After I was Bullied, They All Got Their Comeuppance

　　I first met Joshua when I was just starting out in the industry.

　　At that time, he had already begun his career as a leading man, while I was just a minor supporting character. We didn't have much interaction; we would only occasionally nod to each other in passing.

　　We became closer two years ago when I played his love interest in a movie.

　　On set, he was easygoing, often telling jokes to lighten the atmosphere, making everyone burst into laughter. But when it came to filming, he was exceptionally serious. If something wasn't to his satisfaction, he would ask Mr. Smith for additional takes as a backup.

　　I remember a particular kissing scene we had.

　　Due to my lack of experience, I struggled to get into the right mindset, resulting in numerous retakes.

　　The more impatient the crew became, the more nervous I got, feeling trapped in a vicious cycle.

　　It was Joshua who stepped in to help, pulling me aside to a quiet spot and comforting me, helping me adjust my mood and build up my confidence.

　　"If you can't do it, just think, I'm so handsome, kissing me won't be a loss, right?"

　　His words made me laugh, and the nervousness disappeared.

　　His lips curved into a faint smile as he gazed at me intently, moving closer and suddenly kissed me.

　　That was when I first realized that a kiss could have a taste.

　　The subtle scent of gardenia mixed with the aroma of hormones seeped into my heart through my nostrils, making my heart skip a beat.

　　After that, the kissing scenes went smoothly, and with Joshua treating everyone to espresso, no one brought up that incident again.

　　Yet, I always felt that something had changed.

　　Everything, however, remained the same.

　　It was this movie that earned Joshua the Best Actor award, and my outstanding performance gained me a lot of fans, marking some progress in my career.

　　For the past two years, Joshua and I stayed in touch.

　　However, our work schedules rarely overlapped, and we had few opportunities to meet in person. Our only form of interaction was to leave encouraging messages for each other online.

　　Until this time, when he suddenly invited me to play the female lead in his new drama.

　　I thought I finally had a chance to figure out if that kiss from two years ago had any other meaning, but all my hopes were dashed by Lily's appearance.

　　Joshua had always been kind-hearted, but his kindness wasn't exclusive to me.

　　I must have been out of my mind to think that I was special to him, special enough for him to join the crew early to comfort me and stay up late for filming.

　　I lightly nodded in his direction and returned a standard smile.

　　In the latter part of the filming, I found myself in almost all the scenes opposite Lily.

　　It was then that I realized Andrea truly had foresight. When there was a co-star who was demanding, one needed to be physically prepared.

　　Otherwise, it would be impossible to cope with the daily demands on set.

　　The lead actors and supporting roles were busy filming, constantly adjusting schedules, and staying up late. I was on the brink of a breakdown.

　　But there was no outlet for my frustrations.

　　Many scenes also included Joshua, so if I expressed any dissatisfaction, someone would say that Joshua had no issues, so why did I have so many problems? I had no choice but to swallow my grievances.

　　Finally, when I finished my scenes, Lily pushed a cake towards me to offer her congratulations.

　　I had intended for a peaceful farewell, but she abruptly shoved my entire face into the cake, laughing with genuine joy.

　　"Good luck with the end of filming, Eliza. I hope we'll have the chance to work together again."

　　I took a deep breath and smiled back, "I'd rather not."

　　The atmosphere, already quiet, became even more tense as everyone stared at the two of us. Lily quickly reacted, tears the size of beans rolling down her cheeks one after another.