Hearing this, the woman beside Sebastian immediately puckered her lips and whined, “Why are you so concerned about her?”

“Mr. Robinson, if you want to know, I’ll come up with a plan and fill you in later. I need to go now,” Abigail said. She’d keep her gratitude buried. Maybe he’d just see it as sucking up.

Sebastian stuffed his hands in his pockets, voice lazy and detached. “Jeremiah, escort her back.”

Before Abigail could refuse, she heard Jeremiah say to the woman, “Ms. Grant, let’s move.”

“Wait, what?” Abigail was confused.

Sheila Grant erupted in anger, stomping her foot. “Sebastian, what the hell does this mean?”

Sebastian frowned slightly in displeasure, instructing Jeremiah. “Choose a gift for her and then send her off.”

Abigail suddenly realized he was breaking up with Sheila in public. ‘What a capricious man,’ she thought.

Sheila’s face paled, realizing she’d crossed a line. “I–I know I messed up. Don’t be angry, okay?” she stammered.

Sebastian stopped, all forced politeness. “Don’t make a scene. Stand here and wait for Larry to take you to pick out a gift.” His smile was icy, eyes like frosted glass.

Before Sheila could plead, Jeremiah cut her off. “I’d advise you to watch your tongue in the future. Spreading unfounded rumors is your issue, but involving Mr. Robinson? You know the price.”

Abigail was startled at Jeremiah’s sharp tone.

After warning Sheila, Jeremiah turned to Abigail. “Let’s go. Mr. Robinson hasn’t had dinner yet.”

Abigail glanced at the devastated Sheila. She thought, ‘Being with a powerful man is no picnic.’

But she declined Jeremiah’s offer. “It’s getting late. I should head home too.” Before he could argue, she spun around and walked briskly away, quickly flagging down a taxi and climbing inside.

When Jeremiah reached the parking lot and slid into the car, he explained to Sebastian, who was already waiting inside, “Ms. Gibson said she wanted to head home. I figured the juice splashed on her clothes must be sticky and made her uncomfortable, so I didn’t stop her.”

Sebastian shot back with a sarcastic edge, “Since when do I care?”

Speechless, Jeremiah thought, ‘Didn’t he want to know how Abigail planned to trace the culprit through a single screenshot?’

The moment Abigail returned home, Daniella sprang up from the couch, concern etched on her face. “Abby, what the hell happened to you?!”

Her outburst made Gabriel and Bianca, who’d been watching TV on the couch, both turn toward Abigail.

“Take a wild guess. She got jumped for being a mistress,” Stephen jeered from the other couch.

He thought she had it coming. He’d tried to stick up for her, only to get called out for self-indulgence.

Gabriel and Bianca immediately recalled what Daniella had said earlier.

“Stevie, maybe it’s a misunderstanding. Sure, her joining Halden’s R&D and working with Mr. Newman looks fishy, but that doesn’t mean she’s sleeping with him,” Daniella said, her eyes darting between the skeptical Gabriel and Bianca.

“She got her hair pulled, juice dumped on her, and publicly shamed in a restaurant. The video’s blowing up on Cobridge’s social feeds! Where’s the misunderstanding?” Stephen barked, leaping to his feet.

He continued, “Ralph’s idea of her working at Halden Group as a nanny was already giving her too much credit. Turns out she’s after bigger prey in senior management!”

“If Grandpa hears about this, his health will tank,” Daniella added, voice heavy with worry.

Abigail didn’t bat an eye at the threat. She knew Wyatt wouldn’t buy it for a second. Too tired to argue, she just padded upstairs in her slippers, silent as a ghost.

That sullen silence only made Daniella giddy. She thought, ‘This scandal was perfect. Abigail and Timothy will definitely be fired from Halden Group!’

Bianca grabbed her arm in a vice-like grip, voice shrill. “You actually became the other woman? You turned down your dad’s perfect plan, but you’d go behind someone’s back like that?!”

Abigail yanked her arm away. “Since you’ve already judged me, why bother asking?”

In a flash, Bianca’s palm cracked across her cheek. “Stevie risked everything to protect you, fought tooth and nail with your dad. And this is how you repay him? I should’ve dragged you to the altar myself!”

The slap echoed in Abigail’s ears, drowning out all sound. As she stared at Bianca’s furious face, the disgust boiling inside her solidified into a crushing weight. It squeezed her chest so tight she could barely draw breath.

There was no point in defending herself. Her explanations fell on deaf ears. Even her own family trusted her less than an outsider.