Being a bully in the 21st century is no flex at all but that’s what Elaine was being accused of. The trolls, the hatred, and the lies-filled articles tore through her career. In just five hours, her hard-earned success crumbled to dust, years of dedicated work wasted in the blink of an eye.
“Oh my goodness, this can't be happening.” Scrolling through the articles and pacing around her office, Elaine exclaimed in shock. “How could this be?”
“Ma'am, the news is spreading like wildfire. We’re struggling to contain it,” her secretary reported from the side.
Elaine grunted loudly, her hands clutching her hair in frustration. How all of a sudden the media was carrying false news about her? The masses who once adored her now bombard her with hate, trolling her endlessly.
Bully? Oppressor? Those were the allegations according to the articles online. They painted her as a big bully who pushed her sister, Ria to the brink of suicide.
“Tell me, Beth.” She turned to her secretary. “I wasn't so hard on Ria, was I? I mean, I didn't do what these people are accusing me of and was only trying to make her better, right?”
“You have been misunderstood, Miss Rock. Th…there is also one more article.”
“Bad?”
“Worse.”
Elaine felt her heart thumping loudly in her chest as Beth made her way toward her, an iPad in hand. Beth stood before her, extending the iPad to her. She didn't want to look, she knew it was bad news that might probably break her but as the iPad settled on her shaky hands, her eyes fell on it, the heading of the news article causing her legs to tremble.
“Th…this isn't true?” She murmured, shaking her head in denial. “Jimmy wouldn’t do this to me.”
“The source is reliable.”
Elaine heaved. Jimmy, her boyfriend of two years, was getting married and she was only just finding out in the news. He was getting married but not to her, he was leaving her just like every other person, in the most critical time of her life.
“Beth, tell me this is a nightmare. Jimmy loves me, he told me so himself. He said he couldn’t live without me.”
With trembling fingers, she dialed his number, placing the phone on her ear, her heels clicking on the floor nervously. Four rings later, he answered with a gruff voice.
“What do you want now?” His deep harsh voice rang from the other line.
“Jim… Jimmy, the news. About you… what are they saying?” She started.
“How about we talk about the rumors concerning you?”
“Jim, the rumors are not true. You know me better than anyone, love. And I don’t believe these rumors about you getting married either. You wouldn’t do that to me.. not when I need you the most. Please help me, Jim, I need you. My company is at stake, help me.”
He was the only one she knew who would be able to help her. He was her only hope. Never before in their two years of dating had she asked him for such a huge favor. Elaine was independent and prideful but her company, the empire she’d built from scratch was on the brink of ruin.
“I think it's time you stop calling, Miss Rock. My fiancée doesn’t appreciate other women calling or texting me.”
Elaine laughed in disbelief. “You're joking, right? Jimmy, this is no time for jokes. I'm serious.”
“I’m dead serious, Elaine. If you think I’m joking, that’s on you. For your information, the articles are correct. I’ll be getting married in a week. You can attend if you want. Check the news properly if you’re missing out.”
Her eyes watered.
“Jim, but we… we're dating.”
A cruel chuckle echoed from the other end of the line, his breathing ragged.
“Dating? Don't be so delusional. What we had was a fling, nothing more. I was just passing time with you but you’re not worth it anymore. Stop calling from now on.”
Hearing the beeping sound indicating that the call was ended by Jim, Elaine dejectedly dropped her hands, the phone clattering on the floor.
At that moment, the rumors paled in comparison to the pain that she felt from Jimmy’s betrayal. He can't be serious. He was Jim, her very own boyfriend. He was her childhood sweetheart, the one man who’d captured her heart despite countless other suitors. They were in love, weren’t they?
She can't lose Jimmy. They had so many dreams together. He was her life.
All of a sudden, her breath cut short. Her chest tightened as she struggled to breathe. Where was her inhaler?
Beth dashed to Elaine’s desk, frantically searching through the drawers for the inhalers they kept on hand all to no avail. It was a known fact that her boss was asthmatic so they usually stocked inhalers but despite her looking everywhere for one, she couldn’t find any.
Ignoring her body’s cry for air, Elaine snatched her bag and fled from the office. She at least needed closure from Jimmy. She needed to see him desperately.
“Ma'am, you can't go outside now.” Beth held her.
“Why? Ji… Jim, he.”
“The reporters are outside. People are outside. You don't want to face their wrath, please don't go outside.”
“I don't care.”
At that, she pushed everyone aside, her feet leading her outside the building. Only when something hard collided with her head did she realize her grave mistake.
She stood rooted on the floor, hands trembling as they reached for her forehead coming away sticky with egg yolks. On the floor was an eggshell. Her breath ceased, legs trembling, hands shaky as the reporters crowded her, pelting her with more eggs, spattering over every part of her body.
“A murderer like you deserves no good.”
“Bullies don’t deserve to live.”
“Murderer.”
“She tried to make her sister commit suicide.”
“She deserves no good in this life.”
Their words got to her like sharp knives, each word piercing her core, dizziness overcoming her being that she couldn’t protect her face from getting hit with the sticky eggs.
Just as she was about to give into the darkness that threatened to swallow her, her breath cut out, and their abuse ceased. A dark shadow covered her, wrapping a thick blanket around her from head to below her knees, strong hands holding her close.
Who was it?