I never in my wildest dreams imagined that the ruin of my ten-year marriage to Daniel Sterling wouldn’t be a well-connected socialite, or a formidable rival, but the innocent darling he’d personally groomed – Scarlett Hayes. Two months ago, my latest A-list fantasy screenplay, *Nine Heavens*, had just wrapped principal photography and was entering intense post-production. Daniel had urged me to rest, assuring me he’d handle everything at Starlight Entertainment. I believed him. I was a top-tier screenwriter, responsible for seventy percent of Starlight Entertainment’s blockbusters. I thought Daniel and I were comrades, partners, our relationship built on shared ideals and struggles, unshakeable. Until my assistant, Chloe, a fresh graduate, hinted subtly, “Maya, lately, Scarlett… and Mr. Sterling have been getting too close. The resources the company is allocating to her already exceed the standards for A-list artists…” I just smiled then, telling her not to overthink it. After all, Daniel had personally scouted her from obscurity, and she was Starlight Entertainment’s face for the coming years. Investing more in her seemed normal. Until that day. I came home early from my studio for a crucial soundtrack detail. The villa was eerily quiet. I stood by the half-open door of the upstairs study, where a soft, intimate glow spilled out. Then I saw it. Scarlett was sitting on Daniel’s lap, wearing a sheer silk nightgown, clinging to him like she had no bones. Daniel had just showered, his bathrobe loosely tied. Scarlett’s hand was tracing circles on his chest, far too boldly. “Daniel, I still can’t quite grasp this scene… could you explain it to me again?” Her voice was syrupy sweet, dripping with an almost childish vulnerability. Daniel laughed, a rare, genuine laugh, not the fake business smile he used for investors, but one filled with indulgence and affection. “Little siren, always trying to charm me.” He pinched Scarlett’s cheek. “Can’t even memorize your lines, and you want to be Best Actress?” “With you, Daniel, I’m not afraid of anything.” Scarlett tilted her head back, her eyes hazy. “Daniel, don’t you think my ‘experiential’ approach has more soul than Maya’s scripts, which are just built on pure technique?” My blood ran cold, freezing in my veins at that instant.
I waited for Daniel to refute her. Six years ago, Starlight Entertainment was on the brink of bankruptcy. I had poured in my mother’s entire inheritance and pulled all-nighters for three days and nights writing three screenplays, just to rescue him from the brink of ruin. He swore in front of all the shareholders: “Maya Linwood’s talent is the soul of Starlight. Anyone who dares to question her, questions my very existence.” The local media had labeled him “the doting husband.” He would remember. But the next second, I heard Daniel say, in a voice I had never heard before, tender to the core: “Of course. You’re unpolished jade, a natural talent, a born genius who doesn’t even have to try. Maya… she’s just a mature, excellent craftswoman. You’re different.” Craftswoman. Ha. Ten years of my hard work, in his eyes, I was just an artisan drawing blueprints and hammering nails. My heart felt like an invisible hand had clamped down on it, then thrown it into an ice bath. The pain was so intense my vision blurred. Scarlett, emboldened, buried her face in his chest, her voice laced with a sob: “Daniel, I’m so scared… I’m scared that one day Maya will dislike me, will think I’m stealing your attention, and then she’ll drive me away…” Daniel patted her back, his voice soothing: “Silly girl, with me here, no one can touch you. Starlight will always be your rock.” Always Scarlett’s rock? I forced a smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. Daniel probably forgot that Starlight Entertainment was founded on my blood, sweat, and talent. Without me, he wouldn’t be where he was today. The last flicker of warmth in my eyes died out, like a candle flame extinguished by a cold wind, leaving only a wisp of smoke. I didn’t cry, nor did I make a scene. I just quietly, step by step, turned and walked down the stairs. “Mrs. Linwood, you’re back.” Mrs. Jenkins, the housekeeper, looked surprised to see me. “Mm.” I didn’t stop. I knew that the “devoted” pair upstairs had already heard me. Good. I’d wait for them in the living room downstairs. I had no interest in watching them scramble to get dressed. I simply turned on the living room’s home theater system, connected to the cloud server, and pulled up the past two months of indoor surveillance footage. When I wasn’t home, Scarlett acted like the lady of the house. Drinking from my cups. Wearing my slippers. Even sitting in my exclusive creative studio, on my chair, ordering Daniel to peel her fruit. And Daniel, the man who was so attentive to me outside the house, didn’t refuse her at all; in fact, he seemed to enjoy it. On the monitor, Scarlett pointed at my award-winning interview on the TV, pouting to Daniel: “Daniel, look how amazing Maya is. When will I be as great as her, so you’ll only have eyes for me?” Daniel turned off the TV, pulled her into his embrace, and whispered, “You don’t need to be like her. Just be yourself, that’s enough.” I watched it all, expressionless. My heart was a barren wasteland. I even saw how Scarlett subtly manipulated my five-year-old son, Leo. She’d hand him cheap toys and say, “See, Aunt Scarlett bought these for you. Your mommy only works; she doesn’t even know what you like.” She’d also point towards my study, asking with feigned innocence, “Leo, does Mommy not like Daddy playing with you? She’s always alone in her room, it’s so strange, isn’t it?” And Daniel? He just watched from the side, silent, implicitly condoning it. An icy dread snaked up my spine, chilling me to the bone.
