Catfished by the Billionaire
I shot back a professionally shot photo of a famous actress.
[Dumbass, if you're going to use a fake pic, at least pick someone less famous.]
Then, I blocked and deleted him without a second thought.
That night, the tycoon himself posted on his official social media account, launching a nationwide search.
[My girlfriend blocked me. Can anyone help me explain?]
The attached screenshot was of my final message, followed by a string of red exclamation points where his replies had failed to send.
My world tilted on its axis.
1
After breakfast, I sat by the window and did my makeup, waiting for the perfect light.
Today was the day. The day my online boyfriend and I had agreed to finally see each other.
[Babe, you ready?] his message popped up.
I quickly typed back: [I’m a little nervous, babe.]
We clicked on every level. We could talk for hours about anything and everything. But there was one thing I hadn't told him: I was a celebrity.
A somewhat infamous one, but still, I was moderately successful.
I was worried he wouldn't believe me, so my plan was to video call him after the photo swap. I couldn't wait to see his reaction.
He replied almost instantly.
[I’m nervous too. I’m scared you’ll think I’m ugly.]
[Babe, I tried my best to pick the most flattering picture I have.]
[You won’t hate me, will you, babe?]
He’d expressed his insecurities to me more than once. But after years in the entertainment industry, I’d met every type of person imaginable. Looks really didn’t matter to me.
[Of course not. As long as you don't send me a fake photo, I’ll like you no matter what you look like.]
[Good. Kisses, babe QAQ.]
[Kisses.]
He was clingy, and I found it endearing. He went quiet for a few minutes, probably building up his courage.
Then, a photo appeared.
A man in a sharp suit, surrounded by a sea of microphones, his gaze piercing and his presence commanding.
I recognized him instantly. It was Alexander Sterling, the notoriously private billionaire tycoon. His interviews were rare, but his looks were so legendary that every single one produced a viral photo.
This was his most famous one.
A new message followed.
[Babe, this is me. What do you think?]
[nervouslyfidgeting.jpg]
I stared at the screen, stunned.
I’d always thought my online boyfriend was smart, principled, and refreshingly down-to-earth. We connected on a level I’d never experienced before.
But what the hell was this? Was he trying to tell me that the billionaire Alexander Sterling was spending his nights chatting with strangers online? Was I dreaming, or was he?
And I had explicitly told him not to send a fake photo!
Did I really seem that naive? That easy to fool?
If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s being lied to.
A hot flash of anger surged through me. I found an obscure promotional photo of myself from a few years back and fired it off to him.
[Dumbass, if you're going to use a fake pic, at least pick someone less famous.]
Before he could reply, I blocked him.
2
We had met playing a video game.
I went into the game and unfriended him, deleting the character with whom I had a maxed-out "Intimacy" score. Now there was no way for him to contact me.
I tossed my phone aside, wiped off the makeup I’d spent all morning applying, and curled up on the sofa to stew in my anger.
All those pictures he’d sent me before—the abs, the V-cut—they were probably all stolen from the internet too. And to think I’d genuinely admired and complimented his physique!
Fucking liar!
Fuming, I buried my face in a cushion and fell into a fitful sleep.
That evening, a call from my agent woke me. Her voice was strange.
"Ava, have you seen what’s trending?"
"What is it?" I mumbled, forcing my eyes open and tapping into my social media app.
A hashtag was exploding.
#EvenBillionairesGetCatfished
A jolt of alarm shot through me, waking me up completely.
This couldn't be what I thought it was, could it?
I cautiously clicked on the tag.
Alexander Sterling, who hadn't posted on his personal account in years, had just published a new status.
[My girlfriend blocked me. Can anyone help me explain?]
The attached screenshot looked disturbingly familiar. It was the last conversation I’d had with my online boyfriend. But his version had a series of red exclamation points next to messages that never went through.
[Huh?]
[It's not a fake pic, babe. That’s really me.]
[Babe?]
[Why did you delete me? Can you at least let me explain?]
[Babe… #crying#]
The internet was losing its mind.
[What? The Alexander Sterling is dating someone he met online?]
[Who is this girl?? Did she save a galaxy in a past life to land Alexander Sterling in a random chat?]
[But she thought he was fake, LMAO. I’m dying.]
[Honestly, that’s fair. If it were me, I’d assume it was a troll too, hahaha.]
[So he’s basically asking the internet to help find her? Does anyone know who this girl is?]
[If you know her, please say something! The man is so desperate he’s posting on his public socials!]
…
I scrolled through the comments, my eyes wide with disbelief.
So, my online boyfriend… wasn’t a liar?
He really was Alexander Sterling.
As I was reeling from the shock, a new hashtag started trending.
#TheBillionaireAndTheStarlet
My heart leaped into my throat. No, they couldn't have found me that fast, could they?
I nervously tapped on it.
It led to a new post from Isabelle Thorne, one of the most popular young actresses right now.
[No need for anyone to explain, it was all just a misunderstanding~]
The implication was so strong, she might as well have quote-tweeted Alexander’s post directly.
The internet went wild.
[The power of the internet! Found her in minutes!]
[So his online girlfriend is Isabelle Thorne?! OMG! A starlet and a tycoon, this is the most epic online romance ever!]
[Isabelle is so cute. Even as a celebrity herself, she didn’t believe a tycoon would be dating someone online, hahaha.]
[OMG, they're a perfect match. Isabelle is about to marry into one of the most powerful families in the country!]
3
My agent's voice crackled through the phone again.
"See it now? I was about to get you a spot on that new cooking show to boost your public image, but now with this news about Isabelle and the tycoon, all the buzz is going to be about her. This could ruin you!"
I paused.
My cooking skills were one of my few universally liked traits, and we had specifically chosen a laid-back, lifestyle cooking show to try and salvage my disastrous public reputation.
