We Broke Up, Now He’s My Director

Three years after breaking up with River Wright, I accidentally ran into him on a film set while working as a background extra. By then, he had already established himself as an elite, visionary director.

The extras around me were whispering, gossiping about how the leading lady of this film was his girlfriend of three years, and that they were likely getting engaged soon.

They looked at her with pure envy, talking about how lucky she was to lock down River, effectively securing her future as a permanent fixture in the untouchable Wright dynasty.

Looking at the freezing, intimidating man surrounded by a massive entourage, I could barely recognize him as the same boy who used to squeeze into a cramped, miserable studio apartment with me to survive.

While I was still lost in my memories, he suddenly stopped walking.

He instructed his assistant to have the lead actress, Ashley Blair, step out because she was feeling unwell. He ordered them to use a stunt double for the upcoming water scene.

Then, he casually lifted his eyes, carelessly pointing a single finger directly at me.

When his gaze locked onto mine, the corner of his mouth twitched upward into a provocative smirk. He asked if I had a problem with it.

An icy rain had just stopped, leaving the air biting and cold.

I huddled within the crowd of extras, pulling my heavy cotton coat tight around myself.

My friend, Maya, leaned in, barely suppressing her excitement.

"Did you see Director Wrights face when Ashley accidentally bumped into that prop?"

She was a massive fan of the River and Ashley relationship, constantly obsessing over their every interaction.

I gave a weak hum of agreement.

I had been on set all night, taking the freezing wind directly to the face. Right now, I was shivering violently and just wanted to crawl into bed.

Another extra next to us jumped into the conversation.

"Ashley is so incredibly lucky. Three years ago she was a literal nobody playing nameless extras. Now she is a massive, A-list movie star."

"Well, look at Director Wrights family. The Wright Entertainment Empire! Making someone a star is basically a hobby for them."

"Ashley really hit the jackpot. Marrying him and having the Wright family backing her? She is set for life."

Maya argued back, "What do you mean 'hit the jackpot'?"

"When Director Wright directed his first indie film, nobody had any idea he was the Wright heir. Everyone knows he had some desperate ex-girlfriend who dumped him because she thought he was broke and wanted to climb the social ladder."

"Honestly, thank god that girl was completely blind. She practically handed him over to Ashley."

Maya nudged me, looking for backup. "Right?"

I gave another slow, exhausted hum.

When I was dating River.

I had absolutely no idea he came from insane wealth.

To be fair, he never mentioned it.

But honestly, nobody looking at the sweet, exhausted, endlessly patient junior camera assistant he was back then would ever connect him to the billionaire heir of the Wright Entertainment Empire.

And I certainly did not dump him to climb the social ladder.

Because nobody climbs the social ladder just to end up as a nameless extra on their ex-boyfriend's set.

Maya cleared her throat, about to say something else, but suddenly froze.

The normally terrifying Assistant Director was walking toward the extras' rest area, leading a tall, imposing figure.

River Wright had personally come to the extras' holding area.

They had been filming for a month, and this was the very first time.

The AD glanced at his phone and whispered something.

River replied dismissively.

"Ashley is not feeling well. Let her rest in the trailer."

"Find a double for the water sequence."

Even though I was shrinking back and keeping my head down, I felt a stare lock onto me like a physical needle.

"Use her."

Rivers voice was quiet, but it carried an undeniable, absolute authority.

My chest tightened violently.

I slowly raised my head, locking eyes with Rivers freezing, pitch-black gaze.

Our eyes met.

The corner of his lips curled up slightly, his brow arching in a silent challenge. "What? Do you have a problem with it?"

His voice felt like it had been soaked in ice water.

My legs felt like lead as I followed the AD.

The rigging crew was already waiting by the edge of the deep water tank.

I gritted my teeth, fighting back violent waves of dizziness and shivering.

Maybe because I looked genuinely sick, the usually brutal AD offered a rare word of comfort. "It is just a wide shot. Do not stress."

He gave my shoulder a quick squeeze.

A PA suddenly yelled his name from a distance. "Director Wright needs you."

I turned my head.

Through the chaos of the scrambling crew, I immediately spotted River.

He was standing behind the monitor, arms crossed, his expression impatient and harsh.

Everyone hovered around him like anxious satellites, waiting for his command.

I snapped back to reality as the slate clapped and the AD yelled, "Action!"

The wire violently yanked me up, suspending me high in the air.

Below me was the freezing, pitch-black water.

Memories I had desperately tried to bury suddenly surged to the surface.

Splash

The freezing water slammed into me from all sides, crushing my chest.

A delayed, violent panic hit me. I instinctively began thrashing.

"Cut."

