He Went Public With His Mistress, So I Married A Billionaire

The day my Oscarwinning fiancé won his big award, he publicly confessed his love to a rising starlet.

I stood backstage, watching them embrace and kiss passionately under the flashing lights. At the afterparty, I took off my engagement ring and wished them a lifetime of happiness.

Marcus smirked carelessly. "She just wanted to make it official. Going public is no big deal. Why are you throwing a tantrum?" He was absolutely sure I was head over heels for him.

He thought I'd crawl back in three days at most. But three days became six, and all he got was my marriage certificate with the city's richest billionaire.

Marcus finally panicked, his eyes bloodshot as he demanded answers.

I wrapped myself tighter in my new husband's oversized shirt and looked up lazily. "My husband just wanted to make it official. Getting a marriage license is no big deal.

Why are you throwing a tantrum?" For a whole week, Marcus Sterling and Chloe Bennett's names dominated social media.

The video of the newly crowned Best Actor kissing the rising starlet was still the talk of the town, even at his celebratory afterparty.

When I pushed the door open, Marcus was reenacting the kiss, egged on by his friends. Chloe's face was flushed red, her hands gripping his collar.

He held the back of her head, kissing her deeply, lost in the moment. I walked in. The VIP lounge instantly fell dead silent.

Sensing my presence, Chloe opened her eyes first and saw me. Panicking, she let go of Marcus's collar, but she shrank back into his arms, playing the victim.

Then, she bit her red, swollen lips and called out nervously, "Sera." Marcus turned around, completely calm.

He didn't show even a shred of embarrassment at being caught cheating by his fiancée.

Right in front of my face, he pulled Chloe closer, kissed her cheek, and comforted her softly, "Don't worry." Then he turned to me. "She's easily frightened.

What are you trying to do, scare her?" I hadn't even said a word. Did my mere presence terrify his new plaything? I let out a cold, amused laugh.

Marcus wrapped his arm around Chloe and teased, "Look at that fierce glare. Is the future Mrs. Sterling here to mark her territory?" "Mrs.

Sterling" was just a pet name Marcus used to mock me. He used to say he would save that title for me, warning me not to get greedy.

During our twoyear engagement, there had been countless women around him. And as his manager, blinded by my foolish love, I had always turned a blind eye. But now, I was done.

I slid the engagement ring off my finger, grabbed Chloe’s hand, and forced it onto her finger.

Marcus's expression turned arrogant. "To keep me, you're even willing to bet our engagement ring?" Ignoring his mockery, I looked him dead in the eye. "Let everyone here be my witness.

Marcus and I are completely over. From now on, we have absolutely nothing to do with each other." Marcus's face darkened instantly. "Sera, she just wanted to go public.

It's just a status. Why are you throwing a tantrum over this?" Chloe wanted a public status, so he gave her a confession at the peak of his career.

But we had been together for three years and engaged for two. For five whole years, he had never once thought about introducing me to the public. How pathetic.

I met his gaze. "Then I wish you two a happy life together." I turned and walked away. Feeling humiliated in front of his friends, Marcus cursed loudly behind my back.

Chloe pretended to be anxious and urged him, "Marcus, Sera looks serious.

Aren't you going to go after her and comfort her?" Marcus snorted with utter disdain. "When is she not serious?

It's just another pathetic trick to get my attention." "Leave her alone.

In three days, she’ll crawl back and beg for my forgiveness." My body swayed, and the sheer humiliation almost made me collapse. Marcus had been my savior when I was a child.

The younger me had loved him to death. Because of that, every single argument in the past had ended with me bowing my head and apologizing. I hated the silent treatment.

After three days at most, I would always beg him to take me back. He was so used to my desperate, spineless devotion. But he didn't realize that love could be drained.

And when it finally hit the breaking point, it instantly reset to zero. Marcus kept mouthing off, saying more demeaning things about me, but I didn't hear them.

Leaving the club lounge, I called my best friend, Harper, and we went to the biggest nightclub in New York.

I downed five shots of tequila in a row before Harper finally stopped me. "Drowning your sorrows over a cheating prick like Marcus?

Could you be any more pathetic?" "I told you a long time ago, that manwhore isn't worth it. It’s good you broke up.

Now I don't have to hold back when I ruin him!" "It's just a man. Come on, pick one!

They’re all clean, sweettalking, and a hundred times better than that trash!" She pulled up a row of photos on her phone, all filled with gorgeous male models with killer abs.

I had zero interest. I waved her off. "I drank too much. I need some fresh air." My steps were unsteady.

I only took a few paces before I slammed straight into a "wall." His chest was so hard it made me see stars.

Annoyed, I snapped, "Don't you have any—" The rest of the sentence died in my throat. I stared at the man in front of me.

He was tall and lean, his narrow waist perfectly fitted in a tailored suit. His legs were impossibly long and straight, looking like a male lead stepped out of a webtoon.

The dim nightclub lights cast a sharp, defined shadow over his handsome features. It was Julian Vance.

This club was owned by the Vance family, and he occasionally held business meetings here.

