Survival by Infidelity

I felt utterly drained the moment I hung up. When I turned around, Rafael was already standing by the balcony door.

He fixed his gaze on me with his hands tucked into his pockets.

"Looks like your 'friend' is quite attached to you." His tone gave nothing away.

I forced out a dry laugh. "It's not as bad as you make it out to be."

After a brief pause, he said, "I hope you'll be punctual at the gala next weekend. And remember to dress appropriately. Ms. Lloyd will be there."

My heart stopped beating for a second.

Here she came. This was the part where his first love made her grand entrance!

"Of course. I won't let you down," I replied with a smile. In my mind, I was already scheming how I could "accidentally" play matchmaker for the two of them that day.

Surely my work here would be considered done as long as their story fell back into place, right?

…

Over the next few days, I found myself being plunged into a life of constant tug-of-war.

By day, I played the role of Rafael's perfect wife, attending one event after another by his side as Mrs. Cortez.

At night, I was Xavier's sugar mommy, listening to his tearful confessions while he put on an endless display of…

Well, let's call it wardrobe aesthetics.

At that moment, Xavier was lounging against the couch in a sheer shirt. The chains draped across his chest glinted under the lights.

"Do you think this choker looks good on me?" His seductive gaze lingered on me as he spoke.

I stared at the diamond-studded choker around his neck. "It does, but it looks like something a pet would wear," I answered truthfully.

His smile froze for a split second before he slipped back into his pitiful act. "You don't like it? Then I'll change it—"

"No, there's no need for that," I interjected before stopping him from undressing. "This is fine. Just keep it on."

The system clicked its tongue in my head. "Have you realized that Xavier's been getting more provocative lately? He keeps asking about Rafael, too. Say, do you think he's actually trying to take Rafael's place?"

I sighed inwardly. "Who knows? Maybe he's been stuck in the second-male-lead role for so long that he wants to try his hand at being the male lead."

Just then, Xavier leaned over and rested his head on my shoulder. "Are you free next week, Irene? I want to take you somewhere."

His words stirred a sudden sense of unease within me. "Where are we going?"

"It's a charity gala," he explained.

A charity gala next weekend… wasn't that the exact same event Rafael was taking me to?

I was just about to speak when the system erupted into frantic screaming. "No, you can't accept it! It'll be an absolute disaster if the two male leads meet now. Forcing the plot to take place before we've even reached that point would get us erased!"

A chill crept down my spine as my tone shifted instantly. "No, you can't go—"

"Why not?" he cut me off. "Is it because I'm your side piece? Am I so shameful that I can't even be seen in public?"

A sudden wave of diffidence washed over me when I saw the hurt in his eyes.

If I were being completely honest, Xavier had treated me very well. He showed up whenever I called, never once lost his temper, and often went out of his way to shower me with surprises.

I might have been moved if I hadn't overheard the conversation he'd had with his friends.

But no matter how well he'd treated me, nothing was more important than my life.

"The relationship we have shouldn't be exposed to the public. Whether it's you, me, or even Rafael, things wouldn't end well for any of us." I chose my words carefully.

He stared at me for a long moment before finally letting out a sigh.

"Fine, I won't make things difficult for you. But once the gala's over, you're coming with me," he declared.

I let out a breath of relief. "Alright."

"Pinky promise," Xavier insisted, hooking out his little finger.

I couldn't help feeling both amused and exasperated as I hooked pinkies with him. At the same time, a strange sense of unease stirred within me.

Just how far had the plot veered off track?