My online boyfriend and I agreed to finally swap photos. I thought he was catfishing me when he sent a high-res, professional press photo of Manhattan's most famous, untouchable billionaire heir. I laughed out of sheer annoyance. I shot back a photo of an obscure A-list actress from an indie fashion magazine. [Dumbass. If you're going to use fake pics from the internet, at least pick something niche, okay?] Then, I immediately blocked and deleted him. That very night, the billionaire heir himself made a high-profile post on X (formerly Twitter) looking for someone. [My girlfriend blocked me. Can anyone help me explain things to her?] Attached was a screenshot of my text message, complete with the dreaded red exclamation mark indicating he had been blocked. My eyes nearly popped out of my head. 01 After breakfast, I spent an hour meticulously putting on a full face of makeup. I sat by the window, waiting for the exact moment the natural lighting was perfect. Because today was the day my online boyfriend and I had agreed to do a face reveal. [Baby, are you ready?] His message popped up. I quickly replied: [I'm a little nervous, baby.] Even though we clicked perfectly and our values aligned, I had never told him that I was actually an actress. Although I was mostly known for playing "love-to-hate" mean girl roles, I still had a decent amount of fame. Worried he wouldn't believe a photo, I planned to just FaceTime him in a bit. I wondered how he would react. He replied almost instantly. [I'm nervous too. I'm scared you'll think I'm ugly.] [Baby, I really tried my best to pick a picture where I look good.] [Are you going to be disappointed in me, baby?] My online boyfriend had expressed insecurities about his looks more than once. But having seen way too many plastic, picture-perfect faces in Hollywood, I honestly didn't care about outward appearances. [Of course not! As long as you aren't using a fake photo to trick me, I'll love you no matter what you look like.] [That's good. Kisses for my baby QAQ.] [Kisses.] He was very clingy, and I didn't mind pampering him. He went quiet for a minute, seemingly hyping himself up. A few minutes later, he sent an image. It was a man in an impeccably tailored suit, surrounded by a swarm of microphones. His gaze was sharp, his aura screaming absolute power. I recognized him instantly. It was the infamous heir to the Vance empire, Sterling Vance. Because his looks rivaled top-tier supermodels, every press photo of him went viral. And this particular shot was his most famous one. My online boyfriend sent another message. [Baby, this is me. What do you think?] [Nervously twiddling fingers.jpg] I froze. I had always thought my online boyfriend was grounded, highly educated, and on the same wavelength as me. I really liked him. But what did he mean by sending someone else's press photo? A billionaire heir with a net worth in the eleven digits doing long-distance online dating? Was I sleepwalking, or was he? And I specifically told him not to use fake photos! Did he think I was some gullible idiot who had never used the internet? I absolutely loathe being lied to. A ball of fire instantly ignited in my chest. I quickly found an obscure, artistic photoshoot of myself and fired it back at him. [Dumbass. If you're going to use fake pics from the internet, at least pick something niche, okay?] Without waiting for his reply, I blocked his number at the speed of light. 02 I met my online boyfriend while playing Valorant. I logged into the game and deleted my highest-affinity friend, making sure he had absolutely no way to contact me ever again. Then, I tossed my phone onto the couch, spent an hour scrubbing off my makeup, and curled up alone to sulk. All those photos of his abs and V-lines he used to send me... they must have been stolen from some random fitness influencer's Instagram. And to think I had genuinely admired and complimented his physique! Dead liar! Fuming, I buried my head under the covers and went to sleep. That evening, I was woken up by my manager, Jess. Her voice sounded strange. "Harper, have you seen the trending topics on X?" "What is it?" I forced my eyes open and tapped into the app. Only then did I realize a massive hashtag had exploded while I was asleep. #BillionaireHeirOnlineDating My heart did a somersault. I was instantly wide awake. This topic... it couldn't be what I thought it was, right? Cautiously, I clicked the hashtag. Sterling Vance, who hadn't logged