Contract Marriage: I Will Never Love You-Chapter 140: She is Not Good

Hailey

I turn my back on Josh and focus on adjusting the lens, but my hands won’t stop trembling. I try to hide it behind precision and posture, but inside, I’m burning with jealousy.

Riley Meeks.

Of course, she is beautiful. Of course, she is flirty. And of course, she has a history with Josh. A part of me wants to scream, throw my camera across the studio, and walk right out the door. But I don’t. I can’t. Because I’m a professional.

But I’m also human.

I glance up and catch a glimpse of Riley laughing at something the makeup artist said. She’s perfect. Or rather, she knows how to look perfect. Every movement, every smile, every flick of her blonde hair is deliberate.

Ugh!

I clench my jaw and lift the camera, snapping a test shot of the empty backdrop. I shouldn’t care. I shouldn’t care. But the way Josh looked at me earlier, the softness in his eyes when he leaned in and kissed my forehead, it undid something in me. Something that had been carefully guarded for far too long.

"Hailey," Marcus says behind me, making me jump. "We are ready when you are."

I nod without looking at him. "Places, everyone."

Josh steps onto the set, already posing instinctively. Riley slinks in beside him, pressing a little too close, smiling a little too brightly. I lift the camera, trying to pretend I don’t see her hand slip onto his chest.

Josh doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t smile. His eyes find mine over the top of the camera.

And he looks bored.

That shouldn’t make me feel better. But it does.

"Good," I say coolly. "Let’s start with something simple. Josh, shift your weight a little to the left. Riley, turn slightly toward him. Less... clingy."

Riley tilts her head and pouts, clearly aiming for sultry, but the effect is more Instagram selfie than high-fashion elegance. She throws her shoulder back dramatically, hand resting awkwardly on her hip like she’s about to sell a skincare line, not model for a luxury brand.

I narrow my eyes behind the camera lens. Her angles are all wrong. Too exaggerated. Too performative. She doesn’t understand light or lines or how to shape her body to the frame. And worse—she doesn’t care to learn.

Josh, to his credit, keeps it together. He adjusts like a pro, subtly correcting his stance to balance her poor posture, but it’s obvious he’s doing all the work.

"Riley," I say, keeping my tone polite but firm. "Try relaxing your shoulders. Let your expression soften. This isn’t an audition for reality TV."

She blinks, then giggles. "Oh, sorry. This is my first time doing this kind of shoot."

Clearly.

I step out from behind the camera and walk closer, gesturing toward her. "Your pose feels forced. Try moving with Josh instead of against him. Let the moment happen instead of trying to manufacture it."

She looks at me like I just spoke in code. "Uh-huh..."

I sigh quietly and glance at Josh. His lips twitch with a trace of amusement. He’s enjoying this...just a little.

"Watch Josh," I tell her. "He knows what he’s doing."

She turns toward him, her hands fluttering like she’s not sure what to do with them. "Like this?"

Josh gently shifts her arm. "Here, relax. Just...breathe, Riley."

She gives a breathy laugh. "You always knew how to calm me down."

Behind the camera, I roll my eyes so hard I nearly sprain something.

I lift the lens and start snapping again, but it’s useless. She doesn’t get it. Every frame is stiff, awkward, and unusable. She’s trying to outshine Josh when the goal is to match him. And she can’t.

"Okay," I call out, lowering the camera. "Let’s take five."

Riley immediately flounces off toward the mirror, probably to refresh her lipstick or check her angles. Josh walks over to me, already reading the frustration on my face.

"She’s not working, is she?" he asks quietly.

"No," I admit, not even pretending to sugarcoat it. "She’s not. She’s got a great face, sure. But fashion modeling? It’s a skill. She doesn’t have it."

He chuckles. "You’re brutal."

"I’m honest." freёnovelkiss.com

His smile fades slightly, and he leans closer. "You okay?"

I glance at Riley’s reflection across the room, then back at him. "I will be. Once she’s gone."

Josh touches my arm gently, just for a second. "She’s already gone, Hailey. She just doesn’t know it yet."

And just like that, my heart does that annoying stutter thing again.

Damn it.

"I am going to have a chat with Marcus," I say.

I turn on my heel and head toward Marcus, who’s too busy looking pleased with himself to notice me coming. That smug little smirk fades the second he registers my expression.

"Marcus," I say coolly. "We need to talk."

He lifts both brows. "Sure, Hailey. What’s on your mind?"

I lower my voice but make sure my tone stays sharp. "What is with you hiring Riley at the last minute? We both know she is not cut out for this. Did you even interview her?"

"She brings traction," he argues, shrugging like it’s no big deal. "Her face is everywhere right now. We’re trying to go viral."

"This isn’t a TikTok trend, Marcus. It’s a campaign."

He chuckles. "You’re being dramatic."

"No," I say, crossing my arms. "I’m being professional. Something you might want to try sometime."

His jaw ticks.

"And let’s be real," I continue. "She’s not good. Josh is carrying every shot, and it’s painfully obvious. If you were trying to create tension or spark jealousy, mission accomplished. But you’ve also just made a mess of a campaign we’ve been planning for weeks."

Marcus looks like he’s about to say something snide, but then his gaze flicks over my shoulder. I don’t even need to turn around to know Josh is watching.

Marcus clears his throat, straightening slightly. "Are you telling me you are jealous of Riley?" he asks, lowering his voice. "Don’t let your feelings for Josh interfere with your judgment."

I stare at him, stunned for a second. Then I take a single step forward, close enough that he can’t mistake the edge in my voice. "My judgment is the only reason this shoot isn’t a complete disaster right now. You want to talk personal feelings? Fine. But let’s not pretend you booked Riley for her talent."

His eyes flicker, but he doesn’t deny it.

"Exactly," I say. "You are trying to play some childish game. Trying to use Riley to drive a wedge between Josh and me."

Marcus clears his throat. "Your job isn’t to psychoanalyze me, Ms. Jameson. Your job is to take good pictures, so do that."

This stupid, infuriating man...

I take a deep breath, biting down on the surge of fury threatening to boil over. My hands are clenched at my sides, nails digging into my palms, but my voice, when I finally speak, stays calm. Ice cold.

"You’re right," I say smoothly. "It’s not my job to psychoanalyze you."

Marcus gives a smug little nod like he’s won something.

"It’s also not my job to clean up your mess," I continue. "But I’ve been doing that all day, haven’t I? While you play producer with a hashtag in one hand and zero direction in the other."

His smugness falters.

I glance briefly toward Riley, who’s still checking her reflection like she’s the star of her own music video. Then back to Marcus.

"She’s not cut out for this, and you know it. You brought her in to stir the pot, hoping it would shake something loose."

Marcus opens his mouth, then closes it again. He looks like he wants to argue, but he can’t. Not really. Because everything I’m saying is true.

"You’re skating on thin ice," Marcus finally mutters.

I turn to walk away.

"Hot when you’re mad," Josh murmurs when I am close to him.