Chapter 6
As I expected, Hayden didn't come home that night.
After that, I blocked him across all social media platforms and even his number.
Noticing that, Hayden asked his friends to pass messages to me, saying I was being unreasonable, selfish, and had disappointed him and betrayed his trust.
Over time, the atmosphere at the company changed inexplicably. The way my colleagues looked at me became sharper, more critical, while soft undercurrents of gossip flowed among the clacking of keyboards.
"She even wants to control normal interactions between people of the opposite sex? Isn't that being too petty and insecure?"
"Forcing Hayden to choose between her and Melissa? How could she do that? They've been friends for so many years!"
"I know, right? Mel is such a nice person. As if she could ever have any bad intentions!"
I merely buried myself in my work, not responding to their words.
It wasn't until I checked my phone later that day that I noticed the department group chat was in an uproar.
Some people claimed I was using my seniority to throw my weight around and force Hayden to cut off all contact with other women, while others berated me for letting my personal life affect the project's progress and the team's work.
One of my colleagues even secretly sent me a screenshot of a trending post on the company forum, which accused me of being emotionally unstable, a control freak, and abusing my authority to try to force a marriage, only to fail.
I recognized the original poster as Melissa, though it was her subsidiary account. My hands shook with rage at the realization, and I immediately posted the photos I had taken of her and Hayden kissing in the hotel corridor the other night.
My intention was to clarify that he was the one who cheated on me first, yet all that got me in return was even more mockery, especially since both of them denied it.
Hayden even went as far as to say, "That's just how it looks with that camera angle. I was simply helping her walk to her room."
Melissa took it one step further, crying pitifully as she bemoaned how tragic her situation was to anyone who would listen. A small crowd surrounded her, attempting to comfort her.
"I really don't know how I offended her. Why would she spread such horrible lies about me?"
When she raised her gaze and spotted me in the doorway, something flashed in her eyes, and she put on an even more aggrieved act.
[See? Who do you think everyone believes in more, you or me? So what if you slept with Hays? Do you seriously think you're his real partner?]
Standing there, I felt as though I had plunged into icy water.
The only thing Hayden did was send a casual message in the group chat. "Everyone, focus on your work and stop spreading rumors."
Not once did he step forward to protect me or even clarify the situation.
In the end, I was suspended, seemingly for no reason.
Two days later, the HR department suddenly summoned me back to the company for a meeting.
When I walked into the building, even the receptionists and security guards were glaring at me.
It was just my luck that I happened to run into Melissa and Hayden, who were chatting happily with smiles on their faces.
Upon seeing me, Melissa was momentarily surprised, but then she put on a worried look.
"Are you okay? I heard that you were temporarily suspended…"
Hayden frowned as he asked me impatiently, "What are you doing here?"
I opened my mouth, but I couldn't seem to find the words to speak.
At that moment, Melissa's thoughts reached me once more.
[How stupid. Do you seriously think that a few rumors are enough to get you suspended? From the very beginning, it was Hays pulling the strings behind the scenes. He secretly replaced the report you stayed up all night working on with fake data. Otherwise, at most, you would've just received an official warning.]
Before I could process that, Hayden shot me a chilly stare.
"Just how long do you plan on causing a fuss? The entire company thinks that you're nothing but a joke now! You might not be embarrassed, but I certainly am!"
However, instead of answering, I demanded, "Why did you change the data for my report?"
Hayden froze in surprise, but then he frowned and feigned confusion. "What data? What are you talking about?"
By this point, I was so enraged that even my voice was shaking.
"Hayden Potter, just how much more are you hiding from me? Don't think that I'm in the dark about you and Melissa purposely setting me up! You secretly switched the data for my report so that I'd be suspended!"
Just then, a man's voice called out calmly, "Selina?"
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