He Cursed Me To Death, But He Died For Me

Everyone knew that I was once Anthony Scott's unattainable ideal he couldn't forget. I was also his reminder of betrayal.

They all knew how ugly our breakup had been, too. And so, Anthony hated me. He erased every trace of me from his world. But even though he swore he was over me, the moment I showed up, his emotions spiraled out of control.

My manager had assigned me to work closely with Anthony on the project. We were together day in and day out, eating, living, working side by side. Whenever we were alone, Anthony would shove me up against the wall, rough and relentless. Even in the brief moments between shoots when I was changing outfits, he wouldn't leave me alone. The bathroom, the dressing room, the makeup area — all became his battlegrounds.

Bella came by the set one day to check on Anthony. She noticed the scratch marks on his chest. Her eyes narrowed, and she slipped behind the backdrop, telling me we needed to talk.

She made sure to show off her enormous diamond ring, flashing it under the light. "Anthony bought this for me. Gorgeous, isn't it?"

The way it sparkled in the spotlight caught my eye, and I couldn't help but glance at it. "It's pretty."

Bella dropped her sweet façade, and her tone turned cold. "Emilia, don't think sleeping with him is going to get you the title of Mrs. Scott."

Her eyes gleamed with contempt. "Someone like you doesn't stand a chance of getting into the Scott family."

I smiled and took a breath before replying calmly, "Miss Hunter, isn't it exhausting playing the good girl all the time? Instead of trying to prove yourself to me, maybe you should focus on keeping Anthony's heart."

She slapped me across the face, her voice shaking with anger. "There are plenty of eligible single men out there. Why do you insist on stealing someone else's fiancé?

"Emilia, do you even realize how low you are?"

My cheek stung, and I could feel the burn rising. I fought back tears, my voice steady. "Have you ever considered that maybe it's Anthony chasing after me?"

Bella's face twisted, her expression growing darker by the second, nearly losing all composure. "How much will it take to make you leave him? Five hundred thousand? A million? Will a million dollars be enough?"

To someone like Bella, love could easily be bought with money.

I leaned in, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Is that all you think Anthony's worth? Just a million? To me, he's priceless."

Her hands clenched the sides of her dress, knuckles white with tension. "When you were with Anthony back then, it was all because of the Scott family's wealth and power. Stop pretending it was anything else, Emilia."

Anthony, who had just wrapped up his shoot, overheard us. I could feel his eyes on me, waiting for an explanation. He wanted to hear how I'd justify my betrayal from all those years ago.

Without hesitation, I repeated the same lie I had used to drive him away back then. "Anthony fit perfectly into my ideal. Handsome, wealthy, from a powerful family. Marrying him would've made my life a whole lot easier. Who wouldn't want to jump at that opportunity?"

It was the same cruel line I'd used to make him believe I only cared about his status, severing his last shred of hope back then.

Bella suddenly stumbled backward without warning, knocking over one of the large lights on set, which crashed down and smashed into her. From Anthony's perspective, it must've looked like I had pushed her.

He shoved me aside violently, rushing over to Bella, who was now bleeding from her head.

The way he looked at me was full of hatred like he wanted nothing more than to destroy me.

"If Bella loses even a single hair because of you, I swear I won't let this go!"

I watched him carry her out, his figure retreating quickly, and the next moment, I felt a sharp rush of blood between my legs.

Seconds later, everything went black as I collapsed onto the floor.