The CEO's Unscripted Wife
Right now, a hidden camera is live-streaming my life to the entire world, and I have absolutely no idea.
In the frame, my husband, Ethan Shaw, walks over to me. His voice is cold. “Playing games again?”
Online, the trolls are salivating.
“Jolie’s always clinging to Ethan, pretending they’re so in love. Time for the mask to slip!”
His parents and younger sister are watching from their own screens, their expressions just as chilly.
“If Ethan really can’t stand her,” his mother says to his father, “they should stop making each other miserable.”
But on the live feed, the woman known for her gentle, adoring public persona—me—shoves Ethan’s face away with a flash of impatience.
“What is your deal? Back off.”
And Ethan, the famously stoic CEO, looks… wounded.
“You’re sick of me?”
1
The day I married into the Shaw family, the internet dragged me so hard I trended on Twitter for a week.
“WHAT? My favorite ship just sank? This can’t be happening!”
“Does Jolie have any shame? Everyone knows Ethan has been in love with Hailey Sutton forever. How did this leech actually win?”
My husband, Ethan Shaw, and the nation’s sweetheart, actress Hailey Sutton, were childhood friends. He’d financed her first indie film, put a predatory director in his place for her, and even made a surprise appearance on a reality show to support her.
Theirs was the "Golden Couple" narrative everyone was rooting for.
And I was the scheming villain who ruined it.
When an interviewer asked Hailey about our marriage, she’d forced a smile. “Ethan and Jolie are a wonderful match.” Then she’d turned away, her eyes welling up.
The world collectively grieved for the heartbroken starlet while branding me a manipulative social climber who used dirty tricks to get a ring on my finger. They said even my new in-laws couldn’t stand me.
They weren’t wrong about that part. Ethan’s parents were so displeased they barely cracked a smile at our wedding. His sister, Chloe, has never once called me by my first name, let alone “sister-in-law.”
The internet saw it all. The hashtag #WhenWillEthanDivorceJolie was a perennial favorite.
I didn’t really care. Ethan and I weren’t without feelings for each other, but it wasn’t some grand romance either. I had money to spend and a handsome man in my bed. The days were good. Who cared what strangers thought?
But I never imagined they disliked me this much.
Shaw Corp had just developed a new, fully autonomous tracking camera. It was microscopic, floated silently, and had a built-in AI that automatically censored any private moments. To promote this revolutionary product, their marketing department had offered up its greatest asset: their CEO.
The invisible camera would follow Ethan Shaw, live-streaming his powerful, glamorous life for the world to see.
And not a single person thought to tell me.
So there I was, in my worn-out sweats with my hair thrown up in a messy bun, melting into the sofa, when the broadcast silently began.
2
“Are we sure we don’t need to give Jolie a heads-up?” Chloe muttered, frowning at the live feed on her phone. “What if she says something… you know, bad?”
At that moment, Ethan wasn’t interacting with the viewers. He was leaning back against the seat of his town car, eyes closed, a hint of exhaustion on his face. He’d been up since dawn for a press conference and had gone straight into this promotional live stream. He was tired.
His cool demeanor did nothing to dampen the audience’s excitement.
“The most legit brand ambassador in the world—CEO Ethan Shaw himself!”
“Hahaha, this is way more interesting than some influencer!”
“Speaking of influencers, you think we’ll see Jolie on this stream?”
“Ugh, please don’t mention her. Let’s not ruin the vibe.”
“Seriously! Every time I see her fake, simpering face, I die a little inside for my OTP.”
“Hang on, guys. A live stream is the ultimate truth serum. Just wait for Jolie to show her true colors.”
Ethan’s mother glanced at the flood of negative comments and said flatly, “Jolie is a singer, not a trained actress. She couldn’t fake a natural demeanor. It would look scripted and undermine the entire campaign.” Her voice was clipped. “Besides, your brother knows what he’s doing.”
Chloe’s pout deepened. “I just don’t get why he’s with someone like her.”
Her parents remained silent. They didn’t like their daughter-in-law, but they had always respected Ethan’s choices. They hadn’t forbidden the marriage, but their approval was conspicuously absent. This live stream was an opportunity, a window into the unvarnished truth of Ethan and Jolie’s marriage. It would determine whether they would finally have a “frank discussion” with their son.