into his social media for centuries, had posted a tweet not too long ago. [My girlfriend blocked me. Can anyone help me explain things to her?] The attached photo looked more and more familiar the longer I stared. Wasn't this my final chat log with my online boyfriend?! The only difference was, on his end, there were several unsent messages marked with bright red exclamation points. [Huh?] [It's not a fake picture, baby. It's really me.] [Baby?] [Why did you delete me? Can you at least listen to my explanation?] [Baby... #crying#] The internet was losing its collective mind. [WHAT?! Sterling Vance online dates?!] [I'm dying to know who the girlfriend is! Did she save the galaxy in her past life to match with Sterling Vance online?!] [But she thought he was a catfish! LMAO!] [Honestly, if it were me, I would've thought it was a fake pic too. Hahahaha!] [But it looks like Mr. Vance is genuinely asking for help to find her. Does anyone know this girl?] [If anyone knows her, tell her to reply! You've got the CEO of Vance Corp stress-tweeting!] ... I scrolled through the comments, my pupils practically vibrating. So... my online boyfriend actually didn't use a fake photo? He really was Sterling Vance?! While I was still reeling from the shock, a brand-new trending topic suddenly materialized. #ShippingSerenaAndTheBillionaire I gasped. Did the internet sleuths work that fast? Was I already doxxed? Nervously, I clicked on the hashtag. It was a new post from the currently trending "It Girl" actress, Serena Thorne. [No need for anyone to help explain! I know it was just a misunderstanding~] The implication was so strong she might as well have quote-tweeted Sterling Vance directly. Netizens were celebrating the new "power couple." [The internet remains undefeated! Found her in minutes!] [So the online girlfriend is Serena?! WOOOW! An A-list actress and a billionaire heir? What a god-tier romance!] [Serena is too cute. She's a famous actress doing online dating, yet she didn't believe the billionaire was doing the same! Hahaha.] [Help, they are so perfect for each other. Serena is about to be a billionaire's wife!] 03 Jess's voice came through the phone again. "Do you see it now? "I was planning to put you on that lifestyle cooking show to win back some public favor, but now that Serena's online romance with Sterling Vance just dropped, all the buzz for tomorrow's live broadcast is going to be about her. You're going to completely fade into the background!" I froze. Because I was a surprisingly good cook, Jess and I had specifically chosen a slow-paced, cozy reality show to salvage my somewhat rocky reputation. And the show was going live tomorrow. Now, with all the hype going to Serena, I'd just be an extra in her movie. I gritted my teeth. "What if... I'm the one actually dating Sterling Vance?" When I dated Sterling online, I used my private burner account, completely separate from my verified Hollywood socials. Because of that, not even my manager knew I was the one involved. I explained the whole situation to Jess. She was absolutely floored. "Serena Thorne has the guts to steal this kind of clout? Is she out of her mind?!" It was common knowledge in the industry that Sterling Vance was not only unforgiving but utterly ruthless in business. No one dared to mess with him, let alone publicly lie to him. Even though I knew for a fact I was his online girlfriend, I didn't dare jump out and claim it. Because not only had I blocked him, I had literally called him a dumbass. Jess and I brainstormed all night but couldn't come up with a foolproof damage-control plan. Running on zero sleep and a quick layer of makeup, I was shuttled to the reality show set. When I arrived, several cast members were already surrounding Serena, gossiping excitedly. "Serena! What's it like dating a billionaire?" "You're so good at keeping secrets!" "What's Mr. Vance like in private?" "Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, did you take him off your block list?" The barrage of questions made Serena blush coyly. She covered her mouth. "He hasn't reached out to me personally yet, so the block list... I'm not planning on letting him out just yet." Nobody expected that answer. "What?! You still haven't unblocked him?!" "You're probably the only woman on earth who dares to treat Sterling Vance like that, Serena!" "I can't even imagine how much he spoils you behind closed doors!" ... Serena gave another shy smile. "Oh stop, you guys are