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After I Left the A-List Actor, I Won an Oscar
NovelShort
Hoàn thành
It was an open secret among the industry elite: behind Best Actor Noah Henson stood a fiercely private, ace screenwriter named Rosalie Pruitt. She had custom-written five scripts for him, each one car...
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第1章
It was an open secret among the industry elite: behind Best Actor Noah Henson stood a fiercely private, ace screenwriter named Rosalie Pruitt.
She had custom-written five scripts for him, each one carrying him higher until he sat on a throne of his own.
Noah had once promised her that the moment he claimed his fifth Best Actor trophy, he would propose to her right there in the Golden Dragon Awards ceremony hall.
But on the night of the ceremony, he thanked everyone under the sun—especially Kate Sullivan, his first love, who was staging her comeback.
He never once mentioned Rosalie's name.
He even went backstage and personally shot down the proposal his manager had arranged.
"Noah, you've been putting this off for five years. Aren't you afraid that if you break your promise, Rosalie will actually leave you?"
Noah lit a cigarette, his expression half-hidden behind a veil of smoke.
"Kate's in the middle of her comeback. She needs the buzz. I can't announce a relationship right now and crush her confidence."
"And what about Rosalie? She's waited all this time for you."
"She doesn't need a title. She loves me that much. Even if I never marry her, she'll always be right behind me."
What he didn't know was that I had never been the type to cling to something that no longer served me.
The second I watched him tear up that proposal draft with his own hands, I quietly blocked him on everything.
Besides, the invitation from that acclaimed international director couldn't be put off any longer.
From here on out, the great Noah Henson could find someone else to write his scripts.
——
The air conditioning in the Golden Dragon Awards hall was cranked up high. I sat in the front row, tucked against the far edge.
Noah had specifically arranged this seat for me.
He'd said:
"Rosalie, tonight I'm taking home my fifth Best Actor trophy. I want you right there in the brightest spotlight when I propose, in front of everyone, so the whole world can congratulate you. You'll be the happiest woman alive."
For this, I'd commissioned a renowned designer to create the most expensive dress I'd ever owned in my career. I'd brought a hidden camera to capture the moment, along with a pair of matching rings I'd had custom-made.
Onstage, the presenter tore open the envelope.
"And the winner of this year's Golden Dragon Award for Best Actor is... Noah Henson! Congratulations!"
Applause crashed through the hall like a wave.
I watched Noah rise from his seat.
He looked extraordinary tonight—triumphant, electric.
The blue crystal-studded couture suit I had personally picked out for him brought his brooding, leading-man magnetism to its peak.
I squeezed the ring box in my palm without thinking, pressing my other hand against my chest to steady the wild hammering of my heart.
Five years. One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five days.
Any moment now, I would become his fiancée.
Onstage, Noah accepted the trophy and leaned toward the microphone, his proud gaze sweeping the entire venue.
I straightened in my seat, ready for our eyes to meet in that long-awaited, tender look.
But his gaze barely grazed my corner before drifting past.
As if he had never known me at all.
Then it landed.
On Kate Sullivan, seated front and center in the prime section, bathed in the brightest light in the room.
By some coincidence, she was also wearing a blue gown—a trailing number in almost the same shade as Noah's suit.
My stomach dropped.
Back in school, Noah had worshipped her like she was the moon itself—untouchable, luminous, the one that got away.
After graduation, he'd abandoned a stable career just to be closer to her, throwing himself into the entertainment industry.
If she hadn't married into a wealthy family, I would never have had the chance to get near him in the first place.
And now, after five years, she was back.
Noah hadn't breathed a single word of it to me.
"Thank you to the director, the judges, and my entire team."
Noah's voice pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts.
"And lastly, I want to give a special, personal thank-you to someone who stood by me through the hardest days of my life—someone who means more to me than I can say."
The way he drew out those words sent my heartbeat rocketing into my throat.
I discreetly smoothed my skirt and even started to lean forward, ready to receive the spotlight that was about to swing my way.
But what came out of his mouth next plunged me into ice.