If the two of them were truly that incompatible, it was better to cut their losses early.
Back in our penthouse, I was oblivious, curled up in a fluffy armchair in my pink and yellow teddy bear pajamas, my hair held up by a cheap plastic clip. I was so engrossed in my phone that I didn’t even notice Ethan come through the door.
He changed out of his suit, poured himself a glass of water at the bar, and paced in front of me several times.
I saw his shadow move in my peripheral vision, but I was in the middle of a critical game level and couldn’t be bothered.
Seeing my complete lack of reaction, he walked over, a flicker of annoyance on his face. He stood over me, his expression hardening, his voice laced with ice.
“Playing games again?”
The comment section exploded.
“Don’t blame him for being pissed. He works all day, comes home, and she can’t even look up to say hello? Pathetic.”
“A cold home, a colder husband. Welcome to the consequences of your own actions, Jolie.”
“Serves her right. She broke up America’s Golden Couple. Hailey deserved so much better, ugh.”
They were all gloating, expecting me to jump up, terrified, and start apologizing. After all, my public image was that of a gentle, docile woman utterly besotted with her powerful husband.
Instead, I scowled, my brow furrowing in annoyance. I reached up and physically pushed his face out of my line of sight.
“What is your deal? Back off.”
You’re blocking my screen.
Ethan’s eyes widened slightly. His chiseled, handsome face was suddenly tinged with an unmistakable look of hurt.
“You’re sick of me?”
For at least ten seconds, the live chat was completely silent.
Chloe Shaw nearly dropped her phone.
“Did I hit my head?” she whispered. “Is that my brother pouting?”
3
Hearing the wounded note in Ethan’s voice, I finally pulled my attention away from the game and looked up at him, surprised. He had one hand braced on the back of the armchair above my head, his breath a warm, faint whisper against my skin.
I tried giving his arm a playful push, but he didn’t budge. He just kept staring down at me, his gaze intense and deep.
It clicked. He was in one of his moods again.
It was always like this. The moment he felt ignored, he’d corner me, trapping me in his arms without a word, refusing to let me go. He’d just stare, his lips pressed into a thin line, as stubborn as a little kid.
But he was also incredibly easy to soothe.
A hug, or a simple kiss, was all it took.
He would pretend it was nothing, but a tiny, secret smile would touch his lips, and he’d transform back into the calm, self-possessed CEO.
I figured it had something to do with how he was raised. As the eldest son and heir to the family empire, his parents had impossibly high standards for him. From his grades to his business acumen, his every word and action had to be flawless.
He was the walking, talking embodiment of every billionaire stereotype I’d ever had. Serious, rarely smiled, and carried himself with a regal poise that put my own pop-star persona to shame. It wasn’t until we were together that I realized he was just a big, tightly-wound ball of anxiety.
All that stoic composure on the outside was just a cover for a mind that was constantly tying itself in knots.
I sighed, putting my phone down. I wrapped my arms around his neck, letting my fingers tangle in his hair. I pressed a trail of soft kisses along his jaw, my lips finally brushing against his ear. I blew a gentle puff of air.
“Never,” I murmured. “You’re the best, husband.”
The tip of Ethan’s ear turned a shade of crimson so deep it looked like it might bleed.
He hugged me back, fiercely, burying his face in the curve of my neck as if trying to absorb my warmth. A moment later, he straightened up, his body suddenly going rigid.
By now, the live chat had recovered from its shock.
“What is Ethan doing? Is he throwing a tantrum?”
“Is this really what they’re like? No way, this has to be staged.”
“Definitely an act! Remember that reality show Hailey was on? Ethan visited the set and literally told Jolie to shut up in front of everyone.”
“Poor Ethan, he’s sacrificing his dignity for this marketing stunt.”
“Wait… are his ears actually red?”
4
The internet was in an uproar. A powerful CEO, acting like a celebrity and faking a relationship for views. The world had gone mad.
But Chloe knew better.
