A cold, satisfied smile crept across her face as she wondered, ‘Evelyn, there’s no way Adrian’s still gonna love you once he sees you doing something that disgusting.
The next morning, Evelyn stirred awake, reaching for her phone like she always did. She glanced at the time, then noticed a push notification on her screen.
The headline read: Mrs. Rivers spotted entering hotel late at night with a mysterious man. Beneath the headline was a photo of them entering the hotel side by side.
Someone online had dug up the rumors about her and Adrian’s marriage falling apart. Whether it was intentional spin or not, the narrative outside made it look like Evelyn was the one cheating. Adrian and Clarissa were not mentioned.
Evelyn just found it boring. She didn’t even bother getting upset. But clearly, someone else was way more worked up than she was.
Her phone rang. She picked up without looking, and William’s voice came through immediately–sharp and accusing. “Evie, who’s that guy you went into the hotel with?
“You were with Adrian for years. How could you betray him? No wonder you wanted a divorce. I didn’t think the one at fault would be you.”
Evelyn forced a tired laugh. She hadn’t expected even her own father to believe the media and call first thing in the morning to grill her.
She asked plainly, “Dad, do you believe the media or do you believe me?”
“Of course I believe you, but… I mean, the photo does look like you,” William muttered, clearly torn.
Their company wasn’t some massive corporation, but it still had a decent name in the business world. He had his pride. If Evelyn had really done something scandalous, he couldn’t even face his friends.
Evelyn didn’t expect Clarissa to be watching her the whole time. That photo had to be from the night the drunk barged into her home and Nathan took her to the hotel.
She scoffed in her mind, ‘No wonder Clarissa kept quiet all evening. She’s been setting this up.‘
E
“Walking into a hotel with someone doesn’t prove anything,” Evelyn said coolly. “Accuse me of cheating? Show me a photo of the two of us in a bed.”
No proof, no crime. That was what she believed. People could twist things all they wanted, but if they had nothing concrete, it was all hot air.
“I’m just worried about you,” William said, his voice softening. “As long as you know what you’re doing.”
He gave her a few more warnings and finally hung up.
11:22 Fri, Sep 5
C
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
