Unscripted: My Fake Billionaire Husband

As the internet's most hated D-list celebrity, I hired an average guy making a measly thousand bucks a month to play my fake husband on a hit couples' reality show.

On the day of the premiere, I stood surrounded by A-list stars and filthy rich socialites, my fingernails digging hard into my palms. Then, my temporary husband pulled up.

I grabbed his sleeve, my grip tight. "I told you to dress decently! I didn't tell you to rent a custom Rolls-Royce with a private chauffeur!"

My fake husband simply slipped one hand into his pocket. He leaned down, his warm breath brushing against my ear as he whispered, "My company just rang the bell on NASDAQ. As the legal wife who owns all my assets, you are now worth forty billion dollars."

"Feel free to crush those snobs right under your heels."

Chapter 1

At nine in the morning sharp, I arrived at a luxury resort just outside Beverly Hills to film the reality show Sweet House. It was the hottest couples' reality show on television right now, throwing four married couples under one roof for half a month to compete in public displays of affection and crown the ultimate power couple.

I had zero expectations of winning.

Case in point, the moment my face appeared on the live feed, the comment section exploded with pure venom.

[Why the hell did the producers invite Blair?!]

[She's literally everywhere, I'm dropping this trash right now!]

[Wait, Donovan is in this season, I'll just watch the edited version later and skip all the scenes with this evil bitch.]

After playing the malicious villainess in a dozen different soap operas, my public image had plummeted to the point where the entire internet wanted me canceled. I was the undisputed bottom feeder of the entertainment industry, the perfect human shield to make literally anyone else look like a total sweetheart by comparison.

I was standing by the road waiting for Julian when a massive luxury production RV rolled past and dropped off a man and a woman. The man wore limited-edition sunglasses and stepped out surrounded by four massive bodyguards. It was Donovan, the A-list movie star himself. Hanging off his arm was Lexi, a girl who was sitting on the exact same cold casting benches as me just last year.

Now that she had upgraded herself to Donovan's wife, she was riding the ultimate high.

She spotted me and immediately waved with entirely too much enthusiasm. "Blair!"

I played my part and gave them a polite nod. "Donovan, Lexi."

Lexi glanced around, scanning the empty driveway. "Where's your husband? I heard he's the only average guy on the show this season, we're all dying to meet him."

She deliberately raised her voice, her eyes flashing with undisguised contempt. It was obvious she was waiting for me to drag out some greasy, broke loser just to make her movie star husband look even better.

"Uh" I shifted my weight, staring anxiously down the end of the road.

The live feed comments instantly lit up with malicious glee.

[Blair actually married a total nobody! LMAO!]

[This season is packed with trust fund billionaires and literally Donovan, this is going to be so good!]

[Two couples filed for divorce right after filming last season, can we expect the same for Blair?]

[Look at her shaking in her boots, I bet her husband refused to even show up!]

Honestly, that was exactly what I was terrified of. Not because we had a bad marriage. But mostly because I barely knew my own husband. And I was genuinely worried that a regular corporate guy like him couldn't get the time off work.

Lexi stood beside me by the curb, offering a sickly sweet smile. "Don't worry about it, plenty of people joined halfway through last season, so being a few days late isn't a big deal."

The screen filled with comments praising Lexi for being an absolute angel.

I simply hummed in agreement, pretending her fake sympathy actually comforted me. Reality TV was all about building a persona. Lexi was heavily pushing the sweet trophy wife angle. Since my reputation was already in the gutter, I didn't care who I was being used as a stepping stone for.

We waited a few more minutes until a shuttle bus rolled past and dropped a lone figure off at the stop. Broad shoulders tapering down to a narrow waist, he looked like a top-tier male model stepping straight off a Vogue cover.

The aggressive, razor-sharp perfection of his face made everyone around us suck in a sharp breath.

Lexi gasped, her eyes widening. "Wow, Blair, Beverly Hills is insane! Even the random pedestrians look good enough to give my Donovan a run for his money!"

I offered a modest smile. "No way, I'm sure he still falls short compared to Donovan."

Lexi froze, her jaw dropping open as the realization hit her like a freight train.

