Chapter 2

Danielle's POV

But now Robert thought I didn't have a pure enough heart?

I opened my mouth to say something, but I was afraid that tears would spill out before my questions could. I held them back so hard that my stomach started to cramp, and in the next second, I dry-heaved.

"Is your stomach acting up again? You skipped another meal, didn't you?"

Robert instinctively held me and gently rubbed my back.

"None of your business."

I wiped away my tears and pushed him away.

He fell silent for a moment, then turned and walked out. With practiced ease, he grabbed my medicine, put the kettle on, and started cooking some soup.

My nose stung as I watched him.

Back then, to help Robert land roles, I'd done more than my share of drinking. The worst instance left me with a perforated stomach ulcer.

He'd been so terrified that his eyes turned bloodshot, and he clung desperately to the doctor as he begged him to save me.

Later, when I opened my eyes, the first thing he said to me was, "Danielle, I don't want to be famous anymore. I just want to marry you."

That was the closest we'd ever come to getting married. But right before I was about to answer "Yes", the phone rang. Robert had landed the role that I'd practically sacrificed half my life for.

That was also the role that made Robert shoot to stardom. But that proposal soon turned into a different promise.

"Danielle, I promise I'll give you an even better life. Once I win Best Actor, I'll marry you."

After that, he worked even harder, and I followed closely behind.

I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been disappointed.

But every time my stomach acted up, or I fell ill, he'd catch the latest flight home from set just to see me, and I'd feel that waiting just a bit longer didn't really matter.

However, as his career took off and my workload managing new talent kept growing, most of our conversations moved to our phones. Sometimes, when I sent him a text asking how he was doing, his replies would be brief and unenthusiastic.

A month ago, hoping to ease the tension between us, I went to visit him on set, only to be told by the director that Robert had taken the day off and flown back to Valenport.

Yet, when I'd asked what he was doing just half an hour earlier, he'd said he was filming. I didn't want to jump to conclusions, so I immediately flew back to Valenport as well.

Maybe we both had the same idea and wanted to give each other a surprise.

But he never came home.

I waited from morning until night, only to eventually see paparazzi photos of him returning to the film set.

That was the moment I finally couldn't take it anymore. I texted him demanding an explanation. But in the end, I never even received a reply.

Furious, I dug my heels in and gave him the silent treatment. Over the years, we'd had our share of minor tiffs and major arguments, but ultimately, we'd always reconcile.

I thought this time would be no different.

I never imagined this fight would end like this—in such a sickening and vile manner.

"The water still needs to boil for a bit."

Robert walked over, rubbed his hands together to warm them up, then placed them over my stomach, massaging gently. I tried to struggle, but his grip was firm.

I looked at him with a mocking smile.

"You said you want her to feel secure, but does she know what we're doing right now?"

Robert froze for a second, but his hands didn't stop moving.

"She's different from you. She loves me with all her heart. Even if she found out, she'd understand. And besides…" he paused, looking at me. "This is the last time. Consider it paying back what I owe you. Once your stomach feels better, I'll leave."

My heart felt as though it had been violently stabbed.

So, to him, I didn't love him enough. My desperate efforts to lift him up back then were nothing more than a debt he felt obligated to repay.

My emotions churned inside me, and another wave of pain twisted through my stomach. Cold sweat broke out across my forehead, alarming Robert.

"It's that bad?"

He stood, intending to take me to the hospital. But right at that moment, his phone rang. Almost instantly, he released his grip on me and answered the call.

The female voice that came through the line belonged to Hayley. Her tone was soft and sweet, and tinged with a bit of shyness.

"Robert, I can't sleep… I kind of miss you…"

"Okay," he said without a single shred of hesitation, his lips curling into a smile. "I'll come over right now."