What Role Does Consumerism Play In Influencer Marketing?

"How many men were there before me? None. Do you know how much shame I carry having you by my side as my girlfriend? Even your own mother is ashamed of you - you said it yourself." "I never begged for your love, Jun," I snapped back, tears stinging my eyes. "Why date me if you're ashamed of my size?" "Pity. That was it. I dated you out of pity. And yet, you're still so ungrateful." --- All Charlotte ever wanted was to become an actress. But growing up in a family that constantly belittled her and dating a man like Jun, who tore her down because of her size, made that dream feel unreachable. After a devastating breakup, she flees to the United States, desperate for space to breathe. But she never imagined everything would change before the plane even touched down. Now, she finds herself entangled with a mysterious billionaire - one who seems dangerously obsessed with her. Charlotte knows better than to trust too easily.  But how do you protect your heart when someone seems too good to be true… and refuses to let you go?

They say love at first sight is a fantasy. He turned it into an obsession…and then a contract. Drowning in debt and dodging loan sharks, Louis's only break is a one-time ad gig. He smiles for seven seconds, gets paid, and thinks that's the end of it. He's wrong. Across the world, reclusive billionaire Lorenzo Volterra sees the clip. A man who has spent his life never looking twice at another man suddenly cannot look away. In that fleeting glimpse, he finds his obsession. Within twenty-four hours, he's at Louis's door. His first words: "You are my husband now." Louis laughs. He's not for sale. But Lorenzo doesn't understand "no." Raised to believe money buys everything…including love…he's never been refused. Never been loved. He doesn't know the difference between possessing someone and caring for them. When he offers to erase Louis's debt, it isn't kindness. It's a transaction. The price? A year of Louis's life, pretending to be the husband of a man whose love language is ownership, and whose broken English hides something darker. Lorenzo has never wanted anyone like this. The gender should matter…but looking at Louis, it simply doesn't. The obsession doesn't care about labels. It only cares about him. Now Louis is swept into ruthless luxury, where every desire is anticipated and every move watched. Lorenzo surrounds him with everything money can buy…because that's the only way he knows to keep something precious. But is Louis a cherished partner, or a trophy the man on the screen simply took? Can someone never taught to love ever learn? And when Louis looks into those glacier-blue eyes…why does he feel like he's falling?

My husband was tall and handsome, but he had no money to pay his debts. During the five years of our marriage, I sold my house and car for him. We then moved to a dark and humid basement that was only 300 square feet in size. When I got pregnant, I wanted to go for checkups, but he said that there was no need for it, as it was a waste of money. So I gave birth to a baby with a congenital heart condition. In order to get the money for his surgery, I worked three jobs every day. At that time, I noticed that my husband bought a mansion worth 40 million dollars for an influencer, and I finally realized that my husband was no orphan, but the son of the richest man in the country.

In the fashion industry, I was known as the most mysterious designer. I worked hard to keep my identity from the public. As I stood at the top of business, I was invited to be the secret judge of the Innovating Design Competition’s final round. The organizer reserved a VIP seat for me in the middle of the front row and ensured that my presence would not be revealed. Just when I was about to sit down, a new male influencer pushed me aside and threw his hand bag onto my seat. “What are you looking at, bumpkin? How dare you show up at the VIP section dressed like a beggar? Where’s the security? Throw this person out!” I swallowed back my anger and replied coldly, “This seat was reserved for me.” The influencer laughed. “Yours? Do you know who I am? Ms. Reid spent eighty million dollars in sponsorship to get me to come here! Ms. Reid has the final say in this industry. Do you understand me?” I could only scoff at him. How bold of the Reid family! Did they really think they could make this kind of decision without consulting me?

On my way to work, I came across a livestream from an influencer who posted about her relationship, tagged at my company’s location. She was talking about her office romance with the CEO of a major corporation. But wasn’t the CEO of her company my husband? I clicked on her profile and saw that it was full of wedding-prep posts. The man never showed his face, but his build looked almost exactly like my husband’s. So I left a comment in the livestream: “I heard the CEO of Gibson Corporation has been married for a long time. So what does that make you...?” The streamer muted me, then instantly burst into tears. “The internet isn’t lawless. If you keep spreading rumors and calling me a mistress, I’m calling the police.” Her fans immediately swarmed me. “You’re probably the other woman yourself. That’s why your mind went there.” “I checked her profile. She’s some woman in her thirties. She’s obviously jealous because the streamer is young, pretty, and has a rich, powerful boyfriend who dotes on her.” “The account’s brand new. She’s obviously just a troll.” I tried to say more, only to realize I had already been kicked out of the livestream, and my account had been reported until I couldn’t even log back in. I stared at the proof of our marriage in the drawer for a long moment. Then I raised my hand and smacked my sleeping husband awake. “Exactly how many wives are you planning to have?”

On the day the male influencer patient was discharged, he posted a tearful video accusing my chaste, principled doctor wife of sexually assaulting him. In the clip, he cowered in a corner of the hospital, trembling, his clothes disheveled. With a terrified cry of "Dr. Shelby," he abruptly cut the footage. Overnight, my wife became a monster in a white coat—public enemy number one across the internet. We begged him, again and again, to come forward and clarify the truth. Instead, he posted an injury assessment report and wept about being bullied by his doctor. My wife had no way to defend herself. She was suspended pending investigation—and in the end, she leapt from the thirtieth floor. I endured humiliation and waited for the truth to surface. When it finally did, I obtained a reexamination report that proved her innocence. But by then, no one cared about the truth anymore. And I, consumed by despair, died of cancer. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day that patient was first admitted. This time, I begged my wife to take leave—I wanted to take her away from this doomed fate. But my gentle wife wrapped her arms around me, her eyes red, and said, "Don't be afraid, honey. This time… I won't run away."