Chapter 147
Aria’s POV
I hadn’t been roasted online like I expected quite the opposite, people were complimenting me. Of course, I knew that my trending topic with Julian had been going strong for a day already.
Yesterday I’d spent the entire day rehearsing for the concert. When I got home, I discovered Aiden hadn’t returned yet, so I went to take a shower. I’d originally planned to wait for him and ask why he hadn’t shown up at the concert, but I ended up falling asleep just minutes after lying down. So much for waiting up for him.
I was completely exhausted yesterday. I slept straight through until ten the next morning.
When I woke up, my phone had exploded with notifications. Lillian and Claire had sent me a flood of messages. I didn’t think much of it, assuming it was about last night’s concert.
I was starving, so I didn’t even check my phone before rushing through my morning routine—washing my face, brushing my teeth, and hastily applying some essence— before heading downstairs with my phone for breakfast.
Nanny saw me and immediately brought out warm porridge and dumplings. “Mrs. Carter, your husband said he’ll be home for lunch p>
I paused for a moment. “Oh, okay. Please make sure to prepare his meal today p>
I didn’t question it further and took a few sips of porridge before checking the messages from Lillian and the others.
It wasn’t just Lillian who had messaged me. Aiden had texted me last night too, asking if I’d gotten home and if I needed him to pick me up.
But I’d been asleep and hadn’t replied.
I stared at the chat window, hesitating for a moment before typing: Sorry, Mr. Carter,
I was too exhausted and fell asleep. Didn’t see your message.
Aiden was usually busy around this time, so after sending the message, I exited the chat and started reading Lillian’s texts.
Around midnight last night, Lillian had sent me seven or eight messages, all about how I suddenly went viral after Julian’s concert, complete with screenshots.
Lillian: HAHAHAHA, Aria, Julian’s fans are actually shipping you two together! I’m dying!
Lillian: This is incredible. The more I look, the more I see the chemistry between you two! OMG, they’ve brainwashed me! [Video.mp4]
At around eight this morning, Lillian had sent another message: Are you still not awake? Who’s Diana Hayes? Did Aiden skip your performance because of her? [Screenshot.jpg]
My heart skipped a beat. I opened the screenshot and was struck by glaring headlines: “Former Runaway Groom’s New Wife Sees Red Flags Three Months Into Marriage, Mr. Carter Spotted With Mystery Woman All Night”
The screenshot showed Aiden and a masked young woman getting out of a car and entering a hotel late at night. The timestamp read 12:50 AM yesterday.
Aiden had texted me at 11:10 PM last night.
So… was Aiden with this Diana woman last night?
I couldn’t quite identify the feeling washing over me. For a brief moment, I was
grateful I hadn’t impulsively confessed my feelings that night.
I didn’t know how to respond to Lillian’s message, so I just sent a “I don’t know either” sticker.
I checked Claire’s message next: Aria, are you awake? Did that dog of a man cheat
on you? Tell me and I’ll help you beat him to death!
I responded awkwardly: No, nothing like that.
Even if he had, what right did I—his plastic wife-have to say anything when facing his true love?
It’s fake, after all. Our marriage is fake.
So why did it hurt so much?
After one concert, I’d become almost more famous than Julian himself.
The high-definition photos taken of me at Julian’s concert by his fans had
immediately gone viral, with people online asking who I was.
“Sorry, but I can’t help it—who is this breathtakingly beautiful lady? Is she just a regular person p>
“Oh my god, who is this goddess Julian invited? She’s sooooo beautiful! Please tell me her social media handle p>
“I apologize, I’m truly Julian’s fan, but Miss Aria is just too gorgeous! Is no one recruiting her to be a celebrity? With those looks, I’d pay just to watch her sit there p>
Then in the early morning, because of photos showing Aiden dropping Diana off at a hotel, my name “Aria Jones” started trending again.
As the person at the center of it all, I found the whole thing absurd. I’d slept one night and suddenly I was “being cheated on p>
tore
I didn’t want to read any more online
comments. After finishing breakfast,
I planned to practice piano for a
while but once I sat at the keyboard, I couldn’t focus at all. My mind was filled with the comments I’d O accidentally seen online.
“How is even such a beautiful lady not worthy of a happy relationship p>
“What’s wrong with Mr. Carter? Instead of picking up his hardworking wife after work, he’s out with some woman being suspicious p>
“Rich marriages have no love. Miss Aria, divorce and be beautiful on your own! Focus on your career, not on men p>
I tried not to overthink things, but these thoughts kept bubbling up.
What could I do? I felt desperate!
I sighed and picked up my phone, wanting to ask Aiden what time he’d be home for
lunch.
I didn’t mean to check up on him—I just genuinely wanted to know.
Let’s face it, Aria, you’re still as pathetic as ever!
But just as I picked up my phone, the screen lit up with a message from Aiden:
Sorry, I can’t make it for lunch.
I blinked, suddenly overwhelmed by hurt feelings.
A tear fell, and I quickly tilted my head back, not wanting to cry.
After composing myself for a moment, I took a deep breath before responding: Okay.
Stay calm, you’re just plastic spouses. You’re just plastic spouses.
This numbing self-talk worked a little bit, and my mood slightly improved.
I went downstairs to tell Nanny that
Aiden wouldn’t be coming home for lunch. When she heard, she was surprised. Oh, I’ve
lready washed
the rice and prepared all the vegetables. They just need to be cooked p>
See? Everything was ready, and then he just says he’s not coming home.
I pressed my lips together: “It’s okay. You can pack half of the cut vegetables away
and either cook them tonight or take them home p>
Nanny thought for a moment: “Mrs. Carter, would you like to have these three
dishes for dinner instead p>
She’d prepared six dishes, three of which were favorites that both Aiden and I enjoyed.
It was clear Nanny had put a lot of effort into this lunch.
I considered for a moment: “Either way is fine with me, really p>
“Alright, then I’ll prepare five dishes for dinner and cook these three with the leftovers p>
“That works p>
Leaving the kitchen, I didn’t feel like
practicing piano anymore. I sat on the sofa and opened a mobile game, hoping to distract myself, but staring page couldn’t
_at the matching
bring myself to click start.
Forget it. What’s the point of playing anyway?
When you’re in a bad mood, nothing feels enjoyable.
After lunch, I decided to stroll through the garden and then take a nap to pass the
time.
Little did I know that in that short time span, everything would fall apart.