My A-list actress wife, Seraphina Sterling, had always maintained strict boundaries: no man other than me was permitted to touch her. Even in group photos with male co-stars, she kept a discreet arm's length. Until my birthday. That day, her new co-star, Sebastian Reed, posted an update. The photo showed Seraphina allowing Sebastian Reed to embrace her from behind, his arm circling her waist. The caption read: 【Eight years a fan, now sharing the screen with my idol? Manifest that dream, Sebastian Reed! Keep chasing your light (fist emoji)!】 I commented with a single question mark: 【Is that your wife you’re clutching onto?】 Seraphina’s call came through almost instantly. “My co-star, he’s like a little brother, just got carried away with the excitement of working with an idol. Don't be so narrow-minded. Be a good husband, delete the comment.” The internet crowd swiftly condemned me for being overly possessive. Sebastian swiftly updated his post: 【The path to dreams is often paved with misunderstanding, but my guiding star reminds me not to lose heart.】 Watching the overwhelming wave of positive comments drown out any dissent, I made a call. By the next day, Sebastian’s lead role was gone. 1 “Do you know how important this role was to Sebastian? He prepared for two years just to nail that audition! And you, with some bogus charge, you’re just going to ruin all his hard work?!” This was Seraphina’s first real fight with me, and it was over a fresh face in Hollywood. I let out a cold laugh. “The power to greenlight or axe projects rests with me. Since I possess that power, why shouldn’t I use it?” This particular production held immense commercial potential. The director had secured Seraphina, an A-list actress, and had then brought me in as an investor. At least within the confines of this project, my word was law. Why would I forfeit my advantage, to “fairly compete” with some rookie who dared to post pictures embracing my wife? The internet mob might be unaware, but this young man, whose career I had funded and supported, knew exactly who my wife truly was. “Seraphina, listen closely.” I rose, cupping her face in my hands. “I am your husband. And while ours might be a marriage of convenience, that doesn’t mean you’re exempt from giving me even the most basic respect.” Besides, our union wasn’t entirely devoid of genuine emotion… “I told you, there’s genuinely nothing going on between us,” Seraphina insisted, pushing me away, a sharp, decisive gesture. “We’re playing a couple on screen. Am I not even allowed to act with him? Why do you always jump to the worst conclusions?” “Nothing at all?” I took out my phone and showed her the barrage of online comments. Under Sebastian’s post, countless netizens were wildly celebrating: 【Oh my gosh! That scene wasn’t in the script! His hand was practically wrapped around her waist! If that’s not love, what is?!】 【So sweet, I could die. Everyone knows Seraphina never lets men touch her, and Sebastian practically had her in his arms!】 【Rumors floated around that the A-list actress had a secret marriage. Thank god I didn't fall for that!】 … Seraphina frowned. “The internet mob always twists things. You can’t take any of that seriously!” “And you, Seraphina?” I pressed, stepping closer. “You’ve navigated Hollywood for years. Are you really unaware of the impact that post would have?” She faltered. I let out a cold laugh. “You knew exactly how people would interpret that, you knew I had a possessive streak, yet you let it happen!” “Julian Thorne, for such a trivial matter, are you really going to be this unreasonable?!” CRASH! The vase shattered on the floor. Seraphina looked at me, startled. “Why do you get to define my ‘trivial matters’?” I asked, my voice dangerously low. For five years, we had lived in respectful harmony. Though our union began as a business arrangement, countless moments of shared intimacy had forged a genuine bond over time. She had even told me she only allowed me to touch her. This was our first real fight, the first time I’d ever laid a hand on her. All because of a boy I’d once sponsored. “Just calm down,” Seraphina snapped, snatching her bag, and stormed out, the door slamming shut behind her with a sickening thud. In the living room, my birthday cake sat on the coffee table, still untouched, its box pristine. 2 The very next day, a new trending topic exploded online: Seraphina Sterling walked off the set. Trolls mocked me mercilessly: 【Seriously, though. That leech thinks he’s so rich he can just axe Sebastian? The A-list actress just put her foot down and walked off!】 【Who does he think he is, anyway, hahaha!】 