Chapter 36

Emily's words hit John like a punch to the gut, bringing back a pain he thought he'd buried long ago.

"If you really cared about me, even a little," Emily went on, "you wouldn't have hurt me when I was at my lowest. Isn't it crazy how we ended up here?"

She didn't need to spell it out; her meaning was crystal clear.

John used to be her hero. When everyone else looked down on her for being a country girl,John was the only one who treated her like a friend.

Even if they couldn't be together, they shouldn't be enemies. But now,they were practically at war.

Even after his initial anger, John still chose to believe Veda. "You must've said something awful to Veda, making her think about jumping off a building. Veda's always been kind-hearted."

Emily just smirked and pulled out a recorder, hitting play.

Nora's voice filled the room. "Mr. Smith, please, it was Veda who gave me the info. I can show you our chat logs. I was just her pawn."

John's trust in Veda was already shaky, and now it was gone. His face grew serious.

He checked the trending topics, most of which were trashing Emily. No one mentioned the Isolde couple's abuse of her.

Veda's face went pale after hearing the recording.

"It wasn't me! Nora's lying! You're my sister, how could I do that?" Veda pleaded.

Emily shot back, "I have the chat logs between you and Nora. Want to see them?"

Emily thought Veda was an idiot for not even changing her number when talking to Nora.

"Veda, you're really foolish," Emily said, staring her down.

The thought of being framed by someone so dumb made Emily's skin crawl.

She furrowed her brow, wantingto ask Veda about the past, but she couldn't tip her hand just yet. She needed more evidence.

After six years, Emily wasn't sure if she could still find it.

She sent everything she had to John, hoping he'd finally see Veda for wvho she really was.

After Emily left, Veda cried, while John stared at his phone, deep in thought.

Veda clutched the blanket, panicking. "John, you can't just trust her evidence.It could be fake."

Suddenly, she clutched her stomach, looking pitiful. "John, my stomach hurts.Please get the doctor."

John responded without emotion and went to find the doctor. He didn't even try to comfort her.

Veda felt a growing unease. Once doubt took root, it would only grow.

John had seen most of Emily's evidence, and he could lie to himself about Veda's pregnancy and her suicide attempt. But what abouit the trending topics on Twitter? Could aIl those recordings be fake?

Despite his doubts, John stayed at the hospital with Veda. The hospital didn't allow overnight stays, so he went home when she fell asleep.

He walked into the study and booted up Veda's computer. He tried his birthday, Veda's birthday, and their anniversary, but none of them worked.

John's eyes narrowed, and then he typed in Emily's birthday.The computer unlocked instantly.

John sat there, stunned. Did Veda really harbor such deep resentment towards Emily?

It didn't take long for John to find a folder on Veda's computer filled with photos of Emily and fabricated scandals.

Some were identicaI to the ones circulating online. Veda had even organized them in chronological order.

During their years abroad, Veda must have hired someone to dig up dirt.

John was floored, feeling like Veda's sweet image had jst shattered.

Each of those fake news stories was enough to destroy Emily's reputation for good, making it impossible for her to bounce back.

One claimed Emily stole jewelry and sold it after returning to the Johnson family, and even gambled at a young age. Another said she had promiscuous relationships in school, hooking up with male classmates in the restroom and having an abortion.

These stories got more horrifying one after another. They had spent their junior high years together, and everyone knew how exceptional Emily was.

Emily didn't date anyone, didn't have an abortion, and wasn't a delinquent.

Emily was adored by everyone. All these scandals were total fabrications.

John's scalp tingled. His attraction to Emily was based on desire since she was beautiful and smart.

But John was also a very traditional guy; he didn't like women who were more capable and powerful than him. So when Emily made a mistake,he cruelly thought she would beg him.

But Emily didn't. She was proud and aloof.

And once these fabrications were exposed, it would be nearly impossible for Emily to clear her name. She'd be dragged into an abyss with no way out.

John was at a loss, the light in the room casting shadows on his face,making him look inserutable.

Emily had been busy sketching designs lately. And Veda hadn't shown up to work, which left Emily a bit bored. She thought Veda could hold out a few more days, but she had overestimated her.

As she was refining a sketch, Emily's phone beeped. She glanced at it and saw a message from her teacher.

[When will you send me the formula for the new perfume? Did you forget?]

Emily paused, realizing she had indeed forgotten.

She quickly messaged back: [Please give me another week.]

The new formula wasn't easy to figure out, and there was no lab at Crystal Valey Manor. Going to her own lab risked James finding out.

Suddenly, Emily remembered that James was on a business trip, so she didn't have to go back to Crystal Valley Manor at night, which made her quite happy.

James was always busy on business trips and didn't have time to flirt with her. She felt a bit more relaxed.

That night, she went to the lab and started mixing the perfume. Suddenly,James sent a message: [Come to the hotel tonight; let's have dinner together.]

Emily stared at the message, then at the vessels in her hand.

She put them down and texted back: [Aren't you on a week-long business trip? Why are you back so soon?]

It had only been three days.

James replied: [I missed you.]