Survival by Infidelity

I'd already grown indifferent to the plot. That was, until I went to look for Xavier and overheard him chatting animatedly with his friends.

"Irene's nothing but an old wretch. If I hadn't been in the mood to play around, she would never have gotten close to someone of my standing in her life," he mocked.

One of his lackeys immediately refilled his glass with a fawning smile. "When are you going to tell her that you're a scion from Stellaria?"

"I'll wait a little longer. I haven't had my fill yet," Xavier replied disdainfully.

I let out a sneer.

Fine, then. He could keep playing with my feelings while I stood here waiting for him.

It wasn't like I felt even the slightest bit exhausted at all.

However, it was clear that breaking things up with Xavier clearly wasn't going to work.

He immediately panicked the moment I mentioned it. The sight of tears streaming down his face tugged at my heart.

So, I steeled myself and returned home. It was time for Plan B—divorcing Rafael.

Rafael was seated on the couch as he studied the tablet in his hand. The glow of the financial charts on the screen reflected off his impassive face.

"Good luck, Irene! I'll consider it a success if you manage to break things off with one of them," the system urged in my mind. At that point, I was about to reach my wits' end.

I took a deep breath. Then, I channeled every ounce of acting skill I had and put on a pained and resolute expression.

"Hubby, I've had an affair, " I declared.

Rafael's expression barely changed, yet I could feel the air around us getting colder. He gave a nod before adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses.

"I'm aware," he replied.

His response left me utterly baffled, but I supposed it worked out in my favor as well. Either way, it spared me a lot of explaining.

I carried on acting the part of a heartbroken woman.

"So… let's get a divorce."

"Yes, that's it! Once Rafael agrees, he'll meet the female lead when he drowns his sorrow at the bar. Then, they can officially be together forever!" The system was practically buzzing with excitement in my mind.

The two of us waited in anticipation for Rafael's reply.

Rafael fixed his gaze on me. Although his tone remained composed, there was still a trace of anger beneath it.

"So why aren't you breaking things up with that side piece of yours when the affair is between the two of you? What does it have to do with me? Don't drag me into your business," he snapped.

I was left completely speechless.

What the hell was going on?

"But I don't love you anymore," I argued, trying to awaken his innate role as the male lead.

"That's your problem. Go sort it out on your own," he replied impatiently.

Why were the two of them passing me around back and forth?

The room fell into heavy silence. Just then, careful footsteps echoed from the foyer. The housekeeper, George Sanders, stood there with a lit phone in hand.

He glanced at Rafael, then at me, clearly torn. "Mr. Cortez, I've just received a call from Ms. Lloyd. She asked if you have time to meet her tomorrow."

The sound of glass clattering on the ground rang out before it rolled to a stop at my feet without shattering.

That was the first time I'd seen Rafael lose his composure. His expression softened for a moment as a flicker of emotion crossed his face.

"Yes, I do," he replied. There was an unmistakable trace of delight and surprise in his tone.

I bent down and picked the glass up from the floor. My fingertips were cold when I placed it back on the table. "This is better for both of us, isn't it?" I asked softly.

Rafael turned to look at me. "Don't overthink it. My wife can only be you."

"Huh?" I was completely baffled.

That night, Rafael's words kept replaying in my mind.

I lay in bed as I glared at the ceiling. "So what should I do now? How's the plot supposed to progress when both of them are bugged?" I asked the system.