Her brother was the most serious, straight-laced person she knew. There was no way he would willingly act in a scene like this, especially one that so thoroughly demolished his formidable image. The fact that he’d even agreed to be the subject of a live stream was shocking enough.
Chloe stared at the screen, dumbfounded. After a long moment, she pointed a trembling finger at the man on her phone.
“Mom, Dad,” she asked, “did they hire a body double? The makeup is really convincing.”
Mr. and Mrs. Shaw were silent.
Ethan, their eldest, had always been mature and dependable, never giving them a moment’s worry. But watching the man they knew as composed and unflappable bury his head in Jolie’s shoulder, his ears burning red… their brains simply shut down.
There’s a kind of daze that sets in when you’re truly, profoundly shocked. Right now, all they could do was stare at the screen, speechless.
The comments, however, were anything but.
“This is so hard to watch. Why does Jolie get to be so happy after everything she did?”
“I feel so bad for Hailey. To have her place stolen by someone like that.”
“? You guys are wild. Are you seriously trashing his actual wife to defend a rumor? Some fans are just nuts.”
“Please. Jolie isn’t fit to lick Hailey’s boots.”
5
Ethan’s stiffness was a little strange, but I didn’t dwell on it. Having placated him, I grabbed a strawberry-print throw pillow, curled back up on the sofa, and went back to my game.
Ethan, meanwhile, set up his laptop and started working.
He typed on his keyboard, but every few seconds, he’d glance up at me.
As a celebrity, I’m hyper-aware of being watched. After he broke my concentration a few more times, I finally got annoyed and shifted my position so my back was to him.
It didn’t take long for me to feel that intense gaze on me again.
I looked up. He had actually moved his laptop to a different chair so he could keep watching me.
…This was so irritating.
I let out a frustrated sigh, scrambled to my feet, and ran a hand through my hair, ready to retreat to another room.
“Where are you going?” Ethan’s hands stilled on his keyboard.
“Somewhere else,” I retorted. “So you’ll stop harassing me.”
“I’m harassing you?” He looked genuinely taken aback.
I scoffed and pointed two fingers at my own eyes, then at him.
“You’re harassing me with your eyes.”
“…”
“Hahaha, is he always this clingy?”
“Am I crazy, or does it seem like Jolie isn’t that into him, but he’s totally obsessed with her?”
“Jolie’s fans are delusional. Ethan shows her an ounce of affection and suddenly they’re trying to sell this epic romance narrative.”
“Okay but their apartment is actually really cozy. TV lied to me, not every billionaire CEO lives in a cold, minimalist box.”
Chloe had never been to her brother’s place and was seeing it for the first time. At the family estate, Ethan’s rooms were a tasteful, high-end gray, impeccably neat and organized. But here, a cartoon calendar hung on the wall, a mug shaped like a cat sat on his desk, and his mouse rested on a Rilakkuma bear mousepad. These were things she never would have associated with her brother, yet here they were.
They somehow made his stern face look almost… cute.
A strange mix of emotions churned inside her. It was like seeing a hundred-year-old oak tree suddenly sprout a flower—part relief, part inexplicable awkwardness.
After all, she’d given Jolie her fair share of cold shoulders.
Oh god, she thought. If I start eagerly calling her ‘sis’ now, am I going to look like a total suck-up?
6
“Don’t go. Stay with me for a bit.”
Ethan’s brow was furrowed, his eyes fixed on me. For some reason, I saw a flicker of something pleading in them. He seemed extra needy today.
I changed direction and walked over to him, perching on the edge of his desk. My first instinct was to check if he had a fever, but my eyes drifted down from his face, tracing the strong, clean line of his neck and shoulders to the hint of a well-defined chest visible at the collar of his shirt.
It was… tempting.
What Jolie wants, Jolie gets.
I followed my heart and slipped my hand inside his collar, giving his pectoral muscle a firm squeeze.
“!”
Ethan’s whole body jolted. He flinched, grabbing my wrist to stop me.
“It’s the middle of the day!” he hissed.
I calmly pulled my hand back. “Got it. I’ll save it for tonight.”
“What a line! But I have to ask, how did it feel?”
“Are they still going to be live-streaming tonight?”
Chloe’s face turned bright red. Her parents cleared their throats in unison.
