Simple Happiness

Chapter Thirty-Five

The weekend went by quickly, and finally, it was Monday again. That morning when Liz got to work, she noticed that something was wrong somewhere. She wondered why her colleagues were staring, whispering, and giving shocked facial expression whenever they saw her. She was going back to her workstation after running some errands within the company when she saw Jacquie going towards the break room. She rushed after her.

"Jacquie, what is happening?" she asked when she got to her. "Why are people acting weirdly towards me?"

"Are you sure you don't know what happened?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

Jacquie pursed her lips then pulled her into the break room. A few members of staff who were in the room left when they saw them enter. Some female employees even sneered on their way out.

"Why are they leaving?" shocked Liz asked.

Jacquie let go of her hand. "You are trending online for all the wrong reasons."

Liz cupped her mouth with her hand. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Someone posted a photo of you and our boss at Roxy Hotel at night on our company website."

"What?" Liz quickly logged on to the company website using her phone. "How could this happen?" she furrowed her brow when she saw a photo of her and Oscar. They were on the hotel's rooftop and from the angle at which the photo was taken, it looked like they were kissing. There was also a photo of her and Ethan. In that photo, Ethan was kissing her on the cheek.

"Is our boss your ex-boyfriend?" Jacquie asked.

"How did you know?"

"It is all in the post," Jacquie said. "See, they are saying that he dumped you back in college. That you are trying to steal him from his fiancée and that is why you slept with him. The post has been shared multiple times."

"I'm dead meat. How will I explain this to Ethan?"

"They are tearing you down. Just look at the trolls."

Liz's heart sank when she saw what people were saying about her online.

"She is a slut!"

"She doesn't deserve to be loved by handsome CEO Mungai."

"What a bitch! She thinks she can date both CEOs at the same time."

"A two-timing woman like her doesn't deserve to be loved."

She felt like disappearing from the face of the earth. How was she going to face Ethan, let alone her workmates?

"Let's go back to work," Liz said and walked out of the room.

When she got to her workstation, everybody's attention was fixed on her.

"Now we know why the boss frequently called you in his office," Diana said.

"Don't talk rubbish about Liz," Rafael said. "I believe she is innocent of all the accusations. The person who made that post just wanted to harm her."

At least there is someone who believes in me, she thought.

Diana glared at Rafael. "Why are you defending her? Are you also allured by her charms? Do you want to fall in line? Or do you think she will help you keep your job and develop now that she has connections with the boss?"

Rafael quietly retreated to his work. Liz felt sorry that he was attacked for defending her, but there was nothing she could do. She knew very well that with almost everybody against her, there was no way she was going to win in an argument with any of them. So she just let them have their way.

Liz tried to call Ethan, but the call did not go through.

Has he already seen the post? He must be angry at me, she pondered. Why did I have to lie to him on Friday? This is karma.

She received a call from Tamara.

"I saw the post about you online. How are you holding up?"

"I don't know what to do. I'm the topic of discussion at the company, but that is not what is worrying me. Ethan has switched off his phone. Do you think he can forgive me for lying to him? Do you think he will believe what netizens are saying just because I lied to him?"

"Hey, calm down. Maybe he hasn't even seen the post yet. Maybe he is busy with work. That is why his phone is switched off."

"Do you think he will listen to my explanation?"

"He will give you a chance to explain if he loves you."

"You are right," Liz said. "He will let me explain if he loves me. I know he loves me."

"Okay. Then don't worry yourself to death. Everything will be fine."

"Mm, thanks," she said.

"It is nothing. Now go back to work. Don't listen to what they are saying."

"Okay." She hung up and made herself busy.

---

Bea met up with Nelson in a cafeteria near her workplace.

"Was it you?" he asked and sipped his tea.

Bea smiled. "Make a guess."

He gasped and pointed at her with his finger. "I was right. It was really you."

"It serves her right! How dare she mess with my fiancé?"

Nelson shook his head. "You really are bad news."

She looked him in the eye. "Am I that bad?"

He pursed his lips. "What if she breaks up with her boyfriend because of this scandal?" he asked. "What are you going to do? Do you want her to end up with Oscar?"

Her brow wrinkled. "Right. I didn't think about that possibility."

"You should have thought about the consequences."

"But Nelson, what was I supposed to do? You don't know how it feels to see the person you love with the person he loves."

He sighed and put his hand on her arm. "I know it hurts," he said. "But how do you think Oscar will react if he finds out that you're responsible for the scandal? I doubt if he will forgive you."

"How will he find out? You won't betray me, will you?"

He shook his head. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

She smiled. "Thanks."

"But they are really tearing her up," he said.

Bea furrowed her brow. "Why do you care? That's the price she has to pay for messing with my fiancé. I'm also doing society a favor. After this scandal, this vixen will never think of getting near another woman's man."

"Don't you feel even a little guilty?" he asked. "You're not certain that something is going on between them."

"But he loves her and it hurts me. Does he feel even a little guilty for hurting me? No, right? Therefore, he should feel guilty for ruining the reputation of the woman he loves. He should stay away from her to avoid hurting her even more. If I don't get to keep him, nobody else will have him. Oscar is mine."

Nelson gasped. "Ah, spoken like a psycho!" he said. "Okay. Drink your tea. It's getting cold."

***