Chapter 2: This Will Be the Last Thing I Ever Do for You

Vivian's POV

I held his jacket in my trembling hands, that red lipstick stain burning into my vision.

"Amy Williams." My voice came out barely a whisper, but every word was clear. "That Amy. Who is she?"

Rick's whole face changed. Like someone flipped a switch. His eyes lit up, his back straightened, and suddenly his hands were moving all over the place.

"Amy? You mean Amy Williams? Babe, she's incredible. Oscar-nominated, you know? Her performance in 'Midnight Rain' was just... wow."

I gripped the jacket tighter, my fingers tracing that red smear on the collar. He was glowing. Actually fucking glowing talking about her.

"And her Netflix thing? It's gonna be huge. She's got this raw talent that just pulls you in, you know? When she's on set, everyone stops what they're doing to watch. There's something about her that's just... magnetic."

I watched my husband get completely lost talking about another woman. Right in front of me. On our anniversary. While I held his jacket with her lipstick on it. Each word felt like a knife twisting deeper.

"I heard you left the party together."

Rick's mouth snapped shut. His face froze for a second before he forced that smile I knew so well.

"Together? Oh, that. Vivian, baby, it's not like that. We just happened to leave at the same time. There were like fifteen other people in the parking lot. David Chen was there, Sarah from Universal, that new A24 guy..."

His hand went to the back of his neck. I knew that move. He only did it when he was nervous. When he was lying.

"You know how these things go. Everyone networks, everyone chats. Amy said she was heading to Craig's for dinner with some investors, and I figured... good networking opportunity."

Every detail he threw at me, every name he dropped, every word that spilled out just made it worse. The more he explained, the more sure I became that everything I suspected was true.

He took the jacket from me and gently pushed my shoulder. "Babe, you're burning up. Go take a hot shower before this turns into pneumonia. I'll make you some tea."

I let him guide me toward the stairs while my mind screamed and my body moved on autopilot.

By 2 AM, Rick was dead asleep beside me, breathing deep and steady. I stared at the ceiling, my fever making everything feel like a bad dream. My thoughts were spinning in circles. What if he was telling the truth? What if I was just being paranoid? But the lipstick, the perfume, the way he lit up talking about her. If he didn't love me anymore, why not just say so? I was just his assistant. Divorce would be easy for him. Why keep lying to my face? The questions ate at me until exhaustion finally dragged me under around 6 AM.

I woke up to an empty bed and sunlight. The pillow still held Rick's warmth, but he was gone. My head felt like someone was beating it with a hammer. I stumbled to the kitchen, dry-swallowed two Tylenol, and forced down some toast. Everything felt like I was moving underwater.

My phone buzzed.

Rick: "Forgot my lucky watch at home. The Rolex on the nightstand. Can you bring it to set? Stage 7, Paramount. Thanks babe. ❤️"

Lucky watch? I dragged myself back to the bedroom. The watch was there, shining on the nightstand. But Rick had never called it that before. He always said it was his "investment piece." Something felt wrong, but I was too sick and too emotionally wrecked to figure out what.

The drive to Paramount felt endless. Every red light stretched forever. My fever made everything shimmer and blur at the edges.

Stage 7 was buzzing with activity. Through the glass walls, I could see the filming setup inside. And there was Rick, standing so close to Amy Williams their bodies were practically touching. She had her hand on his arm, stroking it while she whispered something in his ear.

They looked like lovers. Like a real couple. And me? I looked like the outsider who didn't belong.

Amy leaned closer to Rick's ear, her lips almost brushing his skin. He turned his head toward the glass, toward me, and his face went from intimate to panicked in half a second. He quickly stepped away from her.

"Vivian?" Rick's voice was sharp when he reached me. "What the hell are you doing here? You should be home in bed!"

He'd never talked to me like that before. Not with concern or worry, but with anger and accusation.

"Is that concern or are you pissed I showed up?"

Rick blinked, like he just realized how he sounded. "I... of course I'm concerned. You..."

"Don't. You asked me to bring your watch, remember?"

"What? I never asked you to... I didn't send any..."

His voice died as I looked past him at Amy. She was standing there with this satisfied smirk, holding a phone in her hand. Rick's phone.

Rick followed my gaze and saw Amy with his device. His face went through about five different emotions at once.

"Amy, that was... that was just a joke, right? You were just messing around?"

Amy laughed, this light musical sound that made my skin crawl. "Oh come on, Rick. I thought it would be fun to have Vivian visit the set. Don't be so uptight!"

"Actually, since Vivian's here..." Amy's voice got all sweet and innocent. "I'm not feeling great today. Maybe she could do the wire work scene for me?"

"Amy, that's not necessary. Vivian's sick."

"But she's already here! And she used to do stunt stuff in film school, right? Come on, Rick, it's just one scene."

I watched Amy's little performance, watched Rick hesitate, and suddenly everything clicked. My husband was completely wrapped around this woman's finger.

"I'll do it."

"Vivian, no. You don't have to..."

"I said I'll do it." I looked straight into Rick's eyes. "This will be the last thing I ever do for you. After this, I've got something to tell you."

Rick's face went white. He knew that tone. He knew what it meant.

"Don't... don't say anything you'll regret. Let's just get you to a doctor after this, okay? You're not thinking straight."

Twenty minutes later, I was strapped into the wire harness. Despite my fever and dizziness, my movements were professional. Film school hadn't been a complete waste.

"You sure about this? We can wait for the stunt double..."

"I'm fine. Let's get this over with."

As the crew lifted me into the air, Rick stepped forward instinctively, worry all over his face. "Careful with the..."

He reached out, trying to help or adjust something, but that movement threw off the wire system's balance. I swung wild, lost control, and slammed hard into the backdrop wall before hitting the concrete floor.

"Cut! Cut! Someone call the medic!"

I lay on the floor, the world spinning around me. My head was ringing, begging me to just close my eyes and sleep.

Rick ran toward me, started to kneel down to check if I was okay, but then a scream cut through the air behind him.

"Oh my God! I think... I think I'm gonna faint!"

Rick stopped. He looked down at me lying on the ground, then back at Amy swaying dramatically.

In that moment, Rick bit his lip, stood up, and walked toward Amy.

"Amy! You okay? Here, sit down..."

This was how it ended. Not in a courtroom or a screaming match, but right here. When I needed him most, he chose her.

As I watched Rick's back disappear with Amy in his arms, darkness closed in around me.