Life was actually quite dull. So when I went to Damien's company one afternoon to drop off a document he had forgotten at home, I didn’t expect anything unusual to happen.
But as I stepped into the building, an editor from a short web drama happened to see me. She approached and asked if I’d be interested in playing the third female lead in their upcoming project—a top student with a quiet, bookish temperament. She said I looked the part.
On a whim, I agreed. Damien didn’t object either.
To my surprise, the short drama became a breakout hit. Despite playing a minor role, I gained a small fanbase of my own.
It was novel, thrilling even. I had never imagined myself in the entertainment industry—it felt like a world completely unrelated to mine.
Hale family owned a diverse empire of businesses, and Halestone Entertainment was just a small subsidiary. Damien told me, as long as I didn’t use the Hale family name, I could do whatever I wanted.
So, gradually, I took on more roles. I signed with an agent, Ruth Davidson, and got a small assistant. Soon, I was appearing as the fourth, fifth, even sixth female lead in a few big-name productions.
Technically, I was just a low-tier actress—but I found it strangely fun. Sometimes, I’d scroll through Twitter and laugh at the fans’ comments.
One night, I was reading fan messages aloud to Damien in bed, smiling as I pressed gently on his leg with one hand. Without meaning to, I touched a spot that made him groan.
Startled, I tossed my phone aside and leaned over, thinking I’d hurt him.
But Damien pulled me down onto the bed and kissed me.
It all unfolded naturally after that—one thing led to another, and we both found comfort in the intimacy.
Since then, our relationship began to shift, deepening in quiet, meaningful ways.
He would surprise me with my favorite desserts, buy me clothes and jewelry, take me to movies, or stroll with me by the lake.
We started to resemble a real couple.
Thanks to daily massages, his legs gradually improved. Even the doctor called it a miracle. Now, as long as he didn’t walk too fast, you could hardly tell he’d ever been injured.
But in the third year of our marriage, Callie came back.
The day she returned, Damien—who had grown used to clinging to me—suddenly seemed distant.
My parents called and asked the two of us to return home.
Callie had been abroad for the past three years and hadn’t returned even once. During our rare family gatherings at holidays, my parents would make excuses, saying she was too busy with her studies.
Damien always stayed silent when they said that. I never knew what he was thinking.
After all, their real daughter had rarely visited since marrying him—but the Sutton family had still received endless benefits from the Hale family.
When we arrived at the Sutton house, I saw a graceful, elegant woman rush toward Damien and throw herself into his arms.
I stood off to the side and watched as Damien didn’t push her away.
She looked more mature now, but still called him “Brother” as tears streamed down her face, soaking his suit jacket.
I stood there, watching the scene unfold, and felt a sharp pain in my chest. I regretted agreeing to come back.
Then, Callie turned and looked at me. “Sorry, sister,” she said with a smile, “I was just too happy. Damien—oh, wait, should I be calling you Brother-in-law now?”
A flicker of discomfort crossed Damien’s face. Without a word, he grabbed my hand and led me to sit beside him.
I saw the shock in Callie’s eyes.
That meal was excruciating. My parents didn’t ask how I’d been or how my life was going. Instead, they steered every conversation back to Callie and Damien, pushing them to reconnect.
They even said, with almost no subtlety, that Callie had always missed her “Damien.”
A strange thought crept into my mind: were they trying to sell their daughter to him again?
From that day on, Callie started appearing around us more and more—like a buzzing fly I couldn’t swat away.
Within a month, Damien went from ignoring her to quietly accepting her presence.
Then, she said she wanted to join the entertainment industry.
And Damien? He assigned Halestone Entertainment’s top agent to manage her.
