Chapter 2

On the other end, the boy spoke quickly and anxiously.

Marissa comforted him gently. "It is all right. Wait at home. I will bring him over."

The car started immediately. I grabbed her arm and asked where she was taking me.

"Caleb wants to apologize to you."

I laughed bitterly. My stomach hurt so badly that I curled up in the seat, unable to say a word.

Marissa took stomach medicine from the glove compartment and handed it to me. I refused. Her face went cold, and she threw it back.

When we arrived at Caleb's place, she dragged me out of the car.

"You should know what to say. Make him feel better, and you can ask me for whatever you want."

Inside, Caleb stood in front of me with red, swollen eyes and bowed.

"I am sorry, Mr. Miles. I really did not mean to do it. I was too nervous and said it without thinking.

"I should not have been so childish and reckless. If you are angry, you can scold me. I will listen."

Marissa used her eyes to warn me to speak.

I gritted my teeth.

"It is fine. I do not blame you.

"If you really feel sorry and want to make it up to me, post a clarification. Say you had a one-sided crush on Marissa Cole, and because she rejected you, you deliberately retaliated against us. Say there was never anything improper between you and Marissa.

"What you do in private is your business, but you cannot ruin my career."

"Adrian, that is selfish. You have had mud thrown at you before. How can you say something like that?"

Marissa questioned me angrily.

When I had just started at the radio station after college, a female supervisor harassed me. My coworkers gossiped behind my back, saying I was clinging to power and trying to seduce my boss. I was even beaten by her husband.

I had comforted Marissa and said it was a blessing in disguise. At least I would not have to work with that supervisor again.

Marissa was furious and heartbroken. She asked why I had not told her.

Her eyes were red when she promised me, "Honey, I will work hard. I will give you the freedom and confidence to quit whenever you want."

I was deeply moved. I hugged her.

"Okay. I will wait to live off my wife's success."

And she really did it.

We bought a house. We bought a car. Life got better and better.

She felt bad that I had to work nights and tried many times to persuade me to quit.

But I was attached to that show. Substitute hosts came and went, and in the end, I was the only one left.

Three months ago, the station decided to cancel it.

With my mentor, Mr. Miller's recommendation, I passed three rounds of interviews and got an offer to become a news anchor at a television station. I was supposed to start next month.

It was my dream job. Public opinion could be large or small, but one misstep could destroy my entire career.

I was selfish? I was throwing mud at someone? Were they not the ones dumping filth on my head?

Caleb tugged at Marissa's sleeve. His eyes reddened with grievance as he nodded and said he could do it, then turned to get his phone.

But I could not hold on anymore. My vision went black, and I collapsed.

When I woke up, the sky outside was the color of dusk. I was lying in a hospital bed.

Marissa stood by the window in a white shirt and jeans, her back to me.

For one moment, I was in a daze. She looked like the girl from ten years ago.

Back then, we had napped in a cramped rented room until evening and slept through a rainstorm.

She turned around, her eyes bright with excitement.

"Adrian, come look. There is a double rainbow!"

The Marissa in reality turned around with a gloomy, exhausted face.

She handed me a divorce agreement.

"You can tell the public we were already divorced. Then you will be single, and what happened between Caleb and me will not affect you."

Without hesitation, I took the pen and was about to sign.

But she suddenly pulled the agreement back.

"Are you really that eager?"

I looked at her in disbelief and asked with a laugh, "What else did you expect from me? Clinging? Continuing to scream and ask why you stopped loving me? Why you betrayed more than ten years of us? Does that mean anything?"

She gave a short, cold laugh.

"No. Sign it."

After signing, I looked for my phone. She seemed hesitant but eventually handed it over.

A bad feeling rose in my chest.

My phone had exploded with messages. My name was trending by itself: Late-Night Host Adrian Miles Accused of Promiscuity in High School, Multiple Girls Allegedly Pregnant and Pressured Into Abortions.

Around three in the morning, an account claiming to be my high school classmate alleged that I had seduced a student teacher in high school and fooled around with her in a classroom, causing her to be expelled from her teacher-training program.

It also claimed I was involved with multiple girls at the same time and frequently went in and out of cheap motels.

Below it were a class graduation photo and a photo of me in my school uniform sitting outside an obstetrics clinic.

I laughed and looked up at Marissa.

"What do you gain by destroying me?"