He thought back to the painful journey of writing his script, to the support—and complaints—he'd received from his family. He remembered the time when his life was under threat, when he had been forced to give up the script, feeling as if he would rather die than live.
And now, finally, he could stand tall, puff out his chest, and laugh as he shouted:
"I made it!"
Buddy clutched the trophy tightly, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Seeing this, Laila stepped forward first to give the acceptance speech.
"Thank you to the Golden Globes for awarding me this honor. It means a lot to me."
After saying that one line, she gave Buddy—who was still in a daze—a gentle push toward the mic.
Laila was a fair person. Even though the script had been revised so heavily by her that it could almost be considered an entirely new story, she had still placed Buddy's name before hers. The order of names didn't matter much to her, but for Buddy, it made all the difference.
As for acceptance speeches, she'd had her fair share of time on stage. So she simply said her piece and handed the spotlight over to Buddy.
He stood there on stage, hugging the trophy, lips trembling slightly. In that moment, he didn't know what to say. It felt like he had so much to express, yet every word was stuck in his throat.
"I never thought I'd be standing here… holding the award I've dreamed of my whole life!" His voice choked with emotion. "I was born in a remote village in South Africa. There was a rundown little cinema next door to where I lived. When I was a child, the happiest day of my year was my birthday, because it meant I might get to go see a movie. That was the one thing I looked forward to most growing up."
"Later, I fell in love with movies. I fell in love with the joy of building worlds from scratch. Through my scripts, I could create the kind of world I dreamed of—one where I could leave behind the suffering and hardship around me. That's how I wrote my first screenplay. But I never imagined it would be taken from me by a cruel, dangerous man. In that moment, I nearly collapsed. It felt like my world, my life, had completely crumbled."
"But what I didn't expect… was that it wasn't the end for me—it was the beginning of something filled with light and hope. Because I met Laila, and she loved my story!"
The audience erupted in warm applause as Buddy wiped away his tears.
"If I've made it this far, it's all because of Laila. I'll never forget the help she gave me."
Laila gave him a brief hug, then gently led the tear-stricken Buddy off the stage.
His speech had been long, but no one minded. Everyone could feel the sincerity of his joy. Audiences loved seeing genuine emotion like this—especially when it came from someone like Buddy, who had come from hardship and was now achieving something truly great.
After that, the only award left that was connected to Laila was Best Actor in a Drama.
As for Best Foreign Language Film, it had already been awarded to a film from Iran. Unfortunately, Director Zhang Yimou had failed to win for the fifth time, yet again, a runner-up.
Finally, the moment came for the announcement of Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.
Laila glanced toward Leslie. He sat upright, eyes focused on the stage. The lights reflected in his gaze, making it seem like fireworks were blooming in his pupils.
Her subtle movement didn't escape Roy's notice. He gave her palm a light, playful squeeze, reminding her that he was there, too.
"I'm nominated too, you know," he said. "You can't just keep staring at the other 'competitor'."
Laila chuckled and gave him a mock glare. Still jealous at a time like this? What kind of vinegar jar did this guy crawl out of?
"I know you're nominated. That's exactly why I'm nervous. All of the nominees are strong contenders. If both of you are nominated and neither wins, well… that'll make for an interesting headline."
"Is it that strange? I remember one year Desperate Housewives had four leads nominated, and the award still went to the one from Weeds."
"…Can't you at least use an example that's comforting?"
"My bad," Roy said immediately, with the practiced reflex of a seasoned husband. Arguing with his wife? Not a chance. He barely had time to spoil her—who had the energy to fight? A little playful banter was fun, but for anything serious, he'd always give in.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, millions of people across the Eastern continent were closely watching this award announcement.
If the Golden Globes were tracking viewership, they'd have noticed a massive spike in ratings just as the Best Actor category came up—higher than any of their previous records!
No surprise there. The East didn't lack for numbers, and supporting one's beloved male idol by boosting the ratings was par for the course.
The online livestream was also hugely popular. Watching it on a computer meant people could comment and chat in real time.
"Best Actor in a Drama is coming up next!"
"Can Leslie Cheung win it? I'm so excited!"
"Honestly, it feels like a long shot… Don't forget, Roy's also in the running. It's tough for an Eastern actor to win."
"Even if you ignore Roy, just look at the other nominees—none of them are easy to beat!"
"You think it could be a double winner? Let Roy and Leslie both take the award? They were in the same movie, after all."
"Come on, don't joke around. This is the Golden Globes, not one of our domestic 'rooster awards' where double winners pop up like mushrooms."
"Wait a second… Didn't the Golden Globes actually do that before?"
Curious viewers quickly went digging—and sure enough, they found proof. Not just a double winner, but a triple winner!
At the 48th Golden Globe Awards in 1989, the Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama went to three women from three different films.
That revelation sent Eastern fans into a frenzy.
If it happened before, maybe it could happen again today? After all, sharing an award didn't mean its value was halved. To them, even if it was, this would still be the very first Best Actor Golden Globe awarded to someone from the East!
Of all the people waiting nervously for the result, Laila was probably the one who knew the outcome best.
In her past life, George Clooney had won Best Actor for The Descendants. He just had that "critics' darling" quality about him—whether as an actor, director, or screenwriter, he always seemed to earn the judges' favor effortlessly.
Maybe he wouldn't win this time, but his odds of getting nominated were always higher than everyone else's.
Still, this year was different.
Laila had full confidence in her film. Winning Best Screenplay had wiped out the last of her uncertainty. The script she'd picked had won a major award. Her directing skills were top-tier. She was well known for her ability to coach actors to excellence.
With all those factors combined—
What did she have to worry about?