without the Obsession Protocol influencing me, I would have broken up with you.”
“Why?” I thought seriously for a moment. “I guess… I’m just tired.” Our relationship started with a silly dare. I always knew, and I always pretended not to know. But he would travel cross-country to spend holidays with me, stay up all night when I was sick, and bring food to me on set when I was too busy filming. Although it began hastily, I once believed we would be like any other normal couple. But then, one day, I accidentally overheard Julian’s parents asking him when he planned to marry me. A single, casual sentence completely smashed the entire fantasy castle I had painstakingly built. “No plans for that right now.” Once the fantasy shattered, many things I had intentionally ignored became undeniably clear. On my birthday, he surprised me by traveling from another state, but before I could blow out the candles, Julian was rushed away by a phone call. The night I got sick, he rummaged through all the medicine at home, asking which one I should take, unaware I just had terrible period cramps. When filming was hectic, he secretly brought exquisite takeout to the set. That hotel’s Szechuan cuisine was my favorite, but I had stomach issues then and couldn’t eat anything spicy. I had told him this more than once. I downed the rest of the drink in my glass, feeling terrible inside, and stood up to leave. “What if I chased you instead? Can you give me a chance?” I didn’t understand what he meant by that. If he truly valued this relationship so much, how could we have ended up like this? Unwilling to think any further, I didn’t reply. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but I slept soundly that night. When I woke up the next day, my phone showed several missed calls from Marcus. “I told you to keep your phone on 24/7! Are you deaf?!” I yawned and moved the phone away from my ear. When Marcus finally tired himself out, I leisurely asked, “So, what’s up?” “That female supporting role I just secured for you? The investors want to replace you because of the trouble you caused. I’ve set up a meeting for you tonight. If you can’t satisfy the investor, don’t blame the company for playing dirty.” He spoke with such righteous indignation, but the subtext was painfully obvious. A free dinner? Might as well enjoy it. With the thought of freeloading, I went to this trap dinner. Upon entering, I didn’t immediately spot the investor, but Liam and Chloe were conspicuously obvious. Liam was humbly peeling shrimp, while Chloe, with her legs crossed, acted like some entitled king who couldn’t lift a finger, gesturing for Liam to put the shrimp directly into her mouth. Anyone who knew them would say they were a couple; anyone who didn’t might mistake them for some kind of master-servant dynamic. Wait, Liam hadn’t publicly announced their breakup, and Chloe still maintained a single persona. They couldn’t even claim to be a normal couple. “Aria, you’re here! Come over here, this is Mr. Thompson, the biggest investor in our show.” Someone stood up and enthusiastically pulled me to a seat beside a pot-bellied, middle-aged bald man, then whispered threateningly, “If you can’t keep him happy tonight, not only will you lose the female supporting role, but you won’t last a day in this industry.” Mr. Thompson, standing nearby, made no effort to hide the desire in his eyes. His gaze, thick with lechery, brazenly appraised me. “You’re even prettier in person than on screen.” “Coincidentally, I think so too.” A staff member glared fiercely at me. I remained completely unfazed, burying my head and stuffing my face. Initially, the conversation at the table was quite harmonious. The investor was particularly pleased with Liam and Chloe starring as the male and female leads, lavishing praise upon them. But when the topic of the female supporting role came up, a glint flickered in his eye, and his tone suddenly shifted. “Miss Aria’s public reputation doesn’t seem to be very good lately. I’m concerned about her playing the female supporting role…” Are you kidding? My reputation wasn’t *recently* bad; it had always been terrible. I remained completely unfazed, continuing to eat. And honestly, this place’s food wasn’t bad. “Mr. Thompson, regarding the recent events, our company’s artist will offer you a sincere apology privately.” A flash of cunning appeared in Mr. Thompson’s eyes. “But I vaguely recall that she’s A-list actor Liam’s girlfriend, isn’t she? Wouldn’t this be inappropriate?” The implication couldn’t be clearer. Liam crossed his legs, his eyes filled with contempt, a smug, detached air, as if watching a play. “Mr. Thompson, as long as you’re happy.” “Then I’ll take her.” “Be my guest.” My hands, peeling a lobster, paused. Seriously? My fate was decided in a few words without my consent. Did they really think I was his possession? “Sorry, but I never said I was going to apologize to some creepy bald man. I’m full. I’m leaving.” I hadn’t walked more than a few steps when my wrist was suddenly grabbed. I turned around to see Mr. Thompson grinning slyly. “Quite the personality, aren’t you? Do you really think you can just walk away?” I tried to struggle, but Mr. Thompson’s grip was surprisingly strong. Not only could I not break free, but it hurt. “I suggest you let go.” His flabby body slowly approached me, while everyone else at the round table turned a blind eye. Fortunately, all of this was within my expectations.