I stretched my legs, marching eagerly toward Julian, rubbing my hands together. "So you made it?"

Julian gave a cool, minimal nod. "Yeah."

The second his face appeared on the live broadcast, the comment section flatlined for a beat before detonating.

[Holy shit! You call this guy a nobody?!]

[Blair's husband is literally the hottest one here, where is the justice in this world?!]

[Okay, Blair clearly has some serious tricks up her sleeve.]

Julian and I walked through the double doors, stepping into a grand lobby where the other three couples were already waiting. When I introduced Julian to the group, the looks on their faces were a masterclass in suppressed shock. He looked like anything but an average guy.

Chapter 2

Lexi was busy fishing for gossip. "So what exactly does Julian do for a living?"

I kept it completely factual. "Just a regular corporate job."

Lexi's shoulders visibly dropped as she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

The live feed comments immediately threw a massive celebration.

[I knew it. She definitely settled for less.]

[What do you mean settled? He's just a nice guy taking out the trash. Who else in the industry would touch Blair's toxic ass?]

[Poor guy. Hurry up and divorce her, hot stuff, my DMs are open!]

[I swing both ways, hook me up!]

Today's first mission was cooking. Julian and I lugged our suitcases upstairs. He turned to me. "What do you want to eat?"

My jaw practically dropped.

I never expected him to be this cooperative, let alone offer to cook. "Whatever is fine."

"Then follow me downstairs."

Wait, what? Shouldn't the standard line be 'just wait here until the food is ready'? I dragged my feet into the kitchen, confused.

Lexi was already standing at the kitchen island. She wore a frilly, disgustingly cute apron, but her hand gripped a massive butcher knife. A mountain of prepped veggies sat in front of her. She flashed me a sickeningly sweet smile. "Blair, why don't you go sit in the living room? I'm handling lunch today."

"She's not cooking." Julian stepped out from behind me, his broad frame blocking her view of me. "She's going to stand right here and keep me company. Tie this for me."

He pulled a bear-patterned apron off the hook and shoved it toward me, holding his arms out. When I stepped up to help him, he suddenly took a step forward, pinning me right against the edge of the granite counter. I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his lean, narrow waist. His aggressively masculine cologne engulfed my senses, the heat radiating off his chest seeping through my shirt.

Julian let out a low, raspy chuckle right next to my ear.

The live feed exploded with a wall of curses.

[Holy shit.]

[This is weird, why are they actually kind of hot together?]

[You guys are so gullible. It's totally scripted, just like the couple next door. Fake as hell.]

[Right? Didn't you see Blair completely freeze up?]

[Lexi: I came here to cook, not to third-wheel. Are they bullying me because Donovan isn't here?]

Julian kept me pinned to his side as he inspected the fridge and pantry. He double-checked exactly what I was craving, then grabbed a can of salmon and started prepping the rice.

Lexi paused her chopping and shot me a weird look. "Blair, does Julian always do the cooking at your place?"

I froze.

I hadn't prepped a script for this question.

Seeing the panic flashing in my eyes, Julian smoothly hijacked the conversation. "Unless something comes up, yeah. It's usually me."

"You're a woman and you don't even cook?" Lexi stared at me like I was a piece of trash stuck to her shoe.

I ducked my head, suddenly finding the floor tiles extremely interesting. Sorry, I'm just a lazy piece of garbage who survives purely on DoorDash even when living completely alone.

"A woman's greatest value is taking perfect care of her husband," Lexi announced, pointing her spatula at me like a royal scepter. "I wake up at four every single morning to prep Donovan's organic fat-loss meals. He doesn't even have to pour his own water."

I stared at her, genuinely shell-shocked.

It took me a solid ten seconds to find my voice. "Wow. Unhinged."

The live feed, which had been furiously debating Lexi's twisted marriage values, instantly shattered into chaos.

[Jesus, are we living in the Dark Ages? She's actually proud of being a free maid!]

[Blair's eye roll spoke directly to my soul!]

[I have no idea why Lexi is acting so superior, Blair's 'I don't need a man' vibe is iconic!]

