He Went Public with Someone Else

Jane's POV

I stood by my boyfriend Andrew from when he was nobody all the way to winning Best Actor.

Before the Oscars, he promised me that win or lose, he'd announce our relationship. But after he won, the person he publicly declared his love for wasn't me, it was Caroline Hayes, his co-star.

...

Andrew and Caroline are still making out.

I stood there frozen, my hands shaking uncontrollably as the theatre got too hot and too loud.

Everyone around me was clapping and crying happy tears, and I couldn't breathe. On the screen they kept showing it on repeat, Andrew and Caroline kissing, Andrew and Caroline in love.

Nobody looked at me. Why would they? I was just staff, some assistant in a cheap seat.

I don't remember walking backstage.

"Oh my GOD!" A production assistant burst through the door, practically screaming. "Did you see that? Andrew and Caroline have been together for THREE YEARS!"

"I knew it!" someone else chimed in excitedly. "They have such chemistry!"

"That's real love right there."

I sat there staring at the screen, watching the same three years he'd been with me play out as someone else's love story.

My phone buzzed with a text from Andrew: Celebration party at Beverly Hills Club, 8pm. You arrange the details.

Not "are you okay." Not "we need to talk." Just orders, like always.

"Jane!" Someone grabbed my shoulder, and I looked up to see three excited faces staring at me. "You're Andrew's assistant, right? You must have known about him and Caroline this whole time!"

"Yeah, I knew."

"You're so good at keeping secrets! We've worked together for months and I had no idea!"

I wanted to tell her that I didn't know, that there was no secret to keep except me.

"You must be so happy for him," the girl said with a bright smile.

"So happy," I whispered.

The parking garage was cold and empty. I just needed to get out of here, to go home and fall apart where nobody could see me.

But my hands were shaking so badly that I couldn't get the key in the lock no matter how many times I tried.

"Jane!"

I froze at the sound of Eric's voice. Andrew's best friend was running toward me across the parking garage.

"Where are you going? The party's starting soon!"

"I don't feel well," I said, keeping my face turned away so he wouldn't see the tears. "I'm going home."

He grabbed my car door before I could open it. "Come on, Jane. Andrew needs you there, it's his biggest night."

"He has Caroline now."

"Don't be like that," Eric said, pulling the door open. "You're his assistant. You know all the details. Only you know that stuff."

"Jane, seriously." Eric took my arm and started pulling me toward his car. "Andrew just texted asking where you were. He's worried about you."

"He needs you there to make sure everything runs smoothly," Eric continued as I let him lead me away from my escape. "You know how these industry parties are, without you managing things, it's complete chaos."

My phone buzzed again with another message from Andrew: Where are you? Party starts in an hour. Make sure the champagne I like is there. And tell them no peanuts, Caroline's allergic.

Caroline's allergic to peanuts. He remembered that about her.

Did he remember anything about me beyond how good I was at my job?

"Come on," Eric said, his voice gentler now. "Just one night, okay? After this you can take a vacation or whatever you need. But tonight, Andrew needs you."

He needs me. That's what I'd been telling myself for three years, what I'd used to justify every broken promise.

Tonight he got his Oscar, and in front of millions of people watching around the world, he chose Caroline.

But I got in Eric's car anyway.

I followed Eric into the club.

Andrew was holding court in the middle of the room. Caroline stood next to him with her hand on his arm.

"Jane!" Linda grabbed my arm. "Finally. Did you confirm the champagne?"

"Yes."

"And the photographer?"

"Yes."

"Perfect." She patted my shoulder. "You're such a good girl."

I grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and found a corner to disappear into. People were laughing, clinking glasses, congratulating each other. Nobody even glanced my way.

"They're perfect together!" Some woman in a red dress practically shrieked at her friend.

I drank half my champagne in one go.

"Caroline's so supportive too," another woman said. "I heard she turned down three huge projects just to be there for his Oscar campaign."

Turned down projects. The champagne tasted bitter in my mouth. I'm the one who worked eighteen-hour days managing his life. I'm the one who held him when he had panic attacks before auditions, who read lines with him until 4 AM, who dealt with his mood swings and his insecurity and his endless fucking ego.

An hour passed. I sat at a table sipping champagne that tasted like nothing, watching Andrew and Caroline.

Then Caroline saw me.

She came over with Andrew trailing behind her.

"Jane!" She hugged me. "Thank you so much for taking care of Andrew all this time. These years must have been exhausting for you."

"Just my job."

"Still, we really appreciate everything." She looked up at Andrew. "Don't we, baby?"

Andrew barely looked at me. "Yeah. Thanks, Jane."

Caroline's eyes dropped to my hand, and something flashed across her face before the sweet smile came back.

"Oh my God, Jane, that ring is so cute! It looks handmade?" Her voice went up at the end. "Is there a story?"

My stomach went cold. I started to pull my hand back but she'd already reached for it.

"It's nothing."

"But can I see it? I love unique jewelry." She turned that sugary smile on Andrew. "Can I look, baby? Please?"

Andrew waved his hand. "It's just a ring. Let her look."

Just a ring.

Two years ago he spent all night making it. He kept messing up and his fingers were bleeding and he wouldn't give up. At 3 AM he finally got it right and put it on my finger and said, "This is my promise. A&J forever. When I win that Oscar, the whole world's going to know you're mine."

My hands were shaking when I pulled the ring off.