Sarah didn’t escape unscathed. The paparazzi released photos and videos of her and Ethan, their intimacy undeniable. Her attempts to explain that she was divorcing Mark fell flat. Ethan was a married man. Netizens, digging deeper, discovered he was the secret investor behind Sarah’s career. Her ambiguous stance confirmed not only her infidelity but also her role in breaking up another marriage. While the studio and Ethan tried to conceal the truth
about Amelia, her fans noticed her absence.
They suspected foul play, fearing Ethan had
silenced her for Sarah.
Someone unearthed the truth about our
sisterhood, revealing Sarah’s pattern of stealing
her sister’s men. Even those indifferent to
celebrity gossip were outraged. How could
anyone be so cruel?
I learned all this while deep in the mountains,
immersed in rehearsals. I was working with
Zhang, a legendary director, on his new film, Whispers of the Wind. Due to its sensitive
subject matter, the project had been shrouded
in secrecy. Working with Zhang was a dream come true for any actor. His films consistently garnered international acclaim. He had one rule: during filming, actors were to embody their characters completely, severing all outside contact and avoiding any other public exposure. Difficult for most, but perfect for me. So, when Zhang offered me the role, I didn’t hesitate. During a break, my assistant whispered, “Mr. Stone… he’s not doing well.”
I chuckled dryly. “His wife is dead. He has to put on a show, doesn’t he?”
My assistant hesitated. “He doesn’t believe you’re dead. He’s still searching for you. And the scandal with Ms. White… the board is
furious.”
I scoffed. “So? He lied to me for seven years. I
<
10:06
get one lie in return, don’t I?‘
”
“Mark and Sarah officially divorced. Mr. Stone
pulled all her funding. She begged him to
reconsider, but he refused. He’s trying to
blacklist her.‘
“She loves stealing my things. Let’s see if she can handle the consequences. Don’t tell me about them anymore. They’re irrelevant.”
- 9.
The male lead, Alex Zhao, was considered a veteran actor, though only a few years older than me. His impeccable acting, numerous awards, and childhood stardom had made him a national treasure. We played childhood sweethearts from a remote village, our paths diverging amidst societal change. Neither of us were particularly outgoing. Zhang kept hinting we should interact more off–set. We did our
best, engaging in awkward small talk. Everyone knew I was Ethan Stone’s wife. Alex
was initially nervous about working with me. I
put him at ease. “You’ve seen the news, right?
I’m a discarded wife now. Don’t worry about
Ethan blacklisting you.”
He grinned, relieved. “Good to know. Now I can
fall for you without fear of repercussions.”
Zhang, observing our stilted conversation,
beamed. “You two have… what do you young
people call it? Chemistry! You look good
together!”
“This is great! We won’t even need to create
fake dating rumors for publicity…”
Alex laughed. “Director Zhang, our characters
break up in the end. Who’s going to root for
us?”
Zhang waved his hand dismissively. “Alex,
you’re so old–fashioned! Tragic endings are all
the rage now… You two have that destined–to-
fail vibe… People can criticize my films, but
they can never question my casting choices.
Every actor I’ve worked with has become a
star! You two? Perfect match!”
Zhang’s conviction made me blush. I hid my
face behind my thermos. He did have a track
record of creating real–life couples from his
on–screen pairings. I’d always kept work and
<
personal life separate. I could drop a character
the moment filming wrapped. But with Alex…
there was a strange flutter in my chest. I
blamed it on his exceptional talent. He was a
master of subtle expressions, a textbook
example of great acting. He drew me into the
story, making me forget the mess I’d left
behind.
- 10.
“Cut! That’s a wrap!” Zhang rose from behind
the monitor, giving us a thumbs–up. “Excellent!
A million times better than when you started!”
“All thanks to Alex,” I said, smiling, joining him to watch the playback. I wasn’t just being polite.
He’d been an incredible scene partner. Over six
months, I’d learned to read his every nuance,
responding with a depth I hadn’t known I
possessed. Whispers of the Wind would sweep
the awards, I was sure of it.
“Not at all. Amelia is naturally gifted.”
Zhang chuckled, his eyes twinkling. “Look at
you two, passing the compliments back and
forth.”
<
Breathing in the mountain air, I felt a sense of release. This was the most fulfilling role I’d ever played. I’d sacrificed so many opportunities for
Ethan, only to have him steal my favorite scripts for Sarah. My passion had almost dwindled, I’d even promised Ethan I’d retire. Thankfully, I hadn’t. I’d found Zhang, my mentor, and Alex,
my perfect partner.
