He Carried Her Out of the Flames, Not Me

Seven years of love, and I personally pushed Julian Vance to the absolute peak of Hollywood.

On the day he bid fifty million dollars for a legendary, flawless pink diamond at a charity auction, the entire internet was waiting for him to propose to me.

Even I thought this would be the perfect fairytale ending to our seven-year romance.

But under the blinding spotlights, he walked right past me. He placed the pink diamond necklace around the neck of Chloe Whitea helpless, naive rookie who had just debuted.

"This necklace is too heavy for you to wear, Selena. You don't need it. Chloe needs it more."

I wanted to fight back, but I soon realized he had already secretly transferred my movie contracts, my connections, and even my lifes work to her.

It wasn't until a raging fire broke out on the set of a survival reality show that the truth fully hit me.

I was left struggling in the smoke, screaming for help, while Julian carried Chloewho had nothing but a tiny scratch on her kneeout of the flames without once looking back.

At that moment, my heart died.

He forgot one thing.

Everything he owned was given to him by me.

I could build him up to the highest peak, and I could drag him down to the deepest hell.

The Metropolitan Charity Gala was a glittering sea of luxury.

The massive crystal chandeliers cast a mesmerizing glow over the room. The wealthiest elites, tech billionaires, and A-list celebrities of New York were all gathered here.

I was wearing an haute couture, star-embellished gown, sitting in the center of the very front row.

Sitting right next to me was Julian Vancethe newly crowned Oscar-winning actor, the man of the hour, and my boyfriend of seven years.

"Next up is our final masterpiece of the nightthe legendary Pink Hope Diamond! We will start the bidding at ten million dollars!"

The auctioneers voice echoed through the grand hall.

A month ago, rumors had already flooded Snapchat and Instagram. Everyone said Julian was going to buy this diamond to propose to me on this live-streamed night.

"Twenty million!"

"Thirty million!"

"Forty million!"

The bids kept rising, pushing the atmosphere to a fever pitch.

Julian hadn't raised his paddle yet. He just leaned back in his seat, looking effortless and handsome, gently stroking my knuckles with his thumb.

His hand was warm. It was a touch that always made me feel safe.

When the price stopped at forty-five million, the room fell quiet.

Finally, Julian slowly raised his paddle. His voice was deep and commanding: "Fifty million."

The crowd gasped.

Countless cameras instantly spun toward us.

Flashbulbs went off like wild lightning, making the room as bright as day.

The live chat on the streaming platforms was exploding. The screen was covered in comments like: "OMG! Propose! Propose!" "They are literal goals!"

The auctioneers voice trembled with excitement. "Fifty million! Mr. Julian Vance bids fifty million! Any higher bids? Going once... twice... sold!"

The moment the gavel hit, the room erupted into thunderous applause.

I turned to look at Julian, my heart beating so fast it felt like it would burst out of my chest.

Seven years.

From the days when he had nothing, to now, standing at the absolute peak of the entertainment industry.

I had shared cold, cheap takeout with him in leaky basements. I had drunk myself to stomach bleeding at corporate dinners just to secure auditions for him.

Now, was he finally going to keep his promise to marry me?

Julian stood up. Under the watchful eyes of the world, he took the velvet box containing the pink diamond from the model.

He turned around, his deep eyes looking in my direction.

My breath caught. My eyes grew hot, and I even began to raise my hand, ready for him to slide a ring on it.

But Julian walked right past me.

A cold draft swept by as his suit jacket brushed against my arm, taking all the warmth from my body with it.

I froze. My mind went completely blank.

To the absolute shock of the audience, Julian walked to a quiet corner in the second row.

Sitting there was a young, rookie actress wearing a simple white lace dress, looking like a frightened little deer.

Chloe White.

Julian stopped in front of her and opened the velvet box.

The pink diamond sparkled brilliantly under the lights. It hurt my eyes to even look at it.

"For you, Chloe."

Julians voice wasn't loud, but through the microphone he was wearing, it echoed clearly through the entire hall.

The silence in the room was deafening.

Even the camera flashes stopped for a second.

Chloe covered her mouth, her eyes instantly turning red as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Julian... this is too expensive. I can't take this..." She shook her head, looking incredibly fragile and adorable.

But Julian smiled warmly. It was a gentle, adoring smile he had never once shown me.

With his own hands, he put the fifty-million-dollar necklace around Chloes slender neck.

"Take it. You just started your career. You need something to give you confidence. Think of this necklace as my encouragement to a promising talent."

He said it so grandly, so righteously.

Then, he turned his head and looked at me, still frozen in my seat.

There was no guilt in his eyes. Instead, there was only a cold, condescending look of charity.

