He Watched My Debut Film Frame by Frame

The year my boyfriend was dirt poor, he rejected a billionaire heiress just to stay with me.

But I, desperate for a breakthrough in my career, accepted a role in a low-budget erotic thriller.

On the day of the shoot, he showed up on set, crying and begging me not to go through with it.

He said he would work himself to the bone to make money for us.

But I pushed him away and had security throw him out.

Later, the movie went viral. I became an overnight sensation, branded as a sexy starlet.

And he married that billionaire heiress, climbing straight to the top of the world.

Six years later, we met again on a superyacht.

I was a washed-up, desperate actress begging for a role.

And he was the owner of the yacht.

My agent flashed a sycophantic smile and asked him,

"Mr. Miller, have you ever seen Luna's work?"

He leaned back against the leather sofa, slowly swirling the amber liquid in his glass.

"Luna's debut film? I've watched it. Frame by frame."

The ocean breeze swept across the deck, messing up my hair.

I silently pressed down my hair and looked up at Ethan.

Six years. The boyish charm was completely gone. In its place was a mature, powerful, and intimidating man.

Every gesture of his screamed absolute authority.

Beside me, my agent, Ashley, gasped in pleasant surprise.

"Does that mean you're a fan of our Luna, Mr. Miller?"

Ethan set his glass down, his voice chillingly calm.

"I only watched it because I was analyzing the film with my wife."

In that movie, I had a three-minute nude scene.

Those three minutes had once made him want to die.

Years ago, he had knelt on the dirty floor of the set, tugging at my jeans, his voice completely raw:

"Baby, please don't do this I'll make money. I'll work myself to death to make money for us"

Now, he could calmly sit beside his wife, watching those exact scenes frame by frame.

Ashley realized what he meant, but she kept the fake smile plastered on her face.

"Of course, of course. I heard Chloe reviews every actor's past work before casting them."

"You're a busy man, Mr. Miller. If it weren't for Chloe, you probably wouldn't even know our Luna!"

Before she could finish, Chloe slowly walked down from the yacht's second deck.

"Luna's performance in her debut was brilliant. I actually studied her scenes four times."

Ethan took her hand, pulling her naturally into his lap.

All his coldness vanished in an instant. His voice softened with a smile.

"And after watching it, you kept me up for two hours talking about it."

She looked back at him with a playful glare.

"Are you saying I talk too much?"

"I wouldn't dare."

Under the table, Ashley pinched my waist hard.

I clenched my fists, forcing a smile onto my face.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Chloe."

Before coming here, Ashley had told me that a rising director was preparing a new indie film.

The script was top-tier, and the funding was massive.

The director had specifically requested to meet me to discuss a role.

For someone like me, who hadn't gotten a decent script in years, this was a lifeline.

But I never expected this director to be Ethan's wife.

After a brief conversation, I learned about the project.

The movie was called The Captive Heart.

It was a romance drama about a wealthy girl and a poor boy overcoming obstacles to be together.

Chloe wanted me to play the supporting female leadthe antagonist.

While she had plenty of lines, the role was physically brutal. She had underwater scenes, hanging scenes, and endless stunts.

After hearing the pitch, I stood up. "I'm sorry, but I can't take this role."

It wasn't that I was afraid of hard work. I just didn't want to play a pathetic character under her direction.

Ashley kicked my foot violently under the table.

Ethan wrapped his arm around Chloe's waist and spoke in a casual, mocking tone.

"You're already here, Luna. It wouldn't hurt to hear the offer before you walk out."

He raised his eyes to meet mine.

"How much did you make for your debut movie?"

Ashley answered for me immediately. "Thirty thousand dollars."

Ethan let out a sharp, mocking chuckle but said nothing.

Chloe smiled warmly and spoke up.

"We'll pay you ten times that. Three hundred thousand."

"This movie is a fifth-anniversary wedding gift from my husband."

"He's funding it, and I'm directing it. He doesn't care about the budget. He just wants me to be happy."

She leaned against Ethan's shoulder and smiled at me.

"Luna, at this stage in your career, I don't think anyone else will offer you this kind of money."

Three hundred thousand dollars.

Why would they spend that much on a washed-up actress?

But I didn't ask.

I was in no position to be picky.

Ashley's fingers dug into my wrist under the table, her nails biting into my flesh.

I bit my lip and sat back down.

"Fine. I'll take it."

After leaving the yacht, Ashley walked beside me, buzzing with excitement.

"I heard that yacht is worth tens of millions. It was a birthday gift from Mr. Miller to his wife."

"Did you see the name painted on the stern? CHLOE. It's her name."

"Mr. Miller is famously devoted to his wife."

I couldn't help but remember when Ethan and I were together. He was so poor back then.

I never had the heart to ask him for gifts.

At that time, a popular romance show was airing, and the lipstick the lead actress wore was trending everywhere.