Having shut Lexi down, I felt a little awkward leaving Julian by himself in the kitchen. With nothing else to do, I raided the pantry, grabbed some frozen blueberries and Greek yogurt, and fired up the blender to make a blueberry smoothie.

Chapter 3

Julian was searing salmon in a skillet with a generous knob of butter. The rich, savory aroma of rosemary and melting fat was already drifting through the kitchen air.

I leaned in, my curiosity piqued. "What's that?"

"Pan-seared salmon."

"Smells insane." My mouth watered uncontrollably.

Julian stepped in close, his broad chest pressing flush against my back as his arms wrapped around me from behind. He covered my hand with his larger, hotter one, guiding my fingers to hold the knife over the cutting board. The hard lines of his body trapped me against the counter. His low, gravelly voice vibrated directly against the shell of my ear, sending a sudden spike of heat rushing down my spine as he meticulously explained the exact heat needed to sear the fish perfectly.

I stared at the sharp, flawless angle of his jaw, nodding along helplessly. I had to admit, when a guy looked this illegally good, even a boring lecture on pan temperatures felt like a luxury experience.

"That's the basic rundown." His warm breath ghosted over my neck. "Did you catch all that?"

I plastered on my brightest, most professionally fake smile. "Every word."

"Then repeat it back to me."

My smile instantly shattered into a million tiny pieces.

[LMAO Blair totally spaced out!]

[This is giving strict tutor catching the failing student red-handed.]

[I officially relate to Blair on a spiritual level. The guy is hot, but I am NOT memorizing recipes!]

Julian narrowed his sharp eyes, his gaze locking onto mine. "I've been talking this whole time, and you didn't absorb a single word. Blair, you're not paying attention."

"My bad." I stiffened my posture, accepting defeat immediately.

Julian let out a low hum of acknowledgment. "Then you better figure out how you're going to make it up to me."

[HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT!]

[Are we actually allowed to watch this for free?!]

[What kind of walking thirst trap is this man?! The tutor roleplay is insane!]

[Even if I die and they bury me in a coffin, I will use my rotting vocal cords to scream: Blair is a goddamn legend.]

Julian finished up the butter-seared salmon in record time. Paired with my freshly blended blueberry smoothie, we sat down and genuinely enjoyed our lunch. Lexi, meanwhile, was still sweating over her elaborate French cuisine at one in the afternoon. In the end, Julian and I had to step in and help her just so they could actually get the food on the table.

We all gathered around the dining table. Naturally, Julian and I were already on our second round.

Donovan meticulously sliced off a tiny piece of the Beef Wellington, chewing it slowly before setting his fork down. "The temperature control is slightly off."

Lexi immediately bit her bottom lip, her eyes watering with unsaid grievances as she shrank into her chair.

Sitting across from me, Julian swirled the water in his glass and threw a casual glance my way. "What about you? Too salty or too bland?"

With Donovan's hyper-critical attitude serving as an immediate warning, my spine snapped perfectly straight. "It's perfect. Absolutely flawless. If you made it, it's a masterpiece."

[LMAO a whole wall of laughs.]

[Blair is literally malfunctioning out of sheer panic.]

[I have never seen someone so terrified of their fake husband, Blair is actually a coward.]

[It's because Julian is a master manipulator. I can feel his dominant alpha energy radiating straight through my screen.]

After the meal was cleared, the judging panel officially tallied up the relationship scores for the four couples.

Chapter 4

Lexi stared at the 50 points displayed on the screen, absolute disbelief painted across her face. "What is going on? Is there a mistake? Why did we only get a 50 while Blair and Julian scored a 90?"

"They literally just made a simple pan-seared dish! Whether it's the quality or the sheer quantity of the food, our presentation was superior!"

The off-screen head judge chimed in over the loudspeaker. "Because cooking isn't just about the food itself. The three daily meals are the most crucial routine in any household."

"If only one person is desperately struggling to get it done, it just becomes a mechanical chore. Imagine repeating that grueling task every single day for the rest of your lifeit's enough to drive anyone insane."

"But Blair and Julian handled it perfectly. Julian knows his way around the kitchen, but he also demanded that Blair keep him company. Their entire process was filled with mutual exploration of the culinary experience. It wasn't a repetitive chore; it transformed into a fun, interactive game between a married couple."

