Forsaking the Years of Longing

Chapter 13 "If you marry me, there are many benefits-loyalty and companionship as partners, funds and projects as collaborators. I can provide it all." Seeing how serious he was, I stood up as well, smiling, even feeling a bit mischievous.

"And love?"

"Even if it's a contract marriage, even if it's just two years, I want more than just benefits. I want emotional value too. Can you offer that, Mr. Callan?" As expected, Callan was momentarily stunned.

Since I was merely teasing, I didn't wait for his response and brushed past him, leaving.

For a brief moment, it seemed like he said something.

But I didn't hear it.

And I didn't care.

That evening, back home, I finally received an email from Nico.

It was a file --ful of Emily's wild escapades from her time studying abroad.

I skimmed through it and forwarded it to a journalist friend I knew.

Quite scandalous material.

Looks like I was about to give Emily another boost in popularity.

A week had passed, and my reputation online was already in shambles. My DMs on Instagram were filled with insults and harassment. To make it worse, even a CEO I'd met once in Seattle had the audacity to outright ask if I was for sale. I selected a few choice responses, planning to savor their reactions when public opinion inevitably flipped again.

The next day, the university I graduated from issued an official statement, confirming that all allegations of academic fraud against me were false and part of a smear campaign. The statement, however, barely made a dent in the narrative.

Online, people weren't interested in verifying a woman's credentials or professionalism. They were far more invested in gossiping about her private life and personal conduct.

Thanks to Emily's earlier exposé about my supposed "sugar daddy" the masses had already decided was a scheming social climber from a poor background who relied on her body to get ahead.

Even the comment section under the university's statement was a mess:noveldrama

"Even if the degree isn't fake, her character is still questionable.

She knew Mr. Parker had a fiancée and shamelessly climbed into his bed. If you ask me, Miss Wood is the one we should sympathize with.

f.n

Who can accept their fine with

эли

secretary acting as a mistress on the side?"

"So how many sugar daddies does Caroline have anyway?"

"If she's so well-educated, why not get a decent job and work hard for it? Why resort to such dirty tricks to climb the ladder? Disgusting!"

Even though I had warned my father

to avoid looking at negative news online during this time, the controversy was too widespread to ignore. No matter how much I tried to shield him, he would inevitably hear bits and pieces of the rumors.

And my father, with his fiery temper, could only endure for so long.

A week ago, he had managed to hold back. But now, he'd clearly had enough.

During one of my meetings, I reopened my phone to discover that my father - who almost never posted on Instagram-had directly uploaded a photo from Howard Group's official account.