It was a fifty-dollar designer lipstick at Sephora. I loved it, but I couldn't afford it.

Once, we passed by the beauty counter, and I dragged him in just to try it on.

As we were leaving, I faintly heard the sales clerk whisper, "If you can't afford it, don't waste our testers."

In that instant, Ethan's grip on my hand tightened.

A week later, on my birthday, he pulled that exact lipstick out of his pocket and handed it to me.

He had worked a brutal twelve-hour shift under the scorching sun at a construction site just to earn the money for it.

But while working, his hand had been badly sliced by a rusted steel bar.

The wound was deep. A proper clinic visit and stitches would have cost over a hundred dollars.

He hid it from me, skipped the clinic, and used his wages to buy the lipstick instead.

When I found out, I held his bloody hand and cried my eyes out.

"Are you an idiot? I don't want the lipstick! I don't even like it!"

Ethan had pulled me tightly into his arms and said,

"It looks beautiful on you. I just want you to have the best things."

"One day, I'll give you the world."

That day, I borrowed money from my best friend, Mia.

I dragged him to a sketchy, under-the-table clinic to get stitches.

To save money, he refused anesthesia.

He grit his teeth, sweating profusely from the agonizing pain.

But because we had missed the golden window for treatment, his right hand suffered permanent nerve damage.

His thumb and index finger could never fully straighten again.

Years later, every time I put on that lipstick, I would end up crying until my makeup was ruined.

"Chloe is honestly so lucky!"

Ashley's sigh brought me back to reality.

She continued, filled with envy, "She actually comes from a wealthy family herself."

"When Mr. Miller was still a nobody, she fought her family to marry him."

"Who would have thought he'd turn out to be a genius? In just a few years, his net worth surpassed her family's. Even when her family's business collapsed, she didn't suffer at all because her husband protects her."

"Look at how he spoils her. Throwing millions at a movie just to let her play director!"

"If we had her luck with men, we wouldn't have to work this hard, would we?"

I forced a faint smile but didn't answer.

When I was eighteen, I chose him at first sight.

But in the end, I was the one who threw him away.

After signing the contract, I spent days studying the script.

Three months later, production began.

My very first scene was an underwater shoot.

We did over thirty takes, but Chloe was still unsatisfied.

I was shivering in the freezing water while she stood warm on the deck, shouting through a megaphone:

"Do you even know how to act? Stop wasting everyone's time!"

I wasn't classically trained, but I had been acting for years. There was no way my performance was that bad after thirty takes.

But she was the director. Her word was law. I could only apologize and do it again.

Suddenly, a figure entered the set.

Ethan, dressed in a tailored three-piece suit, stood behind the monitor.

I was soaked to the bone, shivering in the freezing pool.

He stood on the dry ground, looking down at me with cold, indifferent eyes.

On the thirty-fifth take, Chloe yelled "Cut," her brow still furrowed.

I heard her turn to the assistant director.

"One more time. The emotion is still lacking."

I took a deep breath, preparing to submerge myself back into the water.

Then Ethan spoke. His voice was casual, just two words:

"It's wrap."

The entire set went dead silent.

Chloe turned to him, looking annoyed.

He took her hand and smiled warmly.

"I brought you some afternoon tea. It'll get cold if you don't eat it now."

Her face immediately lit up with joy, and she waved her hand to dismiss the crew.

I dragged myself out of the pool. Mia rushed over to wrap a thick towel around me.

I was shaking violently, sneezing repeatedly.

It was early spring, and the water was so cold it made my bones ache.

Mia muttered under her breath, her voice laced with anger.

"At least ten of those takes were perfectly usable. Thirty-five takes? That's pure malice."

"She's doing this on purpose. If Ethan hadn't stopped her for tea, she would've kept you in there all day."

As she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears.

"If we weren't waiting to pay off your contract, we would never have taken this garbage movie!"

"Why do we have to take abuse from this couple?"

Mia wasn't just my assistant; she was my best friend.

Ever since my debut, she had been by my side. We had protected each other in this cutthroat industry for years.

I knew she was hurting for me.

I dried my hair and gave her a reassuring smile.

"It's fine. Different directors have different standards."

"Just bear with it a little longer. We'll be free soon."

After my debut movie became a hit, my agency locked me into a predatory ten-year contract.

On the day of the signing, they gave me a massive cash advance.

I was young and naive, thinking I could easily make the money back.

I took every trash script they threw at me just to pay it off.

For three years, I worked from 6:00 AM to midnight every single day.

Eventually, the debt was cleared, but my reputation was ruined. I was labeled a "talentless sellout." No good scripts came my way, yet I still had four years left on my contract.

I was stuck, rotting away in that agency.

Until one night, a high-ranking executive, Mr. Carter, tried to force himself on me in his car.