"Selena, youre already an Oscar winner. You have everything. This necklace is too heavy for you; you don't need it.

Chloe needs it more to light up her path ahead. You're always so generous, I'm sure you don't mind, right?"

I looked at his familiar face, suddenly feeling like he was a complete stranger.

My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, crushed into tiny pieces. I could barely breathe.

"I don't mind?"

He took the pink diamond I had waited years for, on the night everyone expected him to propose, and gave it to a rookie who had done nothing but copy me and talk trash about me behind my back.

And he had the nerve to ask if I minded?

I bit my lower lip so hard that I tasted iron.

But I didn't scream. I didn't run away crying.

I am Selena Shaw. I never let anyone see me defeated.

I slowly stood up, smoothed down the wrinkles of my gown, and kept my spine perfectly straight.

Under the strange glances of the crowd, I walked right up to Julian.

"Julian," I said. My voice was terrifyingly calm. "Since you love playing the generous hero so much, I hope the two of you stay locked together forever."

Without waiting for his face to turn pale, and ignoring Chloes fake gasp of shock, I turned around.

Stepping in my five-inch heels, I walked out of the gala, head held high.

The moment I reached my private dressing room backstage, all the strength was drained from my body.

I collapsed onto the sofa, my hands shaking uncontrollably.

Julians spare jacket was still draped over the back of the couch.

I took a deep breath, wanting to throw his trash jacket into the bin.

But as I grabbed it, a neatly folded document slipped out of the inner pocket.

There was no title on the front, only a stamp:

"Project: Eclipse"

As if possessed, I opened it.

With just one look, the blood in my veins completely froze.

"Step 1: Gradually strip Selena Shaw of her major brand endorsements. Under the excuse of "rebranding," quietly transfer these contracts to Chloe White."

"Step 2: Use Selenas social media traffic and industry connections to build hype for Chloes new movie. If necessary, leak negative rumors about Selena to make Chloe look pure and innocent."

"Step 3: On the day Chloe wins Best Actress, officially announce the breakup with Selena, securing Chloes place as the new queen of Hollywood."

At the bottom of the page was Julians signature.

The date was from six months ago.

Six months agoright when Chloe first signed with his agency.

I stared at the document, and a dark, hysterical laugh escaped my lips.

Tears fell from my eyes, blurring the signature of the man I had loved for seven years.

He didn't just stop loving me.

He had been planning this. He was systematically draining my life, my career, and my influence to build up his new girl.

He wanted to destroy me to make her a star.

Julian Vance, you are a monster.

Late at night, a heavy storm raged outside.

The wind violently slapped sheets of rain against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the villa, making an eerie, pounding sound.

I sat in the pitch-black living room, refusing to turn on the lights.

Next to my feet were two packed suitcases.

At 2:00 AM, the electronic lock on the front door clicked open.

Julian walked in, smelling of rain and expensive cologne.

He casually loosened his tie and flicked on the living room lights.

The sudden brightness made me squint. He saw me sitting on the couch, and then his eyes landed on the suitcases.

His movements paused, and his brow instantly furrowed. His voice was filled with irritation.

"Selena, what kind of drama are you pulling now?"

"I already explained the auction to you. Chloe is just a rookie. Whats wrong with me helping her out? You're the veteran here. Did you really have to embarrass me in front of everyone tonight?"

As he spoke, he poured himself a glass of whiskey at the bar.

He sounded so righteous, as if I were the one who had committed a crime.

I looked at himthis man I once thought I would grow old with.

"Explain?" I let out a cold laugh and threw the "Project: Eclipse" documents directly at his face.

The sharp edge of the paper sliced across his cheek, leaving a thin red line.

The sheets scattered all over the floor.

Julian looked down, and when he realized what the papers were, his pupils shrunk.

He snapped his head up, his mask of calm sophistication finally cracking.

"You went through my things?" he growled.

"If I hadn't, how would I have known that my boyfriend of seven years was planning to ruin my life for a girl he met six months ago?"

I stood up, walking toward him step by step.

"Julian, did you think I was an idiot? Did you think I would let you ruin me and thank you for it?"

Julian's throat moved as he swallowed hard, a flash of panic in his eyes.

But he quickly forced himself to look calm, even reaching out to grab my hand.

"Selena, let me explain. This plan... its just a standard business strategy from the agency. Youre already at the top. You don't need these resources anymore. But Chloe is different. Shes fragile. She needs protection."

"Fragile?" I slapped his hand away, my eyes as cold as ice.

"Shes fragile, so you stole my global luxury cosmetics contract and gave it to her?"

