The perennial singleton, Serena, was asked on a reality show:
“Artists your age are already married with children. Why are you still single?”
Serena smiled faintly: “Because the man I love already has a devoted wife.”
“Oh my god! Who did he marry?!”
Serena glanced at me, also a guest on the show.
My social media was instantly flooded:
“How does it feel to be a homewrecker?”
“Are you happy about ruining someone’s life?”
“Are you really not going to let your husband go?”
I looked at Liam Miller, the investor sitting in the audience:
“Honey, they’re asking if I should let you go.”
1
“Oh my god! Serena, the man you love is… Mr. Miller!”
Serena darted a glance at Liam, then quickly lowered her eyes, a hint of reluctance in them.
The live comments were going wild:
【OMG, she’s so jealous! My heart aches for her!】
【Jade’s triumphant smirk, flaunting Mr. Miller right in front of Serena – isn’t she just rubbing salt in the wound?】
【Um… but Mr. Miller *is* Jade’s husband, right?】
【The commenter above defending a homewrecker? Must be one herself!】
…
I simply glanced at Liam, unfazed.
Three years of marriage, and no one had ever questioned our relationship.
He insisted on investing in any reality show I joined, just in case I was targeted by the crew. If he couldn’t accompany me, he’d double his investment.
But as I really looked at Liam, I found his gaze fixed on Serena.
His eyes were complex, holding an emotion I couldn’t decipher.
My hand, propped against my chin, subtly dropped away.
How could I have forgotten?
Serena was the one Liam loved first.
Back then, Serena was so fresh and ethereal. At an age when other girls would swoon if Liam merely looked their way, only she would disdainfully toss his gifts in the trash, muttering:
“Entitled jerk.”
Even when she reluctantly agreed to date him, she broke up with him abruptly on the day of our college entrance exams:
“You have a bright future ahead. I won’t be joining you on that path.”
Liam completely shut down on the spot.
It was me, with a face strikingly similar to Serena’s, who approached him:
“If she won’t keep you company, I will. I can play any role you want, just pay me.”
I became Serena’s stand-in.
I made a killing by the side of the wealthy heir.
When the Millers demanded he marry, I packed my bags to leave. But he grabbed my hand.
The man who had been withdrawn for years declared firmly:
“I want her.”
I touched his forehead: “Do you even know who I am?”
“Jade.”
“Not Serena?”
He gritted his teeth: “Jade, it’s always been Jade.”
I leaned in closer: “Who is Jade to you?”
“My wife.”
After helping the scion overcome his withdrawal, the Miller family immediately accepted me as their daughter-in-law.
Everyone said I was lucky, that I’d snagged a man even A-list actresses couldn’t win over, and I, an industry nobody, had him wrapped around my finger.
But now, looking at Liam’s eyes, I wavered—
What if Serena came back?
Seeing Serena’s shy expression, a lump formed in my throat.
“Do I know this woman?”
Liam’s words made Serena’s smile freeze.
“What does my marriage have to do with you? Do you think you can slander any woman whose husband you fancy?
“No wonder Ms. Serena has been in the industry for years and is still just an influencer, without a single award to her name.”
Serena’s smile vanished completely.
Liam, however, chuckled:
“Sorry, my withdrawal just cleared up recently, so I’m not very good with words. Don’t mind me.”
“Uh… of course, haha.”
Serena’s laugh was worse than a cry.
As soon as the recording ended, I rushed into Liam’s arms.
The comments had long since shifted from accusing me of being a homewrecker to “JadeLiam forever!”
Serena stood nearby, her gaze meeting Liam’s.
Sadness, heartache, spilled over.
Liam merely gave her a brief glance, then wrapped an arm around my waist and walked away.
Back home, I happily scrolled through comments.
Then I saw the top trending topic:
【Serena Invites Mr. Miller to Love Swap – EXPLOSIVE!】
I clicked on it. Serena had retweeted the link to the Love Swap reality show, tagging Liam:
【Coming?】
Liam’s reply was the first comment:
【Yes】
2
“Honey, since she’s slandering you like this, of course I have to make her give up in person. Only if I participate in the Love Swap show and choose only you as my partner will the whole country know her malicious intentions.”
I sipped my yogurt pouch, watching Liam.
His attitude was earnest, just as it had always been.
“Liam,” I said, biting the corner of the pouch, “if you regret it, we can get a divorce… Mm-!”
The yogurt mixed in our mouths.
He only let me go after kissing me until I was breathless. “Don’t say things like that again.
“Besides, doesn’t your bag design need a promotional opportunity?”
“Let’s do it!”
I nodded instantly.
No reality show was more popular than Love Swap; it was wildly popular, even internationally.
After all, a group of married/partnered celebrities swap partners to experience different lives, full of taboo and excitement.
Liam could spend a fortune promoting me, but it probably wouldn’t compare to this single appearance.
Serena’s social media account exploded, with many fans celebrating the ultimate triumph of first love.
But Serena merely smiled shyly at the press conference:
“How is this a victory? He’s just doing it to advertise for his wife.
“For me, just seeing him from afar would finally bring closure to my youthful regrets.”
