Chapter 6

My eyelid twitched.

Realizing something was wrong, I spun around sharply and found that my presentation had been swapped.

Now playing on the screen were various unflattering photos of me maliciously taken during my college days.

In addition, there were many blurred bed photos, but my face was clearly visible.

I recognized them immediately; these were screenshots from Damon Thorne’s villa surveillance cameras.

My blood ran cold.

My mind went blank.

I instinctively looked towards Damon’s seat.

He was frowning slightly, but Scarlett, beside him, wore a contemptuous and provocative smirk.

I immediately knew she was behind it.

Blood rushed to my head, and I walked up to her, wanting to ask what it would take for her to leave me alone.

But Damon’s expression changed. He stepped in front of her, his voice chilling.

“What are you doing? Haven’t you caused enough embarrassment? Don’t forget, you’re just a secretary!”

I looked at him through tears.

“Mr. Thorne, I may just be a secretary, but I’m a human being. Don’t I deserve respect? She deliberately put these photos…”

“Haven’t you made enough of a scene? Stop acting crazy!”

Damon’s face was livid as he cut me off, then immediately called security and had me escorted out.

In front of everyone, I was dragged by my hair, humiliated, out of the venue, and pushed down the long flight of stairs.

I tumbled down the steps, my body covered in bruises.

Blood seeped out, staining the floor crimson.

Excruciating pain spread through my limbs, tearing at my nerves.

Tears, held back for so long, finally broke free, blurring my vision.

I hugged myself, curling into a ball, and gradually lost consciousness…

I don’t know how much time passed, but when I opened my eyes, I found myself in a hospital.

I stared blankly at the ceiling for a long time, then picked up my phone.

All the company SnapChat groups were discussing the gala.

Someone had even posted live videos and photos, shamelessly mocking me.

“She doesn’t look like much, but she’s quite wild in private, isn’t she? I thought she was frigid with that cold face, but she’s actually just a slut trying to seduce men. Who knows which guy she’s messing around with, taking so many photos, she must be so desperate!”

“Where did you get frigid from? Didn’t she always try to hook up with Mr. Thorne at the company? Always hovering around him. Good thing Mr. Thorne only has eyes for Ms. Hayes and wouldn’t stoop to trash like her!”

“A wild hen who can only climb by using her body, does she even compare to Ms. Hayes? It’s an insult to Ms. Hayes. I hope she’ll have some dignity and just leave. If she still clings to the company, it’ll be a joke!”

Each sentence felt like a blunt knife slowly cutting into my heart, the pain unbearable.

My palms were raw and bloody from clenching them.

My teeth ached from biting down so hard before I could finally swallow those painful emotions.

After some time, the hospital room door opened.

I looked up and saw Alex Miller, a male colleague from the planning department, walk in, holding a cup of hot water.

“Luna, you’re awake? How are you feeling? Should I call a doctor to check on you?”

I paused for a moment, then shook my head.

“I’m fine. Did you bring me to the hospital?”

Alex scratched his head awkwardly, giving a shy smile.

“I saw you passed out by the entrance, worried something might have happened, so I brought you to the hospital. Thankfully, you’re just too stressed lately.”

Hearing the words “passed out,” I remembered what happened at the gala, and my expression froze.

Alex realized his mistake and didn’t dare to speak again.

The room was silent for a long time before he cautiously spoke.

“Luna, don’t mind those rumors too much. They’re malicious towards you not because you did anything wrong, but because they’re biased against you. I know someone must have wanted to harm you, which is why they deliberately photoshopped those pictures. You can report it to the police, and if you don’t want to bear this pressure, I can help you. You can just say you were in a normal relationship…”

Seeing his ears quickly turn red, I remembered how he always inexplicably started conversations with me and occasionally sent coffee and snacks.

It was only then that I belatedly realized Alex Miller probably liked me.

But I had always only thought of him as a regular colleague, and I had already decided to leave.

So, faced with his veiled confession, I forced a smile and politely refused.

“Thank you for your kindness, but I can handle this myself.”

A hint of disappointment flickered in Alex’s eyes, but he wasn’t ready to give up.

He pulled a bouquet of roses from under the bed and offered it to me, stuttering as he spoke.

“Actually, I’ve… I’ve liked you for a long time, but I never dared to confess. I know now isn’t a good time, but I still want to try. Please give me a chance, let’s try being together…”

His words were cut short as the hospital room door was violently kicked open.

Both of us jumped, turning in unison to see a furious Damon Thorne.

He glared darkly at Alex, squeezing out three enraged words from his throat.

“Get out!”