My Invisible Wife Was A Dazzling Superstar

Soft, uneven breaths blended together, filling the bedroom with an increasingly heated atmosphere.

"Blaine." Nicole Summers slowly forced her eyes open. She looked up at the man hovering over her-her husband, Blaine Lockhart-whose body was tense with barely restrained desire. Despite the tremor in her voice, her words landed with precision. "Does Isabelle know you're this hopeless once you lose control?"

A dangerous glint settled in Blaine's eyes. His fingers closed around her chin while the faint redness around his eyes betrayed the strain of holding himself back.

"So this was your plan all along? You drugged my drink because you couldn't wait any longer, Nicole?" he growled in a rough voice.

Nicole let out a quiet gasp.

Instead of shrinking away, she slipped one leg around his waist and pulled him even closer.

The sudden movement caught Blaine by surprise. He instinctively braced himself with both hands on the mattress beside her. Every muscle in his body tightened as his breathing grew heavier, and the restraint he had been clinging to began slipping away.

"Tell me something. Are you actually a normal man?" Nicole slowly traced her fingertips from his throat downward, deliberately testing his composure. "We've been married for three years, yet you've never once touched me. Anyone looking from the outside would think you had some kind of sexual dysfunction."

"You..."

Nicole smiled without backing down. "Did I hit a nerve?" She brushed her lips lightly against his neck before whispering near his ear, "Or is it only that famous Ballet Goddess who can make your heart race?"

Those words shattered the last of Blaine's self-control.

Without another warning, he claimed her lips.

There was nothing gentle about it. The kiss carried anger more than affection, fierce enough to leave its mark long after it ended.

Nicole struggled to catch her breath. Her lips tingled from the intensity. She pushed against his chest in an attempt to create some distance, but Blaine caught both of her wrists and pinned them above her head with effortless strength.

"Sexual dysfunction? Me?" A cold laugh escaped him as he loosened the sash around her robe. "Then see the answer with your own eyes."

A cool shiver swept across her exposed skin.

Nicole never tried to retreat.

The moment she decided to carry out this plan, she had already abandoned every trace of hesitation.

The curtains remained slightly open. Dim city lights slipped through the narrow gap and painted faint silver streaks across the ceiling while the room settled into a slow, relentless rhythm.

Nicole wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and her fingernails dug into his back, leaving thin red marks behind.

Blaine offered no tenderness. Every movement carried the force of restrained emotion, as though he intended to erase every challenge she had thrown at him.

It hurt.

Nicole sank her teeth into her lip, feeling as though she had been caught in a relentless storm with nowhere to anchor herself.

A drop of sweat rolled down the firm line of Blaine's chest before falling onto her collarbone. Every movement left her mind drifting farther away as one dizzying wave after another swept through her.

...

Time slipped by before Blaine finally let her go. Without saying a single word, he got out of bed and disappeared into the bathroom.

Moments later, the sound of running water echoed through the room.

Nicole remained where she was, completely drained. Every part of her ached as though she had been pulled apart and barely put back together.

After gathering enough strength to sit up, she reached for her phone. The screen was still displaying the news article she had opened earlier.

The top headline hadn't changed. "Blaine Lockhart, CEO of Lockhart Group, Spotted Entering Hotel with Ballet Goddess Isabelle Shaw-Engagement Rumors Heat Up!"

The accompanying photo captured the two of them entering a hotel together.

Blaine's handsome profile remained as cold as ever while Isabelle held onto his arm with an intimate smile.

The comment section was filled with excitement.

"Isabelle is the definition of elegance. I heard she's trained in ballet since she was a child, and you can really tell. She looks so refined."

"They've been photographed together before, haven't they? Maybe they're finally ready to make their relationship public."

"They're perfect together. Just get married already!"

Nicole silently scrolled through the endless stream of comments. Every message weighed a little heavier on her heart until breathing itself felt difficult.

Three years earlier, the Summers family had arranged a marriage alliance with the Lockhart family.

The moment Nicole learned Blaine would become her husband, she had been so happy that sleep never came that night.

Instead, their wedding night became something she would never forget. Standing in front of her, Blaine had spoken without the slightest warmth. "Nicole, I'll never love you."

Only afterward did she discover the truth. Before marrying her, Blaine had originally been engaged to Isabelle.

Nicole's arrival had forced those two apart.

It wasn't as though Nicole had never tried to change things over the past three years.

She took care of his daily life without complaint. She pressed his clothes, prepared every meal, and looked after him with unwavering devotion, living more like his housekeeper than his wife.