“Honestly, that girl,” her mother murmured.
Ethan took a deep breath, forcing himself to look composed.
“Sing me that new song you wrote the other day. I haven’t heard the whole thing yet.”
I gave him a look. Despite being a singer, I rarely sang for him. I used to, eagerly sharing my new work, but whenever I got lost in the music, he’d get this weird little smile on his face. It drove me crazy. I’d grab his cheeks and demand to know why he was laughing, but he’d never tell me.
Eventually, I just lost interest in performing for him.
But seeing as he was acting so strangely today, I decided to indulge him.
I shook my head with a small smile and picked up my guitar.
7
The comments section had been relatively calm, but the moment Jolie picked up a guitar, it erupted.
“Is she serious? Who gave her the confidence to sing live and acoustic? Does that camera have an audio-replacement feature?”
“I’d rather listen to monkeys screaming at the zoo.”
“Sorry, I’m out of the loop. Is there some drama with her?”
“Oh yeah. Hype machine, lip-syncing, plagiarism… she’s done it all.”
“And Shaw Media is a joke for defending her. Calling her a ‘talented artist.’ Of course they would, she’s the CEO’s wife. The whole company revolves around her.”
Mr. and Mrs. Shaw both frowned.
Jolie had debuted as a singer-songwriter. At the peak of her fame, her songs were everywhere. But then, an exposé accused her of stealing melodies from an unknown artist and lip-syncing at her concerts. The backlash was instantaneous and brutal. Overnight, Jolie became a pariah, a disgraced artist drowning in scandal.
They had never actually heard her sing and had no idea what her real skill level was. But they knew that if her performance on this live stream was even slightly flawed, it would add fuel to the fire of her already disastrous reputation.
This whole broadcast would become a laughingstock.
What was Ethan thinking?
8
My early songs were all over the place, stylistically—some were high-energy anthems, others were deep, emotional ballads. Lately, though, I’d fallen in love with the light, lingering melodies of old Cantonese folk songs and had even started learning the language for it.
I strummed the guitar, my voice soft and clear.
“Fading light of yesterday, words of love etched deep.”
“In the haze of those old days, I loved you more than the evening breeze.”
Ethan’s expression softened. He tilted his head slightly, his eyes gentle, listening with quiet, focused attention.
I glanced up, and our eyes met. For a second, I almost drowned in the tenderness and emotion swirling in his gaze.
My heart gave a sudden, hot little flutter. I quickly looked down.
“Erm… did she write that herself? It’s actually really pretty.”
“Have I been brainwashed? I always thought Jolie was a hack who couldn’t sing, but this… this is actually really good? Like, I want to hear more.”
“That look on Ethan’s face. That’s how you look at someone you love.”
“Oh, please. He looks at her once and you people write a whole novel about it.”
As the last note faded, I raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious to hear what he thought.
“Well?”
Ethan nodded, putting on a serious, critical expression. “Not bad. I give it a 9.9.”
“What happened to the other 0.1?” I asked, unconvinced.
“You didn’t do the dance moves.”
“Dance moves?” I was confused. “I don’t dance.”
I’m a singer, pure and simple. I never bothered to learn choreography. Even at my concerts, the most I do is wave my arms a bit while the backup dancers do their thing.
A reminiscent smile played on Ethan’s lips, his eyes twinkling.
“The first time I saw you, you were dancing just fine.”
I blinked, and the words tumbled out before I could stop them.
“The first time we met was at that hotel, wasn’t it?”
In the live chat I couldn’t see, a dense wall of comments was scrolling by at lightning speed.
Chloe nearly choked on her own spit.
Oh my god, is that something you can just say out loud on a live stream?
Sure enough, the chat exploded.
“HOLY SHIT, I KNEW IT! Doesn’t matter how well she sings, you need connections to make it. Jolie targeted Ethan for his power from the start!”
“AAAAAH, THAT BITCH! GIVE ME BACK MY GOLDEN COUPLE!”
“She slept her way to the top? Disgusting!”
A knot of anxiety tightened in Chloe’s stomach. If that clip went viral, Jolie would be branded a gold-digger forever. It was a label she’d never be able to shake.
