I let out a small laugh.
"I didn't take it to heart?"
Ned's voice dropped.
"This isn't the time for you to pull that jealous-wife act."
"A scene like this getting out doesn't do the company's image any good either."
"Bertha's just a girl, and people are tearing her apart online. Doesn't that bother you?"
The next day, the production crew arrived right on schedule with their equipment.
I sat down in front of the makeup mirror anyway.
Ten years of marriage had brought us here, and I didn't want it to end as some ugly spectacle.
I thought the reshoot was just a few extra takes, a way to wrap the show up with some dignity.
The assistant director's voice carried in from the living room.
"Everyone online last night was saying Mr. Weiss and Miss Jenner are too close, so we have to add this segment."
"Once we lay out the whole story of how she saved his life back then, the audience will understand that Mr. Weiss treats Miss Jenner differently out of gratitude, not anything romantic."
I walked up behind Ned. He was bent over the interview outline.
The question circled in red pen read:
【Ten years ago, in the highway crash, Miss Jenner ran into the flames to pull you out. What was going through your mind in that moment?】
The key points for the answer below it read:
【She's the person I'll spend the rest of my life repaying.】
In that crash ten years ago, Bertha was still Ned's girlfriend, and she abandoned him and ran the second the car caught fire.
In the end, I was the one who dragged Ned out of the flames. And he and Bertha were finished for good after that day.
It wasn't until half a year later, when we ran into each other again, that he started pursuing me.
Ned saw me and flipped the outline shut.
"Don't read into it. It's just for the show."
I asked, "So you're going to say she was the one who saved you back then?"
His brow furrowed.
"I talked it over with the director this morning. It's best if we put the gratitude out there, so people don't get the wrong idea about her and me."
"And what about me?"
Ned was silent for a moment, then softened his tone.
"Kathleen, isn't it enough that the two of us know the truth? Do we really have to spell it all out on camera?"
Bertha walked in just then.
"Ned, let's just drop it. I don't want this causing a fight between you two."
Ned turned to her at once.
"It's fine, don't worry about it."
When he turned back to me, his voice had gone cold.
"You're my wife. What's so hard about backing me up on one line? Do you actually want to watch everyone drag us through the mud?"
Before I could say anything, the assistant director came over.
"Mr. Weiss, the live stream's about to start. Could you all come this way?"
Ned shot me a look and lowered his voice. "Don't embarrass me out there."
With that, he turned and walked toward the cameras.
When I followed, the host was going over the rundown with Bertha, cue cards in hand.
"Miss Jenner, you don't need to say much later. Just walk us through how you pulled Mr. Weiss out of the car back then. After that, we'll move into the charity foundation announcement."
My steps stalled.
"What charity foundation?"
Ned frowned.
"I told you half a month ago I wanted to use this show to launch a foundation."
The host added with a smile, "Mr. Weiss wants to start a fire rescue foundation in Miss Jenner's name, to commemorate that life-or-death rescue all those years ago."
"It's a really moving angle. The audience will eat it up."
I looked at Ned.
He sighed. "It was supposed to be in your name, honestly. But Bertha said she'd been through this kind of trauma too, that she wanted to help more people."
"So I gave the name to her. Kathleen, it's only a name."