My best friend, Chloe, was fuming:
【She just found out how hard the entertainment industry is and now she’s regretting it, seeing how Jade has Mr. Miller backing her up!】
【Ugh! That manipulative witch!】
But she was immediately attacked by netizens:
【Get this straight, it’s Jade, the homewrecker, who stole our Serena’s man! You’re defending a homewrecker, probably because you’re used to being one, right?】
【LOL, maybe she’s also got her eye on her best friend’s man. Saying Serena’s a manipulative witch? Maybe she just doesn’t want another competitor!】
I immediately stopped Chloe from arguing, to prevent retaliation.
At the same time, I collected the IDs of those making outrageous comments and handed them over to our legal team for defamation.
While scrolling through Serena’s response video, I suddenly noticed a pair of hawk-like, sharp eyes behind her.
I zoomed in. The cold face of Serena’s fiancé, from her arranged marriage, filled the screen.
Serena had indeed been single before.
But she recently accepted a commercial marriage arrangement from her family, and then, immediately, she eagerly signed up for Love Swap.
I knew this man.
The biggest jewelry magnate in Silverwood City, the undisputed heir to that dynasty.
Seeing the possessive look in his eyes, I sighed—
Serena always had such good luck. In her student days, Liam Miller, the East Coast scion, was crazy about her.
Now, after a casual arranged marriage, the Silverwood City heir was utterly obsessed with her.
I sipped my yogurt pouch, sighing.
Just as I was about to put down my phone, another trending topic exploded:
【Liam Miller: Stop pretending】
I quickly clicked on it.
Under Serena’s response video, Liam’s comment had soared to the top:
【Stop pretending】
Serena hastily held a press conference to clarify.
I was doubled over with laughter, but then accidentally glimpsed Noah Hayes, the Silverwood City heir, in the corner, staring coldly at the camera.
His eyes were filled with fierce protection for his fiancée.
3
The reality show soon began filming.
Before choosing whose partner to team up with, the production team arranged a week-long cohabitation period to help them make their choices later.
Liam always stayed by my side. Even during group dinners arranged for all the guests, he maintained a respectful distance from any other female guests sitting next to him.
Serena was repeatedly arranged to sit beside Liam, but he would simply get up and leave.
The crew tried to persuade him:
“This is Love Swap, Mr. Miller, you have to follow the rules.”
“I’ll cover any penalties.”
Liam dropped those words and walked away.
Serena bit her lip, her eyes red-rimmed, watching him walk towards my room.
Noah Hayes, standing nearby, cast a glance at his fiancée.
His eyes held complex emotions.
Serena stopped clinging to Liam.
Because after watching a few live broadcasts, public opinion on her took a sharp turn:
【Mr. Miller said no, so why is she still pushing? Is she really like that netizen said, she’s struggled enough in the industry and is now envious of Jade having a powerful husband?】
【LOL, isn’t she already clinging to Noah Hayes?】
【How could Noah, that ice king, compare to the rush of young love that could give her a better marriage?】
As if to reinforce this public sentiment, the production team’s treatment of Serena declined.
Her meals were downgraded several times, and her screen time was fleeting.
One evening, after dinner, as Liam and I were taking a stroll, she dramatically stumbled out of her room, wrapped in just a thin shirt.
She fell right at Liam’s feet.
The mid-winter chill had her skin red, her nose red, making the tears in her eyes look genuinely pitiful.
“Mr. Miller! Save me! I…”
She instinctively grabbed Liam’s hand.
Seeing me, her hand stiffened. She quickly let go and stumbled back two steps:
“I… I didn’t mean it like that, Ms. Jade, please don’t misunderstand, I won’t dare to again…”
She choked up, covered her mouth, and turned to flee.
Her bare footprints marked the snow.
I was stunned.
Her performance was so flawless that by the time I processed it, it looked as if I had ordered someone to bully her.
She instinctively sought help from Liam but then saw me, the “culprit”…
But, given Noah’s intense gaze for Serena, how could he possibly let her suffer?
I smiled, a hint of sarcasm on my lips.
I turned to observe Liam’s expression.
His face was unreadable.
“I heard there’s a public outcry against her online. The production team signed a contract so they can’t kick her out, so they’ve just started collectively ostracizing her.”
I looked at Liam.
He wrapped an arm around my waist, simply mumbling, “Hmm.”
That night, before bed, I deliberately asked him: “Do you believe Serena is being bullied?”
He looked out at the snowy night sky, letting me rest my head on his arm. “No.”
I smiled.
After all, Noah was also an investor in the show.
I understood that much, and as a businessman, Liam should understand it even better.
The next day, for the partner selection segment, I put on beautiful makeup and appeared hand-in-hand with Liam.
Serena’s eyes were red, as if she had been crying for a long time.
She had never held hands with Noah on camera.
Noah stood behind her, arms crossed, watching.
His eyes showed deep displeasure.
The director’s camera focused on Liam, and the comments went wild with laughter:
【Is this even a choice? Who doesn’t know Mr. Miller is totally devoted to his wife?】
【To be honest, I didn’t come for Love Swap, I came to watch Mr. Miller and Ms. Jade’s sweet romance.】
“I choose…”
Liam’s hand slackened.
I instinctively reached to tighten my grip, but he directly pushed my hand away:
“Serena.”
Serena, her eyes red, suddenly looked up, her face filled with disbelief.
4
The comments were a sea of question marks.
I also stared at Liam in shock.
But he simply walked to Serena’s side.
↓ ↓ Download the Novel Master app, Search 【 286564 】reads the whole book. ↓ ↓
NovelShort
