Blocked, Loved, Left Behind / Chapter 2: A Nobody in the Spotlight
Blocked, Loved, Left Behind

Blocked, Loved, Left Behind

Author: Emily Murphy

Chapter 2: A Nobody in the Spotlight

← Prev
Next →

After my comeback, I landed a lead in a top-tier period romance for Netflix. I sat in the trailer, reading the script, thinking: What was I so proud of before? The trailer smelled like coffee and hairspray. I flipped through the script, highlighter in hand, trying to focus. Outside, crew members shouted over the roar of generators. I wondered if I’d ever really belonged anywhere.

Back then, I always refused to ask Lucas for help or connections. Even when I was just doing walk-ons and running from set to set, I never thought to ask him for anything. Pride was my armor, but it got heavy after a while.

I used to fantasize that if I ever made it big, maybe his family would finally accept me. It was a foolish dream, but it kept me going—one more thing to chase.

But I forgot—families like his only ever see me as an actress. No matter how high I climb, I’m still just that girl on TV to them.

To them, I was a passing phase—a story to gossip about over brunch. I could win awards, grace magazine covers, but I’d never be one of them. Not really.

A real nobody with fake pride. The words echoed, hollow and sharp.

The words tasted bitter, but I swallowed them. Maybe it was time to stop pretending. Maybe it was time to let go.

The first snow in Maple Heights came early that year. I sat under the set canopy, hugging a hand warmer, reading my script. Snowflakes drifted past the floodlights, melting on my coat. I pulled my scarf tighter, letting the cold wake me up.

Suddenly, Dana gasped. “Autumn, look over there!” She sounded breathless, almost giddy. I followed her gaze, heart skipping.

I looked up. Lucas, dressed in a black wool coat, was walking toward me through the snow. For a second, it was like we were the only two people in the world. The noise of the set faded away.

When I saw him, I tucked away the cold and pasted on surprise, then got up and ran to him. My boots crunched on the snow as I hurried over, cheeks flushed with cold and something else.

He smiled, spreading his arms and pulling me into a hug. His embrace was warm, grounding. I let myself melt into it for a moment, breathing him in, letting the world fade away.

I looked up, softening my voice. “Didn’t you say you’d be back tomorrow?” My fingers played with the lapel of his coat, searching his eyes for answers he wouldn’t give.

He brushed the snow from my hair, then kissed the corner of my mouth. “Wanted to surprise you.” His lips were cold, but his smile was real. I almost believed in us again.

I just smiled, not saying anything. Words felt useless. I tucked my hands into my pockets, watching his breath cloud in the air.

“I’m taking you out tonight.”

I stepped out of his arms. “But I usually shoot until after midnight, and with this snow, every crew is—” I trailed off, knowing it wouldn’t matter. He never took no for an answer.

Before I could finish, he pinched my cheek. “Already talked to the director.” His grin was cocky, a little boyish. I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help smiling back.

For a second, I was speechless, mouth open. Then I just smiled and nodded. “Okay, whatever you say.” I surrendered, holding up my hands in mock defeat.

