Chapter 2

I couldn't sleep a wink that night.

First, he deleted a message right in front of me, and now this 'missing you 💋' from 2 AM... It all stuck in my heart like a thorn.

I lay in the hospital bed with my eyes closed, listening to Orion tossing and turning in the reclining chair beside me. Clearly, he couldn't sleep either.

Was it guilt?

Around 4 AM, I heard him getting up quietly.

"Baby, I'm going downstairs for some fresh air. You keep sleeping." He gently stroked my forehead.

I didn't respond, continuing to pretend I was asleep. Only after his footsteps faded away did I dare to open my eyes.

Did he go to meet whoever sent that message?

An hour later, he returned, carrying a faint scent of perfume. Not a brand I used.

When dawn broke and the nurse came to change my dressing, Orion gently helped adjust my bed position, as attentive as always. But looking at his face, I could no longer find that sense of security from yesterday.

At 8 AM, he said he needed to shower.

"I'll buy you breakfast after I clean up." He pressed a light kiss to my forehead.

Now, the sound of rushing water came from the bathroom as Orion showered inside.

Buzz, buzz—

His phone vibrated several times on the bedside table.

One, two, three... messages kept flooding in. I turned my head to glance at it, watching the screen light up and dim repeatedly, as if urging something.

The water was still running; he'd probably be washing for a while longer.

I hesitated for a few seconds, then finally reached for his phone.

"It's okay, I'll just take a quick look to make sure it's not an urgent work matter..." I rationalized it to myself.

The password was my birthday—1028. When he set this password, he specifically told me he wanted to always remember my birthday. At the time, I was moved to tears; now I realize it was probably just another carefully orchestrated romantic gesture.

The phone unlocked.

The chat interface on the screen made me instantly unable to breathe.

"Harper Baby ❤️"

This contact name hit me like a slap in the face. Harper? Who was this? Why was there a heart emoji?

The latest message made my hands start trembling:

[It was too rushed earlier. Next time let's find a better place, no more sneaking around 💋]

My mind went blank. Earlier? He had just said he was going downstairs for fresh air! So... so he went to see her!

I continued scrolling up through the chat history, each message stabbing into my heart like a knife.

Last night at 1:50 AM:

Harper: [Missing you 💋]

Orion: [I miss you too, but Riley's here, it's not convenient]

Harper: [Then come out for a bit, just for a moment]

Orion: [Okay, I'll figure something out]

2:10 AM:

Orion: [I'll say I'm going downstairs for fresh air, meet at the back door of the coffee shop downstairs at 4]

So last night's message was their secret signal! And I foolishly thought it was a work colleague's misdirected text!

I bit my lip and continued scrolling, each message making my heart colder:

Three days ago, 2 PM:

Harper: [Your girlfriend is hospitalized again? Always sick and weak, such a hassle]

Orion: [Riley's getting more dramatic as she gets older, not like you young girls who are so cute, pure and unpretentious ❤️]

Getting older? I'm only 28! Dramatic? I was just sick!

Yesterday morning, the day I was hospitalized:

Orion had sent a video to Harper. Opening it, I saw myself lying weakly in the hospital bed while he tenderly fed me porridge on camera.

Below the video, he had written: [How's my acting? The fans are completely fooled, thinking I really care about her, hahahaha]

Harper replied: [You're so bad! But the live stream effect is really good, I saw the followers and money both increased 💰 You act so convincingly]

Orion: [These viewers love this kind of emotional drama. I give them what they want and they believe everything. Riley is such a useful prop, her sickly appearance really triggers their maternal instincts]

Prop...

PROP!

I felt dizzy and nearly dropped the phone.

So in his eyes, I wasn't his girlfriend—I was just a prop! A prop used to maintain his perfect boyfriend persona!

Fighting nausea, I continued scrolling:

A week ago:

Harper: [When are we going public with our relationship? I can't wait anymore]

Orion: [Don't rush, baby, let me handle things with Riley first. She's still useful, the live stream effect is too good. Breaking up would affect my image and income]

Harper: [How long do I have to wait? I want to be everyone's envied influencer girlfriend too]

Orion: [Soon, soon. I'm thinking of ways to make her break up with me first, so I can naturally play the victim and gain sympathy. Maybe even go viral again]

Make me break up with him first...

I closed my eyes as all our "sweet" memories began churning in my mind.

Those carefully prepared surprises were actually props provided by brand sponsors.

Those sweet words were actually scripted lines designed for live stream effect.

Those deep embraces and kisses were all about making sure the camera captured the best angles.

I remembered our first meeting—he brought a cameraman, saying he wanted to "document real life." I thought it was so romantic then; now I realize that from the very beginning, I was just material for his content creation.

I remembered every gathering with friends—he never mentioned my work achievements, only saying "this is my girlfriend Riley," then frantically taking photos for social media. I thought he was showing me off; turns out he was just managing his image.

I remembered every gift he gave me, those "tokens of love" I carefully treasured—they were all brand collaborations. He never spent a penny of his own money.

Three years...

For three whole years, I lived like a clown in his carefully constructed fake world.

I even bragged to friends about how much he loved me, how thoughtful, how perfect he was. I was even proud to have such a boyfriend!

Ridiculous, truly ridiculous.

Most ridiculous of all, just a few hours ago, I was still thinking: having someone who loves me this much makes any illness worthwhile.

The tears finally came flooding out.

I wiped them roughly with the back of my hand and continued reading. I needed to know the complete truth, no matter how cruel.

Two days ago:

Harper: [Do you really not love her at all?]

Orion: [Love? Haha, I love the fame and money she brings me. What else could a woman pushing thirty give me? Not like you—young, beautiful, and savvy about social media]

Harper: [What if she found out the truth?]

Orion: [She won't. She trusts me too much, she's blindly naive. Plus she's weak-willed. Even if she knew, she wouldn't dare do anything]

Weak-willed...

I clenched my fists. Yes, I had always been too weak. Too trusting, too easily moved, too quick to forgive.

But this time, I didn't want to be weak anymore.

The water in the bathroom suddenly stopped.

My heart raced as I quickly closed the chat, placed the phone back where it was, and closed my eyes to pretend I was sleeping.

Footsteps approached. He was coming out of the bathroom.

"Baby, are you awake?" His gentle voice sounded beside my ear, as loving as always.

But now this voice sounded so fake, so disgusting.

I worked to maintain steady breathing, pretending to still be asleep.

He tiptoed to my bedside and gently touched my forehead: "The fever seems to have gone down a bit. That's good."

What an actor. If I didn't know the truth, I would definitely be moved to tears again like a fool.

"I'm going downstairs to get some breakfast. Sleep a little more." He pressed another light kiss to my forehead.

The sound of the door closing—he was gone.

I opened my eyes, tears breaking loose again.

What should I do? Should I confront him? Or continue pretending I know nothing?

If I exposed him, he would definitely deny it, say I misunderstood, use those sweet words to deceive me. The old me might have actually believed him, forgiven him, continued this absurd performance.

But the current me...

I don't know if I can continue this absurd performance anymore.