The crew dragged me out of the water, dragging my freezing body onto the concrete.

In the chaos, a massive shadow fell over me.

I struggled to look up, only seeing the sharp, merciless line of Rivers jaw.

A second later, his Adams apple bobbed.

"Absolutely pathetic."

Because I had water in my ears, his voice was muffled, but the cruelty was unmistakable.

"How does someone with zero talent and zero professionalism even get hired on my set?"

He checked his expensive watch, tapping the glass as he spoke to the crew.

"Dry her off. We are going again."

Over the roar of the industrial space heaters, I caught fragments of the crew whispering.

"It is just a wide shot. You cannot even see her face. Why are we doing another take?"

"...He is in a terrible mood... Ashley scraped her knee..."

I lowered my eyes.

I methodically wrung the freezing water out of my hair with a towel.

I kept my mind completely blank.

From the second I decided to return to acting, I had mentally prepared myself to endure absolutely anything.

We shot the water plunge five times.

River finally gave a tight nod of approval.

The crew immediately scrambled to tear down the set, prep for the next location, and move on.

The entire soundstage was a chaotic blur of noise and movement.

I tried to move my limbs, slowly swimming toward the edge of the tank.

But no matter how hard I tried, my completely frozen body just started dragging me down into the water.

Until my consciousness finally slipped into absolute darkness.

When I woke up, I was lying in a strange, unfamiliar bedroom.

The heavy blackout curtains were drawn shut. The room was dark and suffocating.

It felt like a completely isolated island.

A massive wave of pure panic crashed over me.

I violently threw myself out of the bed.

The sudden movement ripped the IV needle out of the back of my hand. Blood immediately started pouring down my skin.

When the dizziness finally passed, I grabbed my phone, which was aggressively vibrating on the nightstand.

A breaking news notification immediately popped up on the lock screen.

[River Wright carries Ashley Blair off set! Actress posts a sweet photo confirming their happiness!]

My hand shook.

The screen automatically unlocked to a social media app.

Half an hour ago, Ashley had posted two photos.

One was a steaming bowl of ginger soup.

The other was a dark, blurry shot of the water tank.

The caption read:

[The hardest scene is finally here! It is freezing outside, remember to drink your ginger soup. Feeling so warm and happy inside.]

The comment section was split into a massive war.

One side was aggressively defending the "carry," claiming Ashley fainted from exhaustion and River rushed her to the medic.

Another side was viciously attacking the production team and her manager, demanding to know why an A-list actress was forced to shoot a freezing water sequence for hours until she collapsed.

Scattered in between were obsessive fans screaming about how perfect River and Ashley were together.

Soon, the hashtag #AshleyBlairProfessionalism hit the number one trending spot.

I glanced at it for a few seconds and closed the app.

My head was still throbbing violently.

It felt so heavy I thought if I tilted my neck, it would snap right off.

As I slipped my shoes on, my brain finally processed something.

I was wearing thick, dry, completely different clothes.

Just as I started looking around for my soaked costume, the bedroom door opened.

River walked in, holding a steaming bowl of ginger soup.

"Looks like you are fine."

He casually set the bowl on the nightstand, staring at me with a dark, calculating intensity.

The dim light cast heavy shadows across his face, hiding his expression.

After a long pause, a mocking smirk curled his lips. "Lily Evans, look how pathetic you have become."

I let out a short, dry laugh.

My throat felt like it was lined with broken glass, but I managed to speak. "Isn't this entirely your fault?"

Rivers face darkened instantly.

I scanned the room again.

Still no sign of my costume.

Whatever. I didn't care.

It was just a shame about the money. The production company charged a two-hundred-dollar penalty for lost wardrobe.

I tried to walk past River to leave.

But he moved faster, suddenly closing the distance.

With almost zero effort, he shoved my exhausted, weak body back down onto the bed, pinning me there.

River grabbed my wrist with one hand, his eyes dropping to the bleeding puncture wound from the IV. The corner of his mouth twitched.

His other hand grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look at him.

"Still the exact same. Totally unreasonable."

His tone was intimate, almost teasing, with a faint smile playing on his lips.

But his dark eyes were completely dead. There was absolutely zero warmth.

I twisted my head violently, trying to escape his grip and the hot, suffocating breath hitting my face.

River let me struggle, his grip like iron.

"Three years ago, you vanished without a single word."

"When you did that, did you ever imagine this is how you would end up?"

His thumb slowly traced the line of my brow.

"Three years ago... did you act like this in his bed too?"

A massive, overwhelming wave of pure humiliation crushed my chest.

I didn't even have time to feel angry.

