"Well, but you don't understand the full story at all. I never stole anyone's boyfriend. Besides, how can I be blamed for Isabella breaking up with her boyfriend?"
"How do you know the model is Isabella? Her name isn't mentioned in the newspaper, Chief Editor. Are you sure?"
Emma sighed. The complexity of this matter—even if she came forward to explain now, how many people would believe her?
If she told the truth about what happened back then, it would be clear that Isabella had stolen her fiancé, Noah. Now Isabella was coming back to bite her. Who would believe that?
Plenty of people would jump out and say she was just trying to whitewash her reputation by spreading rumors.
Emma's eyes narrowed as she frowned.
Given the current situation, everyone thought Isabella was the innocent one. What about herself?
She was clearly being painted as the other woman, yet she still had the nerve to seduce the president of the Pinnacle Corporation and get a marriage certificate with him!
Emma pressed her hand to her forehead, her voice growing weak. "Ava, if I told you things weren't like this, would you believe me?"
"Well... what are they like, then? Chief Editor, you can tell me. I promise to keep it a secret." Ava set down her lunchbox, pulled up a chair, and sat across from Emma, her clear eyes full of anticipation.
She naturally believed in the Chief Editor's character, but how could she explain the rumors in the newspaper?
"The model mentioned in the newspaper—Isabella—is my cousin..." Emma paused, then told the whole story.
"So that's it? How could Isabella do such a thing? Then the news about your marriage to Liam must be true?" Ava's unhappiness vanished in an instant as she listened. Of course, she was most curious about the marriage news.
"Yes, we've already gotten the marriage certificate." Emma had no good excuse for this. What was done was done. No matter how the outside world denied her identity, it couldn't change the outcome.
"Really? You're really married? Congratulations, Chief Editor! Well... I'm sorry for how I treated you just now. Please don't take it to heart." Ava felt a twinge of guilt.
Now that the misunderstanding was cleared up, it turned out to be a false alarm. Ava believed her, but it might not be so easy for the outside world to do the same. After all, Isabella had already come out to smear her reputation. Even if Emma jumped into the Yellow River, she couldn't wash herself clean.
But how could life get so bad?
Ava comforted her for a few more minutes before leaving. Emma stared at the newspaper.
The news was so sensational that Liam must be in trouble.
Emma picked up her phone, opened her contacts, and dialed Liam's number.
No answer?
She sighed and looked at the lunchbox on the table. She had no appetite at all.
A moment later, her phone rang. Thinking it was Liam, she immediately checked—it was Olivia's number.
As soon as she answered, she heard Olivia's exaggerated voice. "Emma, are you okay? How did a good marriage turn into this mess? That shameless bitch Isabella has twisted everything around. Next time I see her, I'll deal with her myself."
"Olivia, you saw the news too? I'm fine. Don't worry." Emma was in low spirits. Although Olivia was hot-tempered and straightforward on the surface, she had a delicate heart. She talked tough about these things, but deep down, she felt terrible.
How could your best friend become the third person everyone despised when she was the one who had been abandoned and betrayed?
It wasn't a joke. When Olivia saw the news, she was furious. "I'll come see you after work. Let's confront Isabella face to face. Better yet, let's drag that scumbag Noah into it and ask who wronged whom?"
"Come on, Olivia. I'll be fine in a few days. I don't want to talk about the past. Besides, it's not good for me or for Liam. You know how the media fabricates things. Even if I come out to clarify, it might not help."
To be honest, Emma certainly didn't want to swallow this bitter pill, but what could she do?
If the media exposed her seven-year relationship from the past, it might make things even harder for Liam.
After thinking it over, she decided to endure it and let it go.
Olivia's personality had always been uncompromising. She couldn't stand even a grain of sand in her eye. Hearing this, she naturally refused. "No, we can't let ourselves be bullied like this. I know you're just too worried about Liam's feelings. Who hasn't been through something like this? If you're thinking about him, is he thinking about your pain and grievances?"
Olivia held the phone, but Emma didn't respond. After a pause, she continued, "You fool, didn't Liam call you? Ask him. He can solve a big problem like this with a single word. Which newspaper made up this mess? Just shut it down directly."
Emma's mood was icy cold. Liam hadn't contacted her from start to finish. She didn't know who to complain to.
Now, hearing Olivia's words, she finally managed a faint smile. "It's not ancient times. If you don't like someone's family, you just don't watch TV. That's unrealistic. Besides, Liam hasn't contacted me. I think he's very busy. He left for work in a hurry this morning."
"Well, you can protect him and spoil him. Anyway, the more you spoil a man, the more of a jerk he becomes. Think about Noah. How did you treat him? And how did he repay you? By making you the other woman!" Olivia was getting angry just thinking about it. These bad men were all the same.
"Okay, I understand. I've taken Miss Olivia's lesson to heart. Aren't you at work? Be careful your evil boss comes after you again. That's it. I'll hang up now." Emma felt a little better. Besides, she had a meeting in the afternoon. She had to prepare for it. How could she face the pale eyes and arguments of her colleagues at the company?
"Alright, don't overthink it. It'll be over soon." Olivia hung up, but somehow, she couldn't shake a feeling of unease, as if something was about to happen.