After You Broke Me, I Became a Star

He stopped paying attention to me.

All his time went to hovering around Joan Fox, reminiscing about every little moment they'd once shared.

The closeness between them was obvious, the air thick with something more.

The villagers watched it all, and the gossip never stopped.

“Nelson's lost his memory, fine, but now an old flame shows up too? Nanette's definitely done this time.”

“I think so too. He doesn't even remember her. It'd be stranger if she didn't leave.”

My face gave nothing away. I could have been watching someone else's life.

But when I turned my head and caught Joan's triumphant gaze, my brows drew together before I could stop them.

She walked toward me, smile fixed in place the whole way.

When she stopped, that smile didn't waver, but the words that came out were pure venom.

“Nanette Simmons, you are the most pathetic woman I've ever met.”

“Nelson told me everything. You schemed your way into marrying him. If he hadn't lost his memory, would you still be clinging to him like this?”

“And what about you?” I stopped what I was doing and let out a quiet laugh.

“The moment you found out Nelson was being sent to the countryside, you broke up with him and cut all ties. Now that he's gotten into Capital University, you come running back to rekindle things. You're quite something yourself, Ms. Fox.”

Joan's body went rigid.

But she held herself together better than I'd expected.

She leaned in close, her lips near my ear, and whispered like she was sharing a secret she was proud of.

“So what? Nelson's heart belongs to me. You'll never compare.”

I nodded.

She was special to him. He'd been abandoned and still forgave her without a second thought. Of course I couldn't compare.

I was about to speak when Nelson's voice exploded behind me.

“Nanette Simmons, what the hell are you doing?!”

He shoved me aside and pulled Joan behind him.

Every line of his body was tense, guarded, as if I were some kind of threat.

“I already told you I lost my memory. I don't remember anything from before. What are you trying to do to Joan?”

The shove sent me stumbling.

The soil underfoot was damp, and mud splattered across my clothes, leaving splotches of brown.

He glanced at me, then looked away.

He didn't notice it was the same outfit he'd complimented before the college entrance exams, told me it looked nice.

All he said was, “So it's dirty. That ugly thing needed to go anyway.”

He guided Joan away with careful hands. Even from a distance, their voices carried back to me.

“Stay away from Nanette Simmons from now on. She had the nerve to trap me into marriage. There's nothing she won't do.”

“You're kind, and you're better than her in every way. Who knows what she might try.”

“A woman that conniving? I'm definitely divorcing her.”

“I don't even know why I was stupid enough to save her in the first place. Two years of my life, wasted on nothing.”

……

The contempt dripping from every word was so thick even a fool could hear it.

I clenched my fists and let out a long, unsteady breath.

Then bent my head and went back to work.

It's fine.

That's what I told myself.

As long as he's willing to sign the divorce.

I can take a little more of this.

Midsummer heat bore down, and the cicadas wouldn't stop screaming.

What came first wasn't the divorce.

It was a chance to go to Harbor City.

Bernice threw her arms around me, words tumbling out about how she'd tracked down the director, how she'd landed us this one shot at a meeting.

Her eyes were shining.

“We made a deal, remember? If Director Ellison says yes, we go to Harbor City. You act, I manage you, and we make something of ourselves there. We have to.”

I nodded hard.

I knew exactly how rare this chance was.

Nelson used to point at my face and tell me I'd used my looks to ruin people's lives.

I'd heard it so many times that confusion had turned to loathing, and I'd started to hate my own face.

Now, for the first time, I was almost grateful for it.