On the film set, everything was going smoothly for Maria, but Osborn was having a rough time. His condition seemed to be deteriorating.
“Osborn, what’s been going on with you these past few days? You seem off,” his agent asked him with concern as he patted Osborn’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry. Maybe I haven’t been getting enough rest lately. I’ll head back to the hotel,” Osborn replied with a slight smile before leaving by himself.
Maria noticed everything and quietly followed him.
Sure enough, Maria saw Osborn entering a bar. She hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to follow him inside.
The music in the bar was deafening, and Maria frowned, scanning the room until she finally spotted Osborn in the corner.
He silently drank his alcohol, wearing an extremely despondent expression.
Maria bit her lip and didn’t walk over. Instead, she found a spot where she could see him and sat down, unaware that someone in another corner had raised their phone.
Osborn lowered his head, looking at the photos on his phone. It was a picture he secretly took and kept until now.
Looking at Jane’s radiant smile in the photo, Osborn immediately thought of the engagement ceremony that day, and she had the same expression facing Patrick.
Osborn could tell that Jane was genuinely happy.
Eyes filled with disappointment, Osborn rubbed his glass. Why wasn’t he the one by her side?
With this thought, Osborn directly picked up the bottle and took a gulp, the strong liquor causing him to cough violently, his face turning red instantly.
“Osborn, have you gone mad!”
A voice sounded above him, and Osborn looked up to see Maria standing in front of him, snatching the bottle away.
“Why are you here?” Osborn frowned.
“If you can come here to drink, why can’t I?” Maria’s eyes flickered, then she sat down beside Osborn.
She pursed her lips, the words stuck at the edge of her mouth unspoken. She just poured a small glass of wine for Osborn.
“If you want to drink, just drink properly. Why act like you’re courting death?”
Osborn glanced at Maria and bitter-sweetly curved his lips, downing the contents of the cup in one go.
“So, what’s wrong with you these days? You’re in such a bad state,” Maria knowingly asked.
“She got engaged,” Osborn said, somewhat absent-minded.
However, even though Maria had already guessed the reason, hearing Osborn say it himself stabbed at her heart.
She wanted to jest with Osborn, but her lips couldn’t conjure up a smile.
“This is karma. You rejected me, and now you’re in unrequited love, huh?” Maria chuckled dryly, but her heart was filled with bitterness.
Hearing this, Osborn raised his head, staring straight at Maria.
Maria felt a bit awkward under his gaze, turned her head aside, and awkwardly took a sip of her drink. “It’s just a failed romance, look at you in such a lost state.”
Osborn gave a self-deprecating smile, not speaking further, just quietly drinking his alcohol.
The music and lights in the bar intensified the atmosphere, but in Osborn and Maria’s corner, it remained quiet, as if it were another world.
Suddenly, Kim called Maria. Maria hesitated for a moment, and as she was about to pick up the call, her wrist was grabbed.
Startled, Maria turned to look at Osborn.
“Why?” Osborn looked at Maria, his eyes showing a hazy and elusive expression.
“Osborn?” Seeing this, Maria reached out and waved her hand in front of Osborn. “Have you had too much to drink?”
“Why isn’t it me? Jane…” Osborn lowered his gaze, sitting there like a wet dog in the rain, full of loss.
Watching this, Maria bit her lower lip and extended her hand to pull Osborn up. “You’ve had too much to drink; I’ll take you back.”
However, Osborn remained unmoved, even grabbing Maria, almost causing her to fall on the couch.
Osborn looked at Maria seriously, making her doubt if he was really drunk.
But in the next moment, Osborn spoke softly, “Jane, I also like her a lot…”
It felt like something sharp had pierced Maria’s heart. She took a deep breath and reached out to tug Osborn’s cheek. “Osborn, I’m not Jane; I’m Maria! You’ve had too much to drink! Sober up!”
Osborn suddenly held onto Maria’s hand, pressing it against his cheek with affection and nostalgia. “Do you know? Watching you get engaged to Patrick, I felt really upset.”
“Then do you know how upset I am that you like Jane?” Maria bit her lip and, in the end, reached out to gently touch Osborn’s cheek.
“Jane…” Osborn’s eyes were watery. He cupped Maria’s face and leaned in gently.
Maria’s hand, placed on her lap, tightened suddenly. She knew she should push him away, should refuse, but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to do anything.
She looked at Osborn and finally closed her eyes.
Just this once, and also the last time.
…
Even until she returned to the hotel, Maria’s heart was in turmoil. She tossed and turned in bed, with scenes from the bar playing in her mind.
She touched her own lips, fingertips tightening.
However, in her chaotic thoughts, Maria overlooked the phone beside the bed. Consequently, when she woke up the next day, her phone was filled with missed calls from her agent and news notifications.
She stared blankly at the phone screen, remaining frozen in place.
The names Maria, Osborn, and Kim all trended together, sparked by two sets of photos. One showed Maria and Kim holding hands shopping at a mall, while the other captured Maria kissing Osborn.
These two videos instantly exploded on social media, and phrases like “Maria two-timing” surged to the top of headlines.
Maria was completely taken aback, feeling lost and unsure of how things had turned out this way.
Her agent called at that moment, and after some hesitation, Maria eventually answered.
“What the heck have you done, you madwoman! Are you out of your mind?” The agent’s voice was full of anger, making Maria even more uncomfortable.
“I… I’m sorry.” Maria opened her mouth, but she didn’t know what else to say.
“What ‘I’m sorry’? Maria, you really know how to create trouble for me!” The agent’s voice was filled with fury, intensifying Maria’s distress.
“Sorry.”
However, besides the apology, Maria couldn’t find any other words.
“It’s useless to say anything now. Don’t make any statements for the time being. Let the company handle it.” With that, Maria heard a commotion on the agent’s end, followed by a few more instructions before the call ended.
Hugging her knees, Maria stared at the messages on her phone, including unanswered calls from Kim and inquiries about her whereabouts.
She tapped the phone screen and eventually replied.
When Kim arrived at the hotel, Maria was still staring at her phone, reading the comments insulting her.
“You’re here.” Maria turned her head and forced a smile, uglier than a cry.
“Do you like Osborn?” Kim’s voice was somewhat hoarse.
He wasn’t stupid; after being with Maria, he vaguely sensed something.
Different from her on-screen persona, the real Maria’s acting skills were terrible.
“If you really like him, I can step back.” His hand, hanging by his side, suddenly clenched. Who knew how much courage he summoned to say this.
In an instant, Maria felt a sense of powerlessness choking her heart. But at this point, she had no reason to conceal anything.
“I like Osborn, but he only likes Jane.”
“So, did you agree to my confession just to provoke Osborn?”
Hearing this, Maria lowered her head, not daring to look at Kim.
“Perhaps, that was the case at that time…” Maria gently spoke. “But I also want to forget Osborn and genuinely accept you.”
Kim stared straight at Maria, then knelt down in front of the bed. “Maria, I love you.”
Maria lifted her head in astonishment, tears blurring her vision and streaming down her face.
Gently wiping away the tears from Maria’s face, Kim smiled at her.
“So, I will strive to make you genuinely fall in love with me.”