Chapter 98
1004 Words
"What? Let me see it now!" Jessica was panicking as she quickly walked over to the sleazy guy with glasses. When she saw the post had both pictures and a video, her mind went blank. 'No way! There wasn't anyone around, and it was completely quiet there. Someone set up!'
Jessica looked around at her coworkers, enraged, and shouted, "Who? Who did this? Was it you, Todd? Last month, you asked for a raise, and I didn't approve it, so now you're trying to get back at me, aren't you? Yes, it must be you!"
Todd stared at Jessica, puzzled. "Jessica, you can't just make baseless accusations like that. Why would you think it was me? Sure, I was a little annoyed that you didn't give me the raise, but I still need my job, you know? And besides, with pictures and video out there, are you really going to pretend you don't know what happened?"
"You!" Jessica was at a loss for words. That's right, if she hadn't done anything, then this would be slander. But now? It wasn't slander at all.
Just then, Jessica's phone rang. She glanced at the screen—it was her husband! She hesitated for a moment. There was no way she could talk to him right now, or he'd lose his mind.
Without thinking, she turned off her phone. She quickly rushed out of the room, heading straight for the general manager's office. At this point, only Mr. Norman could help her.
Jessica burst into Pete's office, barely able to catch her breath. "Mr. Norman, something terrible has happened!"
Pete was smoking. He looked up. "What could possibly be so terrible? Look at you, all sweaty from running. Come here, let me wipe you off. You little slut. You want to go again?"
Jessica ran over to Pete's computer, pulled up the post, and pointed at the screen. "Look for yourself—this post wasn't put up by me. I don't know who did it, but they've exposed us! My husband just called me, and I hung up on him. Mr. Norman, you've got to help me! What am I going to do?"
Pete glanced at the post, his expression turning grim, especially when the video started playing. His face dropped instantly. "Calm down. I'm here, aren't I? Let me take a closer look. Whoever posted this must have a death wish! Jessica, don't worry, it's just some tabloid nonsense. The sky's not going to fall."
Jessica anxiously replied, "I know! But my husband found out! You don't understand—he's petty as hell! If he learns about this, I'm afraid he'll come to the office and make a scene!"
Pete sneered. "Let him come. You think I'm scared of him? What's he going to do? He's just a low-level employee. How did he even manage to marry someone as gorgeous as you? Honestly, it's better if he comes. We'll tell him straight, and you can get a divorce. I'll take care of you."
Jessica immediately felt more at ease and walked over to Pete, speaking softly, "Alright, but you better mean it. If my husband shows up, I'll break it off with him. You better not be lying; you promised to take care of me."
Pete chuckled and then frowned slightly. "Don't worry, I keep my word. But the timing of this post seems a bit suspicious. I just met with a client from Ariya's group this morning. Could it be them?"
Jessica thought for a moment. "That seems unlikely. The video clearly shows me leaning over the desk, but they were already gone by then. And judging by the angle, it was probably shot from outside. Did you piss someone off?"
Pete flicked the ash from his cigarette, his tone heavy. "Who haven't I pissed off in Philadelphia? Tell the PR department to get this post taken down. If this blows up nationwide, it'll be embarrassing as hell! And inform the surveillance team to keep a close eye on Ariya. I've got a feeling she's involved in this."
"Got it, I'll handle it right away!" Jessica stood up from Pete's side and was about to leave when suddenly the door was flung open.
"Mr. Norman, something's gone wrong!" An employee rushed in, looking flustered.
"What now? It's never anything good. Speak up!" Pete frowned and stubbed out his cigarette harshly.
"We just got a call from one of our insider contacts. He said we've been flagged for creating and spreading fake news, and they've shut down all our external outlets!"
The employee caught his breath and continued. "Plus, they're sending people to our office to inspect our servers and look for unsubstantiated reports. He warned us to handle this fast, or it's going to blow up. The authorities are already coming to investigate us! What should we do, Mr. Norman?"
Pete froze on the spot. 'For a company like theirs, which has been thriving on slandering others, their external outlets mean everything! He has spent years nurturing these connections and pulling strings. How could this happen now?'
"Stay calm and hold your ground. I'll make a call to find out what's going on. Hello, Mr. Kinsman? It's Pete from Norman News. I know you're busy, so I'll be quick."
Pete was visibly anxious as he dialed the number. "Oh, great. My team just informed me that all our external outlets have been shut down. I'm wondering, is this an industry-wide crackdown, or are we being singled out?"
The person on the other end spoke in a low voice, and Pete put the call on speaker. "Pete, did you seriously piss someone off? Especially with that news you posted in the early hours? You've landed us in deep trouble! Let me be clear: this isn't an industry-wide issue; it's just you!"
The man on the other side growled. "Thanks to Norman News, I've been suspended! You better apologize right now, or maybe you can still get off easy. Wait too long, and it'll be too late!"
- Writer
