Chapter 2

Cynthia quietly turned off her phone without replying to the message. A month ago, her biological mother, Linda, had found her. Linda claimed Cynthia was her daughter and wanted her to move to New York with her. But Cynthia refused. At the time, she only wanted to stay here, where Gavin loved her, and Patrick, the person she loved most, was. But now, the person she loved and the one who loved her had both fallen for someone else. Cynthia hesitated. Yet, when she remembered it was her mother who had abandoned her, she felt no desire to go to New York. When she returned home, a program was playing on the TV. The screen showed Luna accepting an award—a moment that should have been Cynthia's, but Patrick had given it to Luna instead. On the show, the host asked, "Luna, many people online often compare you to Cynthia. What's your take on that?" Luna, holding the "Best Song of the Year" trophy, smiled radiantly. "Cynthia is luckier than I am, but I'm more talented." Hearing this, Cynthia frowned slightly. Lucky? It was true that Patrick and Gavin had been good to her in the past, providing her with resources and support. But Cynthia's success wasn't solely due to them. She had talent and had worked tirelessly, practicing and composing day and night, sacrificing so much to achieve what she had. Yet, according to Luna, it all boiled down to luck. Gavin, seeing her expression, said, "Cynthia, don't overthink it. Luna is straightforward; she didn't mean it that way. Besides, she's not wrong—you're living a life better than most. Isn't that lucky?" Looking at Gavin, who was defending Luna, Cynthia felt a pang of unfamiliarity. Her lips moved slightly before she asked coldly, "Did Luna really earn that trophy through her own effort?" The words silenced Gavin. Cynthia's heart ached. She knew the trophy was something Gavin had secretly arranged for Luna to win. Without saying another word, she returned to her room. Moments later, her phone rang—it was Patrick. "Cynthia, I'm hosting a celebration tonight for Luna's award. You and Gavin should come." Cynthia's grip on the phone tightened. "I'm not available tonight. I won't go." Patrick's low, warm voice came through the line. "Cynthia, be good. You've always been so considerate. Don't make this hard for me, alright?" Cynthia knew this must have been Luna's idea. She couldn't help but think back to how she and Patrick first met. Back then, she had just started college and was an unknown figure in the music world. She met Patrick at a party. Later, Patrick showered her with resources, treated her exceptionally well, and elevated her to stardom. Remembering all this, Cynthia eventually agreed. "Okay." By agreeing to this, she felt she would owe Patrick nothing more. At 8 p.m., in the most luxurious hotel, Gavin and Cynthia arrived together and stepped into the banquet hall. The moment Luna saw them, she warmly approached. "Gavin, Cynthia, you're here! Please, take a seat." She then picked up a delicate brownie cake from the table. "Cynthia, try this! Mr. Patrick specially invited a world-renowned pastry chef to make it. It's delicious." Cynthia looked at the cake and furrowed her brows. She was allergic to gluten and couldn't eat pastries. "No, thank you. I'm not hungry." "Cynthia, are you watching your figure? You're already so slim. Just try a piece." Luna pushed the cake closer to Cynthia. "I said, I'm not hungry," Cynthia replied coldly. The words left Luna stunned. Her eyes reddened slightly as she silently withdrew the cake. Seeing Luna's hurt expression, Patrick's face darkened with displeasure. "Cynthia, even if you don't like Luna, you shouldn't embarrass her in a setting like this." Beside him, Gavin also gave her a look of reproach. "You're being unreasonable." Cynthia felt her mind buzz. They had both forgotten about her gluten allergy—something they used to be so careful about, ensuring she avoided anything that could trigger it. Watching the two people closest to her walk away with Luna, Cynthia's heart ached unbearably. She quietly left the banquet hall and got into a car to leave. On the way, her manager called. "Cynthia, bad news! Several of your resources and events have been reassigned to Luna..." Cynthia knew this was Patrick and Gavin's way of appeasing Luna after tonight's incident. But it didn't matter anymore. She was planning to leave the industry anyway. Let Luna have it all. "It's fine. I don't need them," she replied calmly. She didn't need the resources anymore. She didn't need Gavin or Patrick either. They could all go to Luna.