Julian stayed with Tanya in the room next door all night.

Nurses walking by would blush and exchange knowing glances at the closed door.

I watched it all with cold eyes, then quietly retrieved my confiscated phone from the leather bag Julian had left behind.

There were multiple missed calls, all from my dearest friend and confidante, Simone.

We had left our dance troupe together to make it in the entertainment industry.

She became a young director, and I became a young actress.

But unlike me, whose career peaked at 25 as a triple-crown actress, she never married, never had children, and poured her entire soul into filmmaking, eventually becoming a head juror at Cannes.

She had heard rumors of Julian's antics and had passionately invited me to Cannes to star in her new film.

"An experienced, mature actress like you is wasted on domestic chores," she had said.

"You should be shining on the international stage. I have a new project. Do you want in?"

The word "yes" had been on the tip of my tongue for so long. I finally made the decision and called her. "I'm in."

That was why we had arranged to meet yesterday. But Julian had delayed everything.

I called her back. "Something came up. Meet me outside the city hall tomorrow afternoon. You can congratulate me on being single again."

Simone's excited voice came through the phone. "Really? You're finally leaving him? That's fantastic!"

The next day, to appease his new girl, Julian brought Tanya with him as he and I officially filed for divorce.

The moment the red divorce booklet was in my hand, he rushed off to get a marriage certificate with Tanya.

The staff at the office all looked at me with pity.

But I was so happy I handed out candy to them.

The young woman who had stamped my papers stared at me with wide eyes, then broke into a huge smile.

"Congratulations on your divorce, ma'am! Happy Divorce Day!"

I accepted her well wishes and walked out of the building, my heart light.

Simone was leaning against the stretch Lincoln, wearing sunglasses. The moment she saw me, she gave me a huge hug.

"My leading lady! I finally got you!"

"Come on, let's go catch some stars!"

Looking at her spirited face, I remembered our days in the dance troupe.

We were only 17 or 18 then. She danced the male roles, and I danced the female ones.

Then a rich coal baron bought the troupe and tried to make us perform vulgar, erotic dances.

One starry night, the wind whipped her hair around her face.

"Do you trust me? If we get out of this hellhole, I swear I'll make something of myself."

"Come on. I'll take you to go pluck the stars from the sky."

Back then, we were just kids, filled with dreams for the future. We quit our stable jobs.

We threw ourselves into the entertainment world. She swore she was tired of being at the mercy of others.

She didn't want to be an actress anymore. She wanted to be a director, a famous one.

I smiled and applauded her, and then we went our separate ways.

I used to think I was the lucky one. I met Julian right after I started out. He protected me from the predatory gazes that lurked in the shadows.

He allowed me to focus solely on my acting. But I didn't know that every gift from fate comes with a price tag attached.

The preferential treatment I had been so proud of in my youth became the chains that bound the rest of my life.

Thank God I had the courage to break free.

As Simone and I were boarding the plane, Julian was holding a press conference for his new film with Tanya.

A reporter asked, "Mr. Croft, there are rumors that your marriage is on the rocks. Ms. Lane has left for Cannes with Director Simone for a new film. Is this related to your marital problems?"

Hearing this, Julian angrily knocked the microphone out of the reporter's hand.

"Which agency are you from? I don't answer questions about my private life. Please focus on the new film from Croft Industries."

After the press conference, Julian couldn't resist dialing that familiar number.

But the line was busy. "The number you have dialed is currently unavailable."

Julian clenched his fist, wanting to smash his phone to pieces.

Tabloids published photos of me at the airport, smiling brightly and whispering with Simone.

Julian stared at the woman in the pictures, a strange thought crossing his mind. Clara knows how to smile like that?

Then why did she always have such a sad face when she was with me?

Just then, the sound of police sirens echoed from outside the banquet hall.