Chapter 14
Joanna hung up the phone without answering. From her bedside drawer, her trembling hands retrieved two bottles of antidepressants. Silently, she poured out several pills and swallowed them. She had been suffering from severe depression; initially, she’d taken only one or two pills a day, but the dosage had escalated to sometimes more than a dozen to find relief.
“Joanna? Hello? Joanna?” Jaydon yelled anxiously into his phone, but only the beeping sound answered. Worried, he pocketed his phone, rushed from his apartment, jumped in his car, and sped to Joanna’s hotel.
They had been neighbors and childhood friends abroad. Jaydon, four years older, had harbored romantic feelings for Joanna. Later, he returned to their homeland for his education; unexpectedly, Joanna followed soon after, and they found themselves in the same school. A bright student, Joanna was already a university student by sixteen, making them classmates once more. While she maintained a low profile on campus, Jaydon patiently waited for her to grow into a woman.
However, an incident involving Joanna and Bruce shocked Greyport, dashing Jaydon’s hopes. Joanna and Bruce’s subsequent wedding, a result of family pressure, became Jaydon’s greatest regret.
Half an hour later, Jaydon arrived at the hotel to find Joanna calmer.
“Hey, Jay!” she greeted him with a faint smile and a cup of coffee.
Relieved by her apparent stability, Jaydon sighed. “Joanna, you must protect yourself from those toxic comments. Ignore them. Time has changed; internet trolls can destroy anyone, even powerful businesses. Just block them!”
Joanna looked helpless. “I can ignore them, but what about my kids? I don’t know what to do.”
Jaydon patted her shoulder gently. “You don’t have to do anything. Leave it to me,” he said. “If you can’t handle something, leave it to me. I’ll always be there for you.” He hugged her tightly.
Leaning against him, Joanna whispered, “Thank you so much, Jay!”
Joanna appreciated Jaydon’s unwavering support, but she knew she couldn't reciprocate his feelings. She was married with children, a reality that would be unacceptable to his traditional family. Furthermore, Jaydon was known for his romantic involvements with various female artists in his company. [Remove the promotional sentence about Findnovel.net]
“Joanna, rest at the hotel today. Don’t go out; we need to be wary of internet trolls and potentially dangerous individuals. I’m worried about your safety.”
“It’s okay. I’ll take care of myself! Besides, I have to go to the office today.” It was the day she was to sign a crucial agreement with Bruce; failure to appear would jeopardize her position at Haynes Group.
“All right, then I’ll take you to the office later.” Jaydon’s experience in the entertainment industry would help manage the situation; turning public opinion in Joanna’s favor would be easy for him.
“Thank you!”
“Stop saying that, Joanna. You’ll never have to thank me.”
Chapter 14
Bruce left for his office early, intending to handle business before rejoining Joanna.
Inside the Everett Corp conference room, executives sat tensely, grim-faced. Bruce’s short temper ensured their attentiveness during meetings.
The conference room door opened, and Bruce strode in, impeccably dressed and cold.
“Good morning, Mr. Everett!”
“Let’s get started!” Bruce sat at the head of the table. His secretary quickly activated the projector and served him coffee. The executives powered up their laptops, preparing to take notes. “We’ll focus on three aspects today, and…”
He began, opening his laptop, but his voice trailed off. A naked picture of a man flashed onto the screen—his laptop was connected to the projector. The room erupted in shock; some executives even spat out their coffee.
Bruce’s eyes widened in fury. The picture showed his face superimposed onto a naked body in a suggestive pose. It was clearly photoshopped, but his blood pressure soared. He frantically hit the power button.
The prank continued; numerous memes featuring a digitally altered Bruce appeared on the screen. Executives buried their heads, pretending not to see, knowing Bruce’s volatile temper. Secretly, however, many were amused; the prank felt like a well-deserved act of revenge.