Everything We Have

Caleb and I were the internet's most popular couple creators. Over the past four years, we have traveled to dozens of cities and made countless viral videos. However, Caleb was the only one who ever appeared on camera. Instead, I stayed behind the scenes and did all the filming, editing, and planning the content. I was also the one who made every video go viral. Every day, people in the comments would guess. "What does Caleb's girlfriend look like?" "She must be someone beautiful and talented to win Caleb over." Initially, I had always thought Caleb was waiting for the right time to introduce me. It wasn't until one night when Caleb liked a comment. "I have a feeling that Caleb's girlfriend is Jessica. After all, they have way too many matching things." Soon, people found more proof of their relationship. A limited PR gift box sent to us appeared in Jessica's vlog. The matching mugs I picked showed up at her place. Even the jacket Caleb only wore at home could be seen hanging on a chair in the background of her video. Chapter 1 The Girlfriend Behind the Camera As I held up my phone and confronted him, Caleb only frowned and said, "Jessica's been pampered her whole life. She can't handle a normal job, so being a content creator suits her well. I'm just helping her get some views. Don't be so sensitive." Although he made it sound reasonable, I understood exactly what he meant. He wanted to use the account I had built with years of hard work to boost Jessica's popularity. I didn't argue back. Instead, I turned on the camera and recorded the first and only video of myself ever appearing on this account. … After I finished recording, I scheduled it to automatically post after three days. Three days from now would be our fifth anniversary together. It was also the fourth anniversary of this account. Four years ago, the very first video we casually uploaded went viral overnight. At that time, Caleb spun me around in our rented apartment and was grinning like he had won the lottery. "When we hit 50,000 followers, you'll be on camera with me. I'll show everyone how beautiful and talented my girlfriend is." Later, 50,000 became 500,000. Then, 500,000 became nearly two million. However, he never mentioned putting me on camera again. The front door swung open just as I set the camera aside. Caleb walked in while carrying the smell of freshly stir-fried ginger and scallions. When I smelled that, I immediately knew that he had been over at Jessica's place again. Half a month ago, someone had mocked Jessica for gaining weight at an event. Since then, she had insisted on losing weight. Caleb volunteered to cook healthy meals for her every day since he was afraid that she would not eat well. Ever since then, he would make her three meals a day no matter what. Meanwhile, I was left eating cold takeout after pulling two all-nighters to edit their videos. Caleb walked straight into the bathroom. A few minutes later, the shower stopped. As he came out, he asked while drying his hair, "I saw you setting up the camera. What were you filming?" As he spoke, he picked up his phone, and his eyes were glued to the screen. I told him honestly that I was filming a video of myself. He didn't look surprised and simply hummed in response. When I saw his reaction, I knew that he hadn't really heard what I had just said. As his fingers moved quickly across the screen, the smile on his face grew wider. Seeing this, I switched to my alternate account and opened Jessica's fan group. Caleb had created this account when Jessica first became a content creator. He worried she wouldn't have any supporters, so he made several fake fan accounts to cheer her on. He had made so many accounts that he had forgotten about them. One of them ended up in my hands, but he never noticed. The group chat was lively. Caleb had used his personal account to send out several money packets. "Thanks for supporting Jessica. Please continue to support her." His words sounded like he belonged by her side. The chat instantly started to fawn over it. "Caleb spoils her so much!" "It's nice to watch a real couple supporting each other!" "Caleb, you're way too in love!" I claimed two of the money packets before quietly leaving the chat. For some reason, my eyes stung. Six months ago, someone had taken a picture of Caleb and me from behind. At that time, people guessed I was the girlfriend behind his camera. However, Caleb never responded to any of these comments, so most people soon assumed that I was doing this just for fame and accused me of trying to steal someone else's boyfriend. I asked him to clear things up, but he refused and said that some of our followers were his fangirls. "They can keep living in their fantasies as long as you stay behind the camera. Going public right now wouldn't help our account." Yet, he had no problem openly supporting Jessica