Chapter 131

Chapter 2

Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.

-Anonymous

"Cut! Take an ad break!" Isla's distressed voice cut through the air, snapping the crew into action. Cameras powered down, and the studio buzzed with a sudden flurry of movement. But Mia couldn’t tear her gaze away from Oliver Ryan’s piercing eyes. He strode toward her with purpose, each step echoing in the tense silence. The whole studio seemed to hold its breath.

"You are going to apologize to me as soon as we go back on air, Mia White," he growled, his voice low and menacing, reverberating through the hall. His fury was palpable, a storm barely contained within the confines of his composed exterior. Mia felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to laugh. Really? Who did this man think he was?

Oliver stopped mere inches from her, his tall frame casting a shadow over her. His eyes, dark and stormy, bore into hers, a force of nature demanding submission. Mia felt the intensity of his gaze like a physical weight, a challenge she had no intention of backing down from.

"No, I won't." Her voice was steady, matching his intensity. "I don’t apologize for speaking the truth, and you will do well to remember that."

A muscle in Oliver's jaw twitched, a small crack in his mask of control. "You do realize," he said, his voice cold and clipped, "that you could lose your petty little job over this, don’t you, Miss White? So, I suggest you curb that lashing tongue of yours and apologize."

Mia's eyes narrowed, and a scathing smile curled her lips. "I would say nothing of the sort."

Oliver’s eyes blazed with anger, but his composure remained intact. "Then we are finished here," he declared, his tone final. Yet his eyes told a different story, one that promised this was far from over.

'Oh! They were far from finished!'

The studio was silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Mia felt the weight of every gaze on her, but she refused to back down. This man—this arrogant, condescending man—had insulted her on live TV, and she would be damned if she let him intimidate her now.

Oliver's eyes bore into hers for a moment longer, a silent battle of wills. Then, with a curt nod, he turned on his heel and walked away, his back rigid with restrained fury. Mia watched him go, a mixture of anger and defiance churning within her.

She knew she had crossed a line, and the consequences would come. But in that moment, she didn’t care. She had stood her ground, and that was something Oliver Ryan would have to reckon with.

The crew around them began to stir, whispering among themselves, but Mia remained still, her heart pounding with adrenaline. She glanced at Isla, who was already speaking urgently into her headset, trying to manage the situation.

"Mia," Nicole whispered, her voice a mix of concern and awe. "Are you okay?"

Mia nodded slowly, her eyes still fixed on the spot where Oliver had stood. "I'm fine," she replied, though her voice was tinged with the lingering tremor of confrontation.

In continuation of her horrible morning, Mia's day spiraled into a living nightmare. Dany Robertson, the editor-in-chief, erupted in fury, his voice echoing through the studio as he berated her for a full forty minutes. The entire crew watched in stunned silence as he unleashed his wrath, accusing her of sabotaging the interview. Isla, always a step ahead, had already filed an official complaint for misconduct to the producer. Her message was crystal clear: Mia was as good as fired.

Nicole, Mia's best friend and co-host, stood nearby, tears glistening in her eyes. She looked at Mia with a mix of sorrow and helplessness, her voice trembling with distress. "Oh, Mia, I'm so sorry this had to happen." Her words were barely a whisper, laden with the weight of their three-year partnership and friendship.

Mia stood there, numb, the same damning words looping in her mind: "You are as good as fired!" The thought echoed with relentless persistence, each repetition hammering the reality deeper into her consciousness.

Nicole tried to offer comfort, her voice shaking. "I'm sure you won't lose your job, Mia, not over some stupid-ass banker."

But Mia couldn’t muster a response. Her thoughts were consumed by the injustice of it all. Oliver Ryan. The arrogant, infuriating man who had insulted her on live TV. Her anger simmered just below the surface, a cauldron of frustration and defiance. 'Oliver Ryan will have to pay for this,' she vowed silently. 'I will make sure he pays dearly for this.'

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Mia went through the motions, her mind distant, replaying the confrontation and the fallout. She could feel the eyes of her colleagues on her, some filled with pity, others with judgment. Whispers followed her wherever she went, a constant reminder of her precarious situation.

By the time the day finally ended, Mia was emotionally drained. She drove home in silence, the city's lights blurring past her, her thoughts still on Oliver Ryan and the havoc he had wreaked on her life. She couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal, of being punished for standing up to someone who deserved it.

As she lay in bed that night, sleep eluded her. Instead, she stared at the ceiling, her mind racing. She thought about her career, the years of hard work, and how it could all be undone because of one man's arrogance. But along with the despair came a surge of determination. She would not let Oliver Ryan ruin her. She would fight back, and she would find a way to turn this around.

