Chapter 1

Eight years after I married that award-winning actor, he publicly declared he was dating the top starlet, Celine James.

He even posted a picture of the two of them celebrating their adopted “baby’s” birthday.

I did not call him to interrogate him as usual. Instead, he hurriedly explained, “It’s just a pet we adopted. As its ‘dad’, I have to be there for its birthday.”

I said calmly, “Rather than adopting a furbaby, why don’t we get a divorce? Then you can have an actual baby with her.”

…

My husband, the award-winning actor Jonas Yves, held a grand confession ceremony for another woman. He publicly declared their relationship on the Internet, making headlines and moving hearts.

As for me, his wife of eight years, I could only watch the raucous interview from the side like an outsider.

The journalists on the scene were in an uproar. The fans in the front row were celebrating.

The next second, Jonas put a matching ring on her finger.

Under the spotlight, they looked like a perfect couple.

The people around me burst into gasps and squeals. Only I looked down at the diamond wedding ring on my finger before turning back to stare at their matching couple rings in a daze.

If they were a perfect couple, what would that make me, the wife who spent the last eight difficult years with him?

Jonas’ manager, Ivan Crane, caught sight of me and called out in a panic. “J-Jeanine…”

Soon, a journalist friend of his glanced over and asked, “Who’s she?”

“She’s Jonas’ long-tern fan,” Ivan said quickly.

The staff members in the know burst out laughing. Jonas shot me a look of warning.

Celine blinked and then laced her fingers with Jonas’, smiling brightly. “I know you. You’re Jonas’ biggest fan! Are you here to congratulate us?”

I just stared at her.

Jonas was probably worried I would say the wrong thing, so he told his men to lead me to a room.

I looked at him with tears pouring down my face, but all he could say was, “Celine has been in showbiz for a while now, but she’s never had a public relationship before. She insisted that I play along with her for fun.”

“I’ll get plenty of attention by pretending to date her, too, so there’s no harm in playing house for a bit. Don’t make a fuss.”

My body trembled with rage. I held up my hand, showing him my wedding ring, and demanded, “Then what am I?”

Jonas smirked. “You’re the most considerate person I know.”

I wiped my tears and forced a smile. “What if I refuse to play along?”

“Everyone’s enjoying themselves today. Don’t be a wet blanket, okay?”

His words were like a knife plunging deep into my heart. I could not breathe.

I laughed until tears came out.

Today was my birthday. Jonas had said he had a surprise for me, and I had been waiting in anticipation. In the afternoon, however, he received a call and said he had sudden business to deal with, so he would celebrate my birthday some other day.

I was disappointed and a little dejected, because I had a surprise for him too.

As it turned out, his “sudden business” was a public declaration of his relationship with another woman.

What a joke.

Almost nobody knew about our marriage even after eight years. Celine had only known him for eight months and filmed a movie with him, yet she was now his publicly-acknowledged girlfriend…

She had the life I could only dream of.

Every time I suggested making our relationship public, Jonas would reject me outright. He kept asking me angrily, “My career’s over if anyone knows I’m taken. Do you want to ruin me?”

Eventually, I stopped asking, accepting my role as his secret wife for eight years.

Even after he made a name for himself and started winning awards, he never once suggested introducing me to the public as his wife.

I never asked, either, but a part of my heart died slowly.

When he saw my expresson, Jonas looked guilty for a second.

Celine quickly pulled him away. “Let’s go, Jonas. Everyone’s waiting for us.”

Her voice was soft, but her tone was dominant and possessive.