The Idol Who Loved Me After My Actor Husband Lost Me

After being secretly married to an award-winning actor for five years, I was hospitalized after his crazed fans caught us having dinner together. While I lay unconscious with a broken bone, he was flirting with a rising actress. The entire internet called me a shameless woman throwing myself at him, while he hid behind his carefully crafted image. He stole my role and gave it to that actress so they could announce their relationship and promote themselves as a couple. He said, “We’re only coworkers. You’re in this industry too. Can’t you try to understand me?” Later, I became a sensation on a dating show with a popular idol. When we kissed passionately by the sea, unable to pull apart— The award-winning actor’s eyes turned bloodshot. He dropped to his knees and begged me to come back. Breathing hard, I said, “I haven’t kissed him enough yet. Try to understand.” On the day filming began, I climbed out of the car dressed in black and wearing sunglasses. Insults followed me from every direction. “Seriously? She’s dressed like somebody’s grandma. Does she think she’s shopping at a grocery store?” “She deliberately tried to create rumors with Adrian Cole. His fans threw paint on her and beat her up. Looks like she’s finally learned her lesson.” “Exactly! There’s no way our Adrian would ever like her. She has no looks and no acting skills. She’s just a scheming bitch!” “Disgusting. She has no shame, showing up to act with Adrian again. Claire, get out of the entertainment industry!” “Yeah! That pathetic clinger should disappear completely!” I lowered my head and hurried away, too afraid to meet their eyes. The last time Adrian’s crazed fans attacked me, I spent a week in the hospital. Adrian Cole—my husband of five secret years—hadn’t even offered a word of concern. Instead, he blamed me for not covering myself properly and dressing too conspicuously, which made it easy for the paparazzi to recognize me. But that day had been our fifth anniversary. I’d wanted to dress beautifully and go on a date with him. After we were photographed, a storm of online abuse descended on me. Adrian didn’t explain anything, nor did he stand up for me. Under overwhelming public pressure, I had to smile and clarify everything before my injuries had even healed. It was my fault. I had deliberately asked him to dinner because I wanted to seduce him. He had only been humoring me. We weren’t even friends. Adrian disappeared behind his clean image as an honest man who simply didn’t know how to reject people. He gained another wave of devoted fans. When I reached the set, Adrian was leaning close to the newest rising actress, Ruby Lane. They were practically clinging to each other. Only when they saw me did they reluctantly move apart. “Are you still upset? Nora, I’ve told you so many times. Now isn’t the right time to announce our relationship. Just wait a little longer.” Adrian approached me and lowered his voice. My nose stung. “You’re already an award-winning actor. Didn’t you promise we would announce our marriage after you won the award? Why did you lie to me again?” “You’re famous and rich now. What more do you want?” “I want you, Nora!” “I’m doing all this for you. I want you to marry the best man in the world. I’m not good enough yet. I need to become better before I can be worthy of you!” His gaze was full of devotion, and his words sounded sincere. For a moment, I wavered. Was he really doing this for me? The ceremony began. The director was about to announce the leads. It was a female-led drama, and I had fought incredibly hard to win the role. Adrian, meanwhile, had only agreed to play the male lead after the director begged him. He’d told me, “Nora, I’m doing this for you. Otherwise, why would I lower myself to take this role?” The director was ready to announce the female lead. I was about to walk onto the stage. Then I heard Ruby Lane’s name. I froze and stopped in my tracks. Ruby gave me a smug smile before taking the microphone. I had been assigned the role of the vicious second female lead. The fans below the stage immediately began screaming with excitement. “This role was made for that bitch Claire! The casting director did a perfect job!” “Stay away from our Adrian! If I see you once, I’ll hit you once. I’ll follow the production every day just to keep an eye on you!” “She throws herself at him. When she had dinner with our Adrian, she practically climbed onto his lap. What a shameless woman.” For five years, every day of my life had been filled with voices like these. Stalking. Insults. Even physical attacks. I didn’t dare leave the house or show my face. I had been stripped of the right to live like a normal person. After the ceremony, I walked into Adrian’s dressing room. “You knew I’ve been called a pretty face with no talent for years. I wanted to use this drama to change my image.” “Why did you suggest that the director replace me?” The director had told me himself. Adrian sat lazily on the couch, smoking. “You have plenty of other opportunities. Ruby is different. She’s new, and she doesn’t have many connections. She needs this chance more than you do.” “I’m almost thirty. I’m getting fewer offers every year, and I need opportunities too. You never help me, and now you’re taking mine away?” “Do you like Ruby Lane?” Ruby was sweet-looking—the exact type Adrian had always liked. When I first debuted, I had also been known for my sweet appearance. That was what had made Adrian pursue me so relentlessly. “How can you think that of me?” he asked. “I’m only trying to avoid suspicion and keep you from being attacked online. You insisted on celebrating our anniversary with me, and you got beaten