Chapter 1
"Mom, I agree to reclaim my heiress status and accept the arranged marriage. Can you take care of the details for me?" Carissa Copeland said.
Veronica was so overwhelmed that she started crying as soon as she heard Carissa's words.
"That's wonderful, Carissa. All these years, you gave up your life as an heiress to follow that minor celebrity. It must've been so hard for you. Now that you've finally come around, I'm really happy," Veronica said.
Just hearing Kelvin Erickson's name made Carissa's heart ache all over again.
Veronica noticed her daughter's sudden change in mood and spoke gently, "Carissa, be honest. Did that minor celebrity do something to hurt you?"
"Just say the word, and I'll make sure he never works in this industry again," Veronica promised, her tone fierce and protective.
Her mom's protectiveness warmed Carissa's heart a little, making her feel not so alone.
After Carissa reassured her mom again and again that she just wanted to come home and enjoy the family's wealth—not because anyone had bullied her—Veronica finally let it go.
"Mom, once I finish handing over my work, I'll head back to Edodonville. It won't take more than two weeks," Carissa said.
After chatting with her mom for a bit longer, Carissa finally hung up.
She looked up and caught a live variety show on TV.
Her boyfriend, Kelvin Erickson, was right there on the screen, goofing around with a super popular actress, Linda Cochran.
Each of them took an end of a chocolate stick and started munching toward the middle.
When the only thing left was a tiny piece, the host snuck up behind them and gave a playful little push.
And the two of them accidentally locked lips, sharing a kiss in front of everyone watching live.
Linda's cheeks flushed bright red as she playfully pouted and snuggled right into Kelvin's arms.
Kelvin held her fondly, his gaze melting with obvious affection, sweet and lingering.
The livestream was blowing up—the chat flooded online.
[The hottest singer and the most popular actress—they're so good-looking together. I'm totally shipping them!]
[Who else is living for this flirty tension? They only have eyes for each other. Finding true love in the messy world of showbiz is even luckier than winning the lottery.]
[She's totally the real Mrs. Erickson! Kelvin never, ever writes love songs, but the grand finale for his concert two weeks from now is a love song just for Linda. That's like announcing his devotion to the whole world—the champion of pure love, no doubt!]
Fans were shipping Kelvin and Linda so hard that they were wishing the marriage registrar would just walk in and marry them on the spot.
Carissa watched it all play out, her chest tight with envy and heartache.
She pulled out her phone and spent forever editing and deleting drafts on X.
She almost typed out: [They're just acting like a couple for the fans. They're not really together.]
But in the end, she couldn't hit send.
Carissa let out a bitter little smile, tossed her phone aside, and went to lie down on her bed.
She dreamed she was back in her freshman year, when she first met Kelvin beneath the cherry blossoms.
He was there—a handsome kid in a crisp white shirt and black pants, strumming his guitar on the bench, humming a soft, folksy melody.
He seemed so relaxed and dreamy, as if he glowed in that moment.
Just one look, and Carissa's heart fluttered. She fell for him instantly.
But after her four years of trying to win him over, even up to graduation, Kelvin still never accepted Carissa's feelings.
Carissa didn't back down. She was always there for him, sticking by his side through everything.
Kelvin was chasing his dreams, pouring his soul into music, convinced that even singing at bars someday he'd finally make a name for himself.
And Carissa was with him every step of the way, never missing a single performance.
During Kelvin's roughest year, when he could barely scrape together enough to eat, he almost had to pawn off his only guitar just to survive.
Carissa didn't let him go hungrry. She showed up with breakfast, lunch, and dinner every single day, always lifting his spirits and dragging him all over for little adventures just so he could get inspired again.
When an entertainment company finally said yes to one of Kelvin's songs, he just lost it—picked Carissa up and spun her around like the world was theirs.
Over the moon, he grabbed her face and kissed her, his excitement spilling over.
"Carissa, you're my magic charm. Let's be together. You stick by my side, and I swear I'll write even better songs, blow up in the industry, and make you the luckiest girl in the whole world!" Kelvin promised, voice thick with hope.
Kelvin's heartfelt promise from all those years ago still lingered in Carissa's ears.
Yet now, that bright-eyed, guitar-strumming dreamer she'd fallen for was nowhere to be found.
Four months ago, Kelvin suddenly told Carissa that the management wanted him and Linda to play up the couple act for the fans.
"Carissa, my career's finally going places. Scandals boost the hype, bring in the fans, and put my music in the spotlight," Kelvin said.
Carissa frowned.
Kelvin had always hated publicity stunts and manufactured hype.
Once, a third-rate celeb actually tried to stuff 700 thousand dollars into his pocket just to ride on his fame.
Kelvin was so pissed that he jumped on X, dropped a photo as proof, and threw some serious shade right at the guy for everyone to see.
It was a total mystery to Carissa why he'd suddenly flipped like this, but for his dream, she just went along with it.
But at some point, the pretend flirting they agreed on stopped feeling fake—it had turned into something much more real.
Even when there were no cameras around, Kelvin and Linda would have their fingers laced together; he'd crouch down and help her slip into her shoes, and out under the stars, he'd wrap her up in his arms and kiss her like nothing else in the world mattered.
Carissa had cried and argued.
But Kelvin would always cut her off, saying, "It's just acting. Why are you blowing this out of proportion?"
It wasn't until last night, while they were being intimate, that everything became shockingly clear to Carissa.
She caught sight of a hickey on the side of Kelvin's waist, one that hadn't even faded yet.
In that instant, the last trace of feeling she'd been holding onto finally drained away.
Carissa suddenly felt exhausted, like every ounce of strength had been sapped from her.
She stared at Kelvin, unable to even find the words to ask, not a single question leaving her lips.
'This is it. It's over,' Carissa told herself.