---- Chapter 3 A surge of nervous energy pushed away the last remnants of Ava's fever. She had to tell Noah. This was big news. This was something he, as a tech entrepreneur, would have to respect. Maybe this would be the thing that made him see her as an equal, not just a convenience. She found him at his office a few days later. He was on the phone, pacing back and forth, but he waved her in impatiently. She waited until he hung up, her heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and fear. "What is it? I'm in the middle of a huge deal," he said, not even looking at her as he scrolled through his phone. "| have some news," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "My game... it's a finalist for a big award. The Indie Game Awards." He finally looked up, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "Oh. That's... nice." She rushed forward, wanting to hug him, to share the moment. "It's more than nice, Noah! It's a huge deal! If | win, | could get funding, | could start my own studio He held up a hand, stopping her advance. He physically pushed her back a step. "Okay, okay, calm down. It's just a ---- Chapter 3 A surge of nervous energy pushed away the last remnants of Ava's fever. She had to tell Noah. This was big news. This was something he, as a tech entrepreneur, would have to respect. Maybe this would be the thing that made him see her as an equal, not just a convenience. She found him at his office a few days later. He was on the phone, pacing back and forth, but he waved her in impatiently. She waited until he hung up, her heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and fear. "What is it? I'm in the middle of a huge deal," he said, not even looking at her as he scrolled through his phone. "| have some news," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "My game... it's a finalist for a big award. The Indie Game Awards." He finally looked up, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "Oh. That's... nice." She rushed forward, wanting to hug him, to share the moment. "It's more than nice, Noah! It's a huge deal! If | win, | could get funding, | could start my own studio!" He held up a hand, stopping her advance. He physically pushed her back a step. "Okay, okay, calm down. It's just a ---- nomination. Don't get ahead of yourself." His tone was dismissive, as if her biggest professional achievement was a minor distraction. The hope that had been blooming in her chest withered instantly. But she couldn't let it go. "The awards ceremony is next Friday," she said, her voice smaller now. "Will you... will you come with me?" He sighed, a long, exaggerated sound of annoyance. "Ava, I'm really busy. I'll see. Don't push it." The week leading up to the ceremony was torture. He never mentioned it again. She bought a new dress, a simple but elegant blue one, hoping it would make her feel more confident. She didn't hear from him at all. On the night of the awards, she sat alone at a table in the grand ballroom, surrounded by other developers and their proud families and partners. She kept checking her phone, hoping for a text, any sign that he might show up. Nothing. Her category was one of the last of the evening. Just as the presenter was walking to the podium to announce the nominees for "Best Narrative," her phone finally rang. It was Noah. Her heart leaped. "Noah? Are you here?" "Here? No. Listen, | need you to do me a favor," he slurred. He was Clearly drunk. "I'm at the Viper Club. My car's here, but I'm too wasted to drive. Scarlett's with me. Can you come pick us ---- up?" Ava's blood ran cold. The presenter on stage was reading the list of nominated games. She heard "Echoes of Starlight" and a smattering of applause from the developers who knew her work. "Noah, | can't," she whispered. "They're announcing my award right now." "Ava, don't be so selfish," he snapped. "What's more important, some stupid little award or me getting home safe? Just get over here. Now." He hung up. She sat there, paralyzed. On stage, the presenter was opening the envelope. The whole room was silent with anticipation. Her dream was a few seconds away. But Noah's voice echoed in her head, angry and demanding. What was more important? For three years, the answer had always been Noah. With tears blurring her vision, Ava stood up. She pushed her chair back and walked quickly toward the exit, her new dress feeling like a costume for a life she wasn't allowed to have. As she pushed open the heavy doors to the lobby, she heard the presenter's voice boom from the speakers inside. "And the winner for Best Narrative is... Ava Chen for 'Echoes of Starlight'!" ---- A wave of cheers erupted from the ballroom, but Ava was already outside, hailing a cab, the sound of her own success lost to the city noise. When she arrived at the Viper Club, she didn't go in right away. She stood outside the frosted glass door of the private room he had texted her about. She could hear loud laughter from within. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open just a crack. She saw Noah, holding a bottle of champagne, his face flushed with alcohol and triumph. He was talking to his friends, Scarlett draped over his arm. "| told you guys," he was saying, his voice loud and proud. "I knew she'd come. She could be winning a Nobel Prize and if | called, she'd drop everything. She's completely, utterly wrapped around my little finger." The entire room erupted in laughter. Ava stood in the doorway, invisible, her body turning to ice. The award she had just sacrificed meant nothing to him. Her love, her devotion, was just a party trick, a joke to entertain his friends. Title: A Princess? No! I'm the Female General! In "A Princess? No! 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