"And Blair did something exceptionally well. Even though she wasn't the one cooking, she provided flawless emotional support. She knows exactly how to hype her partner upa trait that Donovan is severely lacking."

I ducked my head, embarrassed.

Honestly, Julian and I weren't nearly as flawless as the judge made us sound. The main reason was that we weren't a real married couple. Because we were technically strangers, we treated each other with exaggerated courtesy, which ironically made us look like a highly respectful, loving pair.

I originally planned to just coast through this show and act as the pathetic foil for the other couples. I never expected to actually snatch first place in round one. It was honestly a little awkward.

The afternoon activity was a shopping trip. The production crew dragged all of us to a high-end luxury mall and told us we had free time. Naturally, the camera crews followed our every move.

Desperate to claw her way back to the top, Lexi immediately pointed at the luxury boutiques the second we walked in, rattling off designer names like a walking catalog. "Louis Vuitton just dropped a few new laced sneakers for this season, and they are super cute. Blair, want to go check them out together?"

"Sure."

She hooked her arm through mine and pulled me into the boutique. Donovan and Julian naturally trailed behind us, walking shoulder-to-shoulder.

Back in the van, Lexi and Donovan had clearly analyzed the situation. This was a shopping date, which meant the core test was whether the husband would patiently carry bags and swipe his black card without hesitation. She had definitely warned Donovan to step up his gameno complaining about being tired, keep the energy high, and pull out his wallet with lightning speed to build that ultimate 'wife-spoiling maniac' persona.

Donovan had nodded like his life depended on it.

The sales associate ushered us into the VIP lounge. Lexi aggressively picked out a whole rack of ready-to-wear pieces and swept into the fitting room like royalty. With absolutely nothing better to do, I heavily dropped onto the plush sofa.

Donovan, still clutching a pile of empty hangers, stared at me in pure shock, his eyes practically screaming: Are we allowed to sit down?

[LMAO Donovan is the ultimate whipped husband, he's buying his wife bags and doesn't even dare to sit down.]

[What is going on with Blair? She acts more like a tired bro than Donovan does.]

[Not gonna lie, Blair's whole vibe and body language is exactly like a miserable husband who was dragged out shopping by his wife.]

Julian walked over. "You're not going to try anything on?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I'm broke."

"You can use my card."

"You're just a regular corporate guy, save your money."

Lexi caught the tail end of our conversation. She stepped out of the fitting room, buttoning up a tweed jacket. "Blair, are you even a female celebrity anymore? Designer brands are our armor."

"If a brand doesn't sponsor me, I'd rather use my money to pay off my mortgage than buy a bag covered in designer logos just to impress people who couldn't care less about me." I told her the absolute truth.

Chapter 5

In this industry, not everyone pulls in twenty million dollars a movie.

For a D-list actress like me, the paychecks were pathetic, but the wardrobe maintenance was mandatory. I bled cash faster than I could make it. The industry was freezing over, and I could barely afford to pay rent. I came on this show to scrape together an appearance fee, and now I was supposed to perform a luxury shopping spree for national television?

Even if I got dragged to hell and back by the internet today, my stance remained exactly the same: I was broke. Take it or leave it.

The live feed, which had been heavily shipping the couples, flatlined for a second.

[Wait am I actually wearing the exact same outfit as Blair right now?]

[I mean, I'm definitely jealous of Lexi, but Blair is literally the embodiment of us average working people.]

[I just checked my bank account. Suddenly, I'm not in the mood to watch billionaires flex.]

[Is Blair actually this broke? She's a celebrity, is she just acting?]

Lexi stared at me, equally shocked, but from a different dimension of reality. "No way! You actually wear discount clothes from Walmart out in public?"

"Why wouldn't I? As long as the quality isn't pure garbage and it's not going to give me a rash, all that matters is if I like it and if it's comfortable."

Lexi wasn't having it. She shot a reproachful, pouty glare at Donovan. "The last time I dressed just a little bit casual to an event, people immediately started whispering that Donovan was going bankrupt. I absolutely cannot embarrass him like that."

