Isla's POV
The day Dominic Vale went bankrupt, he tossed me a black card and said, “This is all I’ve got left. Take it, don’t suffer with me.”
But I tore up my Harvard admission letter right in front of him and courageously replied, “If you’re going down, I’m going with you.”
From that moment on, the once-spoiled rich girl, who used to spend tens of thousands on a single meal, took off her jewelry and started bargaining with a vegetable vendor for hours over a few cents.
When Dominic finally made his comeback, the very first thing he wanted was to give me the wedding of a lifetime. I was nervous, but excited.
Until the moment I stood at the door of a private dining room and saw him slip the diamond ring meant for me onto another woman’s finger.
“Mr. Vale, you said this wedding was supposed to be for your wife. If you’re giving it to Marina instead, won’t she be furious?” someone teased.
Dominic held Marina Holt’s delicate hand and smirked. “When we couldn’t even afford food, she tore up her Harvard letter just to stick by me. You think a wedding ring is what’ll break her? If she really has the guts to leave me over this, then maybe I’ll actually be impressed.”
I froze where I stood, then soon forced a bitter smile.
Fine. Let’s break up then.
——
“Are you throwing money at me again? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
The black card smacked against Dominic’s face.
Marina’s brows pinched together as she snapped, “Dominic, I’m not some caged canary you can buy with cash!”
The room went dead silent as the card fell to the floor.
But instead of anger, Dominic just chuckled, eyes fixed on the pouty girl in front of him. His thumb grazing the diamond on her finger, he apologized, “My bad. I shouldn’t have treated you like the kind of girl who can be bought.”
Marina pulled her hand away, crossing her arms as she turned her back on him. “I’ve told you before. I’m with you because I like you, not because of your money. Rich or broke, it doesn’t matter. If you can’t understand that, we’re done.”
“Come on, sweetheart.” He reached for her hand, but she yanked it free.
The almighty Dominic, once feared and untouchable, was now smiling helplessly at a girl’s tantrum. He glanced at his men, his eyes brimming with indulgence.
"Alright, sweetheart. I’m sorry,” he cooed.
But Marina just spat, “Get lost!”
Yet instead of losing his patience, he pulled her into his arms and pacified her even more. “Okay, okay. It’s my fault. How about I make it up to you with the Best Actress award this weekend?”
Her expression instantly softened at that.
But my fists clenched tight.
Then, one of his men hesitated. “Boss, wasn’t that award meant for your wife?”
“Marina’s not bad either,” Dominic replied, then sat her on his lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “She works hard, her acting’s solid. Besides, the list hasn’t been made public yet. So, go and change it.”
Before his people could move, I kicked the door open with my foot.
Startled, Dominic had pushed Marina aside fast and muttered, “Isla?”
Ignoring the dull ache in my waist, I fixed my eyes on him and asked, “Who are you giving that award to?”
He looked down, avoiding my gaze.
He knew. He was there when I fell during a high-wire scene, refusing a stunt double just to give my best on camera. He also watched as I was pinned together with eighteen steel screws right after my fall. Despite all that, he saw me drag myself back to set the same night. He even held me as I shook and cried through the pain, drenched in cold sweat.
He wasn’t ignorant of any of it.
But he still looked away, reasoning, “Marina’s new, yet she’s made it this far on her own. It hasn’t been easy. Besides, you’re her senior. Just give this to her.”
“No way!” I shouted. Then, jabbing my finger at Marina, I retorted, “If she were better than me, fine, I’d accept it. But when I memorize my lines, she just mouths ‘one-two-three-four-five-six-seven.’ When I do my own stunts, she hides behind eight doubles for a single scene. And you want to hand her an award that takes an actor eight years of blood and sweat to earn? Just to a pretty face?!”
