I Stayed Through His Worst, He Chose Her at His Rise

Isla's POV

“Isla!” Dominic suddenly raised his voice, his gaze cutting through me with a coldness I’d never seen before. “Know your place!”

The words had barely left his mouth before even he looked startled, as if he hadn’t meant to say them.

I stared at him in disbelief. “My place? You mean as a senior actress who hasn’t ‘stayed in her lane’? Or as the girlfriend who’s stood by you for ten years?”

“Isla, I…”

For once, Dominic seemed lost for words. But slips of the tongue cut the deepest because that was when the truth leaked out.

“Come on, you don’t need to treat me like some mistress you’re competing against.” Marina lifted her chin, her pride practically dripping from every word. “I don’t wanna waste my time on that nonsense catfight. Mr. Vale just happens to be my type, and I’m the kind of girl who loves hard and hates hard, that’s all.”

She then dangled the black card in front of me, smirking. “See this? He tried to give it to me earlier, but I refused. Because, unlike you, I fight for what I want for myself. Don’t worry, I’m not after his money. Rich or poor, it doesn’t matter to me.”

After that, she tossed the card against my face, turned on her heel, and started for the door.

But one look from Dominic and his men immediately blocked her way.

“You won't leave,” he said and scooped Marina into his arms as if she weighed nothing. “Erase Isla’s nomination and replace it with Marina’s. Right now.”

Hearing his instruction to his men, I shouted, “Dominic!” I shouted.

But he cut me off, lowering his gaze to Marina, his peach-blossom eyes full of indulgence. “And another thing, spending money on you is my choice. It has nothing to do with anyone else. With me, you’ll never be a canary in a cage.”

Marina struggled a little, pretending to pout, but in the end, she melted into his arms. As he carried her out, she glanced back at me over his shoulder, her eyes flashing with the kind of triumph she didn’t bother to hide.

By the time I got to my car, I slammed my fist against the steering wheel, my chest burning.

I hadn’t cared about the Best Actress Award or the People’s Choice Awards at first. I’d only stepped into the entertainment industry to earn extra money for me and Dominic when we were struggling. I, who once refused to bow my head to anyone, smiled and groveled just for the chance at a supporting role.

But somewhere along the way, I fell in love with the work.

Even after Dominic rebuilt his empire and tossed tens of millions at me, telling me not to wear myself out anymore, I refused to stop. Because by then, I wasn’t just his girlfriend. I was an actress.

And once you truly became an actor, the only way forward was growth, not chains.

When I stumbled home later that night, exhausted, I didn’t expect to find someone already inside.

“That one. And that one too. Move them out.”

Marina was in my living room, directing movers as they boxed up my crystal ornaments and gold figurines.

“Put that down! Who gave you permission to break into my house?”

My sudden shout made her flinch, and her hand pressed against her chest. But annoyance quickly replaced her fear.

“What are you yelling for? Mr. Vale himself recorded my fingerprint in this house, so I can come and go whenever I please. Oh, take that too! Move everything to the new place Mr. Vale bought for me.”

She was pointing at the little gold ring on my vanity. It was barely five grams, worth less than five hundred. Dominic had skipped meals and eaten instant noodles for three months just so he could buy it for me back when we had nothing.

Back then, he swore he’d give me the best life.

Now, even though I owned necklaces worth millions, that tiny gold ring was still the most precious thing I had.

Before the worker could touch it, I grabbed his hand with a cold, mocking smile tugging at my lips. “What’s this, Marina? I thought you said you didn’t care if a man was rich or poor. Yet even this cheap little trinket, you can’t let it go?”