Brother, what are you doing? Fix this, now!
9
I was still waiting for Ethan’s answer, oblivious to the chaos I’d just caused.
He was lost in a memory.
“The resort was the second time we met. The first time was in a rehearsal studio.”
I nodded. That made sense. Before I signed with Shaw Media, I’d had a few hits but very few resources. To practice in a decent space, I had to rent a studio by the hour. The rooms had an inner and outer section, separated by a glass wall. I always practiced in the inner room, where I could see everything.
But I didn’t remember anyone ever coming in.
As I racked my brain, a slow grin spread across Ethan’s face.
“I’d never seen a woman sing Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ with such… theatrical commitment. The passion, the choreography…”
My eyes widened in disbelief. I was about to accuse him of slander. I was an idol, for crying out loud, I would never do something so utterly ridiculous—oh.
Wait. Maybe I did.
Three years ago, I was in the middle of that career-ending scandal. I was depressed and angry, and I’d rented a studio to blow off steam by screaming my lungs out to a lot of dramatic, over-the-top songs.
Besides “Bohemian Rhapsody,” I’d also sung…
A dead memory suddenly clawed its way back to life. I shot up from my seat and lunged to cover his mouth.
But it was too late. Ethan dodged, laughing.
“You also did a full-throated rendition of ‘Country Roads,’ using a couple of sharpies as drumsticks. And then you did ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight,’ complete with the high-pitched ‘a-weema-weh’ parts.”
“Hahaha, did I hear that right? The lion sleeps tonight? And the CEO of Shaw Corp was his witness!”
“You can’t judge a book by its cover. Jolie looks so elegant, but she’s a total wild card in private.”
10
“Aaargh! Erase that from your brain right now!”
How could he remember my most humiliating moment? I was mortified. I grabbed his shoulders and shook him.
“Wait!” Something else occurred to me. “So at the resort, when you insisted on hanging out with me and told me you were a fan… that was all a lie?”
“Yep. I had ulterior motives,” Ethan admitted, a vibrant, unapologetic smile dancing in his eyes.
“You know, I’m starting to think they’re actually kind of sweet together.”
“Please. She stabbed Hailey in the back. No amount of ‘sweet’ can fix that poison.”
“Are you the poison? Why do you keep bringing up Hailey? Jolie is his wife.”
“A gold-digging tramp. She’ll never be half the woman Hailey is.”
11
“You liar! No wonder you always used to laugh when I sang for you. This is what you were thinking about the whole time!”
Seeing him smile like that, I gritted my teeth and started digging up old grievances.
“You’re always tricking me!”
“Hm?” He looked the picture of innocence.
“When we were dating, you gave me a debit card and told me it had all your savings on it for me to manage. I was so excited, I went to check the balance, and there was only two hundred dollars in there!”
“??? What?”
A stream of question marks flooded the chat.
I continued my indictment. “And I felt so bad for you! I thought you were broke, so I worked my ass off, taking every gig I could to feed you and take care of you. And it turns out you were loaded the whole time! You’re a liar!”
“Rich boy hides his identity to date a poor girl?”
“He only gave her $200 and she still took care of him? Was it just because he’s hot?”
“I grabbed the wrong card,” Ethan mumbled, rubbing his nose. “I gave you the right one later, didn’t I?”
I snorted. “Do you have any idea how many god-awful reality shows I had to do to support your lifestyle? I was about to puke from the exhaustion.”
Ethan froze at that. “But… I thought you liked doing those shows.”
“You thought I liked it?” I almost rolled my eyes out of my head. “I did it because it was fast money!”
“…I thought you enjoyed it, so I always came to the tapings to support you.”
“You showing up was the worst thing you could have done,” I said, deadpan. “That time you got caught on camera, I was trending for three days straight.”
“Why?” He frowned.
I gave him a withering look. “Your dear childhood friend and I were on that farming reality show. I did all the actual work, but when it was time to eat, I didn’t get a single bite. I said I was hungry, and for some reason, Hailey burst into tears and started apologizing to me. You said, ‘Don’t say another word, I’ll take you out to eat.’ That got edited to look like I was bullying her and you were telling me to shut up while you defended her.”
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