𝐕𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

Chapter 37 : Shattered Reflections

Scarlett

The world felt like it was crumbling beneath my feet, each breath more difficult than the last. I stood frozen in place, my eyes glued to the television screen, watching as the nightmare unfolded in front of me. The press conference, with its glaring lights and flashing cameras, had become a stage for my public execution.

Vivian stood there, calm and composed, her expression that of a grieving, concerned mother figure. Her words, however, were venomous, cutting through me with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel.

“Scarlett is nothing more than a gold-digger,” Vivian declared, her voice laced with false sympathy. “She has used Alexander’s kindness, his generosity, to advance her own position in the company. She manipulated his feelings, deceived him into thinking she was someone trustworthy, when in reality, she’s been taking advantage of him from the start.”

The words hung in the air, as toxic as they were unbelievable. I could feel my hands trembling, my chest tightening as I struggled to breathe. How could she say these things? How could she twist everything into a lie so effortlessly?

But it wasn’t just the lies that broke me. It was the sight of Alexander standing beside her, silent, his face an unreadable mask. The man who had been my strength, my anchor, was now standing shoulder to shoulder with the very woman who was destroying me.

Didn’t he know? Didn’t he see what she was doing? Or worse—did he believe her?

The thought was like a knife to my heart. The Alexander I knew wouldn’t stand by and let this happen. He wouldn’t allow anyone to slander me, to tear me down like this. So why was he just standing there, his eyes blank, his lips pressed into a thin line?

I felt sick, my stomach churning with a mix of betrayal and fear. My legs wobbled beneath me, and I had to grip the edge of the counter to steady myself. My vision blurred as tears welled up, but I blinked them away, refusing to cry. Not now. Not in front of the TV, not in front of the cruel words Vivian had thrown at me. I wouldn’t let her see me break.

But even as I tried to steady myself, the world around me continued to spin out of control. My phone buzzed incessantly on the counter, Alexander’s name flashing across the screen over and over again. Each time it rang, it felt like a cruel taunt, a reminder that he was trying to reach me even as his actions showed something entirely different.

How could I answer? What would I even say? I didn’t know how to confront him, how to ask the questions that were tearing me apart inside. Didn’t you know? Didn’t you see this coming? How could you stand there beside her and say nothing?

But no answers came, only more questions, each one more painful than the last. And the more I thought about it, the more I felt myself spiraling into a dark abyss of doubt and confusion.

Vivian’s accusations weren’t just words—they were daggers aimed at my very soul. The media was already spinning the story, painting me as the conniving gold-digger who had seduced the wealthy CEO for my own gain. My image, my reputation, everything I had worked so hard to build was being torn to shreds in front of the world.

And Alexander, the man I had come to rely on, the man who had been my protector, was now a silent accomplice in my downfall.

I sank to the floor, my back pressed against the cold, unforgiving tiles. The world around me seemed to blur, the sounds of the TV and my buzzing phone fading into the background as I was consumed by the crushing weight of my despair.

I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t fight back against the lies, the manipulation. I was too broken, too shattered to even find the strength to defend myself. All I wanted was to disappear, to escape from this nightmare that had become my reality.

But even in my darkest moment, a part of me clung to the memory of the Alexander I knew. The man who had been there for me when I needed him, who had shown me kindness and compassion in a world that was often cold and harsh. The man who had made me feel safe, even when everything else was falling apart.

That man couldn’t be gone. He couldn’t be the person standing beside Vivian, allowing her to destroy me. There had to be an explanation, a reason why he hadn’t spoken out, why he hadn’t defended me.

But I was too exhausted, too defeated to search for the answers. All I could do was sit there, numb and empty, as the weight of the world pressed down on me.

The phone buzzed again, and I forced myself to look at it. Alexander’s name flashed on the screen, the sight of it sending a fresh wave of pain through my chest. My hand hovered over the screen, my heart screaming at me to answer, to hear his voice, to find some semblance of comfort in his words.

But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.

I let the phone drop to the floor, the sound of it hitting the tiles echoing in the silence of the room. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, least of all Alexander. Not now. Not when my world had been torn apart, not when I was too broken to even begin to pick up the pieces.

I pulled my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them as I buried my face in my hands. The tears I had fought so hard to hold back finally broke free, streaming down my face in silent sobs. I cried for the loss of everything I had thought was real, for the betrayal that cut so deep it felt like I might never recover.

I cried for the girl I had once been, the girl who had believed that love could conquer all, that truth would always prevail. That girl was gone, replaced by someone who had been broken by the very things she had trusted.

And as the tears fell, I couldn’t help but wonder if I would ever be whole again. If I would ever be able to trust, to love, to believe in anything good again.

Vivian had done more than just slander my name—she had destroyed the very foundation of who I was. And as I sat there, shattered and alone, I knew that the road ahead would be a long, painful one.

But even in the depths of my despair, a small, stubborn part of me refused to give up completely. I might be broken, but I wasn’t beaten. Not yet.

Somewhere, deep down, I knew that I had to find the strength to fight back. To reclaim my life, my identity, my truth. But for now, all I could do was sit in the darkness, letting the pain wash over me.

And in the back of my mind, a single, haunting question echoed over and over again: Where was Alexander? And why had he abandoned me when I needed him the most?

The answer, I feared, would change everything.