Chapter 1
I was on a reality dating show with my secret husband.
He was a superstar actor at the top of his game, while I was nobody stuck at the bottom of the industry.
During the live stream, I instinctively called out to him, "Jasper, I want some water."
One of the trending young actresses immediately started throwing shade. "You really think you're Mrs. Leonard. Why not just announce it to everyone?"
I panicked and quickly covered her mouth. Was she out of her mind?
I didn't want to go public with our relationship, but that was exactly Jasper's sore spot.
Sure enough, the next day, that actress was completely canceled online.
She went live looking like she just rolled out of bed, crying her eyes out to Jasper.
"Honey, I've been bullied like this. Are you still not going to go public with me?" she whimpered.
Then she whipped out a marriage certificate. And on it was her name and Jasper's.
*****
I texted Jasper, sending him the reality dating show invitation my agent had just landed for me.
Before three seconds had even passed, Jasper's call came through.
"Babe, what kind of trash show is this? Are you still going to love me after you go on it?" he said.
I was speechless. Wasn't he supposed to be attending an award ceremony? How did he reply so fast?
Rubbing my temples, I patiently explained to him, "Hey, don't ask questions like that, okay? If anything comes up, I'll let you know."
Jasper went quiet for a moment.
Seeing he wasn't saying anything, I added, "I'm only going there to slack off and collect a paycheck. The main character is that trending little starlet."
On the other end, Jasper was being urged to go on stage for his award, and the call cut off.
But when he got home that night, he brought home the script for the same reality dating show.
He cuddled up to me. "Babe, everyone else is going on the show to find a match. Why don't you use this opportunity to go public with me?" he whined.
I shot him a look but didn't say anything.
He was the one who wanted to keep things under wraps at first. But now, I really don't care anymore.
I was busy flipping through the script, so I made a suggestion. "If you're so desperate to go public, why not just find yourself another match on the show?" I teased.
Jasper went quiet. He pulled out his phone with a cold look, stabbing at the screen like he was about to break it.
The next second, my phone chimed.
It was a message that said: [Payment received: 350,000 dollars.]
I immediately put down the script and flashed my best money-making smile.
I said, "Honey, sorry I was a little harsh. I'll give you anything you want, except going public."
So the next day, I arrived at the spot the show had picked.
My back was killing me, felt like I was falling apart as I made my way in.
Jasper wasn't scheduled to show up until the third episode, so I was on my own today.
The butler's ride was way too attention-grabbing, so I had him park halfway up the mountain and hauled my suitcase over 350 feet myself.
Just as I reached the villa entrance, I heard a familiar voice. "Seriously, Iris, look at you. Dragging your own suitcase all the way here?"
I looked up, and sure enough, it was Alexia Burke.
We started out the same year, had pretty much the same vibe, but now she was a trending star, and I was still stuck at the bottom.
But being a nobody had its perks. I could do whatever I wanted.
"At least I still look like a real person. So you're a big shot starlet now? Is that even a real thing?" I shot back.
Alexia choked for a moment, totally unable to explain if she was actually something or just a title.
I flashed a fighting smile, ready to keep going. But the director, who'd been watching the drama unfold, quickly stepped in to save Alexia.
The show got started in no time.
This was a live-streamed dating show that went live at the same time every day, and live comments would pop up right on our smartwatches.
The director teamed me up with another D-list guy who wasn't exactly a looker either.
He said his name was Luke Boyer and eagerly came over to help me with my luggage.
If I wanted a drink, he'd open the bottle for me. If I wanted ice cream, he'd hold my things. If I wanted to sit down, he'd pull out a chair for me.
The live chat saw how polite and considerate he was, and instantly liked him even more.
[Luke is so sweet! I'm a fan now!]
[Look what a hidden gem I just discovered!]
[It's like we're watching from Luke's girlfriend's POV!]
The director finally waved at us from behind the camera, letting us know this part was a wrap.
Luke shrugged my hand off his arm without a second thought.
"Ugh, what a nightmare! Why did I get paired with a total nobody?" he said.
When I just stood there stunned, he looked me up and down with obvious disgust.
He sneered. "Don't get any ideas about catching feelings for me just because we're on camera! I've got over six thousand followers on my account, and I scored an 8.9 on that face-rating app! I'm going to be the next-gen influencer king. You? You could never measure up to me!"
As he started to walk away, I reached out to stop him.
"Dude, hold up..." I called out.
I sized him up from head to toe and started firing back.