exaggerating~" Everyone looked at her with envy. I was the only one who slowly furrowed my brows. She hadn't taken Sterling Vance off the block list... wasn't that because he was on MY block list? My subtle expression was instantly captured by the eagle-eyed viewers watching the live stream. [What is Harper doing? What's with that face?] [I heard she's insanely jealous of Serena dating the billionaire. She can't even hide it!] [Lmao, stay mad. It's not Serena's fault Harper doesn't have her luck.] [Why did the producers even invite Harper? Just to watch her pout?] ... Serena noticed me too. She walked over with a radiant smile. "Harper, you're finally here! The host said they're announcing a huge surprise once everyone arrives. We were all just waiting for you." I silently checked the time. Call time was strictly 8:30 AM. It was barely 8:05 AM. Sure, because of the Sterling Vance fiasco, I didn't fall asleep until 5 AM and was a little sluggish, but I definitely wasn't late! But the internet had already caught Serena's drift. [So Harper still hasn't fixed her diva attitude?] [Making a whole room wait for her. The audacity!] [Only our sweet Serena would still smile at her after waiting that long!] [Harper is so annoying. Can they just kick her off the show?] 04 I desperately wanted to roll my eyes at her. But I held it in. I looked at the host. "What huge surprise?" The host smiled mysteriously. The giant LED screen behind him flickered to life. It projected a screenshot of a brand-new tweet. Three minutes ago, Sterling Vance had posted exactly four words: [Going where you are.] The attached image was the logo of our reality show. The host announced: "Ta-da! Our show is incredibly honored to welcome our newest guest star—the CEO of Vance Corp, Mr. Sterling Vance!" The internet completely erupted. [Going where you are?! Is he literally chasing his wife onto a reality show set?!] [Remember what Serena just said? He hasn't reached out, so she wouldn't unblock him. And then the CEO literally pulls up to her workplace! He's so whipped!] [This is a man who schedules interviews down to the minute, and he just drops everything for a reality show? If this isn't true love, what is?!] [I can't even imagine how sweet it's going to be when he actually walks on set!] [God, let me reincarnate as Serena Thorne in my next life, please!] Serena's expression was a masterpiece. First, her eyes widened slowly. Then, she covered her mouth in disbelief. Finally, she bashfully lowered her head. Someone immediately teased her, "Serena, the billionaire chased you all the way here! You should probably take him off the block list now, right?" She hid her face, pretending to be flustered. "Oh my god... I'll see how he behaves when he gets here~" The room erupted into playful cheering. I was extremely confused. So, did Sterling Vance really believe Serena was his online girlfriend that easily? He even came on a reality show for this? I couldn't help but recall my online dating days with Sterling. Whenever he made me mad, he'd send me money on CashApp. If I ignored him, he'd send me pictures of his abs. If I kept ignoring him, the waistband in the pictures would get lower and lower. He definitely knew how to coax someone. But... he was coaxing me. How did he suddenly turn into the guy Serena was claiming could be effortlessly manipulated by her? I couldn't hold back anymore. I looked right at Serena. "If Sterling Vance 'behaves,' are you sure you can take him off the block list?" Serena froze for a second. Then she nodded quickly. "Of course." Someone looked at me in confusion. "Harper, why would you ask that?" I didn't answer immediately. If I announced right now that I was the real online girlfriend, the internet would probably crucify me, right? Netizens were already tearing me apart. [Is Harper mentally ill? Why is she suddenly stirring the pot?] [Her jealousy is practically oozing through the screen. Seeing how spoiled Serena is by Mr. Vance, she's probably bitter she's never experienced that.] [Seriously, what is there to question? Sterling Vance literally came on the show FOR Serena!] [She's so incredibly rude. But whatever, when Mr. Vance gets here, he'll definitely put her in her place for Serena! Kick her out!] Serena caught my hesitation and instantly straightened her posture. She frowned at me. "Yeah, what do you mean by that? If I can't, are you saying you can?" Her tone was interrogative. Her eyes even carried a hint of