Julian caught me by the waist, his voice carrying a slow, teasing tone. "Drinking like this... did you break up?" Everyone knew what happened between Marcus and Chloe.

To my ears, his words sounded like pure mockery. A sudden fire ignited in my chest. The alcohol, combined with Harper's words, rushed straight to my head.

I smirked, leaning in closer, deliberately trying to annoy him. "Yeah, I did. Are you single, Mr. Vance? Want to come back to my place?"

The rumors always said Julian Vance was a saint who kept his hands to himself. I only wanted to make him uncomfortable to vent my frustration.

But I never expected him to actually follow me home. The moment the door closed, he pressed me against it and kissed me.

He kissed me so hard I couldn't breathe, making my head spin.

I tried to push him away weakly. "Wait..." He gripped my waist, lifted me up, and sat me down on the entryway console table.

One of his knees wedged between mine, pressing close. "Isn't it a bit too late to back out now?" His hot kisses trailed down to my neck, tracing the small veins pulsing beneath his lips.

His hand slipped down, untying the strap of my dress. "Do you prefer the living room or the bedroom?" I shrank back slightly. "The bedroom." He smirked. "My thoughts exactly." He carried me inside and showed me entirely new ways to use every piece of furniture in my bedroom.

It wasn't until dawn was breaking that I finally fell asleep, completely exhausted. I slept until noon, awakened by my ringing phone.

I groped around with my eyes closed and answered.

Marcus's sneering voice came through. "You sounded so final yesterday, yet today you're already stealing Chloe's brand deals behind my back." "Sera, when did you learn to be so fake?" I frowned. "If you're sick, go see a doctor.

Don't call me to get yelled at." Those few words made my throat burn with pain. Marcus asked, "Why is your voice so raspy?

Do you have a cold?" Before I could reply, the bedroom door opened. Julian walked in wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

His abs were perfectly defined, and the fresh scratches on his lower stomach were incredibly eyecatching. He pointed at my phone, silently asking who it was.

I mouthed, "Marcus." He gave an understanding nod.

Just when I thought he would step outside to give me privacy, he knelt on the edge of the bed and handed me a glass of warm honey water. "You screamed too much last night.

Drink some honey water to soothe your throat." Why I had screamed so much, we both knew very well. My face instantly flushed red.

Before I could say anything, Marcus exploded on the other end of the line. "Sera! Who is that? Who are you with?

What did you do?!" I snapped out of it. "Does it have anything to do with you? A good ex should act like they're dead.

Stop haunting me." Julian chuckled softly. "Nice comeback." His tone was so natural, as if we had spent the night just chatting under the blankets.

I was so shocked I forgot to hang up. Marcus's voice yelled through the speaker. "Flirting without even hanging up? Are you trying to make me jealous on purpose?

Sera, you're pathetic." His voice was dripping with condescension and contempt. A wave of disgust washed over me. Before he could say anything viler, I hung up.

Julian held the glass of honey water to my lips, his dark, mesmerizing eyes locked onto mine. He had beautiful, deepset eyes. Being stared at like this made my heart race.

I hurriedly took the glass and gulped down the water, trying to break the silence. "Aren't you leaving?" Julian raised an eyebrow. "Are you really going to use me and throw me away?" Well, what else?

We were both consenting adults. It's not like I had to take responsibility, right? Perhaps my reluctance to commit was too obvious.

Julian grit his teeth in a mix of annoyance and amusement.

After a brief pause, he suddenly asked: "Your grandfather's will—the one with the marriage clause—how much time do you have left?" I froze.

After my stepmother brought her secret daughter into our home, my grandfather wanted to ensure the family fortune wouldn't fall into their hands.

Before he passed, he left a will leaving everything to me. But fearing I was too weak to stand alone, he stipulated that I had to marry before twentyfive to inherit.

Until then, the assets were held in a trust. But this was my private family matter. How did Julian know about it? He clearly had no intention of explaining.

He continued, "You put up with Marcus partly because of this, right?" I hesitated, then nodded. That was only a tiny part of the reason.

Mostly, it was because my mother had died early, and Marcus had been the only warmth in my life when my stepmother abused me.

Julian's tone shifted. "If you need someone to back you up after marriage, I'm a much better choice than Marcus." I chuckled. "What?

The great billionaire Julian Vance is eyeing my inheritance?" Julian smiled halfheartedly. "Just consider it my payment for last night."

Two days later, Julian and I walked out of city hall side by side.

He snapped a photo of our marriage certificate, carefully tucked it into his pocket, and asked me, "Can I post this on Instagram?" "Do whatever you want." He quickly typed a oneword caption—"Married"—attached the photo, and posted it.

The next second, his phone began buzzing nonstop with notifications. Calls and messages from friends and business partners flooded in.

He casually replied to a few right in front of me. I glanced over and caught one message: [Is it really her? Damn, man.

You’ve been secretly in love with her for years, and now you finally landed her.] Secretly in love? With Julian's face, body, and net worth, he had a secret crush? On whom?

A seed of doubt planted in my mind. Just as I was about to ask, Julian locked his phone. "Let's go." I assumed we were heading to the trust fund office. "It's a bit late.