第2章
"That person is Kate Sullivan!"
"Thank you for coming into my life. Every time I was on the verge of giving up, you gave me the courage to keep going."
The spotlight swung onto Kate.
She gasped, covering her mouth, her smile shy and radiant.
Noah's expression softened, his voice even softer.
"Welcome back, my shining star."
The audience erupted. Chants of "Get together!" rolled through the auditorium like a wave threatening to bring the house down.
Online, fans lost their minds, flooding the comments with "They're perfect for each other" and demanding to see them tie the knot.
I scrolled through the comments, then looked down at the ring box in my hand—the one I'd spent a year picking out. My nose stung.
For five years, I'd turned down every invitation from Chris, one of the top directors in the world, just to put Noah on that pedestal. I'd locked myself inside my eighty-square-foot study, crafting every role to fit him like a second skin, polishing each line word by word.
Once, I rewrote an emotional turning point for three days straight without sleep, just so one of his crying scenes would hit harder.
Everyone in the industry said Noah Henson was born lucky—that from the very start, he'd always landed scripts tailor-made for him. What they didn't know was that every soul-stirring performance that made audiences fall in love with him had been carved out of my own heart, piece by painstaking piece.
And now, at the crowning moment of his career, he'd erased the name of the person most responsible for getting him there.
Why?
He was the one who'd taken my hand first, told me to forget the past, and promised we'd build a new life together.
He was the one who'd promised to propose tonight—to make me the happiest woman alive.
I couldn't make sense of it.
When Noah and his manager, Marcus Dickerson, slipped away to the greenroom during a break, I dodged everyone and followed.
My hand had just touched the door handle.
But the voices inside reached me first.
"Noah, have you lost your mind?"
Marcus was barely keeping his anger in check.
"Three months ago, you said once you won the Golden Dragon, you'd marry Rosalie. We spent an entire month convincing the company. PR had the whole rollout mapped. The proposal, the ring—everything was ready to go."
"But up there on that stage, you didn't mention Rosalie once. Instead you brought up Kate. How do you think that makes her feel?"
A brief silence filled the room.
Noah took a drag of his cigarette, his expression half-hidden in shadow—cold and unreadable.
"Kate just went through a divorce. She's having a rough time."
"She overthinks things. If her comeback doesn't go well, she'll spiral."
"She came to me for help. All I did was throw her a bone—a little buzz, a little publicity. That's it."
Marcus stamped his foot in frustration.
"And what about Rosalie? Do you have any idea how much she's given for you over the years?"
"That new script, Gale Force—she spent a whole year on it. Every ounce of her went into that, all for you!"
"If you push her away and she leaves, then what? What are you going to do?"
Silence swallowed the room.
I stood outside the crack in the door, holding my breath, waiting for his answer.
Waiting for one reason—just one—to stay.
"She won't mind."
Noah's voice was so certain it sent a chill through me.
"She loves me. Even if I don't propose, she'll stay by my side."
My fingertips curled tighter, one knuckle at a time. My chest couldn't find air.
"Besides, she's not like Kate. She's tough. She'll understand."
As he spoke, he tore Marcus's proposal plan in half.
Then tossed it into the trash like garbage.
"The proposal can wait. Bringing it up now would steal Kate's spotlight."
The shredded paper caught the light, blindingly white.
I stood in the dim corridor.
For the first time, our five years together felt like a joke.
But he was right about one thing.
I did have a strong heart.
第3章
Strong enough for this moment.
I didn't push open the door. I didn't scream or demand answers.
Even though my eyes burned and the bridge of my nose ached with the effort of holding back, I didn't allow myself a single tear.
I just stood there, very quietly, and took out my phone.
Block.
Delete.
Clear all.
Over three thousand photos together, vanishing one by one before my eyes.
Just like the five years with Noah.
Fading from memory, bit by bit.
Only when there was nothing left on my phone connected to the name "Noah Henson" did I put it away and turn to leave.
I was almost at the exit when the overseas call from director Chris Hargrove came through again.
