Chapter 139

• The news spread like wildfire. Adrian had taken the fall for Vivian. His actions were the talk of the office, and by the end of the day, it seemed like everyone at the company knew. It was hard to avoid the whispers, the sideways glances, and the way people suddenly “forgot” to make eye contact when I entered the room.
• At first, I tried to brush it off. Let them talk, I thought. Let them gossip. I would carry on like nothing was wrong. But as the rumors spread, so did the stares the kind that burned into my skin with judgment. They grew louder, more insistent. And eventually, I had to face it. I was the one everyone was talking about.
• I played the role of the hurt, injured employee, retreating into my office and keeping my distance. It was the perfect excuse. I had just gotten out of a difficult marriage and was trying to re-establish my place in the business world. The last thing I needed was more drama.