Chapter 2

I thought Theodore had cut ties with Vanessa after that, but little did I know that he continued making even more affectionate videos with her behind my back. The videos became increasingly intimate.

I discovered this when he was taking a shower.

That day, he left his phone on the living room table and forgot to turn it off, so I saw Vanessa's message to him.

Vanessa asked him when he could visit her to shoot a few more videos. When I saw that message, I realized I had been deceived. I couldn't help but open the phone and read their chat history.

Their conversation was highly suggestive, as if they were a sweet couple.

I opened Theodore's account in anger and checked the videos he had posted. There were five new videos, each one more infuriating than the last.

In one, Theodore had taken off his shirt, showing off his abs for Vanessa to touch. In another, he pinned Vanessa against the wall and kissed her passionately. There was even one where they were playfully wrestling on a bed!

Each video had an unexpectedly high number of views, and the comments praised them as the perfect couple, a handsome guy and a beautiful girl, sweet and loving, wishing them a long and happy marriage, and so on. It was getting ridiculous.

Theodore didn't dispute the comments and even replied to some of them, saying, "We've always been so in love, and we've decided to be together forever."

I couldn't stomach this. He had promised me he had nothing to do with Vanessa, yet behind my back, he was willingly embracing this 'couple' narrative.

When Theodore finished his shower and came out, I couldn't bear it any longer. I demanded that he delete the videos, or we would break up.

Theodore hurriedly explained, "This is because the last video we did, where we showed affection, went viral. A marketing agency noticed the traffic and signed us up to a contract where they pair me with Vanessa. All these videos are now part of marketing campaigns, not my idea. I didn't want to do it, afraid that you would be upset. But it earns me a decent monthly income, and there's no real harm."

"If there's no harm, why don't you like it when I'm affectionate with other guys?"

I couldn't convince myself. Just thinking about Theodore being affectionate with someone else and receiving so many blessings from viewers made me unhappy.

"But I'm trying to earn more money so we can get married. Besides, Vanessa and I have nothing going on. All the chat records and everything are arranged by the marketing agency. There are scripts. If you don't believe me, I'll show you the contract."

Theodore indeed showed me the contract he had signed with the marketing agency. It explicitly required him to act as a couple with Vanessa and create video content.

I stared at the contract in silence, not sure what to say.

Theodore had always wanted to be a self-media creator, hoping to make money through it. However, his social media accounts had never gained much traction. Now, he had finally received this opportunity, and I couldn't bring myself to crush his dreams.

As long as he didn't lie to me and betray our relationship, I could endure this for a while.

"Lola, I promise you, once I gain a certain level of popularity, I'll end my contract with the marketing agency and create my own content. When I save up enough money, we'll get married," Theodore reassured me.

I had no choice but to agree, telling myself to endure and not watch the videos he posted.

With my support, Theodore dedicated himself fully to his video work.

Because the marketing agency wanted them to make videos of romantic getaways, he had to travel to another city. We began a long-distance relationship.