Deep down, she had always believed that if she waited long enough and cared deep enough, one day she might finally melt the ice around his heart.

Everything changed three months earlier when Isabelle came back to the country.

On the night of her return, Blaine personally went to the airport to meet her. He never came back that night.

From that moment forward, Isabelle became a constant presence between them, turning an already broken marriage into something even more unbearable. Nicole couldn't ignore her, yet she had no way to erase her from their lives.

For six long months, Nicole buried the bitterness inside her and forced herself to endure it one day after another.

Then everything reached its breaking point that afternoon. The news article she stumbled across destroyed the last illusion she had been protecting.

In the photo, Blaine looked at Isabelle with a warmth Nicole had longed for throughout their three years of marriage but had never once received.

That single glance was enough to destroy the fantasy she had clung to for more than a thousand days.

She finally understood that the future she had hoped for would never come. Since the ending was already decided, there was no reason to keep fooling herself.

Even so, she refused to walk away without leaving something behind.

Nicole had never claimed to be a saint. She wasn't willing to disappear quietly after everything she had endured.

For three years, she had lowered herself for Blaine, devoted herself to him without asking for anything in return, and loved him with everything she had. Then Isabelle returned, and in an instant, Nicole became nothing more than a cruel joke.

Why should she be the only one left carrying the pain?

If she was going to leave, she would make sure Blaine lost something, too.

If hatred was all he could offer, then she would gladly accept it. As long as he remembered her for the rest of his life, that would be enough.

The bathroom door swung open.

Blaine walked out with a bath towel hanging loosely around his waist, leaving little to the imagination.

Fresh droplets traced the defined contours of his chest before slipping lower.

His damp hair fell loosely over his forehead, giving him an effortlessly striking appearance that only made him more irritating to look at.

"Have you gotten what you wanted?" he asked, letting his eyes drift over Nicole without the slightest warmth.

Nicole forced back the ache in her chest and curved her lips into a faint smile. "To be honest, I expected more."

The towel in Blaine's hand stopped moving. His eyes narrowed as they locked onto hers. "What was that?"

Nicole refused to look away. "I said it wasn't nearly as remarkable as I imagined. After making me wait for three years, that's the best you could do?"

Silence settled over the room.

Without another word, Blaine tossed the towel aside and strode toward the bed. He stopped directly in front of her, standing close enough to make his presence impossible to ignore.

"So I disappointed you?" A mocking smile tugged at his lips. "Then I'd say no man in this world could ever live up to your expectations."

Nicole couldn't deny what had happened earlier. She had almost been overwhelmed by the intensity of it.

But admitting that now would mean surrendering. She refused to lose.

Instead, she lifted her chin and met his eyes without hesitation.

Blaine leaned closer. One hand pressed against the mattress beside her while the other tightened around her chin.

"Nicole." His voice carried unmistakable contempt. "Wasn't this your goal from the beginning? You wanted a child. Once you were pregnant, you'd have the perfect excuse to keep your place as Mrs. Lockhart. Am I right?"

A dull pain spread through Nicole's chest. Her fingers quietly tightened around the bedsheet, but her face remained calm. "You're right. A child would make it much harder for you to walk away from me, wouldn't it?"

The warmth disappeared completely from Blaine's face. He let go of her chin and took a slow step back, looking at her with even greater disdain. "So I was right about you all along."

"But I made the mistake about you." Nicole reached into the nightstand, took out a document, and pressed it against his chest. "I honestly believed you'd at least be worth remembering."

She deliberately let her eyes travel over him before giving a faint smile. "Turns out it's just... average."

For a brief moment, Blaine wondered if he had heard her correctly.

She had just called him average.

The muscles in his hands tightened until the veins stood out beneath his skin. Even the calmness that usually hid behind his eyes disappeared beneath a surge of restrained anger.

He was about to respond when something on the document caught his attention. Printed across the front in bold letters were the words: DIVORCE AGREEMENT.

The sight of it froze him where he stood.

"What exactly are you trying to do now?"

"Isn't this obvious enough?" Nicole smiled brightly. The familiar dimples on her cheeks appeared as though she had just heard something amusing. "I'd rather spend my money on someone who actually knows how to make a woman feel appreciated. At least a male escort would know how to treat me better than my own husband."

She met his eyes without the slightest hesitation. "You've been nothing but a disappointment."

Every word struck Blaine's pride like a sharp slap.

The vein near his temple pulsed visibly as his grip around the divorce agreement tightened. "Nicole!"

