Chapter 5

While Mona was trying to suppress her nervousness, the agent came over. “The ambassador is here. Girls, please prepare backstage. The show will start soon.” Mona and the girls went out of the resting area and headed backstage. Marianne was fixing her makeup backstage. When the group of models came in, she pointed at Mona and whispered to her assistant. The assistant nodded and went to Mona. “Ms. Colister has something to talk to you about. Please come over here.” Mona gulped nervously. There were many other girls in the same outfit and face paint yet Marianne picked her out of the bunch? “Do you know Thaddeus?” Marianne sized Mona up from top to bottom with brazen hostility. Mona shook her head. “I don’t.” “Then why was he looking at you?” Mona wanted to ridicule her, but she held back the urge. Why would Marianne question her when it was Thaddeus who looked at her with his own eyes and free will? She innocently shook her head and said, “Mr. Fontaine look at me? I don’t understand what this is about.” Marianne remained suspicious. “Your voice sounds familiar.” Mona was stunned. She could not deny that women’s six senses were terrifyingly sharp. While she did provoke Marianne over the phone, it was just an act to make the man hasten the divorce procedures. She swore on her life that she never fight Marianne over Thaddeus; she would fail even if she tried. Marianne continued to size up Mona with a judgmental gaze, especially her face, which was covered in face paint. She stared at Mona for a while. When she could not spot anything unusual, Marianne waved and said, “Maybe I got the wrong person. You can go now.” Mona turned around with a smile frozen on her face. She secretly sighed a breath of relief as she walked away. It was a wise choice to keep a low profile at such a sensitive time. The last time she made Marianne unhappy, Thaddeus proposed the divorce. Now that the papers had been signed, she no longer had the leverage to challenge the man’s bottom line. She did not want to risk losing the alimony. Before the show, the models rehearsed a few times on stage. As ambassador, Marianne took the center spot. All the other models were just background characters to set off her presence. “I don’t like being too close to her,” Marianne said as she pointed at Mona, who was only a few steps away from her. She voiced her complaint to the show director, putting him in a difficult and embarrassing position. Every model on stage has their respective set of movements, which had been pre-choreographed beforehand. If one person were to change, everyone had to follow suit. Marianne feigned an apologetic look and said helplessly, “I don’t like being with a model that doesn’t make me feel comfortable. It will affect my performance and might even ruin the whole fashion show.” Everyone with a sane mind understood the sarcasm in her words. The show director was afraid of the power behind her. He was in no position to reject her request either, so he swapped Mona’s place with another model further away in the corner. They were requested to get familiar with their new movements as soon as possible. The convenience of capitalism was on full display. As long as Marianne had the financial support of a higher power, she could basically do whatever she wanted. The show finally started. Mona was arranged to be the last one on stage. It meant she would not have to do a catwalk on the runway, only to stand at the edge of the stage. Under the dim environment, several photographers came forth with their cameras and flashlights. As the shutters flickered, Mona put on a polite and beautiful smile, presenting the best version of herself in front of the cameras. As the background music changed, the models changed into a new pose. When Mona turned to the audience, she noticed the man that was sitting in front of her at first glance. Thaddeus stood out even amongst a bunch of fashionistas. He leaned on his seat casually, giving out an elegant vibe. When Mona looked at him, he looked back at her with a hint of anger. His gaze was as frosty as a spine-chilling glacial. Mona averted his gaze and tried her best to avoid him as much as possible. Fortunately, she did not have to be on stage for long. After getting off the stage, she went to wash the paint off her face. At the end of the corridor, where the toilet was, the man stood by the window, waiting. His slender but fit figure was complimented by the custom-made suit he adorned, and his back entered Mona’s sight forcefully as soon as she came into the corridor. With no one else around, Mona's first reaction was to escape. Before she could walk away, the man behind her called her name. “Mona.” Mona froze. She had goosebumps all over her back, and sweat broke out from all over her body. She stiffly turned around, and the man’s presence assaulted her. Mona calmed herself down and asked, “Do I know you?” According to their agreement, the two had to pretend to be strangers in public. It was a rule that had been set by Thaddeus himself. She was just a secret wife, a status that she had to bear in mind at all times. An extra layer of frost covered Thaddeus’s eyes. He grabbed her waist strongly and pulled her into his arms. Mona frowned. She looked up at the man and met his deep and complicated eyes. There was a hint of jealousy behind that gaze of his. Perhaps she saw it wrongly. There was no way the man would be jealous of her. Thaddeus looked at her like prey that he had caught. He said, “You know, even after the divorce, I don’t want a woman I’ve slept with to be on stage, letting all the men out there watch for free.” Mona wore a bitter smile on her face. “Mr. Fontaine, I have to make a living.” “You want money?” Thaddeus moved closer to her ear and sniffed the fragrance she wore. “If you want money, come to me. I’ll give you ten grand each time. I’m sure that’s better than standing on stage for an entire day.”