The company hums with whispered malice as Adele Blake strides through the gleaming corridors of Star Shine Jewelry Company.
She knows. They're talking about her.
The voices aren't hushed enough.
"There she is."
"God, she's beautiful, but inside? Rotten."
"And you wonder why her husband doesn't care about her? Maybe this is why he hits her, throws her out, and still takes her back to just use her."
"She has an eight-year-old daughter! Doesn't she feel ashamed? I pity the poor girl."
"Shameless. I wish I had her audacity. On second thought… no, thanks."
"Bet she's after money."
Adele keeps her back straight, chin high, even as their words press down on her like a weight she can't shake off.
She knows the rumors are absurd. Laughable. But falsehoods don't need truth to ruin a life_ just enough people willing to believe them.
The CEO's son, Rick McCall.
A reckless flirt.
A privileged twenty-three-year-old boy playing at being a man.
Her breath is tight in her chest by the time she reaches the glass double doors of the CEO's office. The whispering follows her like a shadow.
Inside, Nathan McCall, the company's CEO, stands by his desk, his broad frame outlined against the city skyline. His presence is as imposing as ever.
And he isn't alone.
A younger woman sits stiffly, a folder clutched in her hands_ Lucy Carter.
Adele's stomach tightens.
"Sir, you called for me?"
Nathan barely glances at her. "Yes, Mrs. Richards." He gestures toward Lucy. "This is Lucy Carter. She will be taking over as Head of the Design Department. Before you leave, make sure she has everything she needs."
The words hit like a slap.
Adele sways slightly, but she steadies herself. "Sir, I don't understand."
Nathan folds his arms, his gaze finally settling on her_ cold, unreadable.
"Mrs. Carter, excuse us." He says.
"Yes, sir." Lucy stands and walks out, heels clicking against the marble floor.
The moment the door shuts, Nathan turns to Adele.
"How old do you think my son is?" He asks, his voiced laced with annoyance.
Adele blinks. "Sir, whatever you've heard, it's a lie. I would never..."
"Did I ask for an excuse? I asked how old you think my son is!" His voice is sharp, edged with anger. He doesn't wait for her answer. "Twenty-three! A kid who plays around, who doesn't know what he wants! And you… you are thirty, a mother! And you dare force yourself on him?"
Her breath catches.
"What people are saying is true because I saw it myself_ on the security footage!" Nathan's voice is firm, final. "You should be grateful I'm letting you go quietly. I don't want to hear of you again. Ever."
Adele doesn't move. Doesn't blink.
She can take the job loss.
She can take the shame.
But this?
This lie, this character assassination_ this she cannot take.
"I didn't do it." Her voice is sharp, cutting through the heavy silence. "You can ask him, sir. Ask him and he will tell you the truth that I did not, sir."
Nathan's jaw tightens. "Leave, Mrs. Richards. Before I have security drag you out. Leave before you dent my name and my son's any further!"
The room tilts slightly as the weight of the moment settles on her.
She wants to fight. She wants to scream.
Instead, she turns and walks out.
The receptionist barely meets her eyes as she storms past.
Outside the Company…
Adele stops outside the towering Star Shine Jewelry Company. The golden letters gleam under the city lights_ a place that once gave her everything.
Her hands tremble.
This job fed her daughter.
Paid for her education.
Kept her afloat while she handed money to a husband who did nothing but drink it away.
A man who is never home.
A man her daughter barely knows.
And now, it's all gone.
Her mind drifts back to yesterday_ to Rick's voice when he saw the bruise on her arm.
"Adele, why on earth don't you leave that man?" His voice had been firm, his eyes filled with something close to desperation. "He doesn't deserve you! You're worth more than anyone cares to admit. And I'm not saying this just because I want you_ I'm saying it because it's the truth. I can take care of you and Trixie the way you deserve."
His words had settled deep inside her, shaking something loose. She had always sent him away, always told him to never show up in front of her again. Telling him that what he wants can never happen. Always told him to stay out of her life.
But yesterday… she hadn't fought it.
When Rick leaned in, determined to connect their lips. She should have turned away. Should have stopped him.
But she didn't.
And before anything happened_ the door flew open.
Mr. McCall's secretary.
Her eyes wide opened before flashed with anger, triumph, and something uglier. She didn't hesitate before running to spread the rumor, a rumor that had lived in whispers for months but now had a witness to fuel it.
And now_ Adele is the woman who threw herself at the CEO's son.
Adele is the woman who lost everything.
She clenches her fists, the cold wind biting against her skin.
She turns away from the company that no longer belongs to her_ and walks into the unknown.