Footsteps echoed from the stairs. Daniel and Scarlett descended. Scarlett had changed into a modest long dress, her face a mask of perfectly calibrated panic and innocence, eyes red-rimmed, clinging tightly to Daniel’s arm like a terrified fawn. Heh, impressive acting. No wonder she’s hailed as the next big thing. Daniel’s face was grim, his brows furrowed, with a hint of displeasure at being caught. “Maya, why didn’t you say you were coming home?” He walked towards me, his tone carrying a trace of accusation he probably hadn’t even noticed himself. I ignored him. I raised my hand and pressed pause. On the enormous screen, the image of Scarlett nestled in his arms, calling me a “craftswoman,” was frozen. The air instantly became dead silent. Scarlett’s face went white as a sheet, and she swayed as if she might faint any second. Daniel’s face turned ashen. He strode to me, blocking the screen, his voice low and warning: “Maya, what is this? What are you trying to do?” “What am I trying to do?” I finally looked up, my gaze calm. “Daniel Sterling, that’s what I should be asking you.” “I…” Daniel was speechless. Behind him, Scarlett had already started crying, her tears, like a string of pearls, began to fall. “Maya, please don’t blame Daniel; it’s all my fault… I just admire you so much, and I wanted Daniel to give me some acting tips, we…” “Shut up.” I bit out two cold words. Scarlett’s sobs hitched, and she looked at me in disbelief. She probably hadn’t expected the usually gentle me to speak to her in such a tone. Daniel’s temper flared. He grabbed my wrist, his grip so strong it felt like he wanted to crush my bones. “Maya! Come at me! What does this have to do with Scarlett? She’s just a kid, she doesn’t understand anything!” A kid? A twenty-four-year-old actress was a kid in his eyes? I looked at his furious face and suddenly found it ridiculous. “Daniel, look closely at what she’s wearing.” I yanked my hand free and pointed at Scarlett’s sexy silk nightgown on the screen. “Wearing that to ‘practice lines’ with you? In your study, sitting on your lap, until your bathrobe was practically open?” My voice wasn’t loud, but every word was like an ice-cold knife, striking both their faces. Daniel’s face flushed red, then pale. Scarlett’s dramatic streak kicked in again. She cried harder, rushing to cling to Daniel’s arm. “Daniel, I didn’t mean to… I just felt comfortable wearing something casual at home… Maya, I truly didn’t mean to ruin your relationship, I… I’m leaving now! I’ll never bother you again!” With that, she covered her face and ran out, looking heartbroken. Just as expected, Daniel immediately felt a pang of sympathy. He shot me a furious glare, an expression that saw me as nothing but an unreasonable lunatic. “Maya, do you have to make such a scene?!” He chased after her. I heard the car engine start outside, followed by a deadly silence. He was gone. He’d left me alone in this house, empty as a tomb, for that “wronged” Scarlett. Slowly, ever so slowly, I walked to the massive floor-toceiling window. Outside, was the rose garden I had personally designed and planted. It was right here, years ago, that Daniel held the first script I had ever written and told me, “Maya, marry me. I’ll spend my life protecting you and your talent.” Ten years. How many decades do you get in life? I’d given him my best ten years, given them to Starlight. What I got in return was being called a “craftswoman.” I picked up my phone and dialed my private lawyer. “Mr. Davis, prepare something.” “Prepare what, Ms. Linwood?” “Divorce papers, and also… a full audit for copyright divestment and asset liquidation for all film and television projects under Starlight Entertainment where I served as screenwriter or held the original creative concept.” Mr. Davis on the other end was silent for three seconds, clearly stunned by the news. “Ms. Linwood, are you certain? This is almost half of Starlight’s empire.” “I am.” I hung up, looking at the roses outside the window. Daniel, you think Scarlett is unpolished jade, a genius? Fine. I’d like to see what kind of castles in the air your unpolished jade can build without me, the “craftswoman,” laying the foundation. This play needed a new ending.
