Chapter 3

When I was leaving work at dawn, I passed the stairwell.

I heard a familiar voice.

“Lucian Stone is a jerk. You should’ve seen the way he looked at me, all lecherous, like he wanted to devour me whole!

“I was willing to tolerate him just because he’s rich, but who knew he’d be so cheap? He wants me to pay the entire $100,000!

“Choosing Baline for the team-building retreat was just so he could go on a honeymoon with me! When his demands for intimacy failed, he tried to push me to the edge. Why doesn’t he just die?!”

With tears in her eyes, Lilith played the victim and aired her grievances on a livestream.

I remained calm and stared at her for a long moment.

Then, I spoke up.

“Lilith, spreading rumors can land you in jail. Guess what? I have video evidence.”

She froze. Guilt flashed in her eyes before she straightened her back.

“What did I falsely accuse you of? Isn’t that just who you are?”

She declared with righteous indignation, “No woman would risk her reputation for this. If I expose your backroom deals, your hard-earned career is finished!”

“Is that so?” I sneered. “Slander away. I have ways to clear my name. But what about you? The finance department has emailed multiple times demanding payment. Can you even repay that $100,000?”

The words hit home.

Lilith trembled with rage, and her face turned ashen.

Suddenly, she raised her phone, zoomed in with the camera, and filmed my face.

“Girls, look at this! The boomer is shamelessly using his power to blackmail me into being his mistress!

“I resisted fiercely and refused to give in. Now, he’s firing me and ruining my reputation!”

The livestream exploded with traffic as countless viewers flooded in, unleashing a torrent of abuse at me with their keyboards.

[Don’t worry, Lilith! I’m going to take him down right now!]

[Stay away from her, you creep!]

[What company let this disgrace happen? A man of such low character has no place in leadership!]

As the comments flooded the screen, I did not hide. I looked straight into the camera and smiled.

“We know in our hearts what’s right and wrong. I did nothing wrong.

“Bring on your dirty tricks. I hope you can keep talking tough when we meet in court.”

Lilith’s face flushed crimson, but I ignored her. I grabbed my phone and turned to leave.

“The evidence is in your email. I’m suing Lilith for defamation and spreading rumors. No mediation.”

My lawyer took the order and quickly drafted the complaint.

The next morning, the department remained thick with tension.

Interns shot me sideways glances, covering their mouths to stifle giggles as they whispered.

As I stepped into the elevator, several people deliberately shoved my shoulders, nearly sending me tumbling headfirst.

Just as my frustration boiled over, my phone buzzed.

A transfer of $100,000 had arrived.

The sender was Jack Smith.

[Sorry, Mr. Stone. I know I was wrong.

[I never meant to humiliate you, nor did I want to lose my job. Lilith forced me into it. She has powerful connections, and I dared not cross her.]

After a long silence, I returned half the money to him.

[I’ll take it as your school fee. Forget the rest. Let things take their course.]

Lilith proved far more vicious than I had imagined.

In the dead of night, I was jolted awake by the vice president’s call.

“Lucian, you’re trending! Lilith made a hundred-page presentation accusing you of misconduct. If we don’t handle this, you’ll be blacklisted from the industry!”

Cold sweat soaked my back.

Before I could even click on the trending topic, an email arrived from our partner company.

[You and your company are embroiled in a scandalous affair. The public backlash is severe. We have no choice but to terminate the contract. Compensation will be borne by your office.]

This was a project I had spent five years developing. It was worth hundreds of millions in profits.

At the final hurdle, the opportunity vanished in an instant.

As I clicked through the posts, my heart sank deeper with each revelation. Rage surged through me like a tidal wave.

Lilith was a master manipulator of public opinion. A few stolen chat screenshots and photos were all it took to twist truth into lies, as she nailed me to the pillar of shame.

[Breaking news! Fortune 500 Marketing Manager Lucian Stone Lusts After Attractive Female Subordinate, Tries to Seduce the Younger Woman but Fails, Then Resorts to Blackmail!]

Lilith wept before the camera.

In her narrative, she portrayed herself as an innocent, naive college graduate.

As a freshie in the workplace, she claimed she received repeated verbal harassment from her superior, who used threats and inducements to coerce her into submission.

She selectively edited the chat logs, omitting crucial context.