The glow of Audrey's phone lit up her face in the dark.
She lay curled on her bed, scrolling endlessly, her thumb moving mechanically as if stopping would make everything worse.
It had only been a few days since the whispers started again—but now, they were everywhere.
Headlines. Comments. Videos.
Her name was no longer hers.
"She slept her way to the top."
"Nathan's latest toy."
"No talent, just connections."
Audrey's chest tightened as she read each line, her breathing growing shallow. No matter how many times she tried to ignore it, the words found their way in.
She clicked on another post—her photo from the set of Royal Dynasty, smiling in costume.
The comments beneath were brutal.
"Look at her pretending to act."
"Take away Nathan and she's nothing."
Her fingers trembled as she exited the app.
For a moment, she just stared at her screen.
Then, without thinking, she tapped Nathan's name.
The call rang.
Once.
Twice.
Then silence.
Her lips parted slightly.
Maybe he was busy.
She tried again.
This time, it went straight to voicemail.
Audrey swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.
She opened their chat and typed:
Are you okay?
She stared at the message for a long moment before hitting send.
It delivered.
But there was no reply.
Minutes passed.
Then an hour.
Then the entire night.
Still nothing.
The next day, she tried again.
And the next.
And the next.
Each time, the same result.
No answer.
No message.
No explanation.
It was as if Nathan had disappeared.
By the fourth day, Audrey stopped calling.
By the fifth, she stopped checking.
By the seventh… she stopped hoping.
Audrey had never felt this alone.
Even when she had nothing, she had her sister. Even when life was unfair, she had something to hold on to.
But now—
The silence was louder than anything.
She kept to herself, going to set, doing her scenes, returning home without speaking to anyone unless necessary.
Even the lunches stopped coming.
And somehow, that hurt the most.
A week later, Audrey stood in front of a supermarket, her hood pulled low over her face.
She hesitated before walking in.
She didn't want to be seen.
Didn't want to hear the whispers.
But she needed groceries.
Taking a quiet breath, she stepped inside.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
The soft hum of air conditioning. The faint music playing overhead. The clinking of carts.
Audrey grabbed a basket and moved quickly, keeping her head down.
Maybe she could get in and out without anyone noticing.
"Hey… isn't that her?"
Her steps faltered.
Another voice joined.
"It is! That actress—what's her name—Audrey!"
Her grip tightened around the basket.
"Wow, she's bold enough to come out after all that."
Audrey quickened her pace, her heart beginning to race.
"Excuse me," someone said loudly, stepping into her path.
Audrey looked up—and froze.
A woman stood there, phone already raised, recording.
"So, tell us, "She said mockingly, "how does it feel to steal someone else's man and career?"
Audrey's breath caught.
"I didn't—" she started, but her voice came out weak.
"Oh please," another person chimed in, stepping closer. "We've seen everything online."
More people began to gather.
Phones came out.
Voices overlapped.
"You should be ashamed!"
"Gold digger!"
"Leave the industry!"
Audrey stepped back, panic flooding her chest.
"I didn't do anything," she said, louder this time, but it only seemed to fuel them.
Someone shoved her shoulder.
Her basket slipped from her hand, groceries spilling across the floor.
For a moment, everything blurred.
The noise.
The faces.
The accusations.
Her chest tightened painfully as if she couldn't breathe.
Then—
"Enough!"
The sharp voice cut through the chaos.
A man in a suit pushed through the crowd, his expression stern.
"Everyone, step back immediately," he commanded.
Reluctantly, the crowd began to move away, though their phones remained raised.
The man turned to Audrey, his tone softening instantly.
"Miss Audrey, please come with me."
She didn't argue.
Couldn't.
He guided her away quickly, leading her into a quiet office at the back.
The door shut, and suddenly—
Silence.
Audrey's knees felt weak as she sank into the nearest chair.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," the manager said gently, handing her a glass of water.
Audrey nodded faintly, unable to speak.
After a few minutes, her breathing steadied.
"I… I still need to get my groceries," she said softly.
The manager hesitated, then gave a small nod.
"Of course."
When Audrey stepped back into the supermarket, she froze.
It was empty.
Completely empty.
No customers.
No noise.
No whispers.
Just silence.
Her brows furrowed.
"Where… is everyone?" she asked, looking around.
One of the staff members approached her respectfully.
"They've all been asked to leave, ma'am."
Audrey blinked. "Asked to leave?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
The staff exchanged a glance before answering.
"Because this store now belongs to you."
Audrey's heart skipped.
"What?"
"It was purchased this morning," the staff continued. "We were instructed to ensure you can shop here peacefully without disturbance."
For a moment, Audrey couldn't process the words.
Then—
Her expression hardened.
Nathan.
The anger came fast.
Hot.
Sharp.
Burning through everything else.
An hour later, Audrey stormed into Nathan's company building, ignoring the startled looks from the staff as she marched straight toward his office.
She didn't knock.
She pushed the door open.
Nathan looked up from his desk, clearly caught off guard.
"Audrey—"
"After abandoning me, you've come back to do what?" she snapped, her voice shaking with emotion. "Why are you men like this? You disappear without a word and then suddenly think money fixes everything?"
Nathan stood immediately. "Audrey, listen—"
"No!" she cut him off, tears blurring her vision. "Do you know what I went through this week? Do you know how many times I called you?"
Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
"You don't get to act like nothing happened!" she continued. "You don't get to just—just show up and—"
Her voice broke.
The room spun.
Nathan's expression shifted instantly.
"Audrey—"
"I hate this," she whispered weakly. "I hate that I—"
Her words cut off.
Her body swayed.
And before she could stop it—
Everything went dark.
"Audrey!"
Nathan caught her just before she hit the floor, panic flashing across his face.
Her body felt too light in his arms.
Too still.
"Get the car ready!" he shouted as he rushed out, his voice sharp with urgency.
For the first time since all of this began—
Nathan looked truly afraid.
And as he held Audrey closer, one thought echoed in his mind:
He had made a terrible mistake.