Chapter 76 Scandal

Chapter 76 Scandal
April had spent the past week dealing with Richard’s relentless pursuit. 
No matter how much she tried to keep her distance, he was always there—sending gifts to her office, showing up unannounced to pick her up after work, and showering her with attention she wasn’t sure she wanted. 
At first, she thought ignoring him would work, but when that failed, she decided to just let him do whatever he wanted. Maybe, just maybe, he would get tired and move on.
This morning, she walked into the hospital as she always did, expecting another regular workday. But something was off.
The moment she stepped inside, she felt it. The subtle hush of conversations, the sideways glances from her colleagues, the way people suddenly pretended to be busy when she walked past them. It was unnerving.
She furrowed her brows as she made her way through the hallway.
Had she done something wrong?
Her confusion grew when she passed by a group of nurses gathered near the reception desk. 
They were whispering among themselves, but as soon as they saw her, they abruptly stopped. 
One of them, a woman named Cynthia, widened her eyes and nudged her colleague before quickly looking away.
April’s stomach twisted, but she refused to let it show on her face.
She continued walking toward her office, ignoring the feeling gnawing at her insides. But it didn’t stop.
Another group of staff members in the break room went silent the second she walked by. She even heard a few hushed murmurs—
“I never expected this from her. I actually thought she was a scent with the way she acts. But now, it’s more like I never really knew who she was.”
“Well, you never really know people, do you? Don’t ever judge a book by its cover. You’ve got to uncover the book to see exactly what it contains before you judge and this is exactly what is going on here.”
“She acts so professional, but look at her now. She’s just some whore chasing after a billionaire.”
April clenched her jaw as she overhead everything they were saying. Whatever this was, it wasn’t good.
She quickened her pace, finally reaching the safety of her office. 
Closing the door behind her, she let out a breath and placed her bag on the desk. She was in deep thought, trying to place her hand on what was going on.
Before she could even settle in, her phone rang. It was Gina.
“April, have you seen it?” Gina’s voice was urgent.
“Seen what?” April asked, still confused.
“I just sent it to you. Check your phone now!”
A second later, her phone buzzed with a new message. April clicked on it, and her entire body went cold.
It was a picture. A very clear picture of her and Richard from the night he picked her up at the hospital.
The image showed him opening the car door for her as she got in.
But the worst part? The caption.
“Dr. April Harrington—the surgeon with a double life. A mistress by night, a doctor by day. How much does she charge for an appointment?”
April’s grip tightened around her phone.
Her heart pounded so hard she could hear it in her ears.
This couldn’t be real.
“April?” Gina’s voice pulled her back.
April swallowed hard, forcing herself to speak. “Where… where did this come from?”
“It’s all over social media. The gossip blogs picked it up, and now it’s spreading like wildfire,” Gina said. “People are talking, April. The comments are brutal.”
April’s fingers trembled as she scrolled through the online post.
The comments were pouring in.
“Wow. So much for being a respectable doctor.”
“Guess she found a billionaire to fund her lifestyle.”
“These women will do anything for money.”
“No wonder she became a doctor. She needed a cover for her real job.”
April felt sick.
She had worked so hard, sacrificed so much to build a life for herself, to be respected in her field. And now, in one single moment, her name was being dragged through the mud.
“This is ridiculous,” she muttered under her breath.
“It is,” Gina agreed. “But people love gossip. They’ll believe anything.”
April ran a hand over her face. “Do we know who posted it?”
“I have no idea,” Gina said. “But whoever it is, they want to ruin you.”
April’s chest tightened.
Her past had never truly left her alone. No matter how much she tried to outrun it, something always pulled her back into the fire.
Before she could respond, her phone buzzed again.
Richard.
April hesitated, then answered.
“Hello?”
“I assume you’ve seen it,” Richard said, his voice calm but firm.
“Yeah,” she replied, keeping her tone even. “I saw it.”
There was a short silence.
“Are you okay?” he finally asked.
April let out a sharp breath. “I don’t know, Richard. I woke up this morning as a doctor, and now I’m the internet’s latest scandal.”
“I didn’t want this to happen,” he said.
“Well, it did,” she snapped, frustration bleeding into her voice. “And now people are calling me a whore.”
Richard exhaled heavily. “I’ll handle it.”
April let out a humorless laugh. “Handle it? And how exactly do you plan to do that? Issue a statement? Deny that we even know each other?”
“That’s not what I meant,” he said, his voice tight. “I just don’t want this to push you away from me again.”
April’s grip on the phone tightened.
“Too late,” she muttered under her breath.
She didn’t know what was worse—the humiliation of the rumors or the fact that Richard’s presence in her life was making everything worse.
“I have to go,” she finally said.
“April—”
She didn’t wait for him to finish before ending the call.
Placing her phone down, she leaned back in her chair and let out a shaky breath.
Outside, the whispers continued.
The stares.
The judgment.
She had no idea who took that picture.
No idea who posted it.
But one thing was clear—someone wanted to destroy her.