When Two Stars Collide

05: Good at faking

He spoke as if describing a character, yet every word rang with the absolute certainty he held in his own heart. He looked at Heilith and saw exactly what his character saw, someone who needed guidance, someone who didn’t know better, someone whose actions were always questionable.

The host turned to her, eyes sparkling with curiosity. “And you, Heilith? How does it feel to play a role where you are constantly misunderstood, judged, and treated like you are in the wrong, even when you have done nothing wrong? It must be hard to portray that kind of pain, especially when everyone is used to seeing you both so happy and in love.”

Heilith’s hands rested on the counter, her fingers trembling slightly. She felt the dizziness swirling in her head, making it hard to speak clearly, but her voice was soft, sincere, and heartbreakingly honest.

“It is… very heavy,” she said quietly, her eyes fixed on Rashid, wishing, hoping that just once, he would understand. “Because in this story, you are not seen as the person you really are. You are only seen through the eyes of someone who has already decided what kind of person you are. No matter how much you love them, no matter how much you try to show them your heart, they only believe what they want to believe. They judge your actions, your choices, your way of living, and they label you as careless or wrong, simply because it is different from theirs. It hurts… because the person you love is the one who should know you best, but in this story, they become the one who hurts you the most, all because they stopped looking for the truth a long time ago.”

The studio went quiet for a split second. The audience sighed, touched by her words, thinking it was a beautiful description of the movie’s story. But Rashid stood still, his gaze locking onto hers. For a moment, he saw the pain in her eyes, the exhaustion, the fragility that seemed to surround her.

But he shook it off immediately. She is acting, he told himself. She is good at saying beautiful things to make people believe she is innocent. Just like she did last night, pretending to be a victim when she was just looking for trouble.

“Beautifully said,” the host smiled, breaking the tension. “Well, this definitely sounds like the most powerful and different project you have ever done together! Now, let’s move on to our cooking segment, because we heard that the dish we are making today is very special to the story, and also, we heard it is something you two often make together in your free time? Is that true?”

Rashid chuckled, the sound deep and pleasant, pulling Heilith slightly closer to his side as the audience awed loudly. “Of course. Cooking together is one of our favorite things to do. I love taking care of her, you know? Making sure she eats well, because sometimes, she can be a little careless, or forget to take care of herself properly. I have to remind her that there is a right way to do things, and that responsibility matters.”

He said it with a loving laugh, but the words landed heavily on Heilith. Careless. Irresponsible. It was exactly what he thought of her, someone who didn’t value herself, someone who wasted her time on parties and alcohol, someone who needed to be corrected.

She knew exactly what he looked like when he lied, because he looked exactly like this right now. He spoke with such ease, such perfect conviction, looking her straight in the eye without batting an eyelash, every sweet word and tender gesture a complete fabrication. And she understood why he did it so well, because while he was acting the part of the devoted partner with her, his mind was surely somewhere else, thinking of someone else. It made it easier for him, she realized, thinking of her, or pretending to care, would have been too much for him, too repulsive. But by focusing his thoughts on the one he truly wanted, he could play his role perfectly, without feeling any disgust or guilt at all. Every smile he gave her was meant for another woman, every sweet word was borrowed from feelings that belonged to someone else, and that was how he managed to lie so effortlessly, so flawlessly, right in front of everyone.

She gripped the edge of the counter subtly to steady herself as the room swayed faintly around her.

“That is so sweet!” the host beamed. “Today, you will be preparing Chicken Estofado, a dish that represents comfort, home, and enduring love, just like the heart of your movie. Let’s get started!”

They began working side by side. Rashid moved with precision and ease, chopping vegetables and measuring ingredients with disciplined, careful hands. He was focused, serious, and very much in control, just like the character he played, and just like how he was in real life. He believed there was a right way to do everything, and anything less was careless or wrong.

Heilith tried her best to keep up, her hands moving over the ingredients, but her vision blurred for a second as she reached for the bottle of soy sauce. Her fingers felt weak and slippery, and before she could secure her grip, the bottle tipped over, spilling dark liquid across the clean counter.

“Oh no!” the host exclaimed playfully.

The audience laughed softly, thinking it was just a cute, endearing little mistake.

Rashid reacted instantly. On camera, he smiled, shaking his head fondly as he grabbed a cloth to wipe it up. “Oh, boo… always so clumsy, aren’t you?” he said, his voice full of amusement and affection. He reached out, patting her cheek gently. “It’s okay, I got it. You always make a mess, but that’s just how you are, right? Free‑spirited, a little messy, never too serious about anything.”

