reate problems that would distract me from my work or, better yet, get me fired.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Without hesitation, I slipped my phone into my blazer pocket and headed back toward the cafeteria. I should face this head\u2013on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As I pushed through the double doors, dozens of eyes tracked my movement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the far corner, Melissa sat surrounded by a group of colleagues, and she leaned forward conspiratorially. She was holding her phone at an angle that allowed everyone around her to see the screen, their occasional snickers punctuating the unusual quiet. Victoria also sat\u00a0<\/p>\n
among them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I squared my shoulders and walked directly toward their table, my heels clicking rhythmically against the floor. With each step, the cafeteria grew quieter until only the soft hum of the ventilation system remained.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEnjoying yourself, Melissa?\u201d I asked, my voice steady despite the anger simmering beneath my composed exterior.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Melissa looked up, feigning surprise that didn\u2019t reach her eyes. \u201cCedar! We were just discussing the\u2026 something interesting.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou mean your deliberate attempt to spread malicious lies?\u201d I kept my tone conversational, though my eyes had turned to ice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Melissa\u2019s lips curled into a smirk. \u201cLies? The photo speaks for itself. Everyone knows rapid promotions like yours don\u2019t happen based on merit alone.\u201d She gestured vaguely with her hand, inviting the silent support of her audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No one spoke, but their expressions\u2013ranging from poorly concealed curiosity to thinly veiled judgment\u2013made their position clear. They\u00a0<\/p>\n
were enjoying the show.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat photo,\u201d I said, reaching for my phone and displaying it for everyone to see, \u201cwas deliberately taken from an angle to suggest something entirely false.\u201d I turned to Melissa, my gaze unwavering. \u201cSpecifically, from the exact position where you were sitting. Second\u00a0<\/p>\n
desk from the left, by the conference room glass partition.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A flicker of surprise crossed Melissa\u2019s face before she masked it with indignation. \u201cAre you accusing me of taking that photo? That\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
absurd!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were the only person with that particular vantage point at that time.\u201d I zoomed in on the photo, highlighting details only visible from that specific angle. \u201cThe reflection in the glass shows your desk ornament. Quite distinctive.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Melissa\u2019s face flushed with anger. \u201cEven if I did take the photo, it only reveals what everyone already suspects. How else could someone with your\u2026 background suddenly become a director? What special skills did you demonstrate for Mr. Coleman behind closed doors?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Several colleagues shifted uncomfortably in their seats, but no one intervened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 58\u00a0<\/p>\n
Victoria cleared her throat delicately. \u201cPerhaps we should all calm down. Cedar, I understand you must be upset, but there\u2019s probably a simple way to resolve this. Maybe you could speak with Mrs. Coleman, explain the misunderstanding-\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cExplain what exactly?\u201d I cut her off, recognizing the false olive branch for what it was. \u201cThat I did nothing wrong? That I\u2019m being targeted with disgusting rumors because I earned my position?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Victoria\u2019s supportive facade cracked slightly. \u201cI\u2019m only suggesting a way to clear the air-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBy implying there\u2019s something to apologize for,\u201d I finished for her. \u201cThere isn\u2019t.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Melissa stood up, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. \u201cStop acting so innocent! Everyone knows you\u2019re sleeping with Thomas. The\u00a0<\/p>\n
rumors about you being fired from Wright Creatives for similar behavior make perfect sense now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s enough, Melissa,\u201d I said, my voice dangerously quiet. \u201cWhat you\u2019re doing isn\u2019t just unprofessional\u2013it\u2019s defamation. Do you\u00a0<\/p>\n
understand the legal implications of what you\u2019re spreading?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLegal implications?\u201d she scoffed. \u201cI\u2019m just saying what everyone\u2019s thinking. If you want to sue me for telling the truth, go ahead.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The cafeteria had become so silent I could hear the wall clock ticking. Dozens of employees watched, frozen between morbid fascination\u00a0<\/p>\n
and discomfort.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMs. Wright is right about the legal implications.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The deep voice cut through the tension like a knife. Thomas stood in the cafeteria doorway, his normally affable expression replaced by\u00a0<\/p>\n
cold fury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Coleman,\u201d Melissa\u2019s voice faltered slightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been made aware of the rumors circulating in our office today,\u201d Thomas said, walking toward us with measured steps. \u201cSterling\u00a0<\/p>\n
Group\u2019s head office has already been notified, and their legal team is investigating the source.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
We Want Mommy, Not You, Daddy!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
The Sky Remembered the Touch of Our Unfinished Goodbyes by Lysa Orion Rehn 58 reate problems that would distract me […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[88],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30457","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-zero-stars-for-daddy-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30457","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30457"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30457\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30457"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30457"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30457"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}