I collapsed on the couch, my mind in a fog. I couldn't even muster the strength to lift a finger.
That evening, Owen rushed over. "Lucia, I'm so sorry I'm late. Don't worry, I've had all those videos taken down from the internet."
"Don't go out for a while," he added. "Just stay at home."
I grabbed his hand and pleaded softly, "Owen, can we go public with our relationship?"
His fingers noticeably stiffened. "Lucia, if we reveal our relationship, I'll lose tons of fans. My career will be over.
"Don't you remember how hard these years have been for me? I've been chewed out by the directors countless times. I've had to keep quiet even when I was injured. No one on set ever cared about me.
"The internet has a short memory. They'll forget about this soon. Lucia, please bear with it a little longer, for my sake. Okay?"
Every word he said stabbed at my heart. But seeing his reddened eyes, I nodded.
"Okay."
After I fell asleep, I had a dream.
In the dream, I was the ill-fated first love who died young in a romance novel. Owen and Renee were the main characters. They supported each other, rising from nobodies to top celebrities, hailed as the model couple.