"Rosalie, have you thought about my offer? The screenwriter seat on Riptide has your name on it. But you'd need to leave tonight. We have an emergency workshop in London tomorrow."
Every time before, I'd said no.
This time, I said yes.
By the time I took my coat from the attendant at the door, I'd already booked a three a.m. red-eye to London.
When I sent Chris the confirmation, he let out a shriek of excitement.
"Fantastic! Rosalie, you're finally willing to leave that pretty-boy boyfriend of yours. I'll arrange everything you need."
"Including our finest London gentlemen."
That got a laugh out of me.
I was about to reply when my phone was snatched from my hand.
Noah's voice exploded from above my head.
"What London gentlemen?"
I didn't answer. I just grabbed my phone back.
Noah's attention shifted instantly. He ruffled my hair and grinned.
"What's wrong, still mad I didn't propose at the Golden Dragon Awards?"
"There were reasons for that."
He pulled me into a dim corridor, resting his chin on my shoulder, trying to explain.
"Kate and I aren't just classmates. When we were kids, she actually saved my—"
Before he could finish, his phone erupted with a shrill ringtone.
The name on the screen: Kate Sullivan.
The moment he picked up, his tone shifted to something urgent.
"Okay. Stay right there. I'm on my way."
He hung up and pressed a hurried kiss to the top of my head.
"Rosalie, some creep's been harassing Kate. I'll be right back. Wait for me at home and I'll explain everything, okay?"
If he'd cared about me even a fraction more, he would have seen the London flight confirmation on my phone screen.
But he didn't.
I watched his figure shrink down the corridor until it disappeared. My hand pressed against my chest, against the sharp, stuttering ache beneath my ribs.
Home?
Since when did we have a home?
I pulled out my phone and booked a moving company on the spot.
Once my things were out of his place and back in my own apartment, I could leave for London with nothing holding me back.
I was about to lock my screen when a cascade of trending notifications popped up, all about Noah and Kate.
[BREAKING: Romance rumors surface — Best Actor spotted escorting Kate Sullivan from venue late at night]
[HOT: Pair seen sharing a car, intimate gestures, possible kiss]
My thumb froze.
I tapped the link.
In the video, the lighting was dim. Noah was shielding Kate, guiding her quickly through the crowd. She was pressed against his chest, fingers clutching the front of his jacket. And he was leaning down, his lips about to brush her forehead.
Like a knight protecting his princess.
The comments section had already erupted.
[Is this the woman Best Actor Henson thanked onstage? She's gorgeous. They look perfect together.]
[They haven't even made it official yet and I'm already obsessed with this couple.]
[What about Rosalie Pruitt? Wasn't there a rumor she's his actual girlfriend?]
[Girlfriend? Please. She's a nobody. If Noah hadn't starred in her scripts, she'd still be wandering around in obscurity. As if she's anywhere near his league.]
第4章
Seconded. No way some screenwriter is prettier than Kate. A hottie like him deserves a real beauty.
I scoffed and liked every single one of those comments.
Back at the villa, I was directing the movers when Marcus called.
"Ms. Pruitt, I just saw what's trending. Let me explain before you get the wrong idea. Noah and Kate are just friends!"
I didn't respond to that. I just asked where Noah was.
He faltered, unsure how to answer.
I laughed.
"He's at the hospital with Kate, isn't he?"
A minute earlier, I'd already seen the video. Noah at her bedside, spoon-feeding her porridge.
Five years together, and even when I had a fever, he'd never once fed me like that.
Noah always said the same thing.
He was busy. He liked girls who were strong.
So I learned to sit through IV drips alone. Learned to take care of myself when I was burning up.
I tried not to be a burden.
But then Kate came back.
Suddenly he wasn't busy anymore. Suddenly it wasn't a hassle.
Marcus sounded even more uncomfortable, his explanation hollow.
"Yes, he's with Ms. Sullivan."
"But there's nothing intimate going on. There are other people in the room..."
"Save it. None of that matters to me anymore."
I looked around the villa, already half-empty, and spoke slowly, deliberately.
