They were still celebrities. If they were seen badmouthing another person, be it a celebrity or no celebrity, they could be canceled for being disrespectful.


    After spending a few hours at the award show, Anastasia and Martha decided to head back home.


    "Sleep tight tonight." Anastasia bid both Martha and Liam goodbye—waving at them.


    They waved back before Liam’s hands curled to rest on Martha’s waist, which Anastasia noticed but didn’t question.


    Her phone suddenly rang with a text.


    <i>"Where are you?"</i>


    "It’s from Tracie," Anastasia mumbled under her breath.


    <i>"At the back of the building. The front is quite busy with paparazzi rushing people here and there," she replied. </i>


    <i>"I’m driving there now. Wait for me."</i>


    A smile graced Ana’s lips when she read Tracie’s text.


    Xavier had recently gone on a mission, and ever since, Tracie had been her driver, protecting her as if she were her daughter, which gave them more chances to bond with each other.


    Anastasia sighed, tugging her phone back into her purse as she took a small stroll to free her head from the drama that urred a few hours ago.


    "You can’t do this to me, Theodore!! You said you loved me!!"


    Anastasia halted her steps when she heard the wordsing from out of nowhere. She nced around but didn’t see anyone.


    "We were never in a rtionship to begin with."


    Anastasia spotted the corner the voice could being from. Without wasting a single second, she pulled her dress up and marched over there while making sure her heels didn’t make too much clicking sound on the tiled floor.


    Anastasia popped her head out, and her eyesnded on Michelle and Mr. Theodore Perez.


    Michelle’s tears had already stained her makeuppletely, her chest heaving as she tried to breathe properly.


    "B-but..."


    "I’ve already done enough for you, Michelle. The other organizers wanted to sue you for disrupting the event for the second time. But I had to step in and persuade them not to. Isn’t that enough?" Theodore, his blonde hair shining in the dark.


    Michelle desperately held onto his hand as she teared up even louder than before, making Anastasia’s ears bleed.


    "Y-you said that you loved me, Theodore. That’s why you told me," she defended.


    "Loved you?" Theodore scoffed. "I could never love a woman like you. A woman who spreads her legs wherever on a golden tter. Maybe I was about to love you, but then after what I’ve seen inside, I don’t think you’re worthy of loving," he spat all over her face, which had her take a few steps back as if he was a monster.


    "That’s not true," she protested.


    Theodore ced his hands in his pocket, searching for something while Michelle continued to sob.


    Finding the stuff, he wrote down a few things, tore the paper, and handed it over to Michelle.


    "This is a cheque of two million dors!" nting it in her hand, he added, "Take it and leave me alone. I don’t want to see your face ever again. Due to what Mrs. Wace revealed inside, I’m in huge trouble with my wife. I don’t want to have anything to do with you."


    His words felt like daggers that stabbed her heart one after the other so painfully she had to clutch her chest as if that could relieve the pain.


    "I hope we never see each other again," he finished and left without waiting for her to say anything.


    Michelle sobbed harder than Anastasia had ever seen her. Michelle had cried a few tears in the past. Most of them being crocodile tears after ming Anastasia for one thing or the other.


    Even so, this was the first time Anastasia had seen Michelle looking brutally pained.


    "Is this an act?" Anastasia questioned out loud which had Michelle jolting a few steps backwards when she heard the sudden voice.


    Instantly, Michelle brought her hands to her face to wipe away her tears.


    "What are you doing here?" Michelle questioned defensively.


    Anastasia nced at Theodore’s retreating back before her eyes settled back on Michelle.


    "Was that an act? Why did you sound like you were in love with him?" Anastasia repeated.


    "That’s none of your business!" Michelle snapped. Sniffling back the rest of her tears, Michelle red at Anastasia with red eyes. "Because of you, I lost everything once more. All because of you!"


    "Don’t me me for your bad deeds, Michelle. You’re the one who did all of this, all by yourself. All I did was watch from a corner and wait for when to expose you."