Chapter 4

It didn't take long for me to find out the meaning behind Daniel's words.

My colleagues shot strange looks at me on the first day of work, whispering among themselves whenever I passed by.

"It's no wonder he always has such good results. He slept his way to the top by being a sugar baby."

"No need to envy wimpy men like him who depend on others. We're not as shameless as him."

I was summoned to the HR department. The staff member's tone was dripping with disdain when he said, "You've been fired. You won't be receiving any compensation due to your misconduct. Sign the letter and get out of here."

I couldn't believe what I just heard and immediately defended myself. "I created all those proposals with my own blood, sweat, and tears after sacrificing countless nights of sleep. I've never taken any shortcuts!"

The staff member let out a mocking scoff. "Why are you still acting aloof when you're just a kept lover? Our company doesn't accept people like you. Go ask your sugar mommy if you need money."

I was suddenly struck by a realization and grabbed my phone. A video of me was on the very top of the trending chart. The woman's face had been blurred out, but my face was crystal clear. I felt as if I had been struck by a powerful force with just a glance at the video.

"He became a kept lover even though he graduated from Hollyvine University, the top-ranked university. He doesn't have any limits at all when it comes to being a homewrecker!"

"Selling himself was the fastest way for him to earn money. So what if he has a good academic record? In the end, he's nothing but somebody else's toy."

My face turned a ruddy red as I raised my voice and shouted, "I'm not a kept lover!"

A wave of humiliation crashed over me as I opened the door and came face-to-face with everyone's looks of disdain. It was obvious that it was pointless for me to try to explain myself.

"She's the one who lied to me…" I murmured.

A chorus of scoffs was the response I received before they demanded that I leave the company. I ran out of the building as if my life depended on it, only to come face-to-face with a throng of reporters and their cameras.

"Why did you choose to become a kept lover, Mr. Carson? Were the pressures of life too much to bear?

Their malice crashed into me like a wave. I hastily fled the scene in a panic.

I received a call from Mom just as I made it back home.

"I didn't raise you for so many years just for you to become someone's kept lover, Scott!" she screamed. "Your father left us after he was seduced away by his shameless mistress all those years ago. I won't acknowledge you as my son anymore!"

"It's not like that, Mom—"

However, she hung up on me before I could finish my sentence. She also refused to pick up when I tried calling her again.

…

After calming down, I made a timeline of my entire relationship and posted it online. Some of the netizens began to stick up for me. It also didn't take long for them to find out that the woman in the video was Rosalie.

However, I was completely caught off-guard when she posted a statement on her social media account.

"Everything was purely made up by Mr. Carson. We used to date in the past, but we broke up a long time ago. He's the one who keeps clinging to me. I've never lied to him. I have a wonderful relationship with my current husband."

The netizens bombarded my inbox with all sorts of malicious curses and edited photos of my death portrait. I didn't know who shared my address online, but it prompted reporters and influencers to surround my house.

Just then, I received a message from an unknown number.

"I'm sorry. He's my husband. I can't let any harm befall him. You just have to tough this one out for a little while. It won't take long before the hype dies down."

How dare Rosalie force me to take the fall when she was the one at fault?

I scoffed in my heart. It seemed that she was under the impression that I didn't have any evidence left. I opened the door while clutching a recording device, shooting a smile at the reporters and influencers who had gathered outside.

"You want to enact justice, don't you?" I asked. "Well, listen to this!"

The crowd instantly fell silent when I pressed the play button, exchanging looks among themselves.

Rosalie and Daniel were standing a short distance away. Their faces immediately turned a ruddy red when they heard the recording.