Jessica walked down the dimly lit sidewalk, tears streaming down her face. The echoes of her boyfriend's cruel words replayed in her mind. Distracted, she stepped off the curb.
Suddenly, a car screeched to a halt, mere inches from her. Jessica gasped, stumbling backward. The driver's door slammed open, and out came Oliver.
"Are you out of your mind? You could've been killed!"
Jessica's tearful eyes met his, and the anger in his gaze softened when he noticed her trembling.
"Hey... are you okay?" Oliver asked more gently.
Jessica looked down, wiping her face, unable to speak.
"Come on, let's get you somewhere safe," he said, offering his hand to her.
Jessica hesitated, then took his hand, feeling a strange comfort in his presence.
"And cut!" the director said.
Jessica immediately released herself from Oliver's grip and wiped her tears.
"You two were amazing! I nearly changed my mind about making you the leads," the director said, laughing heartily.
Jessica smiled in gratitude.
"Let's prepare for the next scene, the female lead's first appearance. Anna, are you done with the makeup?"
"Yes, sir," the lady referred to as Anna replied, doing some finishing touches on a blonde.
Jessica couldn't help but stare at the blonde admiringly. Jennifer Holland—the lead actress. Every movie and film she starred in always ended up being a hit. Just as her acting skills were superb, so was her beauty. Her blonde hair and angelic looks captivated audiences.
"I must say, I'm quite amazed by your acting skills. You did a wonderful job; I almost fell in love with you," Oliver said, approaching her.
"Thank you, Mr. Martins, but I'd appreciate it if we kept conversation to a minimum between us," Jessica said, not bothering to hide her discontent.
Oliver smiled. "You're still owing me something. I was waiting for you, but you didn't show up," he said, his gaze drifting down to her cleavage.
"Is that why you changed the storyline of the script?" Jessica asked.
"You don't know how badly I want you, Jessica. And I'm not the kind of person to give up easily," Oliver smirked.
Jessica clenched her fists tightly in anger but slowly smiled. "Have a nice day, Mr. Martins," she said before walking away.
Her smile fell immediately. The weight of the mistake she almost made that night pressed heavily on her. If things hadn't taken a different turn, she could only imagine the mess she'd be in now.
_____
"It can't be possible," Leon muttered in shock as they watched the news.
The wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Newman was the talk of the town. It was everywhere on the news, and Renata and Leon couldn't contain their shock when they saw Jessica trending as one of the guests.
"What is she up to?" Renata asked.
Leon just stared in disbelief. For someone of his status not to be invited to the party, he wondered what card Jessica played to get there.
Belinda seethed with anger and jealousy as she watched Jessica on TV, looking so beautiful. The gown she wore—one could tell just by watching from the screen—it cost a fortune.
"Could it be that she still has something to do with Louis?" she wondered.
Belinda smirked. That had to be the only reason. Maybe Jessica begged Louis to take her back as his mistress.
"Cheap... Just like her."
____
"You really did good out there," Rachael said.
Jessica smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Campbell."
"Oh please! Just call me Rachael, or Rachi for short. You're making me sound old," Rachael said, and Jessica chuckled.
"It's late already. Which street do you stay on? Let me drop you off," Rachael asked.
"Well, I—" Jessica's eyes widened when she saw a black car parked at the agency entrance. The window was down, and William sat inside, casually pressing his phone.
"Maybe some other time, okay? I need to go now. Bye!" Jessica walked away immediately.
Rachael raised a brow in confusion but shrugged and headed to her car.
Jessica looked around cautiously before entering William's car.
"I thought we agreed on keeping this marriage a secret. What are you doing here?"
William rested his face on one hand, his gaze blank. "Can't I pick up my lovely wife after a stressful day of work?"
Jessica rolled her eyes. "Ha ha, very funny," she said sarcastically.
"Driver, let's go," William said.
"Where are we going?"
"We'll be spending the weekend at my parents' place. Apparently, they want some 'bonding time' with their daughter-in-law," William said, looking ahead.
"Huh? It's too sudden. I haven't even packed what I'll need."
"Everything is already there," William muttered.
Jessica nodded. Spending the weekend with William's parents—she hoped she wouldn't blurt out anything that would ruin everything.
The car drove into the estate and stopped. They both got out, greeted by maids.
"My darling!" Helena said warmly as she came downstairs to meet them.
She welcomed the couple with a hug.
"I heard you were working on a movie. How is it going?" Helena asked.
"It's been great so far, Mother," Jessica smiled.
"Nice. Come join us for dinner. Your father is waiting," Helena said, and William nodded as they headed to the dining room.
The air was warm and lively as they dined.
"William was really the clingy type when he was small. He would always cry whenever I didn't sleep with him. So cute," Helena chuckled.
"Mom, I don't think she would want to hear that," William sighed.
"I still have some of his childhood pics. I'll show them to you sometime," Helena teased.
"Mom!" William frowned.
Jessica chuckled. "I would love to see them," she said.
William shot her a sharp look, which she met with a smirk.
"So," Charles said, dabbing his mouth with a tissue, "when are you two going on your honeymoon?"
Jessica nearly choked on her food. She bit her lip nervously. "Um... Well—"
"We'll go once Jessica finishes her upcoming movie," William said.
"Nice," Charles smiled.
"I'll excuse myself. Today was really tiring for me," Jessica said, standing up. If she stayed any longer, who knew what questions they'd throw at her.
"Of course," Charles said, then turned to a maid.
"Please take her to their room," he said.
"Their room?" Jessica thought. It dawned on her that she would have to share a room with William.
With a forced smile, she followed the maid. A sigh escaped her lips. This felt more like matchmaking than bonding time to her.
Once in the room, Jessica marveled at how spacious it was.
"Here is the Young Master's wardrobe, and this is yours. I'm at your service; please feel free to call if you need help," the maid said.
"Thank you," Jessica replied before the maid left.
Jessica immediately headed to the bathroom for a warm, relaxing shower. She emerged with a towel loosely draped around her body.
She walked to her wardrobe to pick out clothes but was surprised when she opened it.
The wardrobe was filled with short, sexy gowns and lingerie. This was definitely orchestrated by William's mother.
"I can't possibly wear this... in a room with him," Jessica thought, rummaging through the wardrobe.
The towel slipped off her body, falling to the ground. As she reached to pick it up, William walked in.