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.

The system fell silent for a moment before a sudden chime echoed in my mind.

[Plot anomaly detected… Recalculating…]

A bad feeling crept over me. "What are you trying to do now?" I asked.

[New quest issued: The host is required to maintain both their marriage and relationship with Rafael and Xavier until the plot has been automatically repaired.]

[Reward: Homeward progress +10%]

I sprang up from the bed. "Are you crazy? I can't even dump either of them, and now you're telling me to maintain both relationships?"

"This is the best solution I could come up with. Neither of them is following the plot anyway, so why don't we just go along with it? Who knows, we might just trigger a hidden storyline," the system explained.

"Hidden my ass," I gritted out through clenched teeth. "Do you have any idea what I look like right now? I'm basically just an unlucky damsel caught between two psychos!"

That said, my thoughts drifted to the extra 10% on the progress bar. In the end, I still decided to endure it.

By the time I headed downstairs the next morning with dark circles under my eyes, Rafael was already seated at the dining table, reading the financial news.

He was dressed in a light gray shirt today. The sleeves were rolled up all the way to his forearms, revealing his well-toned wrists.

I had to admit, he certainly had the looks to be the male lead. Too bad something wasn't quite right with his head.

"Did you get a good sleep last night?" Rafael glanced up at me when he spoke. His tone was so casual it sounded like he was asking about the weather.

I forced out a fake smile. "It was great—so great, in fact, that I spent my dreams contemplating the meaning of life."

Rafael gave a small nod. Then, he slid a file in front of me. "There's a charity gala that I need you to attend next week."

I flipped it open and took a look. It was a fundraising event for children, with Cortez Group listed as the primary sponsor.

"And what identity should I use here?" I raised an eyebrow and asked. "Your wife in name only, or the cheating partner you couldn't care less about?"

He adjusted his glasses before replying, "You'll be there as Mrs. Cortez. As for that 'friend' of yours… I hope you can take care of him."

"How exactly should I handle it?" I deliberately asked. "By your logic, that's my own business. It has nothing to do with you."

There was a long pause before he spoke up again. "There's a limit to my tolerance, Irene."

I was just about to snap back when my phone rang.

The caller ID on the screen read "Doormat Xavier".

I glanced over at Rafael. Although he gestured for me to answer, a chill had crept into his gaze.

I walked over to the balcony to take the call. "Are you coming over today?" Xavier's voice was still heavy with sleep. "I just learned a new dish that I wanted to make for you," he continued.

"Xavier… I think we should give each other some space," I muttered.

"You're trying to break up with me, aren't you?" His voice instantly broke. "I knew it! I couldn't sleep at all last night. I kept wondering if there was something I didn't do well enough…"

"It's not your fault—"

"So your husband's the one who forced you to break things off with me, wasn't it?" he gritted out. "Just you wait, I'll confront him now. I'll tell him we're truly in love with each other!"

My scalp prickled. "Don't do anything rash!"

"I don't care. I can't live without you," he choked out through sobs. "Do you know how miserable I was yesterday? I hugged your pillow and cried the entire night…"

I was at a loss for words. His acting was starting to get out of hand.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Listen to me, Xavier. We both need time—"

"I'll give you some time!" he cut in instantly. "But I'm begging you, please don't break up with me…"

I felt utterly drained the moment I hung up. When I turned around, Rafael was already standing by the balcony door.

He fixed his gaze on me with his hands tucked into his pockets.

"Looks like your 'friend' is quite attached to you." His tone gave nothing away.

I forced out a dry laugh. "It's not as bad as you make it out to be."

After a brief pause, he said, "I hope you'll be punctual at the gala next weekend. And remember to dress appropriately. Ms. Lloyd will be there."

My heart stopped beating for a second.

Here she came. This was the part where his first love made her grand entrance!

"Of course. I won't let you down," I replied with a smile. In my mind, I was already scheming how I could "accidentally" play matchmaker for the two of them that day.

Surely my work here would be considered done as long as their story fell back into place, right?

…

Over the next few days, I found myself being plunged into a life of constant tug-of-war.

By day, I played the role of Rafael's perfect wife, attending one event after another by his side as Mrs. Cortez.

At night, I was Xavier's sugar mommy, listening to his tearful confessions while he put on an endless display of…

Well, let's call it wardrobe aesthetics.

At that moment, Xavier was lounging against the couch in a sheer shirt. The chains draped across his chest glinted under the lights.

"Do you think this choker looks good on me?" His seductive gaze lingered on me as he spoke.

I stared at the diamond-studded choker around his neck. "It does, but it looks like something a pet would wear," I answered truthfully.

His smile froze for a split second before he slipped back into his pitiful act. "You don't like it? Then I'll change it—"

"No, there's no need for that," I interjected before stopping him from undressing. "This is fine. Just keep it on."

The system clicked its tongue in my head. "Have you realized that Xavier's been getting more provocative lately? He keeps asking about Rafael, too. Say, do you think he's actually trying to take Rafael's place?"

I sighed inwardly. "Who knows? Maybe he's been stuck in the second-male-lead role for so long that he wants to try his hand at being the male lead."

Just then, Xavier leaned over and rested his head on my shoulder. "Are you free next week, Irene? I want to take you somewhere."

His words stirred a sudden sense of unease within me. "Where are we going?"

"It's a charity gala," he explained.

A charity gala next weekend… wasn't that the exact same event Rafael was taking me to?

I was just about to speak when the system erupted into frantic screaming. "No, you can't accept it! It'll be an absolute disaster if the two male leads meet now. Forcing the plot to take place before we've even reached that point would get us erased!"

A chill crept down my spine as my tone shifted instantly. "No, you can't go—"

"Why not?" he cut me off. "Is it because I'm your side piece? Am I so shameful that I can't even be seen in public?"

A sudden wave of diffidence washed over me when I saw the hurt in his eyes.

If I were being completely honest, Xavier had treated me very well. He showed up whenever I called, never once lost his temper, and often went out of his way to shower me with surprises.

I might have been moved if I hadn't overheard the conversation he'd had with his friends.

But no matter how well he'd treated me, nothing was more important than my life.

"The relationship we have shouldn't be exposed to the public. Whether it's you, me, or even Rafael, things wouldn't end well for any of us." I chose my words carefully.

He stared at me for a long moment before finally letting out a sigh.

"Fine, I won't make things difficult for you. But once the gala's over, you're coming with me," he declared.

I let out a breath of relief. "Alright."

"Pinky promise," Xavier insisted, hooking out his little finger.

I couldn't help feeling both amused and exasperated as I hooked pinkies with him. At the same time, a strange sense of unease stirred within me.

Just how far had the plot veered off track?