The next day, I didn’t go to the office. Daniel hadn’t returned home all night, not even a phone call. I guessed he was busy comforting his startled “innocent angel.” Good. I’d use this time to settle all the messy accounts between us. I had Mr. Davis’s team move into Starlight, beginning the copyright and financial audit. The news spread like wildfire, sending the entire company into an uproar. Daniel’s call finally came through at noon, his voice thick with suppressed fury. “Maya! What the hell are you trying to do?! Bringing lawyers into the company, do you want everyone to laugh at us?!” “Laugh at us?” I leisurely applied lipstick in the mirror, the vibrant red like a battle flag. “Mr. Sterling, what’s left between us besides a joke?” He choked, his breathing growing heavier. “Stop messing around! Get your lawyers out of there! We can talk about this at home!” “Home?” I chuckled. “Which home? The one with you in it, or the one with Scarlett?” “Maya!” he practically roared. “Are you really trying to destroy ten years of our lives together?!” “Our lives?” I pulled a cold smile at my reflection. “Daniel Sterling, from the moment you put Scarlett and me on a scale, calling her a genius and me a craftswoman, there was nothing left between us but business.” “And I, Maya Linwood, never do business at a loss.” I didn’t wait for his reply; I hung up directly. My phone rang again almost immediately. This time, it was my assistant, Chloe. Her voice was utterly frantic: “Maya! It’s bad! Something huge has happened!” “Slow down,” I said, remarkably calm. “Scarlett… Scarlett gave a live interview today, and she said… she said that the new script you’re working on, *Begonia*, the lead character ‘Begonia,’ is based on her!” My hand, applying lipstick, froze. *Begonia*. That was the script I wrote for my mother. My mother’s childhood nickname was Begonia. She was the most resilient, gentle woman I had ever known, and she passed away in an accident when I was ten. This script was my elegy to her, the softest, most sacred place in my heart. I had never mentioned it to anyone, not even Daniel. Scarlett… how could she know? “Not only that,” Chloe’s voice was tearful, “she also implied in the interview that many details of the character resembled her own life experiences, and she ‘thanked’ you for tailoring it for her… Now the entire internet is calling you a ‘genius screenwriter’ who, to promote Scarlett, even ‘copied’ her life story!” “Copied” her life? Heh, she wished. A wave of nausea and pure rage surged up from my gut. “Maya, the PR department is losing their minds, and Mr. Sterling’s phone is unreachable, what should we do?” “Don’t panic.” I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and when I opened them again, my gaze was icy. “Tell the PR department to do nothing. Wait for my message.” After hanging up, I immediately logged into my Ins account. That account, which had been dormant for almost a year, still boasted millions of followers. I didn’t post a long rant, just a photo and a single sentence. The photo was a black-and-white picture of my mother when she was young, holding a幼年的 me, smiling gently and serenely. In her eyes, one could vaguely see the shadow of the ‘Begonia’ character. The caption read: “*Begonia*, written for my one and only muse, my mother. She’s gone, but she lives forever in my stories. #BegoniaLivesOn” Not a single word mentioned Scarlett, but every word was a resounding slap across her face. Ins exploded instantly. #MayaLinwoodBegoniaIsMyMother #ScarlettHayesScam #FeelSorryForMaya These topics shot to the top three trending lists with unstoppable momentum. The tide of public opinion turned instantly. The marketing accounts that had previously praised Scarlett as “naturally talented” and “the chosen one” were left utterly exposed and humiliated. Countless netizens flooded Scarlett’s Ins, calling her a “fake innocent girl,” a “scheming manipulator,” and accusing her of “exploiting the deceased for fame.” I watched the comments, feeling no joy. Only a vast emptiness. I knew this was just the beginning. The war between me, Daniel, and Scarlett had just begun. My phone vibrated. It was a text from Daniel, just a few short words. [Are you satisfied?] I stared