She frowned, stewing in silence for a moment before deciding to completely bypass the subject. "I think I want to buy a few more bags."

Donovan finally got his cue to shine on stage. He whipped out his black Centurion card with a flourish. "Buy them!"

But no one in the live chat cared about their pathetic display of affection anymore.

Julian noticed me staring blankly at the wall, dying of boredom. "Do you want to hit up the high-end members-only supermarket first? It looked like the vacation villa was empty."

I nodded immediately. Even if I was just here to be the loser foil, I couldn't literally do nothing and ghost through the entire show.

We hit the supermarket first. After we loaded up the cart with groceries, Julian mentioned he wanted to check out the electronics section on his own. That worked perfectly for my own secret agenda, so we split up.

The truth was, I wanted to buy him a little gift. I was honestly feeling pretty guilty about this whole situation. I hadn't booked an acting gig in six months. When I finally scored this reality show with a decent paycheck, I figured I'd ask Julian to fake it as my husband and split the money down the middle.

I didn't have high hopes when I pitched it to him. Even as the words left my mouth, I felt absolutely unhinged.

To my shock, Julian agreed without a second of hesitation.

Right up until this morning, I was low-key terrified he was going to back out. But he didn't just show uphe flat-out carried me to first place in the opening round. I so rarely got any positive feedback from an audience, it would be a flat-out lie to say I wasn't thrilled.

Chapter 6

I walked into the Lego store, scanning the massive displays. "What's a good set for a guy?"

I remembered Julian having a weird obsession with building these little models.

"How old is the guy?" the clerk asked.

Heat flared in my cheeks. I cleared my throat. "About my age."

The clerk gave me a knowing smile. "Then you definitely want this Titanic set. The ultimate romance."

My tongue tied itself into a knot. "T-that's not really appropriate."

The clerk firmly pushed a massive box and a smaller one toward me. "Buy one, get one free. You buy the huge one, you get this mini version on the house. Once they're built, you can put them together. The perfect little couple."

I pictured this man, who secretly controlled a multi-billion-dollar empire, sitting cross-legged on a rug building Legos. The contrast was too adorable. I pulled out my card and bought both sets on the spot.

A gift needed an element of surprise, after all.

The second I spotted Julian again, the corners of my mouth involuntarily stretched into a massive grin. Julian was wearing the exact same expression.

"What are you smiling about?" he asked.

I quickly dropped my gaze, staring at my shoes. "Nothing."

He turned his head toward the window, his jaw tight as he clearly fought back a laugh.

I shot him a sideways glance. "What are you smiling about?"

Julian kept his voice low. "Nothing."

[AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!]

The moment we got back to the vacation villa, the producers announced through the loudspeakers: "It's time to tally up today's affection scores. Everyone, please present the items you purchased this afternoon to your husband or wife."

A collective, dead silence swept through the room. Everyone was blindsided.

Lexi had bought an entire mountain of designer clothes and bags. Donovan was literally drowning in shopping bags, a strained, painful smile frozen on his face. Meanwhile, Lexi took the premium fishing rod Donovan handed her, her face twisting into a look of absolute disgust.

In another couple, the husband had gone for a haircut, and the wife had hit the spa. They awkwardly hugged each other, pretending that gifting a better version of themselves actually counted.

Then it was my turn with Julian.

"Don't tell me you actually bought me something," Julian beat me to the punch, a sly gleam in his eyes as he ripped open the massive shipping box. "Oh. The Titanic."

I couldn't talk my way out of this if I tried. "You said you wanted me to make it up to you"

"I like it." He held my gaze, his voice dropping an octave. "But it's not my favorite thing here."

[AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!]

[He likes you he likes you he likes you just kiss him already!]

[A male lead who actually communicates! He has a mouth!]

[I am literally dead, how am I shipping Blair right now?!]

The host turned to Julian. "Did you happen to prepare a gift too, Julian?"

"I wouldn't call it a gift." Julian pulled out a brand-new Nintendo Switch. "We're going to be stuck here for half a month, so I downloaded all the top co-op games. Blair."

Julian's dark, intense eyes locked completely onto mine. "I want to play them with you."