When his hand slid up my thigh, I slapped him across the face, pushed the door open, and jumped out of the moving car.

The next day, I demanded Ashley to negotiate my release.

I played the secret audio recording I had taken in the car.

She went pale and stayed silent for a long time.

After consulting the big boss, she delivered the verdict:

"Three more movies. All your earnings will go toward the contract termination fee. After that, you're free."

I sat on a folding chair on set, sipping hot tea.

I looked up and noticed the hand-crocheted shawl draped over Chloe's shoulders.

Another actress ran over to compliment it. Chloe adjusted the shawl, a tender smile on her face.

"You can't buy this in stores. My mother-in-law crocheted it for me by hand."

"Wow, made with love!" the actress squealed. "Chloe, your mother-in-law must adore you!"

Chloe's smile widened.

"Yes, she treats me like her own daughter."

I stared at the shawl, and the hot tea in my hands suddenly tasted like ash.

Many years ago, Ethan's mother had loved me just as much.

I remembered visiting his house when my period started unexpectedly, staining my white skirt red.

I had stood in the living room, frozen in embarrassment.

His mother hadn't said a word. She immediately handed me one of her own clean skirts and a box of pads.

She patted my hand gently.

"Go change, sweetie. I'll warm up some milk for you."

When I came out of the bathroom, Ethan watched me drink the milk, pinching my nose playfully.

"Do you know what my mom's warm milk means?"

"She doesn't make that for just anyone. She already sees you as her future daughter-in-law."

I stared at my teacup, my throat tightening as tears threatened to spill.

I changed into my costume and got my makeup touched up.

As I stepped out of the dressing room, I ran straight into Ethan, who was coming out of the director's lounge.

I kept my head down, trying to brush past him.

But as our shoulders crossed, his voice cut through the air.

"I heard you're trying to break your contract."

My footsteps halted.

So, he had overheard us.

"How much is the termination fee?" he asked.

I remained silent.

He looked at me with a mocking smirk, pressing further.

"One million? Three million? Is five million enough?"

I collected myself and looked him in the eye.

"What is that supposed to mean, Mr. Miller?"

He held a cigarette in his right hand, flicking his lighter with his left to spark a flame.

I stared at his hands.

He used to be right-handed.

He only started using his left hand after that accident.

He took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled slowly.

"My mother has Alzheimer's."

He paused.

"Lately, she keeps mistaking my wife for you."

He said his mother would call Chloe by my name.

She would ramble on about the things Ethan and I used to do, believing her son had married his high school sweetheart.

She thought the daughter-in-law standing before her was the same young girl from years ago.

His wife was deeply hurt by it, yet she had to play along to keep his mother calm.

My heart ached, a bitter taste rising in my throat.

No wonder the shawl was crocheted with mimosasmy favorite flower.

His mother was sick. Her memory was frozen in time, six years ago.

She had forgotten that Ethan and I had broken up a long time ago.

Through the haze of smoke, Ethan spoke with chilling indifference.

"My wife hasn't been very happy lately."

"She wanted you in this movie so she could vent a little. Just play along and let her have her fun."

"Once she's satisfied, I'll personally pay off your termination fee."

So that was why Chloe had cast me.

He was spending three hundred thousand dollars to use me as a punching bag to make his wife feel better.

Those thirty-five takes in the freezing water weren't because she was a perfectionist.

It was pure, deliberate torment.

I stood in silence for a long time.

The cold wind slipped down my collar, making me shiver.

I clenched my fists, then slowly let them go.

"I understand."

"I hope you keep your word, Mr. Miller."

Even if I knew she was doing it on purpose, what could I do?

The contract was signed. I had no right to say no.

That night, I developed a high fever.

After taking some medicine, I fell into a heavy, feverish sleep.

In my dream, I was back in that rainy autumn afternoon.

Ethan had rushed onto the movie set, his eyes bloodshot.

"Luna," he pleaded, his face pale and exhausted. "My mom wants to see you."

He reached out to grab my hand.

"Please, just come back and see her once."

I pulled my hand away.

He stood in the rain, water dripping from his hair down his face.

"Don't do this movie. Please don't do it," he begged, his voice cracking.

"My mom... she's dying. Come see her. She keeps calling your name"

"Ethan," I interrupted, taking a deep breath. "Let's break up."

I turned to walk away, but he fell to his knees, grabbing my legs.

"Baby, don't do it. Please don't. I'll make money... I'll work myself to death for you..."

I let out a cold laugh, prying his fingers off my legs one by one.

"How much can you make working yourself to death? Why should I waste my life waiting for you?"

"Ethan, a fifty-dollar lipstick cost you two of your fingers."

"Do you have any idea how many of your fingers my salary can buy now?"

His face turned ghostly pale.

The security guards approached, asking if I knew him.

I looked at him with an emotionless face. "I don't know him."

They dragged him away.

That day, I never looked back.