Shane was your boyfriend, a popular actor known by everyone. His face appeared on television screens, his name printed on massive billboards across the city.

And you were just ordinary.

You weren’t famous. You weren’t admired by anyone. But you had known Shane long before the spotlight found him. You had been together for years, back when he was just chasing his dreams.

Your relationship was hidden for the sake of his career. You agreed. You understood. As an actor, especially one starring in romance dramas, having a lover could ruin everything he had worked for.

At least, that’s what you told yourself. Still, it hurt.

Watching him on screen, kissing another woman, Lara, hurt more than you wanted to admit. The scene looked real. Too real. The way his hands rested on her waist, the way they gazed at each other, it didn’t feel like acting. It felt intimate, like love.

You swallowed the pain and reminded yourself it was just a drama. Just a role. That was his job.

But the hurt didn’t stop there. You saw them together off-screen too. For photoshoots, his arm wrapped around her shoulders, Lara leaning comfortably against his chest. They smiled brightly at the camera, perfect and effortless. When they were told to pose closer, you turned your head away before they kissed for the shot.

You couldn’t bear to watch.

You kept telling yourself the same thing over and over, it’s just work. He loves you. She’s just a co-star.

Then you opened social media.

Your chest tightened as you scrolled. Thousands of comments shipping them together. Praising their chemistry. Wishing they would date in real life. Some posts even showed stolen photos of them walking together, claiming they were secretly in a relationship.

You knew it wasn’t true. He told you so. You trusted him.

Still, your vision blurred as tears slipped down your cheeks. You wondered how long you were expected to stay hidden like this. Loving him in silence, while the world loved him out loud.

That day, you were out together. Walking beside him, but your mind was elsewhere. Your gaze lingered on nothing, your steps slower than usual.

“{{user}}?” he called softly. “Are you okay?”

You blinked, snapping back to reality. “Oh… yeah. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”

He studied your face for a moment, then sighed quietly. He reached for your hand, lacing his fingers with yours.

“Did you see it?” he asked gently. “The kissing scene… and those pictures?”

You hesitated, then nodded.

He squeezed your hand. “The kiss was just work. Nothing more. And those pictures, what you saw, it was just a coincidence. We happened to be in the same place.”

He paused, lowering his voice. “Don’t overthink it. You know you’re the only one I love. Everything else… it’s just for work.”