The next morning, Mia arrived at the studio, her stomach knotted with dread. She found Riaan, the assistant producer, waiting by her desk, his expression serious. The sight of him made her heart sink. She knew this wasn’t going to be good.

"Good morning, Riaan," she greeted him, trying to keep her voice steady. He glanced up from his phone, his face devoid of any warmth.

"The producer would like to see you now," he said curtly, leading her towards the rear offices. Each step felt like a march towards her doom. Mia’s mind raced, calculating her savings and wondering if she would need to ask her father for help until she found another job.

She knocked twice on the producer's office door and entered after his faint reply. Tony Zacharia, the potbellied middle-aged producer, was sitting behind his desk, but he wasn't alone. Bobby, the head of the webmaster team, was also there, showing something on his tablet to Tony.

Mia's heart pounded. Was she going to be fired in front of Bobby, or would Tony at least spare her that humiliation?

"Good morning, Miss White," Tony greeted her cheerfully, to her surprise. "Please, take a seat. Bobby has something to show you."

Confused, Mia sat down and took the tablet Bobby handed her. She stared at the screen, her eyes widening in disbelief. The video of her interview with Oliver Ryan was displayed prominently on the channel’s website, showing nearly 79 million views. Her confrontation with Oliver had gone viral. There were around 6 million comments, most of them praising her courage and backbone.

"It's trending on Twitter too!" Bobby chimed in, grinning.

"I-I can't believe this," Mia muttered, relief flooding through her. She wasn’t losing her job. Not only that, she had become an unexpected hero to many.

"Social media is a strange thing, Miss White," Tony said, smiling kindly. "It can break people as much as it can make them, giving power to the public to judge. And it seems you have emerged victorious."

"In fact," Tony continued, "you have proven yourself more worthy than many people twice your age. You did an amazing job yesterday, so I would like to offer you a promotion."

"A promotion?" Mia echoed, barely able to comprehend what she was hearing.

"Yes, there will be a free slot for a news anchor on our evening debate show next month. I want you to have it."

An hour later, Mia emerged from Tony's office, a triumphant smile on her face. She moved through the studio with a new sense of purpose. Oliver Ryan, the man who had tried to bring her down, had inadvertently given her the biggest break of her career.

That evening, she called her parents and brothers, who lived in Brisbane, to share her good news. They decided to take the train to Sydney for the weekend to celebrate her promotion.

Saturday night found them all at Mushroom Villa, a classic Asian restaurant known for its Chinese cuisine. "We are so proud of you, darling," Lily, her eldest brother Henry’s wife, said, hugging Mia tightly.

"We all saw that interview with the banker. You killed it, sis!" Toby, her second brother, grinned as they took their seats near the window.

But her mother’s concern surfaced during dinner, casting a shadow over the celebration. "That man, Oliver Ryan, he's very powerful, isn’t he?" her mother asked, worry etched in her eyes.

"Yes, but you don’t need to worry about me, Maa. I will be fine. He can do nothing to hurt me," Mia reassured her, though she felt the same anxiety gnawing at her.

The rest of the dinner was a cheerful affair, filled with laughter and stories. For dessert, they ordered a chocolate mousse cake, much to the delight of her niece and nephew. But just as they were about to dig in, a commotion erupted on the other side of the dining hall.

A young man was shouting at a waiter, his voice growing louder and more aggressive. Before anyone could react, the man punched the waiter, who fell to the floor, blood streaming from his nose. Gasps filled the room as people turned to watch the scene unfold.

Within moments, the restaurant manager and two security guards arrived, attempting to escort the man out. "I am the future president of Assure Bank! Don’t you dare touch me!" he screamed, his voice echoing through the room.

Mia’s heart skipped a beat. 'Future president of Assure Bank?' Her curiosity piqued, she watched intently as the guards struggled with the unruly man.

The guards didn’t seem to care about his claims and were ready to drag him out if necessary. "I will ruin this goddamned restaurant if you so much as touch me!" he screeched, but the guards were undeterred. One of them received a punch, stumbling backward and knocking over a table.

Chaos ensued. Diners called for their bills, eager to leave the tense atmosphere. Mia’s family, too, was ready to go, but she remained rooted to her spot, recognizing the potential for a major story. She wasn’t going anywhere until she saw this through.

A police car arrived within minutes, and two constables forcefully dragged the man out. As they passed by, Mia finally saw his face—Adam Ryan, Oliver’s younger brother.

A rueful smile curved her lips. Now she had the perfect way to make Oliver Ryan pay.