They'll be closed by the time we get there." Julian chuckled softly. "What are you thinking?

Do you really think I married you for your money?" I was confused. "Then where are we going?" He patted my head gently. "Our honeymoon." He clearly had everything planned.

His private jet took off that night. Our first stop was Santorini, a place I had once posted about on Instagram.

The stunning beaches and iconic whitewashed buildings were a dream I had held onto for years. When I was with Marcus, I had begged him to take me countless times.

But he always claimed he was too busy with work. Gradually, I had lost interest.

But when our yacht cut through the crystalclear blue waters, I couldn't help but scream with excitement.

Julian wrapped his arms around me from behind, his lips brushing against my cheek. "I want to do something wild on the water." My heart skipped a beat. "Don't tell me you'll want to do something wild in the desert next." I don't know what part of that amused him, but he let out a deep, rumble of a laugh.

His firm chest pressed against my back, his heartbeat steady and strong. Blushing, I let myself be swept away by him.

We stayed in Santorini for nearly a week before heading to Dubai. Beyond the glitz and glamour, we watched the sunset together in the quiet desert.

Julian kissed me just as the sun painted the sand a deep crimson. On the drive back to the hotel, I finally checked my phone and saw several missed calls from Marcus.

Just as I was about to block him, the phone rang again. I answered. Before I could say a word, he started yelling. "Sera, have you had enough?

Ignoring my texts, not answering my calls... have I spoiled you too much? Where the hell are you?!" I reminded him coldly, "Marcus, we broke up.

I don't need to report my whereabouts to you." Marcus fell silent for a moment, then laughed dismissively. "You're just throwing a fit because I went public with Chloe.

Fine, I'll dump her and make our relationship public instead." "I'm the one calling you. Know when to stop.

Don't push your luck." In Marcus's eyes, his calling me was a grand act of charity. I was supposed to be deeply grateful and return to being his loyal puppy.

Otherwise, I was being ungrateful. I was utterly speechless. "Go public with whoever you want. It has nothing to do with me. Just stop annoying me." This pushed his buttons. "Sera!

I'm giving you a way out, and you're stepping all over it?" "I'm telling you, this is your last chance.

If you keep acting like this, you can cry and beg on your knees, but I will never take you back!" I rolled my eyes. "You're delusional." Marcus gasped in anger.

I hung up immediately and blocked his number. The rest of the trip was pure bliss.

Not long after we returned, the internet was flooded with news about Marcus and Chloe.

At a highprofile auction, Marcus had spent a fortune to buy a diamondencrusted ruby tiara for Chloe. It was a piece I had adored.

I had once told Marcus that when we got married, I wanted to wear that tiara with my wedding dress. At the time, he had mocked me. "How old are you? Still playing princess?

Dream on." I had assumed he just found it too expensive and impractical for a onetime use. Now I realized he simply believed I didn't deserve something so beautiful. Whatever.

A cheating prick and a homewrecker. They deserved each other! I filtered out all news about them and hopped into the passenger seat of Julian's car.

He took me to his threethousandsquarefoot penthouse above his private club, rolled up his sleeves, and started cooking.

I was surprised. "You know how to cook?" Julian handed me an apron. "Help me tie it." Despite his words, he didn't turn around. He stood facing me.

I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his waist to tie the knot behind his back. I had to admit, his waist was incredibly nice to hold.

Julian pulled me closer into his chest, planting a soft kiss on my hair. "Good job." I chuckled. "I just tied an apron.

Is that really worth praising?" But the next second, he pulled a velvet box from his pocket and said seriously, "This is your reward." The ring inside was vintage and majestic.

A massive diamond was set in a classic, intricate band. It looked like an exquisite heirloom that had been preserved for generations. So this was what he had planned.

I gasped. "Is today some special anniversary?" Julian took my hand and kissed my ring finger. "I saw someone else giving a gift, so I wanted to give you one too." Someone else?

Was he talking about Marcus's highly publicized tiara purchase? I traced his palm with my index finger. "Is our powerful Mr. Vance jealous?" Julian nodded honestly. "Yes.

So, find a way to comfort me." A powerful man acting jealous was surprisingly endearing. It melted my heart. I leaned into his chest. "I don't have experience with this.

What should I do?" Julian looked down at me, his voice dripping with mock bitterness. "But you had plenty of experience comforting others." I leaned up to kiss his Adam's apple, my fingers gently brushing against his earlobe. "Does this work?" His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, opening his mouth but stopping himself.

Somehow, I knew exactly what he wanted to say.

I kicked off my slippers, stepped onto his bare feet, and whispered, "I've never done this for anyone else." A brilliant smile broke across Julian's face.

He scooped me up in his arms, grabbed my slippers from the floor, and marched straight into the bedroom. Needless to say, dinner was never made.

I spent the night crying out on his ridiculously expensive mattress. As a result, I was completely exhausted when I went to the talent agency the next day to hand over my clients.

I wanted to get it over with and go home, but of course, I ran into Marcus and Chloe.

They walked out of the dressing room, their lips swollen, exuding an air of postcoital intimacy. Chloe still had that fragile, innocent act down, calling out softly, "Sera."