But as he leaned closer, blocking her slightly from the main camera, his voice dropped low, sharp and cold, only for her to hear.

“Can you go five minutes without embarrassing yourself? You still look drunk from last night. Do you ever think about how you look to people? Or do you just not care?”

Heilith froze. Her heart hammered painfully against her ribs, and the heat in her face wasn’t from the studio lights, it was from the sting of his words. She swallowed hard, her eyes glistening, but she kept her head down, helping him clean the spill silently. She wasn’t drunk. She was exhausted, dizzy, and hurting, but to him, every little mistake was proof of her flaws.

“I’m sorry… I just got a little dizzy,” she whispered softly, loud enough only for him and the microphone right in front of her to catch faintly.

“Dizzy, right,” Rashid scoffed quietly, still smiling brightly for the cameras as he continued cooking. “Always an excuse. Never accountability.”

As they moved on to the next steps, the host continued the conversation, diving deeper into the core of the story.

“Rashid, Heilith, from what you have shared, The Loved One really shows a side of love that is painful and complicated. He thinks love means rules, responsibility, and stability, while she thinks love means freedom, understanding, and trust. Rashid, you seem like such a steady, serious partner. Do you ever find it hard to understand someone like Heilith, who is so bright, lively, and loves her freedom?”

Rashid paused, holding the wooden spoon in his hand, looking thoughtful. He turned to look at Heilith, his gaze soft and loving to the public eye, but his eyes held that firm, unshakable belief he carried every day.

“You know… I have learned that we are very different,” Rashid answered carefully, his voice warm and sincere. “I believe love is about taking responsibility, about knowing what is right and wrong, and protecting the person you love from making mistakes or ruining their own reputation. I like things clear, safe, and grounded. I think it is my job to guide her, to show her the right path, because sometimes, she doesn’t see how her choices look to the world. But boo… she is very different. She lives in the moment. She does what she wants, goes where she wants, and sometimes, I worry that she doesn’t think enough about consequences, or about how her actions affect the people who care about her. She thinks freedom means doing whatever you please, but I think true love means knowing when to stop, when to be careful, and when to listen to the people who truly know better.”

He spoke as if he was talking about the movie, as if he was talking about his character, but every word was his own truth. He looked at her and saw a woman who needed to be corrected, who needed to be guided, because in his eyes, she didn’t know any better.

The host nodded, impressed. “And Heilith? What do you think love means to you?”

Heilith’s hands rested on the counter, her fingers trembling slightly. She looked up, her large doe eyes searching his face, wishing, hoping that just once, he would understand. She felt the dizziness swirling in her head, making it hard to speak clearly, but her voice was soft, sincere, and heartbreakingly honest.

“To me… love isn’t about correcting someone or judging them,” she said quietly, her eyes fixed on Rashid. “Love is about trusting that the person you love knows their own heart. It’s about seeing them, really seeing them, not just the rumors or the mistakes you think they made. It’s about believing that even if they are different from you, they still love just as deeply, just as seriously. I think… the hardest part of loving someone is when they decide they already know who you are, and they stop looking for who you truly are. It hurts when the person you love thinks the worst of you, even when you have never done anything to hurt them.”

Rashid stood frozen, the spoon in his hand gripped tight. He looked at her, and for a second, he saw the pain, the exhaustion, and the quiet desperation in her eyes. She is acting, he told himself again, harder this time. She is doing this on purpose to make herself look like the victim. She knows exactly what she is doing.

“That's amazing Heilith!,” the host finally broke the silence, her voice a little uncertain, trying to bring the mood back to light. “That was… very deep. And you two really bring that complexity to life! Now, let’s plate this dish, look how wonderful it turned out!”

They arranged the food on the plates, standing side by side, holding them up for the cameras. Rashid wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close for the final shot, his face beaming with love and pride. Heilith leaned against him, her smile perfect, her eyes tired and sad.

“Thank you so much for joining us!” the host concluded. “Don’t miss The Loved One, coming soon to theaters!”

The moment the cameras stopped rolling and the red light went off, Rashid pulled his arm away from her shoulder instantly, dropping the affectionate act in a split second. He did not step away or leave right away, because there were still guests, crew members, and people watching them from the audience, so he simply moved a small distance apart, keeping his face neutral and polite, but making sure no part of him touched hers anymore. He did not say another word to her, did not glance in her direction, and stood there looking around the set as if she was nothing more than a stranger standing too close.