Escape from the Loveless Zone

The day Cassian Tucker claimed the Best Actor award, he sent Vivienne Waverly a wedding gown, a silent gesture that felt like a promise.

After five long years as his hidden lover, Vivienne believed this was her moment, the moment he’d finally give her a place in his life.

But as the cameras flared and applause echoed, Cassian paid her no mind. Instead, he sank to one knee before a young starlet, his eyes sparkling for another.

In an instant, the world mocked her, dismissing Vivienne as nothing more than a deluded woman, desperately obsessed. Cassian’s dark, unreadable eyes held no warmth when she confronted him.

"Vivienne, don’t cross the line."

Two weeks later, Vivienne walked out of his life, just as he’d wanted.

But Cassian’s triumph was short-lived; soon enough, he was a shadow of himself, desperately searching for the woman he had pushed away.

***

The night before the next awards ceremony, Cassian secretly posted a message out of his manager’s sight. [On stage, I will propose to you.]

Seeing his words, Vivienne thought this was his surprise for her, a long-awaited promise to bring her out of the shadows.

On the night of the ceremony, she sat in the audience, adorned in a wedding dress, her heart soaring with hope.

As Cassian accepted his award, he gazed lovingly across the crowd, his voice resonating with warmth. “Tonight, I want to propose to my muse…”

The spotlight swept over the room and Vivienne rose from her seat, heart pounding, drawing every eye in the hall.

“...Freya Hudson.”

Cassian stepped off the stage, walking right past Vivienne to lift Freya, seated just ahead of her. They embraced, their passion on full display, leaving Vivienne standing there, frozen in disbelief, painted as a fool before all.

Two weeks later, Vivienne fled to Norway, distancing herself from a place barren of love.

The director lingered on a close-up of Cassian and Freya, a celebrated actor and a rising star, perfectly matched.

Behind them, Vivienne, still dressed in white, appeared even more like a love-struck madwoman.

“Oh, how humiliating! If that were me, I’d want to vanish into thin air!”

“To think she’s even his agent…”

Mocking glances, veiled and open alike, pierced her pride and left her feeling utterly stripped of dignity.

Vivienne’s face turned pale as she hurried out of the hall, unable to withstand another moment.

Viewers mocked her mercilessly online, saying she had given them a masterclass in “a true panicked retreat.”

Once she reached the bathroom, she locked herself in a stall and finally released the strangled, desperate sob she had been holding back.

As Cassian’s agent, she knew all too well the cruelty of fans and faceless internet voices. She didn’t need to look to know her inbox would be brimming with insults.

An orphan Cassian had once sponsored, she now felt as though he had backed her into a corner with no escape.

With hope extinguished, Vivienne finally made a choice. She dialed the number. “Hello, I’d like to accept the offer and move to Norway. Is the position still available?”

“Absolutely! Ms. Waverly, the Norway branch would be delighted to have you.”

In the silence of the bathroom, Vivienne gazed at her worn-out reflection and spoke with a new calm.

“I have a few final tasks to wrap up here. I’ll be in Norway in two weeks.”

After arranging the last details, she ended the call.

The moment she hung up, a wave of accusations reverberated from outside the awards hall.