at those words and laughed. So, in his eyes, my act of clarifying the truth, of defending my mother’s dignity, was merely for my “satisfaction.” I didn’t reply. Because I knew he wouldn’t think that way for long. Sure enough, half an hour later, Chloe’s call came again, this time her voice filled with despair. “Maya… we’ve been hit by a backlash…” “What do you mean?” “Mr. Sterling… Mr. Sterling himself intervened.” Chloe’s voice trembled. “He ordered the company’s online smear campaign to claim that you… that you are exploiting your deceased mother, seeking sympathy, and deliberately suppressing a newcomer…” “He said Scarlett is just a naive young girl who misspoke out of pure admiration for you, and that you, as a senior, are being ruthless and utterly graceless!” “Now… now the tide has turned again, and many people are calling you malicious, calling you a publicity-seeker…” I gripped the phone, my knuckles turned white from gripping the phone. For a moment, I felt like I was choking on glass. Daniel Sterling. To protect Scarlett’s so-called “innocent darling” image. He actually stepped in personally, directing an online smear campaign, using the most vicious language to defame me and my deceased mother. He was trampling me into the mud, just to build a pure, unblemished wall around that ‘innocent’ woman he cherished. I finally understood. My talent, my efforts, my ten years of selfless love, even my most sacred family bonds. In front of Scarlett, they were utterly worthless. This man was no longer the boy who had weathered hardships with me. He had become a lunatic who would twist facts and sacrifice anything for his “precious darling.” And I was the price to be sacrificed at will. I opened my contacts and found a number I had saved but never thought I’d dial. The contact name was – Julian Thorne. The head of Aura Media, the man whom even Daniel Sterling had to treat with caution in the capital market. The call connected quickly. A deep, magnetic male voice, with a hint of lazy amusement, answered. “Ah, Ms. Linwood, finally remembered me?” “Mr. Thorne.” My voice was calm, without a ripple. “I want to discuss a business deal with you.” “Oh?” He seemed interested. “Tell me more.” “I want to start my own company, a new film and television production house.” “I have three A-list projects in hand: a sci-fi blockbuster, a suspense crime thriller, and one that’s currently at the center of controversy, *Begonia*.” “I need funding, distribution channels, and top-tier promotional resources.” “In return, you’ll own thirty percent of the new company’s shares, and… exclusive distribution rights for all projects overseas.” Silence fell on the other end of the line. It lasted so long I thought he would refuse. Then, Julian Thorne laughed, a deep chuckle, like the resonance of a cello. “Maya, do you know you’re declaring war on Daniel Sterling?” “I do.” “He’ll tear you apart.” “So what?” I looked out the window. The sky was darkening, a storm was brewing. “I have nothing left, so I have nothing to lose.” “Interesting,” Julian Thorne said. “I accept your terms.” “However, I have a condition too.” “Name it.” “I don’t want shares.” Julian Thorne’s voice, transmitted through the phone, carried an undeniable authority. “I want you.” I froze. “Mr. Thorne, I don’t…” “Don’t misunderstand,” he interrupted. “What I mean is, I want Maya Linwood to become the future head of production for Aura Media. Your new company, Aura will acquire it entirely. You’ll have one hundred percent creative freedom and decision-making power. I’ll give you the platform, the resources, everything I can give.” “Why?” I asked, puzzled. “Because I think betting on a genius’s revenge is far more thrilling than betting on a businessman’s marriage.” “Besides,” he paused, his voice dropping lower, imbued with a strange seduction, “I also want to see Daniel Sterling’s expression when the jewel he personally destroyed blossoms with even more dazzling brilliance in someone else’s hands.” “It’ll be quite a show, won’t it?” I had Mr. Davis send the divorce papers directly to Starlight’s board of directors. Attached was a fifty-page list for copyright divestment and asset liquidation.
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