and helping her build her career right now. As I thought about it, I closed my eyes to force back the tears and headed toward the bedroom. Just as my hand touched the doorknob, Caleb called my name. "Melanie." I stopped. For the first time that evening, he finally looked up from his phone and asked, "Where is my chamomile tea?" I would make chamomile tea for Caleb every single day since I was worried that staying up late would make him look tired on camera. I spent weeks researching recipes and adjusting the ingredients until I found the perfect one. It wasn't difficult to make. I even tried to teach him once. Back then, I was busy editing and hadn't even had time to eat, so I asked him to make it himself. However, he glanced at the recipe and frowned as he said, "I can't do it. It's too complicated." Hence, I would always squeeze out another 30 minutes to make it for him no matter how busy I was. Still, it was ironic that he had no trouble learning Jessica's weight-loss meals, even measuring them down to the last gram. Yet, he couldn't learn how to brew one cup of chamomile tea. "I think you've got a talent for cooking," I said calmly. "From now on, you should make it yourself." As my words fell, silence filled the room. Then, Caleb's voice turned cold as he said, "What are you throwing a tantrum for? Jessica needs to stay slim because she's on camera. That's why I cook for her. You don't even appear on camera, so you can eat whatever you want." When I heard his words, my fingers balled into a fist. After all, he was the one who refused to allow me to appear on camera rather than me being unwilling to show my face. However, I knew that saying this now wouldn't change anything. Thus, I pushed open the bedroom door and shut it behind me. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, someone suddenly grabbed my wrist. The next second, I was yanked violently off the bed. Chapter 2 A Script Meant for Someone Else Caleb stood beside the bed. His face was still cold, but his voice was full of urgency. "I just thought of a great idea. I'll secretly learn how to make the chamomile tea you brew for me every day and then surprise you by making it for you. The contrast will be perfect. People will love it." He was gripping my wrist so tightly that it hurt, causing the last bit of sleepiness in me to disappear. Caleb had always been good at coming up with ideas. I had to admit that some of them were interesting, but most were nothing more than ordinary moments. I was the one who stayed up all night choosing the background music, timing every cut, and creating the twists. I was the one who built the audiences' emotions, turning an ordinary clip into something people couldn't stop watching. All Caleb had to do was pitch the idea and show his face while I was the one losing sleep because I had to edit the videos. I rubbed my temples and replied, "This isn't something new. Let's not film it." Caleb frowned and said, "Melanie, don't let your emotions affect work." At that moment, I froze. After four years of being a couple, I still wasn't used to him calling our life together "work". At that moment, I wondered if that meant his hugs, his smiles, and even the way he comforted me were all part of the job. I had no argument against that. So, I pushed myself off the bed and grabbed the camera. The moment I started recording, Caleb changed completely. He held the cup of tea, looked at me with gentle eyes, and said, "You've always taken good care of me. From now on, let me take care of you." I hadn't seen that look in real life for a very long time. When we finally finished filming, I couldn't stop yawning. Caleb only glanced at the footage and ordered, "Edit it as soon as possible. Let's post it early." Then, he picked up the remaining cup of chamomile tea and headed for the door. "Where are you going this late?" I asked subconsciously. He didn't even turn around as he answered, "I'm taking it to Jessica to let her try it." Jessica lived in the same apartment building as us, just on a different floor. It was Caleb who personally helped her choose the apartment. "If anything happens, I can get to her right away." There was always something happening with Jessica. It was either a broken pipe, a power outage, or a fever in the middle of the night. Sometimes, it was nothing more than a nightmare or her getting scared while watching a movie. Sure enough, Jessica posted a new update in less than half an hour. It was a series of photos, obviously taken from a boyfriend's point of view. She wore a loose nightgown while holding a cup of chamomile tea and smiling brightly. The caption read, "He said he would take care of me from now on." Only then did I realize that those words Caleb had spoken in front of the camera weren't for our video at all. Instead, they were meant to match Jessica's post. It was his way to make everyone