Chapter 2

The second incident was at the awards ceremony.

On Ins, there were over a dozen trending topics about Asher and me, all exploding.

I remember Asher’s twelve years as an actor. From the moment he debuted, he publicly announced my name on Ins. David, who discovered him, advised him to consider his career and keep his relationship private, but Asher stubbornly refused.

In his second year, he starred in a low-budget show that blew up overnight.

His follower count exploded by hundreds of thousands overnight, and fans quickly noticed Asher’s pinned Ins post. It read:

[My beloved, Chloe Nelson.]

This deterred many new fans. I, too, had selfishly worried about Asher’s career, so I felt awkward and decided to break up with him.

But as soon as I finished my breakup speech to Asher on SnapChat, tears streaming down my face, a total mess, Asher came into the room with his camera, taking pictures of me.

He happily kept snapping unflattering photos of me. Too furious to stand it, I chased him in my sneakers.

“You’re crazy! Why are you taking pictures of me?!”

I chased him until I collapsed, exhausted.

Asher would annoyingly flop down beside me, saying seriously, “My dear Ms. Nelson, you don’t need to cry about how special you are to me. I’m successful because I’m dedicated and talented, not because I’m single.”

I called him narcissistic and full of himself, but the very next day, Asher updated his pinned post.

Late at night, he wrote a full ten thousand words.

It detailed our love story, saying we had known each other for twenty years. When Asher was little, he was abused, and on his way to the police station to report it, he fainted. It was me, timidly following him, who happened to save him.

Afterward, Asher’s parents, Frank and Martha Miller, were convicted of domestic violence and sentenced to prison. His grandfather, who never liked him, saw my parents’ kindness and sent him to live with us.

So, he became part of our family. My parents raised him until he grew up. For twenty years, my heart was as pure as water, but Asher secretly developed feelings for me.

The day college entrance exams ended was Asher’s birthday.

My parents were away on a business trip, and I carefully prepared all the birthday decorations for Asher. But as soon as the lights went out, Asher confessed his feelings to me.

I still remember that scene.

The dim, warm light, the faint scent of cake, and the pale-skinned boy with his eyes closed, making a solemn wish.

Asher had been handsome since he was a child.

So, for a moment, I was mesmerized.

Then he blew out the candles and opened his eyes, and our gazes met.

My pounding heart became deafening.

“Did you make a wish?”

I snapped back to reality, instinctively blinking and asking him.

“Yeah, I did.”

Actually, I never usually asked, but I was at a loss for words and subconsciously asked him what he wished for. That night, I was as innocent as a lamb being led to slaughter.

Asher’s throat bobbed, wanting his wish to come true.

His teenage crush seemed irrepressible, and he gazed at me with stubborn devotion:

“Chloe, can we be together?”

“…”

Clearly, I was too young and confused, so I refused. After getting into college, we specifically chose different schools, thinking we’d go our separate ways for good.

Then, the second year, Asher was in a car accident and got injured.

During the New Year’s holiday, my parents were busy with social engagements out of town, so taking care of the injured Asher fell to me and a nurse. Asher was silent, and I ignored him.

Then, on New Year’s Eve, the nurse went home for the holiday.

That night, fireworks lit up the sky. Thrilled, I helped Asher to the balcony.

Before we could even ring in the new year, his faint voice came from behind me.

“Why won’t you let me watch the fireworks?”

His tone carried a hint of sadness.

I stupidly mumbled, "Huh?" The next second, huge fireworks burst across the sky. I was practically jumping with excitement watching them, but Asher was only secretly watching me.

When the fireworks stopped, I noticed. Feeling awkward, I just rubbed my nose and looked at the ground, scuffing my sneakers on the pavement, wishing the ground would just swallow me whole. But then he tilted my chin up.

Under the night sky, Asher seemed dim and hurt, his voice slightly hoarse:

“Chloe Nelson, am I really that annoying?”

I’m usually warm-hearted, so I quickly rushed to say, “No, no, of course not!” hastily explaining that I was just awkward, not that I disliked him.

Asher pursed his lips in thought: “But you never said yes to me.”

At that, I just wanted the ground to swallow me whole even more.

The next time we met was in our junior year. My roommates were all eagerly pairing off, leaving me as the only single one. In true “wing-woman” fashion, they started parading their brothers’ profiles like treasures, and one even made a whole presentation for me.

It was my social anxiety nightmare.

I was stressing about it during Thanksgiving break when Asher coincidentally brought me some homemade cookies my mom had made. So, I pulled him over, grinning, and introduced him to my roommates: “See? This is my boyfriend, alright?”

I gave him a quick pinch, a silent warning not to blow our cover.

Asher, a born actor, played along perfectly. His smile was practically bursting, and he even offered to treat everyone to a fun three-day visit to the Drama Academy during the break.

My roommates immediately ditched their boyfriends to come see the handsome couple.

And Asher and I played temporary lovers for three days.

On the last day, Asher treated everyone to dinner.

That night, after a hearty meal, I was the only one completely sober, because Asher had shown ultra-possessiveness and wouldn't let me drink.

After I saw off my dear roommates one by one, Asher, seemingly drunk, collapsed onto me, conveniently dropping his apartment keys.

I told him he was totally taking advantage of me. His eyes were beautiful, and when they turned red from the alcohol, his trembling lashes were even more captivating. “So, are you just going to leave me for dead?”

Okay, completely smitten.

The next year, Asher and I officially became a couple.

After graduation, Asher frequently auditioned and acted. I remember in his third year, he landed a background role with five lines. We celebrated all night. I told him his future was so bright. In his fourth year, David discovered him, and by a stroke of luck, he starred in a low-budget, independent film that blew up overnight.

So, at the very end of his long post, he wrote: [I won't abandon the shoes that fit me best just because I've walked a long way, or forget the mud she's cleaned off countless times. And I won't lose my original intention just because I want fame.

My original intention is Chloe Nelson. I've loved her for so many years.]

That’s why Asher was hailed as the ultimate ‘relationship goals’ celebrity.

I read his statement, my eyes welling up with tears, and jokingly posted on my social media: [Well written, but who exactly was your 'shoe' again?]

Asher replied helplessly: [Me.]

For all these years, Asher steadfastly kept his promise. He loved filming and often turned our lives into vlogs for his fans to watch. I was even dubbed the most envied girlfriend in the industry, people saying we were both one of a kind.

Some even binge-watched our entire relationship history overnight and commented: [Girl, if you two ever break up, I'll never believe in love again.]