If you don’t give them a little shock, there’s no way they’ll agree to a divorce that
easily.
A!! it would take is uploading that bedroom video Celestine shot of them together–once it’s out there, there’s no turning back.
Chester’s the kind of man who cares about appearances; he’d never let himself become the butt of online ridicule.
And once the video’s leaked, with all the blame redirected to Celestine, the plan will be flawless.
Lance Blake would have even more reason to go after Celestine, too.
A sly smile tugged at the corners of Joanna’s lips.
She saved the video file straight to her drive, not even bothering to watch it again before passing it on. She couldn’t wait–she told her assistant to log into a burner account and leak the video to every major tabloid.
The assistant opened the file, eyes wide as she scrolled through over a gigabyte of footage.
Carefully, she asked, “Joanna, are you sure you want to send this to the press? The content… it really isn’t good for your image…”
“I told you to do it. Don’t make me repeat myself,” Joanna snapped, her patience wearing thin.
Of course she knew what this could do to her reputation.
A scandal like this–proof of an affair when she was already a household name–would be career–ending for any actress in the business.
But with the Fordham family, the Blakes, and the Sterlings behind her, no matter how big the fallout, she’d find a way to cover it up.
Back when she suddenly quit the industry, it wasn’t just to marry Chester and mess with his head, or to make him feel guilty.
She’d already been quietly seeing a top European billionaire–sure, he was from a lesser branch of the family, but his wealth still put him on the map back ho
hc
The entertainment world was always just a line on her résumé, never her whole life.
10:20
200
Too bad the idiot turned out to be a mama’s boy. After they got their marriage license, his mother threw a fit and forced him to kick Joanna out.
That humiliation–she’d never forget it.
If Celestine hadn’t stolen her place as Mrs. Fordham, she wouldn’t be left groveling like a stray dog before people like that, begging for scraps of affection.
Joanna’s eyes glimmered with deep, poisonous hatred.
The assistant flinched, cowed into silence. “Yes, Joanna. I’ll get on it right away.”
To outsiders, Joanna always played the understanding, approachable star. But to her staff, she was a storm waiting to happen.
When she lost her temper, she didn’t just throw things–she’d even lash out at
herself.
There was a time when fans online were in an uproar over rumors of Joanna being abused at her own agency.
Every staff member had been dragged through the mud.-
Since then, everyone walked on eggshells, terrified that a single word might set her
off.
The assistant shut the video, her face pale. She didn’t understand Joanna’s motives, but she followed orders anyway.
She used a fake account to contact every tabloid and gossip blogger they’d ever worked with, sending the video out across the web.
That evening, a ten–minute exposé on Joanna’s plastic surgery history was everywhere.
“Oh my God, she used to have single eyelids? Her nose was so flat! Did she even have work done on her ears?”
Back on set, Mirabelle couldn’t wait to share the latest gossip with Celestine.
When Joanna first debuted, she’d been hailed as the entertainment industry’s most natural beauty, even elevated to icon status.
Celestine scrolled through the trending topics; the top video already had two million likes.
But something was off–the comments section was completely empty.
Her smile faded.
10:20
μια 200
They’d caught on.
Celestine remembered first meeting Joanna as a chubby little girl, cheeks round with baby fat, still cute in a way.
But even then, Joanna was painfully self–conscious, going on crash diets all the
time.
She’d go a whole week on nothing but water, until she finally fainted in gym class.
The next time they met, Joanna was completely transformed.
C