The show was set to start filming tomorrow.
Now, with all the attention on Isabelle, I was just going to be the bitter, washed-up side character again.
I gritted my teeth. "What if… what if I’m the one he was dating?"
I had used a private, anonymous account for my online life, completely separate from my professional one. Not even my agent knew.
I explained the whole story to her. She was stunned.
"Isabelle would dare to impersonate her? Is she insane?"
Everyone knew Alexander Sterling wasn't just ruthless; he was vindictive. Nobody crossed him, and nobody lied to him.
Even I, knowing I was the real girl, was too scared to come forward and admit it. Not only had I blocked him, I had called him a dumbass.
My agent and I stayed up all night, brainstorming, but we couldn't come up with a single foolproof plan.
The next morning, running on fumes and a hastily applied layer of makeup, I was shoved into a car and sent to the studio.
When I arrived, a small crowd had already formed around Isabelle.
"Isabelle! What’s it like to date a tycoon you met online?"
"You’re a master at this!"
"What's he like in private?"
"So, now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, have you unblocked him yet?"
The barrage of questions made Isabelle blush. She covered her mouth with her hand. "He hasn't found me on his own yet, so the block list… I think he’ll stay there for now."
It was an answer no one expected.
"What? You haven't unblocked him yet?!"
"You might be the only person in the world who would dare to do that to Alexander Sterling!"
"I can't even imagine how much he must spoil you!"
…
Isabelle just smiled demurely. "Oh, stop it, you guys."
Everyone was swooning.
Only I was frowning.
He's still on the block list because he's on my block list, you idiot.
My expression was immediately captured by the cameras and dissected by the online audience.
[What is Ava doing? What’s with that look on her face?]
[She's probably just insanely jealous that Isabelle is dating the tycoon. She can't even hide it!]
[LOL, some people just don't have Isabelle’s luck.]
[Why did they even cast her on this show? To watch her scowl the whole time?]
…
Isabelle saw me and approached with a bright smile. "Ava, you're finally here! The host said they have a huge surprise for us as soon as everyone arrived. We were just waiting for you."
I glanced at the time.
Filming was scheduled to start at 8:30. It was just past 8:00. Because of the whole Alexander situation, I’d only gotten to sleep at 5 a.m. I wasn't early, but I wasn't late either.
But the online audience had already made up their minds.
[So Ava still hasn't kicked her habit of acting like a diva?]
[The entire cast and crew waiting for her. The nerve!]
[Only our sweet Isabelle would still be able to smile at her after all that waiting!]
[Ugh, get Ava off this show. She's so annoying.]
4
I desperately wanted to roll my eyes at her.
But I restrained myself.
"What's the big surprise?" I asked the host.
The host gave me a mysterious smile. The large screen behind him flickered to life, displaying a screenshot of a social media post.
It was from Alexander Sterling, posted just three minutes ago. Seven simple words:
[Going where you are.]
The accompanying image was the logo for our show.
The host announced, "That's right! Our show is honored to welcome a very special guest—the CEO of Sterling Industries, Mr. Alexander Sterling himself!"
The internet exploded.
[Going where you are? He’s chasing his girlfriend all the way to a reality show set!]
[Remember what Isabelle just said? That he hadn't found her yet, so she was keeping him blocked? And now he’s literally showing up on her show to win her back! This is SO romantic!]
[This is a man who schedules his interviews months in advance, and he’s just dropping everything to be on a reality show. If that’s not true love, I don’t know what is!]
[I can’t even imagine how sweet it’s going to be when he actually gets here!]
[Can I please have Isabelle’s life in my next reincarnation?]
Isabelle's reaction was a masterclass in feigned surprise. Her eyes widened, her hand flew to her mouth, and she lowered her head in a display of shy disbelief.
Someone immediately teased her. "Isabelle, the man is chasing you all the way here. I think it's time to unblock him, don't you?"
She covered her face, embarrassed. "Oh, stop! We'll see how he behaves when he gets here~"
This, of course, led to another round of excited squeals from the cast.
I was utterly baffled.
Did Alexander really believe Isabelle was the one? So much so that he was willing to come on a reality show for her?
I couldn't help but remember my online chats with him. Whenever he made me mad, he would wire me money. If I ignored him, he'd send me pictures of his abs. If I kept ignoring him, the waistband of his sweatpants would get progressively lower in each photo.
He was definitely a charmer.
But he was charming me.
How had he become this puppet that Isabelle could so easily manipulate?
I couldn’t stop myself. I looked directly at Isabelle. "And if he behaves, are you sure you’ll be able to unblock him?"
Isabelle froze for a second, then quickly nodded. "Of course."
Another cast member, confused, turned to me. "Ava, why would you ask that?"
I didn't answer right away. If I said, Because I'm the one he was dating, would I be torn to shreds?
The online audience was already starting.
[What is wrong with Ava? Why would she say something so weird?]
[Her jealousy is literally pouring out of the screen. She’s probably never experienced a man being that devoted to her.]
[Seriously, what is there to question? Alexander is coming on the show for Isabelle!]
[She’s so rude. But don’t worry, everyone. As soon as Mr. Sterling gets here, he’ll put her in her place! He’ll get her kicked off the show!]
Isabelle, seeing my hesitation, seemed to regain her confidence. She straightened her back and frowned at me.
"Yes, what do you mean by that? If I can't, are you saying you can?"
Her tone was challenging, her eyes glinting with defiance.
"Ava, are you…"
She left the sentence hanging, but the insinuation was clear. Are you jealous? Are you envious? Are you just trying to stir up trouble?
Everyone turned to stare at me.
The pressure was mounting, and my patience finally snapped. "Yeah, I can," I said, my voice dangerously calm.
"He's on my block list right now. Want to see?"
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