provocation. "Harper, are you just..." She didn't finish the sentence, but the sarcasm was deafening. Are you envious? Are you jealous? Are you trying to start drama? Everyone on set stared at me. I was getting irritated. Unable to take the bullshit any longer, I spoke up: "Yeah, I can." "He's currently sitting on my block list right now. Wanna see?" 05 For a moment, everyone on set froze. Nobody expected me to say that. The room plunged into dead silence. People exchanged glances, totally speechless. The guest closest to me was the first to react, looking at me in pure shock. "Harper, what are you saying? "Who is on your block list? Sterling Vance?" I suddenly realized I had let my anger get the best of me and blurted it out on live TV. But you can't un-ring a bell. I silently nodded. The guest looked bewildered. "So you're saying... you also blocked Sterling Vance?" I casually replied, "Yeah." Netizens: [This girl will literally latch onto anything for clout. Serena blocks the billionaire, so she has to say she blocked him too, even though he doesn't even know she exists...] [And so what if she blocked him? Is blocking someone a flex? What's with that attitude? Who knows, maybe she desperately tried to slide into his DMs, got ignored, threw a tantrum, and blocked him just to feel a false sense of victory?] [Exactly. Is she comparing herself to Serena? Serena and the CEO are having a lovers' quarrel. Harper is just a pathetic interloper.] While the internet was raging, Serena marched up to me, looking astonished. "How could you possibly have Mr. Vance's contact info?" I was completely sick of looking at her face. I decided to stop hiding. "Why wouldn't I? Is it so impossible to believe that the person dating him online is actually me?" I stared Serena down, speaking with absolute confidence. The internet erupted in mockery. [Are my ears broken? What did Harper just say? She said SHE'S the one dating Sterling Vance?!] [She's delusional... she has the nerve to fake this? Serena and the billionaire already practically confirmed it online. Isn't she afraid Mr. Vance will literally blacklist her from Hollywood?] [Ahhhh I can't stand this crazy bitch! One second she's questioning people, the next she's having a manic episode. When is Sterling getting here to humble her?] [Wait... she looks dead serious. She doesn't look like she's lying. And do you guys remember? The picture the girlfriend sent him was one of Harper's obscure editorial shots.] [Do you have zero critical thinking skills? They literally accused each other of catfishing. Why would she send her REAL photo? Whoever it is, it's definitely NOT Harper!] [Yeah, I don't get why you guys are doubting this. The CEO tweeted he's coming to find his girl. It's obviously for Serena. Harper needs to log off and get therapy!] ... Serena was furious. "What do you mean? Are you trying to say you're the one dating Mr. Vance and I'm an imposter?" Despite her anger, there wasn't a shred of guilt on her face. I found it incredibly strange. Why wasn't she terrified of being exposed right here, right now? Seeing her eager to deny it, I cut her off. "Then why was your first instinct to say 'imposter'? "What if we were both just dating him at the same time?" 06 Serena didn't expect that. She was speechless for a few seconds, her face flushing red before she shouted back, "Mr. Vance would never do something like that!" Her reaction was a bit too dramatic. I just gave a simple, "Oh." I was silently debating whether I should expose her on the spot. After all, a live broadcast was hard to control if things went south. But before I could decide, Serena went on the offensive. "Harper, I've always treated you like a good friend. But you questioned me first, and now you're slandering Mr. Vance! Do you have amnesia? We're on a live broadcast! "Even if I'm willing to let this slide, I have to defend Mr. Vance's honor! If you can't produce evidence right now, I want you to apologize to him and to me immediately!" She delivered the monologue with teary eyes and a trembling voice. She stood there, stubbornly biting her lip, looking like a delicate, wronged little flower refusing to break. The guests who had been quiet until now shot me accusatory glares. "Yeah, Harper, this is really uncalled for." The internet was fuming. [Seriously, is Harper unhinged? She actually accused Sterling Vance of two-timing!] [Enough is enough! I feel so bad for Serena. Not only is this crazy woman attacking her, but