【Does this confirm it? Seraphina and Sebastian are actually a thing?!】 【Still asking? Seraphina never lets men touch her, and Sebastian practically had her in his arms! I’m melting…】 The entire internet condemned me. Due to the nature of our arranged marriage, our families had agreed to keep our union private. This led many netizens to mistakenly believe I was Seraphina’s “delusional fan,” even dragging my name through the mud on social media for days. Each time, Seraphina had them taken down. But I knew her true colors—this was her defiant way of showing me. The director called me, practically in tears, begging me to persuade Seraphina to return. But honestly, I had no idea where she was. She’d vanished after her announcement, wouldn’t even pick up my calls. Just then, my phone buzzed. Sebastian had a new post. In the photo, he was perched in a helicopter, sunglasses on, a skydiving pack strapped to his back, his hand firmly clasped with another. Seraphina, who typically shunned extreme sports, had a faint smile playing on her lips. Her gaze wasn’t on the camera, but on Sebastian. The caption read: 【They say hearts beat truer under pressure. Will my guiding light feel the same pulse for me, in this very moment?】 I replied to the director. “Sebastian just posted something. The photo should give you a clue where he is.” “Huh? Mr. Thorne… no, he hasn’t.” “What?” My mind went blank. The director sent a screenshot. Sebastian’s last public post was three days ago. I quickly messaged a few mutual friends. Sure enough, only I could see that particular post. Sebastian had set it to “viewable only by me”… Seraphina couldn’t possibly be unaware of the photo’s implication. Yet she simply smiled at him, letting him capture the moment. It was a deliberate provocation from both of them. Two years prior, I could have just cut off his sponsorship allowance. But now he was self-sufficient, and my financial backing had shifted to resource allocation, which was no longer effective in controlling him. My assistant cautiously asked, “Mr. Thorne, are you… alright?” “Of course.” I let out a cold, dismissive laugh. In business, taking a hit or being double-crossed was just part of the game. If I couldn't handle that, I wouldn't be where I am today. The director was still wailing on the phone. My brow furrowed. “Alright! Enough dramatics. This afternoon, I’ll personally bring you the new lead!” 3 After a week of playing hide-and-seek, Seraphina finally deigned to return. But what greeted her was not a frantic production team and a hysterical me. Instead, she found a set already in full swing, and a young woman meticulously attending to me. The director, beaming, rushed to my side. “Thank god, Mr. Thorne, for finding such a perfect fit! Otherwise, this whole production would have gone down the drain!” Seraphina saw Willow Greene delicately lighting my cigarette. In a flash, she snatched the cigarette from my lips and flung it to the ground. “Julian Thorne.” I merely glanced up. Trailing behind her was Sebastian. Seeing another woman by my side, a flicker of triumph, quickly masked, entered his eyes. “Yes?” I replied with a detached air, gesturing for Willow to bring me another drink. Seraphina’s temple pulsed. “What do you mean ‘yes’? Shouldn’t you be explaining yourself?!” “Explain what?” I asked, a genuine question. “When two leads abandon a project, I naturally have to find replacements.” “Do new actors need you to personally supervise them?! Where do you find the time for that?!” Seraphina, her face ablaze with anger, pointed accusingly at Willow. Willow recoiled two steps. I moved to shield her. “Don’t frighten her. She’s new to the industry; she needs guidance.” “Heh…” Seraphina looked as if she hadn’t heard me right. “Guidance from you? Julian Thorne, what kind of impression do you think this gives others?” My patience wore thin. “I sponsored her career. What’s wrong with me teaching her?!” “Sponsored?” Seraphina froze. Seeing Willow cower behind me, her anger flared. “Does sponsorship require such… intimate service? Are you truly blind to her intentions?!” “Mr. Thorne, I didn’t…” Willow quickly tried to explain to me. I smiled reassuringly at her, nodding slightly. Then I turned, frowning at Seraphina. “I sponsor her, and she’s kind to me. Is that not normal? Or are you expecting everyone to be like the man behind you—accepting my patronage, getting promoted to a major production, then openly posting pictures embracing my wife?” Seraphina and Sebastian froze, as if struck by lightning. Seraphina cast a complex, unreadable glance at Sebastian. “You… sponsored him?” Willow spoke up. “Mr. Thorne has sponsored many talented individuals, not just me and Sebastian.” “Shut up!” Seraphina glared fiercely at Willow. I pulled Willow firmly behind me. “I told you, don’t bully my people!” Seraphina was not one to make a scene in public. Even at her breaking point, she still suppressed her fury, then took Sebastian by the arm and walked away, leading him out of my sight. That evening, I returned home. The first thing I saw was Seraphina, her eyes distinctly red-rimmed. I frowned. “What’s wrong with your eyes?” “Julian.” Her voice was a little rough. “I was wrong. Let’s make peace.” 