The day the trailer was released, we all updated our social media, announcing the film. After six
months of silence, I was back. My fans hadn’t
forgotten me. They’d believed I had a good
reason for disappearing, leaving encouraging
messages every day. Now, they had their
answer: I’d been dedicated to Whispers of the
Wind. My return was a triumph.
- 11.
Arriving back in the city, my driver informed me
the regular arrival gate was overrun with fans.
The entire cast had to exit through VIP. I was
hurrying through when someone blocked my
path.
“Amelia!” The voice was familiar, but the face…
gaunt, haggard… could it be Sarah? The power of cosmetic procedures, or lack thereof, was
startling. She looked ten years older. Her eyes
were filled with venom. “You’re worse than your
mother! She just pretended to be innocent. You faked your own death! You know because of
you, my life is ruined! Ethan blacklisted me,
while you were off filming with a legendary director! Why?!”
She lunged at me. Alex moved to intervene, but I pushed him aside, slapping Sarah hard across the face. “I don’t need your men! Take them! But if you ever insult my mother again, I’ll do
this every time I see you!”
I didn’t care about the paparazzi. Sarah, hair disheveled, looked anything but a star. She
stared at me, stunned, then burst into maniacal
laughter.
“Why?! Why did Ethan fall for you when he
loved me! You got Zhang’s film, everyone’s
comparing us, saying I wasted all those
opportunities! Ethan handed me those
resources on a platter! I stole everything from
<
you, and I’m still miserable! Why do you have to
be better than me?! I wanted to film your script,
so you vanished for six months to work with
Zhang! You just have to win, don’t you?!” This was my sister, the person who shared half
my blood, yet hated me more than anyone. She’d rather self–destruct than see me happy. “Film it. I have proof it’s mine. I’ll sue you for
everything you’re worth.”
“You!” Sarah shrieked, pointing at me. “You’re vicious! You’ll get what’s coming to you! Mark married me but couldn’t forget you, Ethan’s lost without you!”
“You set up the paparazzi! You’re the one
manipulating the media! All this, just to climb
over me!”
I laughed coldly. “Mark and Ethan both loved you. If you’d just chosen one, you’d be happy.. But you had to have both. You had to have
what was mine. Are you that pathetic? You
played your hand terribly, Sarah. You deserve
this.”
Sarah swayed, her face white. I wouldn’t waste
another minute on her. I signaled my security, who pulled her away as I left.
- 12.
My team kept my location secret. Even Ethan, with all his influence, couldn’t find me. At the Whispers of the Wind press conference, I saw him in the audience, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made me uneasy. I knew this day might come, but I figured he wouldn’t make a scene in front of the media. I underestimated him.
During the Q&A, a microphone somehow ended up in his hands. He walked onstage, his gaze
filled with a mixture of longing and relief. “Amelia, you’re back.”
“Let’s forget everything. Let’s start over. You
love me. You wouldn’t have stayed with me for
so long… we were going to have a baby…‘
دو
Alex, sensing my discomfort, intervened politely. “Sir, this is a film press conference. Please
keep your comments relevant.”
Ethan ignored him, his eyes pleading. “Amelia, I
know you’re angry. I’m here to apologize, to
thin
tha
Mathina
<
explain everything to the press. Nothing
happened between Sarah and me. I admired her
when we were younger, so when she asked for help, I couldn’t refuse…”
“I swear, after I married you, I fell in love with
you… You know how I’ve treated you all these years!”
I laughed, the sound sharp. “Ethan, look closely. I’m Amelia, not a replacement for Sarah. You’re such a good actor. Why not try Hollywood? Stop pretending.”
“Can you even tell if you’re clinging to me out
of love or just because you hate losing? You just can’t stand the thought of me walking away first, can you?”
During my mountain retreat, with no
distractions, I’d analyzed our relationship. His care, his affection… it hadn’t all been an act. He did love me, but his resentment towards Sarah for choosing Mark had overshadowed it. Now, love or not, it didn’t matter. My love for
him was gone.
Ethan pleaded, his voice choked with remorse.
11 A
1
<
“Amelia, I was wrong. Come home. I won’t
interfere with your career. I’ll get you the best resources, I’ll protect you, I promise! Just
forgive me, come home. I’ll do anything.”
I shook my head. “Ethan, I’m not Sarah. I don’t go back.” His words, once, would have moved me to tears. Not now. Ethan’s belated affection meant nothing.
I was indifferent, but Sarah wasn’t. She
appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, grabbing Ethan’s arm, hysterical. “Ethan! Why are you saying this to her?! You love me!”
He shook her off, his eyes filled with disgust. “Get away from me! If it wasn’t for you, Amelia wouldn’t be so angry!”
Sarah’s face contorted with rage and jealousy.