"Tell Noah. I'm done. We're over."
Marcus tried to say something else, but I'd already hung up.
When the last box was carried out, I stood in the doorway and looked back.
The closet, cleared out.
The desk, gone.
Even the mug I always used in the kitchen had been tossed into a box.
Four years of living here.
Turns out one night was all it took to erase every trace.
Before getting into the car, I pulled the ring from my bag. The one engraved with both our names.
I'd planned to give it to him tonight.
I looked at it for two seconds.
Then I dropped it into the trash can on the curb.
At the airport, my phone buzzed with a friend request from an unknown number.
The moment I accepted, a photo came through.
A woman's ring finger, a diamond glittering under the light, almost blinding.
Noah gave me this ring. Isn't it gorgeous?
I stared at it for two seconds. Then I smiled.
Kate Sullivan.
She really did know how to make a person sick.
I didn't bother replying. Blocked.
But there was no way I was swallowing this.
I immediately sent Marcus an email.
A full revocation of Noah's filming rights to Gale Force.
And, as sole copyright holder of the screenplay, a unilateral termination of all collaboration with Noah Henson's studio.
One second later, my phone exploded.
"Rosalie! Have you lost your mind?"
Marcus was practically shouting.
"What is this copyright revocation letter supposed to mean?"
"Noah just locked in the investors. They're set to start shooting next month! Do you have any idea how much money is riding on this script?"
"You pull the rights now, and you'll destroy him!"
My voice was flat.
"Destroy him?"
"Marcus, you've got it backwards."
"I wrote that script. I decide who gets it."
He went quiet for a beat, then softened his tone.
"But you two are a couple. You're supposed to spend your lives together. How can you stab him in the back like this?"
"I already explained. There's nothing between him and Kate. I can guarantee you, you're the only one Noah cares about."
"Three months ago, he told us he was going to propose—"
"Enough."
I rubbed my temples, exhaustion settling deep into my bones.
"His reasons don't matter."
"What matters is that he chose to throw me away."
第5章
"Then that means, in his heart, someone else matters more than I do."
Silence on the other end of the line.
I kept going.
"These past five years, do you think I haven't had better opportunities? More tempting offers that were harder to turn down?"
"But every single time, I chose him."
"I was willing to give things up. Why couldn't he follow through on his promises?"
I let out a quiet laugh.
"At the end of the day, I just wasn't worth it."
"So he doesn't deserve my love anymore, either."
"Marcus, stop pushing me. He and I are done."
"From now on, let someone else write his scripts."
Right then, the boarding announcement came over the speakers.
Marcus heard it, and his voice went tight with alarm.
"Rosalie, are you at the airport? Where are you going?"
I didn't want to answer. I moved to hang up.
But he seemed to anticipate it, calling out before I could.
"Don't hang up! Rosalie, don't hang up!"
"There has to be a misunderstanding between you and Noah. Just wait. Let me get him to talk to you himself!"
But before the phone could even be handed over, Noah's cold voice cut through.
"Didn't I say not to bother me unless it's life or death? Kate got a bad scare and just fell asleep. If she wakes up, it'll be impossible to get her back down."
Marcus said my name.
"It's Rosalie. She's at the airport right now. She says she wants to break—"
"Not even for Rosalie."
His voice turned weary.
"Tell her I'm dealing with something urgent. Whatever she needs, it can wait until I'm home."
Marcus tried to speak again, but Noah pushed him out the door.
"Marcus, Rosalie will understand. I'm exhausted. I just want to rest. Stop making things more complicated, alright?"
Through the phone came the sharp sound of a door slamming shut.
That sound hit me like a slap across the face, my cheeks burning.
So that was how little I mattered to Noah Henson.
The last shred of sadness in my heart evaporated.
All that remained was the sheer absurdity of it all.
Five years.
I had spent five years giving up better opportunities, again and again, for a man like that.
But not this time. I was done being a fool.
I whispered a quiet goodbye, powered off my phone, turned around, and walked toward the boarding gate.