The next morning, Lily woke to a string of notifications lighting up her phone. Her heart sank as she opened the first one—a screenshot of a social media post from Amanda.
The post was a scathing exposé, filled with accusations against James. Amanda claimed he had manipulated women, used his position of power to coerce them, and discarded them when they were no longer useful. Included in the post were photos of James with Amanda and fabricated messages that painted him in a damning light.
Lily's hands shook as she scrolled through the comments, each one more vicious than the last.
"Typical powerful man, thinking he's above the rules."
"Disgusting. He should be fired immediately."
"Believe women. This behavior is unacceptable."
Her phone buzzed with an incoming call. It was James.
"Did you see it?" he asked, his voice hollow.
"Yes," she whispered, her throat tight.
"I don't know how to fight this," he admitted. "She's twisted everything, made me look like a monster. I'm already getting calls from clients, from my boss... I could lose everything, Lily."
Lily's mind raced. "Do you have proof that she's lying? Anything to counter what she's posted?"
"I don't know," James said, his voice cracking. "I never thought it would come to this. I didn't save messages or emails because I didn't want any connection to her."
"James…" Lily's voice faltered. "This is bad. Really bad."
"I know," he said, his tone heavy with defeat. "But the question is, do you believe me?"
Lily froze, her heart pounding. She wanted to believe him, but the evidence Amanda had presented was compelling. Could she trust James completely, or was she ignoring warning signs she couldn't afford to overlook?
"I don't know," she admitted, her voice trembling.
The silence on the other end of the line was deafening.
"If you don't believe me, Lily," James said quietly, "then what are we even doing? How can we move forward if you think I'm capable of something like this?"
Tears pricked her eyes as she struggled to find the right words. "I need time, James. I need to think."
"I understand," he said, though the pain in his voice was unmistakable. "But I can't wait forever."
The call ended, leaving Lily alone with her thoughts and a heart weighed down by uncertainty.
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Would you like to explore James' fight to clear his name, Lily's internal struggle, or a shift in perspective from Amanda's motives?