The Comments Said He Loved Me But He Never Did Chapter 02
I wanted to surprise Zane. So I put on the fitted mermaid dress he loved. The plan was to wrap myself up as a gift for Zane, make this anniversary one to remember together, and finally help him feel more secure so he would agree to go public.
But to anyone who didn’t know the truth, I just looked like I was throwing myself at him.
I clutched the hem of my dress, mortified, and looked at Zane. Hoping he’d have my back.
He just smiled and tapped Nova on the nose.
“Nova’s right. She’s got a spare tire around her waist. In that dress, she looks like a tied-up pig. Just looking at her makes me sick. Unlike you—gorgeous and young.”
“Now get lost. Don’t ruin our meal.”
The room started spinning. The humiliation was crushing. For the first time, the thought of calling it quits crossed my mind. Then the live reaction posts snapped me back.
[Don’t be sad, sweetheart. This nobody just cursed at you. He’s even angrier than you are. Trust me. After tonight, she won’t have a career in this town.]
[She actually dared to talk trash about our girl? Tomorrow, her before-and-after plastic surgery photos are getting leaked. He’ll turn her into the ugly woman she described.]
[The truth is, he loves that dress on you. He’s just jealous that every other man in the restaurant saw you looking that good. That’s why he said all that. He wants you to only wear it for him from now on.]
[He brought her here to make you jealous. He wants to see you care. Once he’s done working, he’s going to come home and unwrap his gift himself. Tonight’s storyline is going to be R-rated. Can’t wait!]
The comments got spicier by the second. I bit my lip. My cheeks burned.
I tried hard to push down the ache in my chest and shake it off, grabbed my bag, and left the restaurant.
The next day, just like the posts promised, that actress’s before-and-after plastic surgery photos and bullying allegations from high school leaked. Zane himself put out a statement saying he would never share a film set with someone who behaves like that.
From then on, if she was on a film set, he wouldn’t be. She got blacklisted everywhere.
I thought that would be the end of it. I thought Zane would finally let it go.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
He started chasing fake relationships with other women, never getting tired of it. He would come to me with another woman’s lipstick on his collar and still try to get close. When I saw it, I went pale with disgust.
The posts said this was just his insecure way of testing me.
He would let other women sit in the back with him and shove me into the passenger seat.
He would go on camera and talk at length about his ideal type, making every single condition the opposite of who I was.
The posts still said he was just testing me.
So I swallowed it. Again and again.
Then Bianca Blake showed up.
And Zane’s behavior grew more and more unhinged.
He dropped a script I had nearly killed myself for—severe heartburn and stress-induced ulcers from weeks of networking over drinks, smiling at producers who treated me like dirt—and immediately signed onto a cheesy melodrama just to push Bianca into the leading role.
At his birthday party, a small gathering of close friends, someone asked how much longer until we finally make it official. Don’t forget to invite us to the wedding.
I remembered what the posts always said. I smiled and answered, “Soon.”
“Soon what? Eden, just because I haven’t mentioned breaking up with you doesn’t mean I’m agreeing to marry you.”
That voice. So familiar. It cut me off cold. The blood drained from my face. I turned and saw him walking into the private room, holding Bianca’s hand. She looked pure as fresh snow.
My friends also looked stunned. There’s an unspoken rule in this business. To the public, you can fake rumors with anyone and no one cares. But you don’t bring someone to meet your friends unless they’re the real deal.
And there I was, sitting to his right at his right hand. And now there was someone else at his side.
Willow West, the friend closest to me, frowned. Her tone turned sharp.
“Well, well, look who’s here, Mr. A-List. I think your friend here walked into the wrong room. There’s no seat for her at this table. The door’s right behind her. Feel free to let it hit you on the way out.”
Bianca bit her lip. Her eyes welled up instantly.
“Zane, it doesn’t seem like anyone wants me here. I should just go.”
But the second she turned, he grabbed her by the wrist and walked straight toward me. He didn’t even blink at how pale I’d gone and said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“I decide who has a seat at this table.”
“Eden. Get up.”
I dug my nails into my palms so hard I almost drew blood. My voice came out raw.
“What if I don’t?”
He scoffed.
“Then you can forget about me ever going public with you.”
I blinked. That’s when I realized my tears were already welling up. I couldn’t even make out the face of the man right in front of me—the one I had loved for eight years.