The blood pounded violently in my temples. My teeth started chattering uncontrollably, my entire body violently shaking.

A flash of genuine regret crossed Rivers eyes. "Sorry. I didn't..."

I snapped my head to the side, sinking my teeth violently into the hand pinning my face down.

My mind went completely blank.

I just bit down harder. And harder.

The heavy, metallic taste of blood instantly flooded my mouth.

River gritted his teeth, finally letting out a sharp hiss of pain. His face twisted as he struggled to maintain control.

Right at that exact second, there was a soft knock on the door.

"River? Are you in there?"

Ashleys voice was hesitant and probing.

I ran out of the hotel.

Standing under a pitch-black, suffocating sky, I felt completely lost.

Someone gently tugged on my sleeve.

It was a group of extremely young, panicked-looking girls.

The girl leading them looked at me nervously.

"Miss, are you crew for The Emerald Cage?"

She pointed at the production logo printed on my jacket, her voice frantic.

"Do you know how Ashley is doing? Is she okay?"

They told me they were Ashleys super-fans. When they saw the news that she fainted, they panicked, paid off a scalper, and snuck onto the lot.

Their faces were pale with genuine fear and concern for their idol.

"She is fine," I rasped, my throat burning.

"You guys need to go home. This area is restricted, and it is not safe for you to be out here in the dark."

As they turned to leave, one girl who had been standing quietly in the back hesitated, her voice trembling.

"Lily Evans? Is that you?"

When she saw me freeze, her face lit up. "It is you!"

"I used to watch your shows and movies! I loved your acting so much!"

"When you quit the industry, there was absolutely no news about you. I was so worried about you."

"Are you ever going to come back to acting?"

I never imagined that, in this miserable, humiliating moment, I would hear someone say they loved me and loved my work.

The sheer shock of it hit me like a physical blow.

My nose burned. My throat completely locked up. I could only manage a single, heavy nod.

"I will."

The girl stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me in a tight, gentle hug.

"I never believed a single word of those tabloid rumors," she whispered in my ear. "Keep fighting!"

She gave me a bright smile and ran off to catch up with her friends.

I watched her until she disappeared into the dark. Only then did I look down.

My tears hit the concrete, shattering into tiny, dark flowers.

Three years ago, the tabloids exploded with a story that "manipulative D-list actress Lily Evans" slept with a billionaire heir to secure a role.

The photos they leaked showed me practically unconscious, hanging off a man as we stumbled into a hotel room, and later leaving with my clothes completely disheveled.

The entire internet ripped me apart, using the most vile, toxic language imaginable to destroy me.

Even just ten minutes ago.

The man who used to love me used the exact same rumors to degrade me.

But this stranger? She looked me in the eye and said she believed me.

The production provided a cheap, rundown dorm for the background extras.

When I walked in, Maya was just climbing down from her top bunk.

"You are finally back."

She aggressively ushered me to sit down, grabbing pillows for my back and pouring me a glass of hot water.

"Even if River is obsessed with protecting Ashley, what he did today was completely psychotic."

Her eyebrows were twisted in a tight, angry knot.

"You were the one who went into the freezing water. You were the one who passed out. But the second Ashley posts a picture, the entire internet is praising her dedication!"

She cursed a few more times, then suddenly shot me a very strange, calculating look.

"By the way... the AD told me to tell you that Director Wright was extremely impressed by your raw talent today. He said you have great instincts, and he is writing a specific speaking role just for you."

I gave a weak, exhausted nod.

My head was pounding so hard it felt like a construction crew was operating inside my skull.

I dry-swallowed two painkillers and collapsed onto the thin mattress.

Just as I was slipping into unconsciousness, my phone vibrated.

It was a text from my mom.

[Transferred some money to your account. Please don't starve yourself.]

Her profile picture was a screenshot of a character I played years ago.

A photo of twenty-two-year-old Lily Evans. Arrogant, confident, and utterly fearless.

The words on the screen blurred into a watery mess.

Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes, tangling into my hair, making my scalp itch.

It felt just like the day before I left home to return to the city.

Resting my head on her lap, she gently stroked my hair, her voice thick with helpless love.

"I don't care about anything else. I am just terrified you are going to get hurt. I am terrified you are going to be miserable."

"But I know you. Once you make a choice, you will smash your head against a brick wall before you ever turn back. You will walk this path no matter what."

"Whenever you get too tired, just come home. Do not torture yourself for nothing."

I didn't reply.

I honestly didn't know what to say.

As I closed the chat app, a tiny red dot suddenly appeared on my contacts tab.

Under the [New Friends] requests, there was a blank profile with the username "M."

I locked my phone screen.

Rolling over, I sank back into the dark.