The CEO's Unscripted Wife

I’m the most hated singer in America, and I married into the Shaw family dynasty.

Right now, a hidden camera is live-streaming my life to the entire world, and I have absolutely no idea.

In the frame, my husband, Ethan Shaw, walks over to me. His voice is cold. “Playing games again?”

Online, the trolls are salivating.

“Jolie’s always clinging to Ethan, pretending they’re so in love. Time for the mask to slip!”

His parents and younger sister are watching from their own screens, their expressions just as chilly.

“If Ethan really can’t stand her,” his mother says to his father, “they should stop making each other miserable.”

But on the live feed, the woman known for her gentle, adoring public persona—me—shoves Ethan’s face away with a flash of impatience.

“What is your deal? Back off.”

And Ethan, the famously stoic CEO, looks… wounded.

“You’re sick of me?”

1

The day I married into the Shaw family, the internet dragged me so hard I trended on Twitter for a week.

“WHAT? My favorite ship just sank? This can’t be happening!”

“Does Jolie have any shame? Everyone knows Ethan has been in love with Hailey Sutton forever. How did this leech actually win?”

My husband, Ethan Shaw, and the nation’s sweetheart, actress Hailey Sutton, were childhood friends. He’d financed her first indie film, put a predatory director in his place for her, and even made a surprise appearance on a reality show to support her.

Theirs was the "Golden Couple" narrative everyone was rooting for.

And I was the scheming villain who ruined it.

When an interviewer asked Hailey about our marriage, she’d forced a smile. “Ethan and Jolie are a wonderful match.” Then she’d turned away, her eyes welling up.

The world collectively grieved for the heartbroken starlet while branding me a manipulative social climber who used dirty tricks to get a ring on my finger. They said even my new in-laws couldn’t stand me.

They weren’t wrong about that part. Ethan’s parents were so displeased they barely cracked a smile at our wedding. His sister, Chloe, has never once called me by my first name, let alone “sister-in-law.”

The internet saw it all. The hashtag #WhenWillEthanDivorceJolie was a perennial favorite.

I didn’t really care. Ethan and I weren’t without feelings for each other, but it wasn’t some grand romance either. I had money to spend and a handsome man in my bed. The days were good. Who cared what strangers thought?

But I never imagined they disliked me this much.

Shaw Corp had just developed a new, fully autonomous tracking camera. It was microscopic, floated silently, and had a built-in AI that automatically censored any private moments. To promote this revolutionary product, their marketing department had offered up its greatest asset: their CEO.

The invisible camera would follow Ethan Shaw, live-streaming his powerful, glamorous life for the world to see.

And not a single person thought to tell me.

So there I was, in my worn-out sweats with my hair thrown up in a messy bun, melting into the sofa, when the broadcast silently began.

2

“Are we sure we don’t need to give Jolie a heads-up?” Chloe muttered, frowning at the live feed on her phone. “What if she says something… you know, bad?”

At that moment, Ethan wasn’t interacting with the viewers. He was leaning back against the seat of his town car, eyes closed, a hint of exhaustion on his face. He’d been up since dawn for a press conference and had gone straight into this promotional live stream. He was tired.

His cool demeanor did nothing to dampen the audience’s excitement.

“The most legit brand ambassador in the world—CEO Ethan Shaw himself!”

“Hahaha, this is way more interesting than some influencer!”

“Speaking of influencers, you think we’ll see Jolie on this stream?”

“Ugh, please don’t mention her. Let’s not ruin the vibe.”

“Seriously! Every time I see her fake, simpering face, I die a little inside for my OTP.”

“Hang on, guys. A live stream is the ultimate truth serum. Just wait for Jolie to show her true colors.”

Ethan’s mother glanced at the flood of negative comments and said flatly, “Jolie is a singer, not a trained actress. She couldn’t fake a natural demeanor. It would look scripted and undermine the entire campaign.” Her voice was clipped. “Besides, your brother knows what he’s doing.”

Chloe’s pout deepened. “I just don’t get why he’s with someone like her.”

Her parents remained silent. They didn’t like their daughter-in-law, but they had always respected Ethan’s choices. They hadn’t forbidden the marriage, but their approval was conspicuously absent. This live stream was an opportunity, a window into the unvarnished truth of Ethan and Jolie’s marriage. It would determine whether they would finally have a “frank discussion” with their son.

If the two of them were truly that incompatible, it was better to cut their losses early.

Back in our penthouse, I was oblivious, curled up in a fluffy armchair in my pink and yellow teddy bear pajamas, my hair held up by a cheap plastic clip. I was so engrossed in my phone that I didn’t even notice Ethan come through the door.

He changed out of his suit, poured himself a glass of water at the bar, and paced in front of me several times.

I saw his shadow move in my peripheral vision, but I was in the middle of a critical game level and couldn’t be bothered.

Seeing my complete lack of reaction, he walked over, a flicker of annoyance on his face. He stood over me, his expression hardening, his voice laced with ice.

“Playing games again?”

The comment section exploded.

“Don’t blame him for being pissed. He works all day, comes home, and she can’t even look up to say hello? Pathetic.”

“A cold home, a colder husband. Welcome to the consequences of your own actions, Jolie.”

“Serves her right. She broke up America’s Golden Couple. Hailey deserved so much better, ugh.”

They were all gloating, expecting me to jump up, terrified, and start apologizing. After all, my public image was that of a gent...