she's dragging Serena's man down too!] [Serena looks like she's about to cry! Someone hug her! And someone slap the shit out of Harper!] [Heh, she better produce some solid evidence. If she can't, her career is over! Sterling Vance will ruin her!] I stayed silent for a moment. To prevent myself from accidentally liking tweets or posting from the wrong account, I always kept a separate, private phone for my personal life. And since I was at work shooting a show, I hadn't brought that phone with me. When I explained my dilemma, Serena's smugness became visibly apparent. She pretended to look sympathetic, but she clearly thought she had caught me in a lie. "You didn't bring your phone? We have the internet, Harper. Can't you just log into your account on another device? "Or... do you just not have an account at all?" I was so done. She was practically begging me to end her career. "Fine. I'll log in." I cut her off. Too lazy to argue, I grabbed one of the production team's iPads and logged into my private Discord/Snapchat right there on set. Someone whispered, "Wait, that profile picture looks exactly like the one Mr. Vance posted..." Serena's face paled. She clenched her fists and leaned in to look. I shoved the iPad screen directly in her face: "See it?" There was only one person on my block list. The username was simply "S". The profile picture matched the exact one Sterling had tweeted out. Serena clearly hadn't anticipated that I could actually produce receipts. She froze, completely paralyzed. 07 The internet was stunned. [Wait, what? Harper actually looks like she has proof...] [Holy shit! The profile pictures match! And she was put on the spot, so there's no way she faked it that fast!] [I kind of believe it. That photo the girlfriend sent really was Harper's, and it was super obscure. Why would a stranger have that saved?] [Does that mean Serena is the liar?! But in that scenario, why would someone send their real photo? I don't buy it.] [It doesn't matter what you buy. She brought the receipts. Serena is about to be canceled...] Serena struggled for a long time before she managed to squeeze out a single word: "This? This is..." Everyone crowded around the screen. Amidst the shocked stares, someone suddenly pointed out, "But... you don't have any chat logs to prove you two were dating..." I paused. Because I had just logged in on a new device, the local chat history was completely blank. Serena looked as if she had just been resuscitated. Her head snapped up. "Exactly! And how does that prove this is Mr. Vance?! Anyone can use that profile picture!" Having said that, she suddenly put on a wounded expression. "But for you to pull this up so quickly... could it be... could it be..." She didn't finish her sentence. Instead, her large, teary eyes darted toward the directors behind the camera, brimming with the pain of betrayal. The implication couldn't be more obvious. The netizens experienced a collective "aha" moment. [WTF! Yeah, why didn't I think of that?! Harper's 'proof' was way too smooth. Could this all be a scripted stunt by the producers?] [Oh my god. She acts super aggressive, forces Serena to demand proof, the crew magically hands her an iPad, she logs in flawlessly, and she just happens to have an account set up... this reeks of a pre-planned script!] [Wow, I'm so disgusted! If Serena wasn't smart enough to catch the blank chat history, she would've been played!] [And Harper was talking about 'two-timing' earlier... was her next move to play the victim of a cheating billionaire for sympathy?] [So the producers are trying to use Serena and Sterling for clout to boost Harper's career? That is so low!] The other guests began looking at me with weird, suspicious expressions. I even heard them whispering. "Would they really do that? I thought this was a live, unscripted show..." "Who knows who she slept with to get this storyline..." In that moment, I felt like I was turning to stone. I knew Serena Thorne was brazen enough to lie, but I didn't expect her to be this good at gaslighting! If I have no proof, I'm a liar. If I show proof, it's a scripted conspiracy. Where was the logic?! Seeing the anger shifting toward the production team, the host quickly stepped in to do damage control. "I promise you, everything happening on this show is 100% authentic and unscripted! As for the truth regarding Mr. Vance... he will be arriving on set very shortly!"
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