For some reason, hearing those words made my throat tighten, a sudden hot sting pricking the back of my eyes. Even though I knew this whole setup was totally fake. Maybe it was because I had spent so long surviving in this massive, cutthroat city completely alone. Or maybe it was just because this specific Animal Crossing edition Switch was the exact one I had been desperately wanting but couldn't bring myself to spend the money on.

Unsurprisingly, Julian and I racked up the highest affection score again, easily taking first place.

By that night, I was trending at the top of social media, getting absolutely dragged through the mud. Three hashtagsBlair Sweet House, Blair Manipulative, and Blair Scripteddominated the top ten trending list. Haters were swearing up and down that I had bribed the producers to get the script in advance, that Julian and I were putting on a perfectly rehearsed show, and that I was intentionally using Lexi as a stepping stone to build a fake independent woman persona.

Chapter 7

I snuck into the bedroom and practically dropped to my knees in front of Julian. "I only came on this show to be the pathetic foil for Monica. We don't need to try this hard, just slack off and let them win."

Julian had just stepped out of the bathroom. He dragged a towel through his damp hair and threw me a sideways glance. "What? I am slacking off."

My eyes locked instantly onto his perfectly defined eight-pack abs. "Yeah. I can tell. Did I do something wrong to mess up your job? I don't really get how your industry works, so I apologize."

Julian dropped his weight onto the edge of the mattress. He lowered his gaze, the sharp angles of his face instantly hardening into a cold, unreadable mask.

"No, no, not at all! Don't worry about any of that, just do whatever you want" I squatted in front of him, rambling incoherently as I desperately tried to comfort him.

Julian finally lifted his head. "Alright. We have a full day of hiking tomorrow, we should get some sleep." He patted the empty space on the mattress right next to him.

Right. Because this was a couples' show, we only had one bed. I hesitated for a fraction of a second.

Julian's expression shifted into complete understanding. He immediately scooped up his blanket. "I'll take the floor."

"No, no, no" I frantically scrambled onto the mattress and rolled myself tightly into the sheets.

Julian was right. We had a massive hike tomorrow, taking the floor would wreck his back.

Julian reached over and killed the lights. "Good night."

A low, unmistakable undercurrent of amusement vibrated in his voice. I gripped the edge of my blanket, staring blankly at the dark ceiling as the steady rhythm of his breathing ghosted against the space between us. My original plan was to literally sleep through the alarms tomorrow, deliberately tank the entire day's activities, and let Monica completely crush us in the affection scores. How the hell did things end up like this?

At four in the morning, Julian literally dug me out of the mattress and stuffed my limp body into a puffer jacket. Today's first mission was a tandem bicycle race. One bike per couple.

On set, Lexi was whispering furiously with the director. I caught snippets like "camera angles" and "close-ups," the director nodding non-stop. Getting completely crushed by us in both rounds yesterday had clearly sent her into a panic. This time, she was determined to lock in the spotlight and flex Donovan's athletic physique.

She glided smoothly back into the center of the camera frame. "Julian is the only one here who isn't a professional actor. Isn't this physical challenge a little unfair to them?"

The live feed instantly flooded with comments praising her for being so considerate and fair.

Julian tilted his head, looking at me. "Unfair how?"

I lowered my voice to explain. "Actors pull back-to-back all-nighters, so our stamina is completely dialed in. What she's implying is you lack the physical endurance."

Julian fell dead silent for a long moment. He let out a low, dark scoff. "Right."

[Never tell a man he lacks endurance, Lexi really messed up there.]

[Is Lexi wrong though? He totally looks like a weak little pretty boy.]

[Donovan and Lexi are A-list stars but they're still looking out for the scripted couple who completely sabotaged them yesterday. Absolute angels.]

[Placing my bets on the scripted couple taking dead last today.]

Julian seemed incredibly hung up on this specific issue. Even as he threw his leg over the bike seat, he shot a look over his shoulder. "If I lack physical endurance, are you going to be disappointed in me?"

I gripped the handlebars tight, completely abandoning my plan to slack off. "No way. I have great stamina. I'll carry us."

Julian gave a satisfied nod. "Good to hear."

The starting pistol cracked, and all four bikes shot forward