Chapter 15
Margot thought she must be seeing things, so she blinked and looked again. But no–there it was, her name in black and white.
A cold shiver ran down her spine, and a terrible premonition flashed through her mind..
Panicked, she quickly clicked on the link, and as she scrolled through the vicious comments, her body went numb, like she’d been struck by lightning. She froze, unable to move, as if her soul had left her body.
Her eyes raced across the comments, and with every word, her anger grew.
She thought, “This can’t be happening. The post has been about Joanna, that bitch–so how does it turn into an attack on mer
Worse yet, her dirty laundry had been dragged out into the open. How can I show my Lace now! Who is behind this? Who has it out for me?
The public’s opinion had shifted completely. At first, everyone had been criticizing Joanna
But now, more and more marketing accounts were targeting her. This was spiraling out of control, heading into dangerous territory.
Margot’s heart pounded in her chest. She feared for her reputation. If this kept up, there’d be no clearing her name, no matter how much she tried,
She thought. Damn it! How has this happened! Could it be Joanna? But how could she have orchestrated something like this?
She’d been so careful with her secrets–no one was supposed to know about her past. And yet, here they were, splashed all over the internet, with photos to back it up. She was commered. Even if she tried to explain, no one would believe her.
She could feel herself unraveling. She thought, “What should I do! Right! I have to call Cecelia
She quickly dialed Cecelia, who just so happened to be calling her at the same time.
“Cecelia, did you see this? You need to fix it, fast! Issue a statement saying it’s all fake!” Margot’s voice trembled with panic.
Cecelu, however, remained composed. “I saw it. Don’t worry, this is clearly someone trying to sabotage you.
“It has to be that bitch, Joanna!” Margot hissed through gritted teeth. “Cecelia, what should I do now?”
Cecelia thought for a moment before answering. This could actually work to our advantage. Don’t forget about Mr. Buckley. Ultimately, this is happening because of him, so he’ll step in and handle it.”
“Right. Howell! How could I forget about him?” Margot slapped her forehead in frustration,
“Exactly. Call him now. He probably doesn’t even know what’s going on yet.”
tat I’ll contact him right away”
After hanging up, Margot quickly dialed Howell’s number.
At that moment, Howell was out drinking with a few
few friend.
His close friend, Leroy Robles, noticed he seemed distracted and asked, “What’s going on with you? You’ve been acting of
of Lately.” Angelo Hogan, sitting next to them, added with a trasing grin, “So, is it true! The rumors about you and Joanna getting divorced” Howell shot him a sharp look. “Fuck off”
Leny immediately backed off. “Alright, alright. I won’t say anything. But honestly, divorce isn’t all bad, right? Now you’re free.
“Wal, and you’ve never liked her. Now that she’s out of the picture, shouldn’t we be celebrating Leroy was one of the few who knew the real story
Howell had never brongia Joanna to any of his friends gatherings, and he certainly didn’t take her to social events or parties
They’d only met a couple of times, the m
he most memorable being when he was drunk and they gave him a ride home.
In his memory, Joanna was soft–spoken and grille, with a kind, innocent look–almost like a little girl.
She was the type to quictly accept whatever came her way. They thought, “No wonder Howell has lost interest–what a boring woman she is
He shot Lemy a glare “What do you guys know alami diist
1/2
11:59 AM
Chapter 15
Even Howell himself couldn’t figure i it out. Why have I been so indifferent to her b feeling of emptiness, like something was missing.
before? Now that she was gone, it felt… off. He couldn’t shake the
Returning to his quiet home, he felt lonelier than ever before. It was a sensation he wasn’t used to. He poured himself a drink and knocked it back. Just then, his phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen. It was Margot
“What’s up“” he asked.
“Howell, you need to check X. Something huge has happened Joanna she misunderstood our relationship, and now I’m getting attacked online…. Margot’s voice was panicked, growing more frantic with every word. By the end, she was almost choking on her tears.
“What?” Howell snapped back to reality and immediately opened X.
At first, it was Joanna who was being attacked, but the comments quickly shifted. Suddenly. Margot was the target, and the tide had tur
her
me of the comments even accused him of being a scumbag, cheating on Joanna and having an affair.
Some
Howell’s face went dark, and the atmosphere around him turned icy. His friends felt the change and fell silent.
“What happened Leroy asked, his voice laced with concern.
“Get me a PR team. Now. We need to clear this up, Howell said, his voice sharp and cold.
Leroy and Angelo exchanged glances before diving into action, making calls to get things moving.
Lagainst
But after several attempts, they were told the story couldn’t be taken down. Apparently, Philip, the CEO of Menzie Group, had personally ordered that the news stay up until the next day–no one was allowed to remove it.
Howell thought. Philip again! Howell’s face darkened further, his temper flaring. ‘Damış it!
What is going on between Philip and Joanna? Why does that man seem to care so much about her? Why is he going to such lengths to make an enemy of me!
Joanna.. I have completely underestimated her. She has always been so shy and compliant before, but now? She has the power to stir
like this:
The following morning. Howell immediately instructed Hanley to find Joanna’s address. He had to track her down.
up something
He needed answers. In his mind, Jo
- d. Joanna wasn’t the type to just cause trouble without reason. Something about last night didn’t sit right with him. Hanley returned quickly with the information. “ Buckley, I’ve found her address. She’s living in a villa in the suburbs..“. Hanley hesitated, and Howell’s frown deepened. “What did you say! She’s living in a villa in the suburbs? Are you sure?”
Hanley nodded. “Yes, Mr. Buckley. The villa she’s staying in is actually registered under Philip’s name…
Howell froze, standing up so fast he almost knocked over his chair. What Joanna’s living in Philip’s villa? Philip… is actually letting her stay there!