She ignored the anger in his voice. Pulling the blanket aside, she climbed out of bed.

The traces left by their earlier intimacy were still visible across her skin, with faint red marks scattered around her collarbone and waist.

Without any hurry, she got dressed. Then she walked to the wardrobe, took out a suitcase she had packed long before tonight, and placed it in the middle of the bedroom.

The suitcase was compact, small enough to carry on. She placed it on the bedroom floor, right at the center.

Blaine's gaze locked onto the suitcase, and his face grew darker with each passing second. Then realization hit, and he let out a low, icy laugh. "So that's all you're taking? You're expecting to come back after you've made your little scene, aren't you, Nicole?"

In Blaine's mind, there was no chance Nicole would actually leave.

For the past three years, everything she did had centered around him.

She had cared for every part of his life without asking for anything in return.

Someone that devoted wouldn't have the courage to walk away. At least, that was what he believed.

This time, however, Nicole had already made up her mind.

She met his eyes and gave him a cold, humorless smile. "Blaine, do you always assume everyone is as repulsive as you? You couldn't even wait for the divorce before making room for your next woman."

His expression changed immediately.

Nicole gripped the handle of her suitcase and stopped at the doorway. She glanced toward the divorce agreement resting on the nightstand. "Sign it. Once that's done, we'll go to the courthouse and finish this properly. I don't want this dragged out any longer than it needed to."

"Nicole, you-"

"One last thing," she interrupted before he could continue. "After I leave, you won't have to hide Miss Shaw anymore. You can bring her home whenever you want."

Her eyes deliberately swept over him one last time. "They say everyone has different standards. Maybe she'll appreciate what I couldn't."

Without waiting for his reaction, Nicole pulled the door open and walked away. She never looked back.

Blaine remained where he was. The bedroom fell silent as he stood frozen in place, his face dark with anger and disbelief.

The moment Nicole stepped outside, she slowly released the breath she had been holding. It felt as though every bit of frustration she had bottled up over the last three years had finally been thrown back in his face.

She reached for her phone to book a ride. Before she could do anything, a bank notification appeared on the screen. Her card had been temporarily frozen because of unusual account activity.

Nicole frowned. She immediately checked her banking app, only to discover that every cent in her account was gone and every bank card under her name had been frozen.

She stared silently at the screen.

A bitter laugh escaped her before her eyes gradually reddened again.

"So this is how you want to play it, Blaine."

Nicole knew exactly what Blaine was trying to do.

Ever since they got married, she had stopped working and devoted all of her time to taking care of their home. She hadn't earned a single dollar of her own in years.

Now that he had frozen every account she could use, it was obvious what he wanted. He expected her to come back, lower her head, and beg for forgiveness.

At that moment, Nicole regretted only one thing. She hated herself for ever believing she could win his heart.

After taking a slow breath, Nicole forced herself to calm down. With nowhere else to go, she found the cheapest hotel she could afford.

The room cost thirty dollars for the night. It was so tiny that there was barely enough space to move around, and an old stain on the curtains made her avoid looking at them altogether.

She took a shower before quietly lying down on the bed. Her eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling.

Before marrying Blaine, she had built up a decent amount of savings. Back then, she had been completely swept away by the excitement of their new marriage, so she willingly spent every cent she had on him.

Looking back now, she realized she couldn't have been more foolish. A man like Blaine had never needed her money in the first place.

Now every bank card she owned had been frozen, and she no longer had any income. For the first time in years, she had no idea what came next.

She tossed and turned across the narrow bed, unable to settle down. Just then, her phone suddenly began to vibrate.

Blaine's name appeared on the screen.

Nicole stared at the incoming call. She assumed he had finally signed the divorce agreement, so she answered without hesitation.

The line stayed quiet for a moment. Then Blaine's cold voice broke the silence. "Where did you put my Chronos watch?"

Nicole blinked in surprise.

The Chronos watch?

There were more than fifty watches locked inside the safe in Blaine's study. Why was he suddenly so concerned about that particular one?

She didn't have the patience to think about it. "The second drawer of the study. Look inside the black watch box. The one with the blue dial."

She heard drawers being opened on the other end of the call. Silence followed. Then he said, "I don't see it."

Nicole frowned. "That's impossible. I organized the entire collection last week. It should still be inside that black box."

"I told you it's not here." Blaine's tone turned even colder. After a brief pause, he added, "Come back and find it yourself."

Nicole was speechless for a second. Then she laughed in disbelief.

"Blaine," she said as she sat upright, barely holding back her temper. "Are you seriously that helpless? It's just one watch. If nobody took care of you every single day, would you even know how to survive on your own?"