4 I hadn’t expected such a drastic shift in Seraphina. “Why the sudden change of heart?” “Seeing you with Willow today… it made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. But there’s genuinely nothing going on between us.” “I know, and I believe you.” She pulled out her phone and handed it to me. “But it was enough to drive me insane. I imagine that’s how you felt, watching me and Sebastian. I’m so sorry, I was completely out of line before.” I opened her phone. It was Sebastian’s message history. He was still relentlessly messaging her. 【Seraphina? Why suddenly ghost me? We had so much fun out there, didn’t we?】 【??? Answer me! Seraphina! Did Julian say something to you? I swear, I only see you as an idol, a beacon of inspiration!】 【Seraphina, you have to believe me. I’ve been your fan for eight years; you’re my guiding light. I would never do anything to jeopardize your marriage… please, just talk to me…】 … Messages continued to pop up. Seraphina snatched the phone back and instantly blocked him. The phone finally fell silent. “I’m so sorry…” She tentatively moved closer to me. When I didn’t pull away, she gently embraced me. “I just wanted to get a reaction from you, to needle you. It wasn’t until I stood in your shoes, watching you and another woman, that I truly understood how much I hurt you… Julian.” She looked up, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “Can we please stop fighting?” “Okay.” This marriage was, at its core, a business arrangement. I wouldn’t sever it lightly. Besides, it wasn’t entirely devoid of emotional connection. This whole incident was simply a matter of her being misguided. Ultimately, the damage wasn’t irreparable. I had only intended to teach her a lesson. A harsh lesson learned, a goal achieved. No need to make a bigger mess than necessary. The very next day, chaos erupted on set. Sebastian returned to the set, blocking my path, his eyes red-rimmed as if he’d cried all night. “I know it was you. Why can’t you believe I’m just a genuine fan pursuing an idol? Do you really believe everyone who gets close to her has ulterior motives?” He finished, then pulled a knife from his sleeve. Willow gasped, attempting to push me out of the way. But he plunged it into his own wrist. Blood welled up, spilling onto the ground, painting a crimson stain. Everyone froze, horror-struck. He held up his bleeding wrist, looking at me with an expression of profound grievance and long-suffering. “Is this enough to prove my innocence, Mr. Thorne?” “Call an ambulance. Don’t let him die on my set.” I turned, my voice calm, giving the order. My eyes met Seraphina’s. She had appeared, silent, at some point. “Seraphina!” Sebastian’s eyes flared with hope. I frowned, watching Seraphina. She cast a cool, dismissive glance at Sebastian. “It was my decision. Don’t bother him again.” Sebastian’s face was a mask of utter disbelief. Seraphina stepped between me and Willow, a deliberate barrier. She took my hand and led me away. She didn't even spare Sebastian a backward glance. 5 Sebastian became an overnight joke. He had intended to create a scene, to humiliate me. But instead, Seraphina had completely shut him down. After returning home, Seraphina publicly announced our marriage. Sebastian was instantly roasted by the entire internet. He had only reached the spotlight through my patronage. Without my backing, even low-budget web series wouldn’t touch him. What did that have to do with me? He dug his own grave. If he had been half as compliant as Willow, I wouldn’t have abandoned him. Lately, however, Seraphina had often been seen frowning at her phone. She had indeed severed all contact with Sebastian. When she wasn’t looking, I discreetly peeked. It was a mutual friend. They had sent a series of photos and screenshots of Sebastian’s social media posts. In every picture, Sebastian was disheveled, working on small, obscure sets. His eyes would be red-rimmed as he endured verbal abuse. After filming, he would kneel on the ground to scrub the floors. Big-name actors would slap him across the face without hesitation. Another screenshot of his social media read: 【No matter the disgrace, my guiding light taught me not to surrender. Keep moving forward, and hope will always appear.】 