Ezekiel
Two amazing weeks had passed since Kiyara's birthday, and I could feel that she was already comfortable with me. We spent our days FaceTiming, chatting, calling, dating, and sleeping together. Everything was lovely.
Until...
"Ezekiel... I can't believe this. Did you tell someone about it?" I heard Kiyara's scared voice over the phone. I asked her what happened, but she just cried, which made me get up from my office and rush to her mansion. I immediately ran inside and found Kiyara unconscious at the door. I was terrified; nothing could happen to her. I rushed her to the hospital, where the doctors attended to her. Shortly after, her friends arrived, looking worried.
"How is she?!" they asked in unison.
"She's fine; she just fell unconscious. Something must have happened," I explained.
"You don't know?" Ariel asked, and they both exchanged glances.
"The news," Bella said. "You didn't check the news?" Bella asked, and I stood there, confused.
"What happened?" My eyes darkened, and I noticed a hint of fear in their eyes.
"There was a rumor that Kiyara used to be a stripper."
Kiyara
I woke up this morning, doing my yoga, when I decided to turn on the TV. To my horror, I saw a news report about me being a stripper. I went into an immediate panic, and tears began streaming down my cheeks. I immediately dialed Ezekiel's number because I was scared and in pain. I wanted the ground to swallow me up right there. Ezekiel answered almost immediately, but I was crying too hard to explain what was wrong. I fell unconscious due to the panic.
When I woke up in the hospital, I overheard Bella and Ariel talking about the news with Ezekiel. I started crying again, and the doctors entered.
"Good to see that you're awake, ma'am," the doctor said. I wiped my tears and nodded.
"I will go inform them of your consciousness," the doctor added, but I grabbed his wrist and said desperately, "No, please." The doctor looked worried but eventually agreed.
Ezekiel
"What do you mean she hasn't regained consciousness?" I glared at the doctor.
"I'm really sorry, sir," the doctor said, and I signed heavily.
"If she doesn't regain consciousness in the next three minutes, I will fire every single one of the workers in this hospital and demolish it," I threatened, staring crazily at the doctor. He looked terrified and went back to treating Kiyara.
After two minutes, the doctor returned, saying she had regained consciousness and that we could enter. As soon as he said that, Ariel, Bella, and I rushed in, looking worried.
I slowly walked towards Kiyara, who looked devastated, and wrapped my arms around her.
"I will make sure to punish the person who did this to you," I promised her as she hugged me back and cried. Ariel and Bella joined in for hugs, and I stepped out of the room, my anger boiling over. I drove to E-Tech and had the video of Kiyara dancing with the pole removed from every website—it was as if it never existed.
I dialed John's number immediately. "What's up, brother-in-law?" he asked, sounding cocky.
"Find the person who uploaded that video now," I said, visibly frustrated.
"On it," John replied.
"When you find him, I'll personally deal with him," I said, which meant making him wish he had never been born.
Kiyara
"You guys must be angry at me now... I'm sorry," I told Ariel and Bella, who hugged me again.
"We understand why you didn't want to tell us. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't want to talk about it either," Bella said.
"Yeah, there's no reason for us to be angry with you. Besides, we love you no matter what. We aren't best friends based on false pretenses," Ariel said with a slight smile.
"We are the K sisters; we will stick together no matter what," Bella said, making me smile. I was grateful that my best friends were here for me and didn't abandon me when I needed them the most. They were my strength and happiness.
"Thank you, guys," I said, wiping a tear from my eye.
"And I'm sure Ezekiel will make sure the person who uploaded the video gets what's coming to him," Ariel said with an encouraging smile.
"The press is going to be a problem," I said worriedly.
"Don't worry; Ariel and I will handle the press. Just focus on forgetting about the news," Bella said, smiling at me. I nodded.
I saw my phone beside me on the table with red roses and checked it to see many comments on social media, such as:
"What a calm and composed slut."