up for it. Maybe you’ll remember this lesson now.” His eyes shifted. He was obviously lying. In that instant, I felt completely tired of everything. “Let’s get divorced, Adrian.”Adrian laughed and took my hand as if he were comforting a child. Clearly, he thought I was throwing another tantrum and that a little coaxing would make everything go away, just like before. “Ruby and I have absolutely nothing going on. Don’t be jealous. I’m your husband.” I didn’t react. He chuckled, as if he were making a huge concession. “How about this? Once you finish filming this drama, I’ll immediately announce our marriage. Okay?” “Be good. Go back and get some sleep.” I coldly pulled my hand away and walked off without looking back. For five years, he had used the same trick: slap me first, then offer me something sweet. He would push me into despair, give me a little hope, and torture me over and over again. This time, I wouldn’t let him control me anymore. The next day, filming officially began. My first scene was with Ruby. As the villainous supporting character, I was supposed to slap her several times. Ruby came over and said sweetly, “Nora, make sure you really hit me later. Don’t go easy on me just because I’m close to Adrian.” “Adrian really admires how seriously I take my work. When he found out I liked this role, he immediately got it for me. He’s so wonderful.” Her voice was loud enough for the entire crew to hear. Then she glanced around and lowered her voice so only I could hear. “How shameless can you be? You’re still clinging to Adrian? He’s about to announce our relationship. Are you really trying to be the other woman?” “If I were as pathetic as you, I would’ve crawled out of the industry with my tail between my legs.” She really was two completely different people in public and private. “You picked up my garbage and you’re actually proud of it?” “Don’t worry. I don’t do disgusting things with trash.” Ruby’s face turned green. And that wasn’t enough. Finally, we reached the scene where I was supposed to slap her. I turned my palm downward, used the strength in my wrist, and struck her hard. Smack! Ruby was stunned. “I’m sorry, Director. I hit her right cheek, but the camera is on the left. Let’s do another take.” Smack! The blow knocked Ruby’s mouth crooked. “Sorry! I forgot I was supposed to slap her face, not hit her mouth. One more time!” Ruby’s face darkened with rage. “Nora, are you doing this on purpose?” Every crew member turned to look at her. I sneered inwardly. So you couldn’t stop yourself from revealing your mean-girl side after all. “Oh, sweetheart, I really didn’t mean to. You were the one who told me to hit you seriously.” “If you can’t handle the pain, just say so. Why pretend to be tough?” Ruby’s face twitched. She had nothing to say. For the last slap, I rolled my wrist and gathered all my strength before swinging. Smack! Ruby’s cheek turned purple, and blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. “Cut! Excellent!” Before the director could finish speaking, Adrian rushed over. “Nora, how could you take personal revenge on her during filming? You’ve become so vicious and jealous!” The moment Ruby saw him, she went limp and leaned against him. Tears welled in her eyes. “Adrian, don’t blame Nora. She was only doing her job.” His eyes filled with concern. “She beat you up for work? This is ridiculous!” “I’m fine, Adrian. Don’t scold Nora. It was my fault.” Adrian rubbed his nose against Ruby’s. “You’re too kind. What would you do without me to protect you?” “You’ll always protect me, won’t you? I trust you…” Before she could finish, Ruby fainted in Adrian’s arms. His expression changed drastically. He carried her away and rushed her to the hospital like a madman. I curled my lips into a smile. Inside, I was bitter to the very core. When she was injured, you weren’t afraid of being photographed. You even found the courage to fight the whole world for her. When I was beaten and hospitalized, three of my ribs were broken. You were too cowardly to even look at me.Adrian taking Ruby to the hospital quickly became a trending topic. “I’ve never seen Adrian care about anyone like this. Ruby has to be his real girlfriend!” “I’m obsessed! Our Adrian has way more chemistry with Ruby than with that old, ugly woman.” “Nora is disgusting. I heard she deliberately hit Ruby!” Some people were discussing their relationship. Others were worried about Ruby’s injuries. But most were insulting me. They called me shameless. They cursed me to be hit by a car the next time I left the house. They said I didn’t deserve to be human and was only fit to be an animal. I gave a hollow smile. After all these years, I had heard too many things like that. I returned to the hotel and began packing. I decided to quit the production. Even if I had to pay the breach-of-contract fee, I didn’t want to see Adrian again. The moment I dragged my suitcase out of the hotel room, Adrian grabbed my hand. “Where are you going?” I laughed and met his eyes. “What does it have to do with you? Shouldn’t you be at the hospital? What happened? Are you scared now?” Guilt flashed across Adrian’s face. “I’m sorry. I was too anxious today and spoke harshly to you.” “Of course you were anxious. Ruby is the woman you actually like.” Adrian panicked and tried to hug me. “I did it for you too. After you injured her, I had to clean up the mess you caused. It hurts me that you think so badly of me.” Impatiently, I shoved him away. “Get lost!” Adrian didn’t follow me. He still thought I was only angry and being childish. He believed that if he ignored me for a while, I would calm down. Then I would come running back to him. How ridiculous. I returned to the small apartment