believe that Jessica was the girlfriend hidden behind his camera. I felt like crying. My fingers trembled as I deleted the footage we'd just filmed. However, Jessica's photos refused to leave my mind even after I curled myself up in bed. Whenever Caleb took pictures of me, the angles were always awkward. The pictures would either be tainted by bad lighting, or he couldn't even focus the camera on me properly. If I ever voiced even the slightest hint of complaint, he would grow impatient with me and say, "I'm bad at taking pictures. Why don't you hire a photographer? It won't cost much." Yet, every photo he took of Jessica was stunning. It figured that the camera never lies. Those who loved you would capture the most beautiful moments of you. I barely slept that night. When I woke up the next morning, my phone was flooded with notifications. Jessica's photos had gone viral. The trending topic had a "popular" tag beside it. Everyone was calling them sweet and said that this was what a real couple looked like. I scrolled numbly through the comments until another trending topic caught my eye. "Caleb And Jessica Reportedly Engaged." My fingers froze. As I tapped into it, I noticed the ring on Jessica's middle finger in the photos where she was holding the cup of chamomile tea. Chapter 3 The Ring That Was Never Mine I immediately recognized the ring to be the featured design from a jewelry brand that had approached me for a sponsorship not long ago. Each person could customize only one with their ID. They said they would pay 500,000 for advertising. At that time, I had wanted to accept it. However, I wasn't doing it for the money. Instead, it was because Caleb and I had been together for five years. I thought it was finally time for our relationship to move forward. However, Caleb turned it down. "How can I use a sponsored ring for a proposal? Mel, trust me. One day, I'll buy you an even more beautiful one." Yet, the same ring he said shouldn't be used for a proposal was on Jessica's finger. I opened my WhatsApp and searched for the brand company's contact information. "Did Caleb accept your campaign?" They replied almost immediately, "Yes, but he wanted to post it on his girlfriend's personal account. Since it has far fewer followers than the main account, the sponsorship fee was reduced to 100,000. Still, the campaign performed really well. It's already trending." The words were blurry through my tears. I gripped my phone tightly and suddenly found it hard to breathe. Even if it was an advertisement, the ring still had to be customized using Caleb's ID. This could only mean that he had used his one and only chance to customize that ring for Jessica. Before I could wipe away my tears, the bedroom door opened, and Caleb walked in. When he noticed my tears, he glanced at the trending topic on my phone. He paused for a second before saying, "It's just a trending topic about Jessica and me. Is that really worth crying over?" He pulled a few tissues from the box and held them out to me. "Come on, stop crying. You're a girl. Help me pick a gift for Jessica. She gained over 100,000 followers this time, so we should celebrate." I didn't take the tissues, but Caleb didn't seem to care as he lowered his head and scrolled through his phone. There was a handbag that was worth over 50,000 dollars, a trendy four-leaf clover bracelet, and a camera worth more than 30,000 dollars. It was obvious he had done his homework since everything he picked suited Jessica perfectly. However, he would forget every single one of my birthdays or our anniversaries. Whenever I got upset about it, he would simply wrap his arms around me and smile. "We're together every day. Our work and our lives are completely intertwined. Any regular day can be an anniversary for us." Caleb held the phone closer and asked, "Which one do you think she should get?" "Anything." When he heard my response, his face darkened instantly. "Melanie, why can't you just be happy for someone else? Jessica finally has some success, yet you have to act so petty." In that split second, I felt a lump rise in my throat. He seemed to have forgotten that when he first told me that Jessica wanted to become a content creator, I was the one who taught her everything. I taught her how to edit videos, how to write titles, how to find good content ideas, and how to keep viewers watching. Yet, this was how they repaid me in the end. Caleb looked through the list for a while before giving up. "Forget it. I'll buy them all." The moment he finished speaking, my phone buzzed. It was a notification from our shared account telling me that 160,000 dollars were being deducted from it. It had been my mother's birthday not long ago. When I accidentally used that same card to transfer her 5,200 dollars, Caleb had complained about it for three days straight. "Melanie, this account is our house fund. We