Chapter 1
"Honey, aren't we here to get divorced?" I asked Alexander sincerely in front of the cameras of a reality show.
He shot me a cold glare, his jaw clenched, and squeezed out two words through his teeth. "Shut up."
The live chat went wild.
[So funny! These two are the most awkward couple of the year, hands down.]
[Who is this woman? A nobody? She's desperate for fame. Mr. Quinn looks like he can't stand her.]
[You don't know? She was a tool for a marriage of convenience. Now that she's useless, Mr. Quinn is dragging her onto the show as a formality. Once they're done, she'll be gone.]
Later, everyone online was tagging the production team nonstop.
[Please, ignore those two fakers and keep the cameras on Anna. I love watching her do nothing.]
[Don't ask. I'm already here for all the drama and tension between Alexander and Anna.]
[I'd throw in 30 million dollars if they got back together right now.]
*****
The moment "The Final Journey" went live, tens of millions of viewers flooded the stream.
Honestly, it was all because of the star-studded guest list.
On one side, there was the newly-crowned Best Actress, Victoria White, and her rich boyfriend, Charles Reed.
On the other side, there was Alexander Quinn, the rising star of the business world, known for being cold and hard to get close to, and me, Anna Sterling, his wife, married off as part of a business deal.
I was a complete unknown, with a resume as blank as a sheet of paper except for that one title: Mrs. Quinn.
"Hey, everyone in the livestream!" Victoria chirped, her voice dripping with sweetness.
She was clinging to Charles's arm, smiling so wide that it could give anyone a toothache.
She gave her wrist a little shake, and a camera zoomed in for a close-up.
It was a ladies' watch covered in diamonds, sparkling so brightly under the lights that it was almost blinding.
"Charles got this for me at an auction last month. There are only three in the world. He said it was to celebrate our third anniversary," she beamed.
The live chat instantly exploded with comments like [So sweet!] and [Couple goals.]
[Wow, this is such a fairy-tale romance. He's hot, rich, and treats her like a queen.]
[Victoria is so lucky.]
[This is what a real power couple looks like.]
The director of the reality show was on the ball and immediately cut to us.
Alexander and I were sitting a full person apart, the air between us icy cold.
He stared straight ahead, his jaw sharp as a knife.
Meanwhile, I was busy staring at a potted plant in the corner, trying to figure out whether it was dead or alive.
[LOL, the contrast is brutal.]
[Is Mrs. Quinn sleepwalking? She's had a poker face the whole time.]
[She looks totally out of her depth. Bet she's freaked out by all this.]
[No wonder Mr. Quinn wants to dump her. She's a total embarrassment in public.]
I glanced at the scrolling live chat.
Those people had no idea what real luxury looked like.
If I remembered right, that watch on Victoria's wrist was actually a reject from a workshop my family owned last year.
The designer thought the diamond cuts weren't good enough, so only five were made, and not a single one sold. They were all thrown away as trash.
My grandfather casually gave me one, saying it would be perfect for propping up a wobbly table.
I wondered which shady secondhand dealer Charles had gotten that from.
The host, Mark Sampson, could clearly feel the awkwardness between Alexander and me and tried to smooth things over.
"Looks like Mr. and Mrs. Quinn are a little slow to warm up, but that's fine. Love comes in many forms. Now for our first challenge: cook a romantic dinner for your partner, all by yourself," he said.
Victoria immediately raised her hand, snuggling up to Charles with a blissful smile. "I can cook. Charles loves my escargot the most."
The live chat blew up with compliments again.
[Wow, Victoria can cook? Total wife material.]
[Mr. Reed is one lucky guy.]
The camera swung back to me.
I raised my phone, my face blank. "I already ordered takeout. It'll be here in thirty minutes."
The room went so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
Mark's smile froze on his face.
The live chat stalled for a second and then exploded.
[What?]
[I'm dead. You're on a divorce show, not here to order takeout.]
[Is she the queen of not giving a damn?]
[Alexander's face is so dark. I bet she won't make it through the night.]
Alexander finally reacted.
He turned his head, fixing me with those deep eyes, as if he were trying to burn holes right through me.
Then, with his long, elegant fingers, he grabbed the phone from my hand.
I stared, completely lost, as he hit "Cancel Order."
Then, he tossed the phone onto the table with a loud bang.
[Oh no! They're about to fight.]
[This is crazy. I live for this kind of drama.]
Alexander stood up, his tall frame giving off a heavy, threatening vibe.
Without a word, he walked straight to the kitchen that the production team had set up.