The private room door burst open with a loud bang. A shadowy blur shot straight in, kicking Mr. Thompson to the ground, then swiftly unleashed a flurry of punches, landing blow after brutal blow. Immediately after, three to five tall, burly men in black suits entered. Cries for mercy filled the entire room. The others just stood by, watching helplessly, wanting to intervene but too afraid to step forward. “Mike, when did Mom and Dad hire a bodyguard with *that* kind of strength? He’s had enough, tell him to stop.” I couldn’t watch anymore, so I spoke to the head bodyguard. “Miss, he’s not one of ours.” ??? I turned to look at the figure not far away, a suspicion forming in my mind. “That’s enough. I remember you not being so impulsive.” Hearing my voice, Julian finally stopped. To be honest, it was my first time seeing such a ruthless side of him. The Julian in my memories had always been easygoing and calm, as if losing control of his emotions was an impossibility for him. This included when he confessed to me because of a dare, when we first kissed, and even when we broke up. He didn’t spare me a glance, didn’t say anything, just walked out expressionlessly. It was Chloe, however, whose expression subtly changed when she glanced at the watch on Julian’s wrist. That Patek Philippe alone could buy a luxury downtown condo. After Julian left, I knelt beside Mr. Thompson with a look of feigned guilt. “That was a bit too rough.” The next second, with a practiced twist, I snapped his hand. A shriek echoed through the room once more. “Everyone, please continue to enjoy your meal.” I waved goodbye to everyone with a friendly smile. When I walked out of the private room, Julian was already gone. He wasn’t answering his phone, and I was wondering what had gotten into him. Not long after, Chloe came running out and called out to me. “Aria, don’t be so impulsive. If you don’t apologize, not only will you lose the female supporting role you secured, but the company will completely sideline you.” She looked at me with a worried expression, but failed to control the upward curve of her lips. I was all too familiar with the true face beneath that facade. When we were both new hires at the company, she locked me in the dressing room. If Julian hadn’t arrived in time, I would have missed my audition for my debut movie. “I haven’t seen you act so well in your roles, but you’re quite good at pretending. The female lead is yours, Liam is yours, you must be very pleased.” “You misunderstood me.” Despite her words, when she leaned close to my ear, her tone turned chillingly cold. “How glorious you once were, Aria. Now you’re still crushed under my heel. You loved Liam so much, yet he still fell hopelessly in love with me.” I suddenly thought of the shrimp-peeling scene I’d witnessed earlier. Chloe truly seemed to believe she had found true love. “Then enjoy it while you can.” Once you see his true colors, I doubt you’ll be happy anymore. Walking out of the restaurant, Mike couldn’t help but ask, “Miss, are we just going to let this go?” “I have my own plans. And you guys, don’t tell Mom and Dad what happened tonight.” After parting ways with the bodyguard team, I opened my phone’s navigation and walked to a nearby alley. After several twists and turns, I finally reached my destination. A crudely placed sign stood before me, with five words written on it: Mori Private Investigations. Although the location was a bit out of the way, many wealthy socialites liked to hire them to collect evidence of their husbands’ infidelity, so I figured their capabilities must be decent. … It was late at night when I got home. The light by the front door had broken at some point, and I only saw a dark silhouette pacing back and forth. Feeling uneasy, I called a few security guards to surround the area from all sides. Getting closer, I realized it was Julian. The moment he saw me, his eyes reddened and his lips quivered, like a scolded child. “Why are you home so late?” I had never seen Julian drunk before. He reeked of alcohol; I had no idea how much he’d had. After explaining to the security guards, I practically carried him into the house. “Why did you go to that drinking party? I don’t want you to be subjected to that kind of humiliation,” he murmured beside my ear, his breath gently brushing my cheek. I jolted, and my grip loosened, causing Julian to slide quickly down, and with a thud, his head hit the coffee table. That really looked painful. As I helped him up, I faintly heard him apologize and ask what he had done wrong. I paused for a moment. “It’s not your fault. Perhaps I was just overthinking things.” The next morning, the air was permeated with the aroma of food. Watching Julian busy in the kitchen, it felt as though time had suddenly rewound to a year ago. “Breakfast will be ready soon. Don’t worry about the trending topic; I’ve already sent someone to handle it.” “What trending topic?” My heart lurched, and my hand, pulling the chair, paused.
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