Yours to Save, Mine to Lose

I was utterly speechless at his question. The way Mark acted so self-righteous, you'd think he'd forgotten that he was the one who once said he'd climb to the top step by step with no help from anyone. Later, just to shake me off, he smeared my name and called me a crazy stalker. In the end, I died under the wheels of one of his deranged fans.

After my rebirth, I severed all ties with him without hesitation and he didn't even try to make me stay. It wasn't until a week later, when I saw the news about the start of filming for his new drama trending online, that I realized he had been reborn, too. I couldn't understand it. Mark reached a height in just five years that most people couldn't dream of achieving in a lifetime. He got everything he ever wanted. So why did he still paint himself as the victim and force me to apologize in public?

I slowly reached for the check and, under everyone's shocked gaze, stuffed it back into Mark's pocket. "Money doesn't come easy. You should keep it and buy yourself some health supplements." My eyes deliberately drifted to a spot near his waist and Mark's face instantly flushed red.

Despite his fame over the years, Mark's been tangled up in several scandals. He's often seen shopping with rich older women. Although he always explained it as necessary business networking, everyone knew the real reason. Still, no one dared to call him out on it directly. I was the first. The onlookers held their breaths, awkwardly clutching their wine glasses.

"You ungrateful cleaning lady! What do you mean? I was trying to help you out of kindness and you dare to act like this!" Mark burst out angrily.

I kept my polite smile. "Don't get me wrong. I'm just concerned about your health, nothing more."

Frustrated, Mark stood there looking grim. Sarah yelled aggressively to the throng while her eyes darted. "Since Miss Storm insists on refusing Mark's kindness, we won't force her. But as former lovers, Mark can't bear to see her doing such hard and tiring work. If anyone in the crew needs a supporting actress, perhaps we could consider Miss Storm ... "

"Sure, it's a bit tiring, but it pays better than being a janitor. Let's treat it as doing a good deed … " Her tone was sweet and sincere.

Unfortunately, someone interjected sarcastically before she could finish. "Miss Bane, you know not everyone can be a supporting actress. Even with limited screen time, you still need the right face. Someone like Miss Storm … "

They paused, glancing at me awkwardly, prompting a few chuckles from the crowd. "Well, my team is looking for someone to play a whore. I wonder if Miss Storm would be interested?"

The room exploded with laughter. I also laughed softly and calmly set down my wine glass. "Thank you all for your kind offers, but I don't think there's anything wrong with being a janitor. At least I earn my living with my own two hands."

"Tch, there she goes again, putting on an act," someone scoffed. "We went out of our way to offer her a job and she turns up her nose at it."

"Exactly. This woman's just being stubborn. She's rejecting us now, but she'll probably beg for our contact info after the party!"

"Yeah, she's perfect for that role, really. Saying no with her mouth, but her body's saying yes."

Before I could even respond, Mark walked up to me again. This time, his face was full of irritation. "Westlyn Storm, you've hit rock bottom. Who are you trying to impress with that attitude?"

"Go get changed. Let the directors see if you can act." His tone was commanding as if he genuinely believed he was doing me a favour.