The call fell silent.

She didn't have to look at him to know his face had turned dark with anger.

Then she spoke again. "Your watches are in the drawer. Your dress shirts are hanging in the left section of the closet. Your ties are sorted by color inside the drawer. Do you need me to leave written instructions for every little thing? If you can't find the Chronos watch, keep looking. If that doesn't work, wear another one. Better yet, ask your precious Ballet Goddess to help you. Isn't she supposed to be good at everything?"

Blaine let out a cold laugh. "Nicole, aren't those things supposed to be your responsibility? You never seemed to mind doing them before."

Nicole tightened her grip around the phone until her fingers ached. Her eyes gradually reddened.

She had understood the truth long ago. To Blaine, she had never been his wife. She was simply someone who managed the house and he didn't even have to pay.

Even so, hearing him admit it so casually still pierced her heart.

He had never cared enough to notice that she was capable of far more than cooking meals and organizing his shirts and socks.

"You're absolutely right," she replied calmly. "But I quit. Sign the divorce agreement, Blaine. It's time we ended this."

Before he could answer, she ended the call.

Back at the villa, Blaine's face darkened. His eyes settled on the Chronos watch lying right in front of him as his jaw slowly clenched.

Even when he gave her a chance to come back to him, she refused to take it. So be it. He wanted to see how many days she could survive out there without any money.

...

Nicole tossed her phone onto the bed, and her breathing remained uneven. A few seconds later, she clicked her tongue in frustration. She hadn't gone far enough. She should've left him with words he could never forget.

Still, there was no point dwelling on it. Finding a way to earn money mattered far more.

Nicole took a slow breath before picking up her phone again. She opened the music platform she had abandoned three years earlier.

The moment she logged in, notification after notification flooded the screen.

Unread private messages kept appearing. Comments poured in endlessly.

One look and she realized her account had grown to 5.37 million followers.

Nicole froze. She stared at the screen in complete disbelief.

As she scrolled through the messages, she slowly realized something. People had continued leaving comments for her every single year she was gone.

"Aurora, are you doing okay? Why did you disappear?"

"It's already 2021, and I still can't forget your song 'Deep Sea.'"

"Please come back. Your music carried me through my entire senior year of high school."

"It's 2022. I'm still waiting for you."

"It's 2023 now. Are you ever coming back?"

Nicole's eyes slowly filled with tears until everything in front of her became hazy.

Back at the conservatory, she had always been one of its brightest students. Whether it was singing or songwriting, she had stood at the very top. Even before graduation, millions of people were already following her career.

One record label after another had tried to recruit her.

Had she not chosen to leave everything behind for Blaine and devote herself to being his wife, she might have already become one of the country's most celebrated singers.

She opened her profile page. The first thing she saw was the song pinned to the top of her account. It was still "Aurora," the final release she had shared three years earlier.

She had written every lyric herself and composed every note of the melody. She still remembered how excited she had been while recording it. Back then, she had promised herself that once her followers reached six million, she would hold an online concert to celebrate with everyone.

Nicole tapped the play button. The familiar melody slowly echoed through the tiny hotel room. She closed her eyes and quietly listened, allowing herself to sink into memories she had buried for years.

She had no idea how much time had passed. Just as she was about to exit the page, a new private message suddenly appeared.

"Hello. I'm Sean Miles from Starlight Records. I sent you a message three years ago, though I'm not sure whether you remember me. I've been waiting all this time for your account to come back online. If you still want to sing, my offer still stands. You're welcome to visit me anytime."

Nicole stared at the message without blinking. Her heartbeat quickened.

Starlight Records ranked among the biggest record labels in the industry. Over the years, they had produced five legendary singers whose names had dominated the music world.

Three years ago, when Sean first reached out to her, she had been so excited that she barely slept that night.

She immediately showed the message to Blaine and happily told him that Starlight Records wanted to sign her.

Blaine barely glanced at the screen before speaking. "Do you really think my wife has to earn a living by singing?"

Because of those words, she ignored Sean's invitation.

Afterward, she abandoned the account completely. For three years, she never logged in again.

But things were different now.

Nicole took a steady breath. Then she typed a reply with renewed determination. "Hello, Mr. Miles. This is Aurora. I'd like to meet with you."

She pressed send.

Although she had been away from the music industry for years, she had nothing to lose by trying again.

More importantly... She had never stopped loving music.

A reply came not long after. "Three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Starlight Records headquarters. I'll be expecting you."