"I can't believe I bought one of her designs."
"Guess whores can also own a jewelry company."
"Stop your jewelry business. You'd do better in my fancy brother *wink emoji*."
Bella immediately took the phone from me.
"You don't have to care about what they say," she said, putting my phone in her pocket.
"Stay away from social media for now, Kiyara," Ariel advised, looking worried.
"Hm," I agreed, and Bella stood up.
"I'll go handle the press outside the hospital, and we'll give you back your phone when things have died down," she said as she left with Ariel. The tears I had been holding back finally fell.
The next day, I was discharged and returned home with bodyguards.
"Are you okay, Kiyara? I hope you're feeling better," Jasmine said, sitting beside me on the sofa.
"Yes, I'm okay," I replied, giving her a sad smile.
"Don't let them get to you. Besides, they have no right to make such mean comments. I'm sure they've all done worse!" Jasmine said loudly, with frustration.
"I just want to forget about it," I said. Ezekiel walked in.
"Excuse us, Jasmine," he said. Jasmine left, and Ezekiel sat beside me.
"I hate seeing tears on you. I'm not going to listen to you this time. The person who caused you pain will pay ten times over," Ezekiel said, looking determined and imagining the revenge he'd take.
"Ezekiel, I knew this day would come, and the pain is harder to bear than I imagined. It's difficult going through this alone."
Ezekiel placed his hands on my shoulders. "You don't have to go through this alone. I'm right here with you. Your happiness is my priority, and I will do whatever it takes to bring it back." He kissed my forehead, and I sobbed as I rested on his chest.
"You are stronger than you know, and I will be by your side to help you see it." Evening fell, and Ezekiel decided to stay with me.
"Ezekiel," I said softly.
"Hm?"
"You will never leave me, right?" I looked up at him as we lay on my bed.
"Never. You are my oxygen, and I can't live without you," he hugged me tightly as I smiled and hugged him back.
Earlier That Day
"So what is going to happen to K Jewels?"
"Are you two also strippers?"
"How does she feel about her past being revealed to the public?"
"How do you think this revelation will impact your company's reputation?"
"Have you informed your employees and stakeholders about this part of your past?"
"Do you believe this information is relevant to your roles as company owners?"
"What message does she have for those who might judge you based on her past?"
"Do you believe this will affect your future business dealings?"
"What steps are you taking to manage the media attention surrounding this news?"
As the CEO of the company, Bella responded calmly, "I understand that recent revelations about her past have raised questions and concerns. I want to be open and honest with you all.
Yes, she did work as a stripper in the past. It was a period of her life where she faced significant challenges and did what she felt was necessary to support herself and move forward. She is not ashamed of her past, as it shaped who she is today and taught her resilience and determination.
This company was built on principles of hard work, integrity, and respect for every individual's journey. My past experiences have only strengthened my commitment to these values. I have always been transparent with my team and stakeholders about who I am, and I will continue to lead this company with the same dedication and transparency.
I hope this will not distract from the work we do here. Our focus remains on delivering exceptional products and services to our customers and creating a positive and inclusive workplace for our employees.
Thank you for your understanding and support as we move forward together."
After she was done Bella walked through the crowd, a reporter asked, "Given her past as a stripper, how can anyone take her seriously as a business leader?"
Ariel turned back with a frown, visibly angry at the reporter. "What the hell did you just say?" she demanded. The reporter stammered, "Ca-can she be taken seriously after her past as a st-strip-?"
The reporter was cut off by Ariel's flying fist. She grabbed the reporter's hair, and Bella tried to intervene. "Ariel, get a grip! This is public!" Bella said.
"I don't care! She can't ask such offensive questions!" Ariel said angrily.
"Please calm down, Ariel. Do you think Kiyara would like this?" Bella said calmly. Ariel slowly loosened her grip and huffed as she headed toward the limo, fixing her hair.
The remaining reporters helped the victim while Bella apologized.