At that moment, a ridiculous thought flashed through my mind—were my parents trying to pimp Connor out?
From that day on, Connor became like a buzzing fly, constantly hovering around me and Hallie.
And Hallie? It took her less than a month to go from rejecting him to accepting him.
When Connor said he wanted to join the entertainment industry, Hallie assigned BY Entertainment’s top agent to manage him personally.
He strutted around the Barnes Corporation building like he owned the place. Everyone assumed he was the Barnes family’s son-in-law. After all, I kept a low profile at BY Entertainment, hiding my identity. No one knew Hallie and I were married.
Connor was the complete opposite—calling Hallie in a loud, flirty tone, showing up at her office with takeout like a doting boyfriend.
The first and only time I dropped by her office, she coldly told me not to come again.
From then on, people assumed I was just some minor-league actor trying to cozy up to the CEO—an 18th-tier nobody who relied on looks and skin to gain roles.
Connor was charming and handsome, and with Hallie’s quiet backing, he rose to fame almost instantly. All the top resources started funneling toward him.
One day, my manager, Tessa, casually asked, “Do you know this Connor guy? His surname is the same as yours, kinda weird.”
I just smiled. “Just a coincidence. I don’t know him.”
Seemingly relieved, Tessa launched into a rant, gossiping about how full of himself Connor was—always throwing his weight around, snatching endorsements by flashing his ‘CEO connection.’
It wasn’t until three of my brand deals were taken by him that I finally realized: he was deliberately targeting me.
And Hallie? Since I entered this industry, she had never given me any special treatment. Even when we crossed paths in the building, she’d pretend I didn’t exist.
Back then, I still hadn’t thought of divorce. Because, honestly—I really did like Hallie.
Until one day, something happened. Something that, to her, was probably insignificant.
But to me, it was the final straw.
We were filming a trending outdoor survival variety show. Both Connor and I had been invited. Things on set were fairly cordial.
Connor played the cheerful, extroverted college guy, while I stuck to my role and impressed in the games and challenges.
That day, Hallie actually showed up to visit the set—something she rarely did.
The directors swarmed around her, showering her with pleasantries.
That’s when it happened.
The bamboo bridge by the lake, old and poorly maintained, suddenly gave way as both Connor and I stepped onto it.
We fell into the lake together.
Chaos erupted. Staff scrambled to jump in after us.
But no one expected that Hallie, the CEO of Barnes Corporation herself, would be the first to dive into the water.
Ever since her injury, swimming was the only sport she could still enjoy. She was incredibly skilled.
I couldn’t swim. When I saw her jump in, I honestly thought she was coming for me—after all, I was her husband.
But then I saw her grab Connor and swim toward shore.
And just like that, something inside me shattered.
At that moment, I understood—three years of marriage, and she had never loved me.
Hallie didn’t even glance my way, didn’t acknowledge I was drowning too. She barked orders at the bodyguards to carry Connor to the car.
Surrounded by people, she rushed him into her Maybach, her face was filled with panic and tenderness.
As I sank into the cold lake water, the last thing I saw was the tail end of her car speeding away.
By the time the crew fished me out, I was already unconscious.
It was all such a cruel coincidence.
Everyone assumed someone would save me. But once Hallie jumped in and diverted attention, the others just... forgot about me.
It wasn’t until the assistant director shouted for help that people even remembered I was still in the lake.
They rushed me to the hospital, and the production was halted.
When I finally regained consciousness, the only person by my side was my manager, Tessa.
Her eyes were red, clearly shaken.
I moved a little—nothing seemed seriously wrong.
“I’m alive, Tessa,” I joked weakly.
She smacked her lips. “Ugh, don’t say that! You scared me half to death, Clayton! Honestly, what kind of bad luck is this? That damn CEO made such a dramatic scene jumping in for that goody two shoes boy, and the whole crew forgot about you! Aren’t you pissed?”
"I'm not upset."
Strangely, I felt calm. For so long, I had naïvely believed that being married meant Hallie and I were one, that we shared everything. But reality hit me with a cruel slap in the face.
I realized then—whatever bond Hallie and I once had, it was over.
That afternoon, I was discharged from the hospital. The first thing I saw was Hallie helping Connor walk, and my parents following behind them.
They looked like a picture-perfect family. Connor leaned on Hallie without a care in the world, completely ignoring the fact that her leg wasn’t fully healed. My parents gently draped a coat over his shoulders with so much warmth, it was as if he were their biological son.
It was like I didn’t exist at all.
I stared at their backs for a long moment, then quietly pulled out my phone. I found the contact of a lawyer Tessa had recommended and asked him to draft a divorce agreement.
