Chapter 62
The next day, Teresa went with Philip to his company, Roc Group. After ditching Evelyn, he’d hit the jackpot by marrying a rich woman and then started his business. Not long ago, Roc Group was still a big deal, with a finger in the food and chemical fiber pies. But Teresa knew Philip all too well – full of himself and quick to spend, never thinking ahead. It was his just desserts.
Now, Roc Group was on a downward slide. Teresa looked over the company’s books, flabbergasted to find they were over 1.5 million in the hole, with employees leaving left and right. She wondered how Philip had sunk so low.
Teresa said, “If you’re down with it, I can take over the finances and get us back on track. It’ll take three to five years, but we can wipe out the 1.5-million debt.”
“Three to five years? That long?” Philip was antsy. “Can’t we pay it off faster?”
“What are you thinking? Your company’s management is a disaster. We need to tackle the root issues and make gradual changes. Turning things around takes time; money doesn’t just fall from the sky,” Teresa said.
“If you trust me, let me handle it. Honestly, it’s optimistic to achieve that in three to five years. That’s the best I can do,” Teresa added.
Philip didn’t understand Teresa’s stubbornness. “Just ask Jonathan for help, and our troubles will vanish without the long wait.”
“You always want to depend on others! What happens next time? If you’re 3 million in debt, or even more, will you call on Jonathan then? Can’t you think independently?” Teresa asked.
At that, Philip pressed his lips together, silent. Teresa had no regrets about her decision. First, it wasn’t right to have Jonathan pay off Philip’s debts. Second, if the management style stayed the same, future losses could be even worse. She thought Philip was too arrogant, always looking for quick fixes, but nothing good came easy.
Out of options, Philip reluctantly agreed to Teresa’s plan. As for her father, Teresa could only do her best, but soon after, she found herself in deep water. Someone had been spreading rumors about her, using AI to fake nude photos and claiming that Teresa, the rising live-streaming blogger, was a prostitute. They even hired marketing accounts to smear her.
Although Teresa wasn’t a celebrity, her live-streaming was booming, and she had a sizable following. Now, with bots flooding the comments, many were attacking her. Miriam and Sherry both saw the comments and were furious, eager to find out who was spreading these lies.
Teresa pinned a comment: [The woman in the video isn’t me! It’s my face superimposed on someone else’s body! Whoever’s spreading these lies, show your face and confront me!]
Some netizens believed Teresa, while others took the video as the truth. There were also those who joined in the rumor-mongering for fun, not considering the harm their actions could cause, especially to a woman like Teresa. Most of the followers were men, claiming they had seen the video and asking for the link in the comments.
“I won’t let any of you rumor-mongers get away with it. Those haters who are hiding behind your screens, I won’t let you tarnish my reputation,” Teresa typed, her hands trembling with anger.
Just as she was about to call the police, they had already apprehended Jason, the slanderer, and issued a notice. Teresa had suspected Jason was behind the rumors but was amazed at how quickly the police had caught him in just one night. Moreover, all the posts about her had been removed.
Later, Jonathan dialed Teresa, and she answered. The background was noisy; it sounded like he was in his car, with the faint, distinct sounds of a small town in Embasia.