"Shes fragile, so you paid tabloids to spread rumors that I was a diva on set, just to make her look sweet and hardworking?"

"Julian, you're not protecting her. You're trying to destroy me!"

Julians face went completely dark. His controlling ego was triggered.

"Selena, don't be ungrateful! Everything you have right nowwhich part of it didn't come from me? Without me, do you think youd be where you are today?"

He pointed a finger at me, his words cutting like knives.

I looked at him, feeling a deep, hollow sadness.

"Julian, have you forgotten? Years ago, you were the one kneeling in the snow outside a director's office, begging for a five-minute audition. I was the one who used my own salary to buy you a supporting role!"

"When you were framed in that media scandal and almost canceled, I was the one who used every single connection I had, begging people face-to-face to save your career!"

"I made you who you are, and now you have the nerve to say you gave me everything?"

I grabbed the whiskey glass from the bar and smashed it onto the floor.

With a loud shatter, glass flew everywhere, and the amber liquid spilled across the floorjust like our broken seven years.

Julian was stunned by my anger and took a step back.

"You're crazy, Selena. You're completely out of your mind."

He took a deep breath, returning to his cold, arrogant tone.

"Fine. Since youve seen it, I have nothing to hide. Lets take some space. You need to calm down. As for the contracts, Ill compensate you."

"Compensate?" I grabbed the handle of my suitcase, my back straight, looking like a queen going to war.

"Julian, keep your disgusting charity to yourself. As of tonight, we are done."

"You better pray your little rookie can stay hidden under your wing forever. Because if she flies out, I will show both of you what happens when you cross me."

Dragging my suitcases, I walked straight out into the pouring rain.

Behind me, Julians furious roar echoed through the storm: "Selena! If you walk out that door, don't ever think about coming back! Let's see how long you can last in this town without me!"

I didn't look back.

The freezing rain drenched my face, but it couldn't put out the fire of revenge burning in my chest.

"How long can I last?"

"Julian, I will outlast both of you."

"I will stand at the absolute top and watch you slide into the mud."

The morning after I left Julian, the retaliation came exactly as expected.

My agent, Harper, walked into my apartment with red eyes and threw a stack of termination papers on the table.

"Selena, Julian is going crazy. He used all his industry backing. Overnight, he got your remaining five brand deals canceled. Even the massive sci-fi movie you were supposed to star in has recast you with Chloe."

I calmly flipped through the contracts. The cancellation fees were in the millions.

Julian was trying to completely blacklist me, forcing me to crawl back to him.

"That's not all," Harper's voice shook. "The internet is flooded with fake news about you. Theyre saying youre jealous of rookies, that you threw a tantrum at the gala, and theyre even hinting that you have an old billionaire sugar daddy..."

I opened Snapchat and Twitter.

Eight out of the top ten trending topics were about me.

"SelenaShawGalaTantrum"

"CancelSelenaShaw"

"PoorChloe"

At 3:00 AM, Chloe had posted a selfie with red, teary eyes: "I will always respect my seniors' advice. I will work harder and not let anyone down."

Under her post, Julians fanboys and paid bots were leaving nasty comments:

"Selena is just a bitter, aging actress whos jealous of Chloes beauty!"

"Bullying rookies? Cancel her forever!"

"Julian finally saw her true colors. Good riddance!"

I looked at the toxic comments, a cold smile appearing on my face.

This was Julians play.

Destroy my career, then ruin my reputation.

"Harper, how much money do we have left in the business account?" I asked.

Harper paused. "After paying off the fees, we won't even be able to pay next months rent for the studio. Selena... maybe you should just talk to Julian? You guys were together for seven years..."

"Never," I cut her off.

"I would rather starve than beg that piece of trash for mercy."

Just then, Harpers phone rang.

She picked it up, her face changing expressions rapidly.

After she hung up, she looked at me, hesitating.

"What is it?"

"Its... the production team of "Wilderness Survival"," Harper bit her lip. "They're offering to pay triple your usual rate to guest-star in the premiere episode. But..."

"But what?"

"But Chloe is a permanent cast member on that show. And you know how dangerous that show is. Its unscripted, real-deal wilderness survival."

I understood instantly.

This wasn't a sudden lucky break. This was a trap set up by Julian.

He knew I was broke. He was using the massive paycheck as bait to get me onto a show where I would be forced to make Chloe look good, get humiliated, and become the laughingstock of the internet.

"We should decline. Its too dangerous," Harper said, worried.

"No," I raised my head, a dangerous spark in my eyes. "Accept it. Why wouldn't we?"

Since they wanted to play, I was going to play with them until the very end.

I wanted to hit them the hardest when they thought they were winning.