← Prev
Next →

You may also like

Left Behind for His First Love
Left Behind for His First Love
4.7
Caleb promised me forever, but when success called, he took our son and his first love—leaving me with nothing but broken vows and a silent house. In my last life, I waited years for a family that never came back; this time, I’ll walk away before they can shut the door on me again. He chose ambition and another woman—now I choose myself, no matter how much it hurts.
I Loved Him—But He Let Me Go
I Loved Him—But He Let Me Go
4.9
He told me to move on—so I did. Ten years of loving Autumn Sullivan ended in a single rainy night in Chicago, when Lila Sawyer finally realized she was just a backup plan for the boy she’d loved since childhood. But as she struggles to let go, a new presence—Dr. Morgan, her quietly protective tutor—steps out from the shadows, offering the kind of steadfast affection she’s never known. Now, caught between the ghost of a first love and the promise of something real, Lila must find the courage to claim her own happiness. When old wounds collide with new beginnings, can she finally leave the past behind—or will heartbreak follow her into the spring rain?
He Loved Me—Then the System Stole Me
He Loved Me—Then the System Stole Me
4.9
Love was never supposed to be this complicated—or this dangerous. When Autumn Caldwell loses everything—her face, her name, and the only brother she ever loved—she’s forced to fight her way back in a world that insists she’s replaceable. But the system controlling her fate has its own cruel rules, turning her forbidden longing into a deadly mission. As the lines blur between love and obsession, reality and performance, Autumn must risk her identity, her memories, and her soul to break free. Will she ever reclaim the life and love stolen from her, or is she doomed to be just another forgotten actress in someone else’s story? When even your own memories can be erased, how do you prove who you really are?
I Chose Me—And Left Them Behind
I Chose Me—And Left Them Behind
4.8
Sometimes, the only way to find home is to walk away from the one that broke you. When Ellie Brooks returns to her wealthy birth family after years in the shadows, she’s desperate for a place to belong—but all she finds is a perfect house built on cold shoulders and invisible walls. Her sister Savannah wears the crown, her brother Carter guards the door, and her parents are masters of polite indifference. This time, Ellie won’t beg for scraps of love. Instead, she claims the smallest room, hides her pain, and quietly plans her escape. But as family secrets unravel and old betrayals come roaring back, Ellie must choose: fight for the family that never wanted her, or finally fight for herself? If survival means walking away, can she leave the past—and their twisted love—behind for good?
I Left Him the Day She Returned
I Left Him the Day She Returned
4.9
Some ghosts wear familiar faces. When Autumn Whitaker—the woman who once destroyed her mother’s life—appears at Lillian’s husband’s side, it’s like staring into a mirror and watching the past reach for her throat. In a single, devastating afternoon, Lillian burns her bridges: a clean break, a cold goodbye, and a walk into the storm of old family wounds. But Maple Heights is a town that never forgets, and history is always hungry for a repeat. As her stepsister Autumn circles closer, wielding secrets and charm, Lillian must decide: will she let the cycle of betrayal consume her, or write her own ending at last? When love, loyalty, and revenge collide—who will be left standing?
Rejected by the Hero, Loved by None
Rejected by the Hero, Loved by None
5.0
After five years building up two broken men into heroes, best friends Natalie and her bodyguard are betrayed when the men choose the very woman who destroyed their families. Facing public humiliation and heartbreak, they decide to quit this world for good—but the truth behind their downfall will explode the lives of everyone left behind. Will their final stand grant them the closure and justice they deserve, or will love and loyalty be their undoing?
She Chose My Brother, Left Me to Die
She Chose My Brother, Left Me to Die
4.9
She used my love to get to my brother—and left me to die when I was no longer useful. When the world turned on me and the woman I trusted most framed me for crimes I didn’t commit, I lost everything: my marriage, my family, and my reputation. But as the lies closed in and betrayal stung deeper than any wound, I discovered the only way to survive was to burn it all down. With nothing left to lose, I made a move that would change everything. In the end, will I finally break free—or did loving her doom me forever?
Discarded After Four Years
Discarded After Four Years
4.9
Rachel survives a terrifying flight to reunite with her long-distance boyfriend, only to find the man she loves colder than ever. As she fights for a scrap of his attention, betrayal and neglect push her to a breaking point—forcing her to question if she’s the only one fighting for their love. When her heart’s last effort is shattered, Rachel must decide whether to keep holding on, or finally set herself free.
He Loved Her, I Loved Him
He Loved Her, I Loved Him
4.8
Love was supposed to be forever—but for Lillian, devotion was never enough. Raised by the Whitmores and destined to marry Harrison, she spent her life chasing a man whose heart belonged to someone else. When the woman from his past returns, Lillian is left behind in a snowstorm, her world shattering as she uncovers the truth: Maple Heights was never truly hers. As Harrison’s cold indifference collides with Julia’s haunting presence, Lillian must decide if freedom is worth the heartbreak. But when secrets surface and a single call changes everything, can anyone truly escape the past—or is some love impossible to erase?
He Left Me, But I Paid the Price
He Left Me, But I Paid the Price
4.9
Some endings are silent, but the ache never is. I thought Eli and I were forever—until a single betrayal tore us apart, leaving me clutching memories and a cheap county fair kite. Years later, I’m called back to his side as his emergency contact, thrown into a whirlwind of old wounds and unfinished business. He’s surrounded by new admirers, but the past still claws at both of us. I want closure, maybe even forgiveness, but Eli only offers distance. My friends say I’m a fool for loving him, but they never saw the sacrifices he made, the debts unpaid. Now, as I watch him slip away for the last time, I’m haunted by one question: Was I the one holding him back—or was he always running from something he could never name? If love is letting go, why does it hurt so much to set him free?
Cast Out for Loving Her
Cast Out for Loving Her
4.7
He was just the invisible kid from a single-parent home—until he fell for the school's golden girl. Now teachers, classmates, and even his own rival are determined to erase him from her life, humiliating him at every turn. When his mother's desperate plea for mercy leaves him shattered, he must decide: keep fighting for love, or finally let himself vanish.
I Loved Him First, But She Stayed
I Loved Him First, But She Stayed
4.9
Some heartbreaks go viral. When Ellie stumbles upon a brutal online confession from the 'other girl,' she realizes her boyfriend Noah—the boy who once crossed continents for her—might not be hers anymore. A promise ring tossed in the trash, a hometown gym filled with whispers, and a new girl glowing in his orbit: Ellie is forced to watch the life she built unravel in real time. But as she retraces every stolen glance and summer vow, she’s haunted by one question: Did she lose Noah to fate—or to the girl who showed up too late? In a world where love can vanish with a single post, can Ellie reclaim her ending, or will she always be the girl who came first—and lost anyway?