The Truths Behind the Life of Maeve Sun Lively

33

ME AND CAMERON WERE OUT in one of the most expensive restaurants around Beijing, and we were sharing what I knew tomorrow would be labeled on the tabloids as "The Most Romantic Dinner". Of course that'll be all they see, but that thought didn't exactly bother me.

Near us were eyes, cameras, people were snapping pictures and videos of us. It was obvious, but as the actor and actress we were, they didn't exist. I was smiling truly, because things were working, everything was falling into place as we had planned. The point was for them to take pictures of us, for them to talk, for them to post, share, do whatever, but I knew by tomorrow, or maybe by midnight, me and Cameron would be rumored as "lovers".

Cameron held his champagne glass up, I raised mine and clinked it against his. We had finished shooting that long Chinese drama and our conspiracy was just reaching toward the peak, so in some way, while this dinner date was sort of a part of that trickery to the eyes of the public, in some ways it was also a celebration.

"Cheers, to us."

"To us," I was in my favorite dress at the time, a short silver slip that made me glow. And in fact, I did glow that night. Or as what everyone these days would say, I always glowed.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're in fact quite beautiful?" He had a cheeky grin and even though what he said, I knew, was for those who were trying to eavesdrop, I pretended to blush. And frankly, I never really blushed.

I waved my damsel hand people expect a poor girl to wave when they are around what is defined as "strong" guys, blocking my face like I couldn't handle any compliment. But when I said this, quietly, I was me. "I don't need anyone to tell me that, I know it everyday."

He smiled. "Of course."

The carpet had been a maroon red, and we had a seat that was overlooking a wall of clear glass, city lights of Beijing in the night. It was endearingly beautiful, and when I drank my fancy glass of champagne and looked out at those tiny car lights that seemed to be hundreds of feet below us, I couldn't help but think that I was at the top. Both physically and career based too.

A waitress in a neatly dressed suit came upon us with two steaks, setting it down on our tables. He recognized us and gave us a childish grin, asking for an autograph before leaving.

It was a beautiful night, at one of the best restaurants in the city, I was in my favorite dress, my hair and makeup was nicely done, and in front of me was Cameron Li, one of the most well known actors around the nation. I myself was also starting to become a very famous actress around the country, and I was also starting to be one of the highest paid actresses around Beijing. I should have been so happy my heart could burst out, and yet when I dug my knife into my perfectly cooked steak, thinking; Mom, do you see me now? Mr. Wang, do you regret what you have let go, or kicked out of your grip? Do you bastards finally see me? I wasn't as happy as I thought I would be. They say money can't buy you happiness, and they're both right and wrong on that. It depends on what kinds of happiness you're really buying, and if we were going by that logic, then back then I would have told you that I bought myself the majority of happiness. I guess I was wrong.

Me and Cameron did some small talk and acting as people—pretending they aren't or sneaking around—snapped more pictures of us. It was all going so perfectly damn well when all that was just destroyed in a few singular moments. But in my memory, as I am telling you of it in this way, it felt like an eternity. And it did make me wonder if that was what hell would have been like, and that might as well have been my punishment for the things I have and would do.

He was in ragged clothing, his hair looked greasy, and he had a scowled smell that made me grimace. He was probably some kind of paparazzi and I didn't know who let him in, but the results all led to him ruining my night.