“She’s the one who’s pathetic! Always
competing! You said I was the one! You used to
love me so much! You stole Amelia’s
opportunities, her limited edition bags,
everything! You always made sure I outshone
her! That was your love for me! Don’t you
remember?! I divorced Mark for you! What are
<
157
you doing?! Can’t you see, I’m the one who
loves you, not her!”
I watched Sarah’s desperate confession, pity and sadness mixing within me. Her mother had been the same, unwilling to let go of my father, resorting to desperate measures to trap him with Sarah. She’d made her own life miserable and ruined my family’s peace. Sarah, raised on her mother’s bitterness, was obsessed with competing with me. I didn’t need that. I didn’t need Ethan.
Alex stepped forward. “This is neither the time nor the place for this. Please don’t disrupt Ms. White’s press conference with your personal affairs.”
Ethan glared at Alex. “Who are you? Amelia’s my wife. Our matters are none of your business.” He turned back to me. “Amelia, you can’t love him… you told me you never fall for your co–stars!”
“I know you’re angry about the script. I swear, thought it was just something on your
computer. I didn’t know you wrote it! I only love
youl I haven’t clent in months! I miss VOLL SO
<
you! I haven’t slept in months! I miss you so
much!”
Six months of peace had strengthened my
resolve. I no longer wanted Ethan’s love. My voice was calm, even. “Ethan, you married me for the wrong reasons. Let’s just end this.”
“I don’t love you. This isn’t a game.”
Ethan’s face crumpled. He pulled out my
wedding ring, dropping to one knee. “Let’s get remarried. I’m asking you again. Amelia, I can’t live without you. I was blind, I thought I loved Sarah. When I heard about the accident… I wanted to die with you. I meant it. If you were gone, I wouldn’t want to live.”
Sarah suddenly let out a crazed laugh, her face a mask of fury. She pulled out a glass bottle, screaming, “Then die together!” She hurled the contents at me.
Ethan’s eyes widened. Without hesitation, he
lunged in front of me. Alex, closest to me,
pulled me behind him, shielding me with his body.
The acid splashed across Ethan’s back, neck,
and foo Hic skin sizzled and smoked Ho
<
and tace. HIS Skin sizzled and smoked. He
groaned, collapsing at my feet, his body curled
protectively. He gritted his teeth, the words
barely audible. “Take me… not her…”
Security tackled Sarah. Her face pressed
against the floor, she screamed, “Amelia! I want
you dead! Why won’t you die?!”
Medics rushed in, tending to Ethan. Alex and
my security escorted me away. I glanced back at Ethan, his face contorted in pain. His eyes followed me, the light slowly fading.
- 13.
Sarah faced charges for assault. Her career was over. I visited Ethan once. Hearing me enter, he turned his head with difficulty. His once–handsome face was now a mask of
horrific scars, his skin puckered and disfigured. A flicker of hope lit his eyes. His lips moved, his voice a rasp. “Amelia… you came.”
I placed the flowers on the table, my gaze
resting on his ruined face. There was no love in
my eyes, only a complex mix of emotions. “Ethan, thank you for saving me.”
“I’ll always be grateful ”
<
“I’ll always be grateful.”
A spark of hope flared in his eyes. He reached for my hand, then stopped, his own hand
mangled and scarred. “Amelia, I know I was
wrong. You know I wasn’t lying, don’t you? You mean everything to me.”
“Let’s try again. I was foolish, blinded. Give me another chance. I’ll have surgery, skin grafts… I’ll never look the same, but… I won’t scare you.”
Tears pricked my eyes, I turned away. “Ethan, I’m grateful you saved me. But that doesn’t erase the pain you caused. You lied for seven years. The trust is gone. There’s no going back.”
The light in his eyes dimmed. His lips trembled, but he couldn’t speak.
“I’m not heartless, Ethan,” I continued softly.
“But those memories… they don’t just
disappear. You made those choices. I was
collateral damage. This… this is what you deserve.”
Silence descended, broken only by Ethan’s
<
“I’m not heartless, Ethan,” I continued softly.
“But those memories… they don’t just
disappear. You made those choices. I was
collateral damage. This… this is what you deserve.”
Silence descended, broken only by Ethan’s shallow breaths. I looked at him, feeling not anger, but a profound weariness. Love was dead, and regret was too late.
“Get well, Ethan,” I whispered. “I hope you find peace.” I turned and walked away, my steps firm.
- 14.
Months later, Whispers of the Wind premiered to critical acclaim and box office success. I won Best Actress at every major award ceremony. My career soared. My personal life blossomed, too. Alex and I were together. This time, I was.
just Amelia, no one’s shadow, no one’s
substitute.