The last message in the chat was Seraphina’s: 【Don’t send me these anymore.】 I allowed myself a faint smile. Seems the lesson had taken root. As a reward, the very next day, I visited Seraphina on her set. I even personally cooked her favorite ribs soup. The moment I arrived, Seraphina, her eyes red, confronted me. “Why would you do something like this?” “What?” “Don’t pretend you don’t know!” She swiped her hand, sending the thermal lunchbox I carried flying. It made me stumble. Scalding ribs soup splashed onto my hand and chest, instantly blooming into an angry red rash. “Mr. Thorne!” My assistant cried out, rushing forward. “Ms. Sterling! Mr. Thorne is injured!” “It’s just a little scald, hardly as severe as Sebastian’s injuries!” With that, she yanked a disheveled, dusty young man towards her. 6 I hadn’t expected Sebastian Reed to be an extra on Seraphina’s set. The filming was kept under wraps; most people shouldn't have known about it. It clicked. Just half an hour before my arrival, Seraphina had stumbled upon Sebastian, acting as a stunt double. He was thrown onto a rooftop, tumbling down, again and again. The director was never satisfied. Thus, he would violently throw himself onto the rooftop, over and over. Seraphina initially had no intention of intervening. But when she saw Sebastian, covered in bruises, still gritting his teeth and throwing himself into the stunt, a wave of empathy washed over her. She remembered her own days as an extra. Those days, repeatedly throwing her body until her bones felt like they were shattering, enduring endless verbal abuse from directors, only to throw herself again and again—it was a past she could never bear to revisit. So she stepped in front of Sebastian, demanding to know whose idea this brutal sequence was. The director, terrified, didn’t dare breathe a word. Seraphina pointed a cold, accusing finger at my name on the investor list. “You don’t have to say it. I know. Julian Thorne, do minor actors deserve this fate?” Now, Seraphina stood over me, looking down, shielding Sebastian securely behind her. “I’ve given you more than enough love and respect. Why must you persist in destroying him completely?” My assistant grew frantic. “Ms. Sterling! Mr. Thorne never…” “Don’t explain!” I pressed a hand on my assistant, enduring the pain, and stood up, looking at her with cold eyes. “If you believe it’s me, then let it be.” Sebastian’s eyes lit up, and he quickly looked at Seraphina. Seraphina’s brow twitched, she let out a cold scoff, then took Sebastian by the arm and walked away. My assistant was frantic. “Mr. Thorne! You didn’t do anything! Why didn’t you explain?!” “Explain?” I let out a cold laugh. “Does she even deserve an explanation?” The director tormenting Sebastian due to his personal biases wasn't Sebastian's fault. But Seraphina, without even asking me a single question, instinctively pushed the blame onto me because of a name on an investor list. This showed that she didn’t truly respect me. Explanations often make some people think you’re trying to curry favor. And I wasn’t about to grovel for someone like her. 7 That very day, I became a trending topic, and not in a good way. A mysterious source leaked Sebastian’s stunt double footage, along with a video of Seraphina publicly confronting me on set. The internet erupted in outrage. 【Who does he think he is?! Don’t extras deserve to live?!】 【Seeing this, my heart aches for stunt actors. Honestly, the third take was probably fine, but the director made him do it a dozen more times. Must have been Thorne’s idea.】 【I’m crying, my hands are shaking! What’s the difference between this and attempted murder?!】 The poster was untraceable, but I knew. It was Seraphina’s tacit approval. Only my wife would dare to post such content without fear of my reprisal. When Seraphina returned home, I was already sitting on the sofa, silent. Half an hour later, she finally broke the silence. “Don’t you have anything to say to me?” “Yes.” Her expression softened slightly. I slid the divorce papers across the table. “Sign it. All joint marital assets will be split equally. The marriage will be annulled, but it won’t affect the ongoing collaborations between our families.” “You want to divorce me?!” I nodded. “Why?” She moved closer to me. “Don’t tell me it’s because of such a trivial matter!” “Precisely because of this trivial matter.”
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