Chapter 1

The sharp crack of a slap echoed.

I crumpled to the ground, my right cheek burning. Not far off, my boyfriend was holding my ex-boyfriend’s current girlfriend, glaring at me with ill intent.

A pair of black leather shoes entered my blurred vision. Before I could even look up, a familiar, teasing voice reached my ears:

“Only a few minutes apart, and you’re already such a mess.”

I picked myself up, tugging uncomfortably at the sweet pink princess dress I wore. A sharp glint entered my eyes, completely clashing with my outfit.

“You, who just got humiliated with a public betrayal, have no right to speak.”

On the night of Liam’s new movie premiere, I waited backstage in a sweet pink princess dress, overjoyed at the thought of surprising him.

People passing by gave me a wide berth. It was common knowledge that I had publicly attacked every rumored girlfriend for Liam and engaged in heated online battles with his fans. My reputation in the entertainment industry was utterly trashed.

But what others thought didn't matter to me. I only cared about Liam.

Yet, the next second, I turned a corner and saw him passionately kissing Chloe, my long-standing rival.

My mind went blank. Like crazy, I lunged forward and grabbed Chloe’s hair, only to be slapped to the ground by Liam.

My boyfriend had slapped *me* for another woman. This should have been an incredibly painful moment.

But I couldn't stop my lips from curving upwards, wild joy surging uncontrollably in my chest. The obsessive adoration for Liam that I couldn't shake off before, vanished in that instant.

I was finally free from the control of that damned Obsession Protocol!

Then, a tall figure’s shadow stretched over the ground, enveloping me. The black leather shoes and familiar voice told me I wasn't the only one who had regained freedom.

It was my ex-boyfriend, Julian.

Julian and I broke up a year ago. At the time, I was a rising star in the entertainment industry, at the peak of my popularity, thriving in both my love life and career. But the moment I saw Liam, I was like a woman possessed, publicly declaring my love for him and completely forgetting Julian.

Julian agreed to the sudden breakup without hesitation. A month later, he strangely concealed his identity and relentlessly pursued Chloe, a practically unknown actress at the time.

Speaking of which, he hadn't spoken to me in that tone for almost a year since that day.

“Aria, can you stop being so unreasonable?” Liam growled, frowning. He must have been a bit drunk. Normally, he wouldn’t act so out of character for his carefully crafted public persona.

I never understood why the Obsession Protocol chose Liam. After a long period of my mindless, obsessive pursuit, Liam had completely bought into my extreme infatuation with him. After several tests, he would occasionally show me his true self. After all, no one can wear a mask all the time. So, I’d seen his glamorous public facade, and I’d also seen his disgusting private self.

I ignored Liam, instead shifting my gaze to Chloe, who was cowering in his arms, a knowing smirk on my face. “What about you? Getting all cozy with someone else right in front of your boyfriend? Aren’t you going to say anything?”

Chloe clutched Liam’s shirt and stayed silent, just looking utterly pitiful at Julian, tears welling in her eyes, threatening to spill.

Julian shuddered, instinctively taking a step back behind me. Having to endure a year by Chloe's side, and pretending to pursue her… it must have been tough on him. And so did I.

I slowly stepped forward. Liam boldly pulled Chloe behind him, acting all protective. “If you dare to touch her again, I’m breaking up with you.”

This tactic always worked like a charm in the past. No matter how outrageous Liam's actions were, this one sentence would instantly make me docile. But not anymore.

And they seemed to forget that when I first entered the industry, my temper was known throughout the industry as being terrible. Before Liam could finish his last syllable, I landed a solid slap on him.

He staggered back a few steps, clutching his face, accidentally knocking Chloe down behind him. The first slap wasn't enough; my face still stung fiercely. Before he could steady himself, I slapped his other cheek.

The next day, videos of me slapping the A-list actor twice went viral on social media.