Chapter 3
899 Words
Rosie's heart skipped a beat, and her voice went totally cold. "Put him on."
She just couldn't believe Dylan would actually be alone with another girl.
On the other end, Charlotte didn't seem to care at all, her voice dripping with a bit of an attitude.
"Work's over. Does Dylan's personal time really need to be cleared by you, a lowly assistant?"
She hit the word "assistant" extra hard before hanging right up.
Rosie's stomach dropped. She stood there holding the phone to her ear for a solid minute before finally lowering it.
Right then, a trending news alert popped up on her screen.
#BestActorDylanSpottedwithCharlotte
#AreTheyDating
She tapped on it and saw a f*******: post Charlotte had literally just put up.
The picture was obviously from a group dinner, but she and Dylan were sitting super close, and she was smiling from ear to ear at the camera.
The caption read:
Together with you.
Rosie knew they were about to officially announce their second drama together soon.
This kind of PR stunt was nothing new. She'd seen it a million times.
But this time, looking at how happy they both looked in the photo, it actually really hurt to see.
For some reason, Rosie just felt like things were different this time around.
Dylan didn't make it home until late that night.
Seeing Rosie curled up on the couch when he walked in, he automatically frowned. "Why are you sleeping out here?"
Rosie's eyes blinked up at him, her voice sounding kind of raspy. "Where were you?"
"Just had dinner with the cast and crew. Ran a bit late."
Dylan replied casually as he poured a glass of water and passed it to her. "Here, have some water, your throat sounds dry."
Watching the steam rise from the glass, Rosie felt a sudden lump form in her throat.
Dylan was still acting exactly like he used to, always paying attention to the little things.
If he really didn't care anymore, would he seriously still bother doing all this?
Rosie looked up, but then her eyes caught Dylan's right index finger—it was completely bare.
Her heart instantly tanked, and she blurted out, "Where's your ring?"
Everyone in the industry knew Dylan had worn a plain silver band ever since he started out, never taking it off unless he was shooting.
In an old interview, he had gently touched the ring and smiled, saying, "This was the very first fan gift I got back when I was just an extra. It means the world to me."
And those words were completely true, because Rosie had told him something special when she gave it to him.
"You said you don't have any fans, so I'll be your number one fan. I just know you're going to be a star one day."
That was why, even after Dylan hit the big time and got flooded with luxury brand deals, that cheap little ring had never once left his hand.
But now, the ring was gone.
Yet Dylan didn't seem to care at all, keeping his voice totally casual. "I'm about to do a ring endorsement, so I took it off."
Rosie's heart skipped a painful beat. "Dylan, you never do ring endorsements."
Dylan's face instantly went cold. "This is a global luxury brand. It's different."
"Oh, really?" Rosie bit her lip, unable to hold back. "Is it actually about the brand, or is it because of Charlotte?"
This wasn't just a joint gig for Dylan and Charlotte. It was a Valentine's Day limited-edition campaign.
Rosie had found out about it a few days ago, but she hadn't thought much of it.
She had figured Dylan would just shoot it down like he always did.
But now, it looked like she was completely wrong.
Dylan's face darkened right away. "Rosie, can you stop acting like a kid?"
With that, he closed his eyes for a second. "I've got to head to the office. Just stay home and get some rest."
Then, he turned around and walked out.
The front door slammed shut with a loud bang, leaving the place dead silent. Even the photo of them on the coffee table looked like a total joke right now.
The ring in the photo was still shining bright, but the real one on Dylan's hand was completely gone.
Rosie leaned back against the couch, letting a wave of helplessness just wash over her.
A little while later, an alert popped up on her phone, reminding her that Dylan needed to take his meds.
As an actor, starving himself for roles happened all the time, and it had wrecked his stomach.
Rosie made sure to remind him to take his medicine every single day.
Looking at the pill bottle sitting nearby, Rosie sighed, grabbed it, and headed out the door.
When she got to the company and walked past the conference room, she suddenly caught Brenna's voice.
"Now that you've bagged Best Actor, your status in the industry is on a whole different level. What's the plan with Rosie?"
Rosie froze on the spot, barely daring to breathe.
Through the c***k in the door, she could see the back of Dylan's head.
A random, sharp ache hit her chest.
After what felt like a painful eternity, she finally heard Dylan's completely detached voice.
"Just find some time, give her a payout, and let her go."
- Writer
