I Was Framed, My Hubby Exposed The Truth

Chapter 3

I looked at the group of coworkers standing there, no longer hiding their open disdain for me.

I could only manage a bitter smile. Having worked alongside them for so long, I had always done my best to help them whenever they came to me with any kind of problem.

I remembered once when Lila had fallen behind on her work and failed to turn it in on time, which meant we could not finish a major project due before the national holiday.

She told me she had already bought her tickets and had to travel home, so I took on the work myself.

I stayed up late through the night to finish the project, which saved us from having to pay a large penalty fee to the client.

Yet when we returned after the holiday, Lila told the department head that I had deliberately delayed the work just to earn overtime pay at the holiday rate.

There was also a male coworker who would offer to help me with heavier tasks, only to later tell other female staff members that I had ordered him to do it.

As a result, they began saying I treated new employees as if they were my personal servants.

I had always thought they simply did not like me for any real reason, without any ill intent, so I had never let it bother me.

Looking back now, I can see that every small incident had been a sign.

Their resentment toward me had been building quietly through all those little moments, and they had been shutting me out long before this.

"Are you all really convinced I hurt that child just because of one misleading video?" I spoke directly to the room, where everyone was staring at me as if I were a criminal.

Believing I was still trying to deny what they saw, they began to shout at me one after another.

"The evidence is right there... are we supposed to ignore what we can see with our own eyes?"

"Did you think if you had hit the child of the office cleaner, apologizing would make everything go away?"

"But that girl is the most precious daughter of Hayden Reed, the wealthiest man in the country. He cherishes her more than anything. Who do you think you are, treating his child like that?"

"If this were in another time, the consequences of his anger would be severe enough to ruin you completely!"

"Just wait... Your name will be all over the news, and your reputation will be destroyed forever!"

"And from now on, don't expect anyone here to stand by you. I don't want to be associated with someone like you."

The stream of accusations cut into me like sharp blades, leaving nothing but cold emptiness in my chest.

Once they had said all they wanted, they stopped speaking to me entirely and went back to their own tasks.

A heavy silence settled over the room, and I felt completely surrounded by their silent rejection.

Back in my private office, I could no longer hold back the tears that had been welling up.

So much hurt, disappointment, and bitterness pressed down on me, making it even hard to breathe.

Why would people I had helped believe I had hidden motives?

Why would someone offer help with one hand while speaking badly of me with the other?

Eventually, I cried until I felt exhausted, and my feelings slowly settled.

I took a moment to steady myself. I had endured so much unfairness and gotten through even harder times, I would get through this too.

After all, my husband was Hayden Reed... the most powerful and admired man in the nation. As his wife, I could not let this small setback break me.

Thinking back, Hayden and I had met by chance, slowly gotten to know one another, fallen in love, and finally married.

I had insisted from the beginning that we keep our marriage private, choosing not to announce it publicly.

I did not want anyone to think I had married him only for wealth or status, or that I had used my appearance to enter a privileged world.

More than that, I truly loved my work and wanted to build my career on my own effort, without relying on anyone else's influence, so I could prove my own ability.

Compared to all that, this misunderstanding and trouble felt so small!

I sat down at my desk, gathered my thoughts, and opened my email inbox.

I refreshed it several times, but no new messages had arrived that day.

Normally, Linnea would send the updated project details to every member of the team by midday on Thursdays.

Through the glass wall of my office, I could see everyone typing furiously, clearly rushing to draft their proposals now that the new project had been assigned.

I stepped out and asked Linnea to forward the project files to me, but she acted as if I were not even there, continuing her call with a client and ignoring my question.

I then asked other staff members to upload the documents from the previous week as soon as possible. No one in the room replied.

I stood there alone, watching them all act as if I did not exist at all.

I went to speak with the department head to resolve the situation, but he only said that workplace disagreements were normal and that I should learn to handle them myself.

Even as he spoke, his tone remained distant, as if he were afraid of being linked to me in any way.

It was clear now, the rumor that I had mistreated the daughter of the country's wealthiest man had already spread through the entire company.

For the rest of the afternoon, I sat in my office with little to do.

I watched Linnea rushing back and forth beyond the glass, taking one call after another until her voice grew hoarse, yet still remaining patient as she explained details over and over again.

I let out a quiet, bitter laugh.

So she was willing to work this hard just to push me out of my position!