"Not exactly..." I said hesitantly.

The main thing is, I'm terrified of being exposed, you know!

"Well, as long as you're okay with it," he replied.

I was Charlize Collins, a barely known actress. If it got out that I was secretly married to the Best Actor, I couldn't even imagine the fallout. At this point, I could only take it one step at a time.

I ended the call, staring at Jack's name, which was still topping Twitter's trending list. I felt a chill run through me.

After getting up and getting ready, I settled in at home, trying to take it easy. About an hour later, Jack's agent called me.

"Charlize! Hey, you need to come over right away. Jack's got a fever, and he won't go to the hospital!"

I was taken aback.

"Where is he?" I asked, quickly grabbing my things and heading out.

"On the set of 'New Era'."

I rushed over and was greeted by Jack's agent, who led me inside.

Seeing Jack slumped in a chair, I was both worried and frustrated. I immediately grabbed his hand, trying to get him up. "To the hospital."

"No," Jack mumbled, "I don't want to go..."

What is wrong with this guy?

Since he was sick, I had to coax him. "Alright, fine. If you won't go to the hospital, at least come home with me."

Jack murmured, "No, I want my wife to come."

My jaw nearly dropped. Really testing my patience.

"I am your wife. Let's go home."

His face was flushed, and after giving me a look, he finally agreed, "Okay, honey."

I helped him into the car and took the driver's seat, heading home. Since he refused the hospital, I had to manage his fever myself.

Once we got home, I half-carried him to the bedroom and laid him down on the bed.

I grabbed a damp cloth and some medicine.

By the time I finished, it was already afternoon, and I was finally able to take a breath.

Just as I was about to leave, Jack reached out and grabbed my hand, his eyes looking pitiful.

"Don't leave. Stay with me."

I sighed, resigning myself to the situation. I sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I need to rest," I tried to reason with him.

Jack said, "Then sleep with me."

Seriously?

"Can't we? Aren't we married?" Jack asked, his voice sleepy but his grip firm.

"Alright, fine."

I lay down, and before I knew it, this human furnace had wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Let go of me," I struggled to say.

But Jack only held on tighter.

The next morning, I woke up to find Jack sitting on the bed with a look of hurt in his eyes.

The moment I looked up, I met his sad gaze.

"What did you do to me?" he asked, pointing to some marks on his collarbone.

They were clearly teeth marks, probably from when I was restless in my sleep.

…Are you serious?

I was momentarily speechless. What else could I have done?

I shot back, "What do you mean? You had a fever yesterday. Maybe it scrambled your brain a bit. I was just taking care of you."

Jack said, "Is this what your 'care' looks like?"

He gestured to the bite marks again.

I threw up my hands and said, "So what if I did something to you? We're married, it's legal!"

To my surprise, Jack simply smiled. "Yep, it's legal."

Before I could react, he pinned me down on the bed and pressed his lips to mine. I didn't dare open my eyes; my mind was spinning, and I could smell a faint, pleasant scent I couldn't quite place.

After a moment, he pulled back, looked down at me, and said with a grin, "It's legal, so a kiss isn't too much to ask, right?"

I didn't answer, but my brain was on fire. Since our secret marriage, we'd been very reserved with each other—hardly any hugs, let alone kisses.

Jack continued, "You've got to be responsible."

…Well, at least he knows what responsibility means.

After Jack got up and went back to the set, I was left alone. As a minor actress, I didn't have much going on. Still, I couldn't shake the strange feeling from yesterday's events.

I called Julia.

"What?! You slept with him?" Julia exclaimed on the other end of the line.

"Is that the point here?" I asked, bewildered.

Julia analyzed the situation for me. "Come on, you slept with the Best Actor! That's huge!"

"What's huge about it? We just shared a bed," I groaned.

"Okay, but you could make it real?" Julia suggested with a chuckle.

"No way, you're totally unreliable!"

And she really was unreliable. After all, who else would post photos of herself at a bar with gigolos on Twitter, claiming to have taken me along for the ride?

After hanging up, I went back to scrolling through Twitter.

Suddenly, a new trending topic caught my eye

[#Minor Star Charlize Bedding BestActor#]

I panicked.

Clicking on the hashtag, I saw photos taken the day before when I picked up Jack from the set. The shots were taken from an angle that made it look like I was clinging to Jack's waist as I helped him into the car.

The angle was deliberately misleading, suggesting that I was pursuing him while he was reluctant.

I kept scrolling through the comments:

[Who is this actress? Doesn't she know her place?]

[Clinging on and playing tricks…]

[Doesn't she know Jack is already married?!]

I couldn't deny it stung a bit. No one likes getting trashed online.

Julia texted me: [Charlize, are you okay? Do you need me to come over?]

I forced myself to shake off the discomfort and replied: [It's nothing. I'm fine.]

Then, I went back to checking Twitter. The comments were relentless.

[An unknown actress trying to ride on the Best Actor's coattails?]

[A total homewrecker, so shameless!]

[Disgusting.]

The insults kept pouring in. Julia sent a voice message. "Those people are so idle. Let me go back at them!"

And then she vanished, probably off to take on her online trolls.

I noticed a flood of new comments, and sure enough, Julia had jumped into the fray.

It was oddly comforting to see someone stand up for me.

I continued scrolling, and then I saw a tweet from a well-known actress, Louisa, who shared the most popular post about me: [Homewreckers are truly despicable.]

Louisa's tweet made her look like a saint, and her popularity soared in response.

[Louisa is so righteous!]

[Compared to that little mistress, she's a breath of fresh air.]

Many people began tagging me in their comments, and the vitriol in my mentions grew even worse.

I sighed.

Louisa Lane was a hot star who had acted with Jack in a film with a tragic ending, which had sparked a massive fanbase for their on-screen chemistry.

Now, it seemed the fans were even more invested in their fantasy.

[This is what true love looks like!]

[From a tragic ending in the show to a perfect reality!]

Soon after, Jack's manager called. "Ms. Collins, how are you holding up?"

I paused, then replied simply, "I'm fine."

And hung up. I just didn't have the energy to deal with these well-meaning but intrusive inquiries.

Then, out of nowhere, Jack tweeted: [Stop spreading rumors. My wife gets jealous. Here's a little introduction: this is my wife. Picking me up from the set is not illegal. Keep talking, and you'll see.]

I couldn't believe it.

Jack even posted our marriage license.

Sure enough, the tweet rocketed to the top of trending topics.

Twitter crashed for half an hour.

I was left in shock.

Is Jack out of his mind?