Chapter 1

Ten years of marriage. This was the tenth time Ethan Vance had fallen for his co-star.

Facing the flashes and microphones of the paparazzi, my face remained perfectly calm.

"Ethan is a dedicated actor and a loyal husband. I ask everyone to stop these malicious rumors."

The reporters whispered among themselves, looking at me with either pity or mockery.

As soon as the press conference ended, my phone buzzed. It was a photo of Ethan and his new darling, Chloe Sterling, locking lips at the wrap party hotel.

After wiring the hush money to the paparazzi's account, I closed my eyes in exhaustion.

Ethan, this is the last time I clean up your mess.

When I got home, I was surprised to find Ethan actually there.

He was watching Chloe’s new reality show, chuckling softly every now and then.

Noticing me, he cleared his throat and said indifferently,

"I heard you're heading to the set soon. I bought some pain relief patches. Remember to pack them."

I glanced over. There was a sticky note on the medicine box that he hadn't had time to rip off.

“Ethan, remember to give this to Chloe!!”

I let out a sarcastic smile but didn't call him out.

Without looking up, Ethan said, "There's a wrap dinner tonight. Don't wait up."

I warned him mockingly, "Be careful. Don't get caught by the paparazzi again."

"I told you, it’s just for movie promo. It's all show business. Why do you always take it so seriously?"

He didn't even bother to explain further, leaving with an impatient frown.

Ethan didn't come back all night. But the next morning, he actually offered to drive me to the set.

"Breakfast is on the table. Eat it while it's hot," he said, looking in high spirits.

I nodded, but my heart sank.

In the car, I noticed a pink crystal pendant hanging from the rearview mirror and a fuzzy pink blanket in the back seat.

"What is it?"

Seeing me staring, he glanced over, confused.

I shook my head. My eyes drifted to the faint hickey on his collarbone.

The morning sun was bright, but it stung my eyes.

When we arrived at the set, before I even got out of the car, I heard Chloe's sweet, whiny voice.

"Ethan! What are you doing here? We just finished working together and here we are again. It must be fate!"

I froze. So, his sudden kindness this morning was just an excuse to visit her on set.

"Leo, grab the coffee from the trunk and hand it out to everyone," Ethan called out to his assistant, completely ignoring me as I lugged my heavy bags.

The director heard Ethan was here and hurried over.

"Well, if it isn't our newly crowned Best Actor! What an honor to have you on our humble set!"

"Don't worry, even though Harlow is just a stunt double, we'll definitely take extra care of her since she’s your wife."

Ethan frowned, clearly displeased.

"I don't want you to give Harlow special treatment just because she's my wife. In this industry, professionalism is everything."

The director blinked in surprise, then quickly recovered. "Of course, of course."

"On the other hand, Chloe just started out. She still has a lot to learn. Please look after her," Ethan urged the director gently.

Beside him, Chloe clung to his arm and playfully stuck her tongue out.

I turned away in silence, a sharp pain piercing my heart.

"Harlow, here," Leo handed me a coffee.

I looked up and saw Chloe naturally holding her boba tea to Ethan's mouth. He tilted his head to avoid it.

Ethan was a germaphobe and hated sweets.

When he refused, Chloe pouted, pretending to be angry.

Unable to resist her puppy eyes, Ethan sighed helplessly and took a sip from her straw.

Chloe giggled at his frowning face.

I swallowed my black coffee, the bitterness coating my tongue.

When we first started out, Ethan was just a nobody playing minor roles.

Stunt doubles were practically invisible on set. People usually called us "Hey, you!" But Ethan was different. Not only did he remember my name, but he also stood up for me when a director tried to bully me. That was how we fell in love.

Later, Ethan's acting career took off. The day he won the Best New Actor award, he proposed to me on live TV. I cried tears of joy.

After we got married, he got busier.

Gradually, he stopped coming home, stopped answering my calls, and even having a simple dinner with him became a luxury.