Staring at the room number, I felt my heart crumble. I wasn’t sure if it was intentional, but Patrick's and Sara's room was right next to mine.
In a daze, I stumbled back to my own room.
Before long, sounds I couldn’t even describe started coming from the room next door.
My hand, still holding my phone, began to tremble. A wave of bitterness rushed up to my nose and tears blurred my vision.
Even though I should have known they had feelings for each other, hearing their voices so close still felt like a punch to the gut.
No wonder Sara’s clumsy performance could make Patrick despise me. In his heart, Sara had clearly taken my place long ago.
I couldn’t understand it—how could three years of love just vanish so easily?
The sounds from next door grew louder and with shaking hands, I started recording.
In that moment, my heart broke completely. I no longer had any illusions left about him.
He cared so much about his image. If his fans ever found out about this, would he still calmly claim it was all just part of the script?
Suddenly, I found myself dreading the wedding that was supposed to happen in a month.
After Sara’s careful manipulation, more and more people online began to turn against me. My studio account was dug up and even bloggers I had worked with in the past were dragged into the mess.
The comment section was full of insults.
Though anger and resentment stirred inside me, I had no choice but to delete all my work.
Anyway, everything will be revealed at the wedding next month and the truth will come out.
Things had escalated so much that no one dared to hire me anymore. Anyone associated with me was getting slammed.
When I returned home, I had to pause the operations of my studio. I figured that at this point, no one would reach out to me for work.
To my surprise, a blogger suddenly contacted me, offering to pay for a photoshoot.
I browsed through their photos, but didn’t recognize them at all—probably someone I’d never worked with before.
I wasn’t going to turn down money, so I accepted the deposit.
When it came time to meet, I was stunned—he looked even more handsome in person. His lips were full, his teeth white and honestly, he could have been a model.
He walked over with long strides and handed me a cup of coffee. To my surprise, it was exactly the kind I liked.
"You’re so good-looking, why do you only have a few hundred followers?" I asked, curious as I glanced at his account.
“I don’t have a good photographer, so I haven’t posted much,” he replied casually.
I felt like he was testing me in some way, so I spent the whole day giving my best performance, showcasing my skills.
After we finished the shoot, I imported the photos into my computer for him to select. But when I looked up, I found him staring directly at me.
Our eyes met and I awkwardly turned my face away, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
"Can I ask you to take pictures for me more often in the future?" he asked softly, his eyes full of hope.
Without thinking, I nodded. Suddenly, my mind flashed to Patrick.
Patrick had been just a part-time college student model back then. After our first collaboration, he started visiting my studio regularly.
While I worked, he would willingly help as my little assistant.
Back then, Patrick was still youthful, blushing as he asked, "Nina, can I come visit you often?"
A young man's pursuit is always so bold and eager. Before long, I found myself falling for his affection, agreeing to be with him.
In my free time, I’d take photos of him and when he posted them online, he began to gain followers. After that, all his standout photos were ones I had taken.
I could honestly say that his growing popularity on the internet was largely thanks to the photos I’d helped him with.
Back then, he talked about a lifetime together. But even then, he couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge me publicly or clear up the misunderstanding that day.
The blogger who had hired me posted the photos online and within days, his post went viral.