can't spend money so carelessly." I was about to ask him why he could use the same account when the front door unlocked. His mother, Bethany, walked in while carrying several shopping bags with a huge smile on her face. Chapter 4 He Chose Her Over Me Caleb didn't look surprised at all as he walked over to greet Bethany. Bethany was all smiles as she said, "Today, I'm teaching you how to make Jessica's favorite baked cheese prawns and garlic noodles crabmeat. She has finally made a name for herself. We have to celebrate." Then, she lifted the gift box in her hand as she continued, "I even bought her a pair of gold bracelets this morning." The two of them chatted happily. They acted as if I didn't exist from start to finish. I stood there silently for a moment before returning to the bedroom. Initially, I had genuinely wanted to get along with Bethany. The first time we met, I carefully prepared many gifts for her. Alas, she remained distant. Even the welcome gift she gave me was a secondhand handbag with frayed corners. Back then, I thought she'd simply been too rushed to get me a gift. Only now did I understand that she just didn't care about me at all. That night, Jessica came over. Through the door, I heard her ask with a smile, "Isn't Melanie joining us for dinner?" A moment later, Caleb knocked on my door. When I opened it, I saw a table full of seafood. Every single dish on the table was Jessica's favorite, but it was also something I had told Caleb countless times I was severely allergic to. I lowered my eyes and said, "I'm not hungry, so I'll pass." After I closed the door, I quietly started packing my things. I heard muffled laughter drift in from outside my room. Bethany praised Jessica for being thoughtful while Caleb peeled the crab for her. Jessica sweetly thanked both of them. The three of them looked like a real family. The next day, Caleb was already gone. My phone rang just as I finished packing the last of my luggage and was about to leave this place behind. It was Caleb. "Where are you? I'm filming an ad and forgot the spare battery for my wireless mic. Bring it over now." I glanced at the suitcase by my feet. I wanted to tell him no, but I had spent half a month securing this campaign. I was the one who handled the contract, the script, and the entire production schedule. So, I didn't want the client to suffer because of Caleb. In the end, I found the battery and took a taxi to the studio. When I arrived, I realized Jessica was also there. She sat beside Caleb with his jacket draped over her, and the staff naturally called her Caleb's girlfriend. As for me, everyone treated me like an assistant and ordered me around all day. I didn't explain anything. Instead, I stood quietly in the corner and waited for filming to finish after handing Caleb his precious battery. Near the end of the shoot, I soon realized I wasn't needed anymore and turned to leave. Suddenly, the fire alarm blared. People screamed and rushed toward the exits. Before I could react, I saw Caleb pull Jessica into his arms and run straight for the emergency exit with her without looking back once. Five minutes later, the alarm was declared a false alarm as someone had triggered it by mistake. When Caleb returned to the studio, he saw me pressed against the wall. My hair was a mess, and my clothes were wrinkled. There were also several dirty footprints covering my shoes. A trace of guilt flashed across his face. "Why didn't you run faster?" he asked. I said nothing. I had always known he cared more about Jessica, but seeing my own boyfriend choose another woman when it mattered most still hurt more than I could describe. I turned to leave. Caleb suddenly remembered something and casually called after me. "Oh, right. Why haven't you posted the video we filmed a few days ago? Jessica has almost 500,000 followers. If you post it today, it'll give her the perfect boost." My hand instinctively pressed against my chest. There wasn't a wound there, yet it hurt so much I could barely breathe. Still, I used the last bit of strength I had and answered calmly, "It'll go live at noon." Only then did Caleb look satisfied and immediately turned back to ask Jessica what she wanted for lunch. By the time he remembered to tell me to take a taxi home, I was already gone. Caleb and Jessica were already refreshing the account's homepage at exactly noon. They were waiting for the new video to go live, and waiting for Jessica's followers to break 500,000. The upload notification appeared right on schedule, and Caleb clicked it immediately. However, the screen didn't show him gently holding a cup of chamomile tea. Instead, it showed me sitting quietly in front of the camera. I was looking straight into the lens as I said, "Hello, everyone. I'm the other owner of this account, as well as Caleb's girlfriend of five years. My name is Melanie Houston."