where we had first lived together. It was tiny, but every corner was filled with happy memories. The walls were covered with photographs of us. In every picture, I was smiling brightly. Adrian had once made me look beautiful. Now he wouldn’t even pick up a camera for me. Back then, we had both been struggling actors. He had loved me deeply. Whenever he had no work, he stayed home and experimented with different recipes. If someone mistreated me on set, he would immediately run over and get into a fight. Even with a bruised face, he would grin and say he was fine. Little by little, his sincerity had watered my lonely heart until it finally bloomed. Later, he became famous. He gained an image to protect. And distance grew between us. He moved out and bought a larger, more luxurious mansion. He complained that our apartment was too small and too old. Now, it was a stain he didn’t even want to mention. How could an award-winning actor have ever lived in such a shabby place? My sincerity had been shattered, crushed, and ground into dust by him again and again until nothing remained. I packed up everything connected to him and hired a cleaning service. They would burn it all for me. Suddenly, a message appeared on my phone. A friend told me to check the trending topics. #AdrianColeAndRubyLaneAnnounceTheirRelationship #AdrianAndRubyAreTooSweet Adrian had posted on Instagram for the first time in ages. [This is the person I want to protect.] Attached was a photo of two hands clasped together. Though their faces weren’t visible, everyone knew the other hand belonged to Ruby. Not long afterward, Ruby responded. [For the rest of our lives.] She also posted a picture of Adrian sleeping beside her hospital bed, exhausted from staying by her side. I put down my phone, feeling utterly hollow. Adrian had told me he was hiding our relationship for my sake. At the same time, he had announced a relationship with a woman he had known for less than a month. Some people really were shameless beyond saving. That night, I immediately contacted a lawyer and had divorce papers prepared.The next morning, I drove to Adrian’s house. The moment he saw me, he panicked and hurriedly pulled me inside. “Why aren’t you wearing a mask? What if the paparazzi photograph you?” I laughed. “You’ve already announced your relationship with Ruby. What are you afraid of? Even if they photograph my face, people will just call me the other woman. Why are you still pretending?” Adrian looked deeply troubled. “I had no choice. You hit Ruby, and that’s why we were photographed. Now the company wants us to promote ourselves as a couple and pretend to date. I can’t do anything about it. Once the drama ends, we’ll announce our breakup. It’s just a publicity strategy. You’re in this industry too. I’m sure you can understand, Nora.” So he blamed everything on me. He must have planned it all from the beginning. I shoved him away. “Do whatever you want. I don’t care. I’m here for Mimi. Get out of my way.” Mimi was the cat Adrian had given me. Strangely, she usually came running whenever I appeared. I went upstairs and saw Mimi lying weakly outside the bedroom. Half of her tail had been brutally torn off. Blood and raw flesh were visible. Ruby stood beside her with an innocent expression. I quickly scooped up the injured cat. “Ruby Lane, if you’re sick, go get treatment. Why are you taking it out on my cat?” Her eyes turned red, and she hurried behind Adrian. “Adrian, Mimi jumped onto the bed and bit me when I first woke up. I was so scared. I accidentally stepped on her. I didn’t mean to, I swear!” Adrian frowned. His eyes were full of impatience. “She only hurt an animal. I’ll buy you another one. Do you really have to accuse Ruby? You scared her!” “After you hit her last time, she still wanted to apologize to you. Not everyone is as vicious as you are!” “Vicious? Mimi isn’t an animal to me. She’s my family! When I was hurt, she was the only one who stayed with me. Where were you when I needed someone? Having a romantic date with Ruby? Or sitting in a meeting figuring out how to distance yourself from me?” “Adrian, you disgust me. The divorce papers are by the door. Sign them when you have time.” I didn’t spare him another glance. I hurried downstairs with Mimi. Her condition was terrible. Her body was burning hot, probably from a fever caused by the infected wound. “Do you even know what you’re saying?” Adrian rushed after me and blocked my path. “Divorce? Absolutely not! You’re divorcing me over a cat?” I was so angry I laughed. Even now, he still refused to admit he had done anything wrong. “Yes. I would rather have a cat than you.” “Don’t you love me anymore?” Panic flashed in Adrian’s eyes. My gaze was cold. “No. I don’t love you anymore. To me, you’re nothing but a fart—disgusting for a moment, then gone.” “What exactly is there to love about you? Is it the way you ignore my messages? Deliberately give me the silent treatment? Flirt with actresses on your set? Or the way you let your idiot fans attack me online for five years?” “What right do you have to ask me that?” Adrian panicked and gripped my shoulders. “I can explain everything. Please, don’t say the word divorce again.” I met his eyes without emotion. “If you don’t sign, I have no problem exposing everything. I’ll let your delusional female fans find out that you’ve been married all along. I’ll show them exactly how cowardly you are—how you repeatedly shoved your wife in front of you to take the bullets.” “And let go of me. If you keep delaying my trip to the hospital with Mimi, I’ll destroy you completely. Do you understand?” Adrian froze and released me. I didn’t bother looking at him again. I walked away without turning back.