Chapter 62
He probably never imagined that his two most beloved grandchildren would do something so shameless and morally reprehensible.
A muffled sob came from the doorway. Freya had followed me up at some point and was standing there, her face deathly pale, staring at me in disbelief.
I didn't spare her another glance. I simply stood up and bowed deeply to the devastated old man on the bed.
"Grandpa, thank you for taking care of me and loving me all these years." I straightened up, looked him in the eye, and said sincerely, "What Michael did has nothing to do with you. I'll always remember your kindness."
"But from now on, I have nothing more to do with the Johnson family." With that, I didn't linger. I turned and left the bedroom filled with shock and absurdity.
Behind me were Maddox's heavy, pained breathing and Freya's uncontrollable crying.
None of it had anything to do with me anymore.
Walking out the gates of the Johnson Mansion, the afternoon sun was warm and gentle. I felt the knot in my heart caused by the past had finally been completely cut out. I felt lighter than ever before.
By the time I drove away from the Johnson Mansion, the evening lights were just coming on.
Having settled this old matter, I felt no satisfaction, only the exhaustion of dust finally settling.
While I was waiting at a red light, an unknown number called.
I answered casually, and immediately Freya's shrill, venomous voice came through. "Ophelia! Are you satisfied now? You told Grandpa about Michael and me, and now they're sending me abroad! Do you think you've won?"
Her voice was full of resentment, as if she were the innocent victim.
I didn't even bother to raise an eyebrow. My tone was flat as I replied, "Your travel plans have nothing to do with me."
"Don't get cocky!" As if provoked by my indifference, her voice shot up several octaves. "Don't think that just because you've driven a wedge between us, you can come back to the Johnson family! Let me tell you, no way in hell!"
Listening to her illogical ranting, I found it laughable. A cold, mocking smile curved my lips. "Come back to the Johnson family? Freya, even if you all got on your knees and begged me, I wouldn't want to set foot in that filthy place again."
With that, I hung up decisively and blocked the number.
However, this peace lasted less than twelve hours.
Early the next morning, I had just arrived at the office when my assistant rushed in with a tablet, looking grim. "Ms. White, look at this..."
I took the tablet, and my eyes fell on the screen. A bold headline immediately caught my attention.
#From Cast-Out Heiress to Brand Director: Behind Ophelia's Two-Month Rise, Is It Skill or Something Else?#
The article's wording was extremely clever—seemingly objective and neutral, but every sentence was full of malicious insinuation.
My gaze finally landed on the byline at the end of the article.
Willie Reed.
The name sounded somewhat familiar, like I'd heard it in some dusty corner of my memory, but I couldn't quite place who it was.
Someone who could write such an inflammatory article and push it to trending topics in such a short time was clearly not a nobody.
As I was pondering this, my phone screen lit up with a message from Aurora, simple and blunt, straight to the point: [Holy shit! Ophelia, did you see the news? Willie, that petty man, is still holding a grudge from years ago!]
Below was a screenshot of the news article link.
The vague sense of familiarity in my mind instantly became clear.
Willie, an outstanding student from the journalism department in college, had once pursued me aggressively. After I rejected him publicly, he'd harbored resentment toward me ever since.
So it was him.
I tapped lightly on the screen and replied: [I remember now. A petty clown.]
Aurora's call came through immediately, her voice full of barely suppressed anger. "More than petty—this guy is a complete asshole! He wrote so many sappy love letters when he was chasing you, and now that he got rejected, he's turning around to step on you. So disgusting! No wonder the article mentioned so much about your college days. People who don't know better would think he really knows you well!"
"He's at Starlight Media now, a senior reporter," Aurora was well-informed. "This time, someone's clearly pulling strings behind the scenes. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare publish something so blatant."
"I know." I acknowledged, already forming a plan in my mind.
Someone who could find Willie and knew about that old grudge between us—besides Freya, I couldn't think of anyone else.
Before being sent abroad, this was the last "gift" she could give me.
The impact of this report was even greater than I'd imagined. Willie had quite a reputation in the industry. His articles were always known for being "in-depth" and "sharp," and he had a large following.
Once this seemingly exposé article came out, it immediately exploded online.
Speculation about how I could have risen to director in just two months ran rampant.
Some said I had a sugar daddy backing me, others said I used underhanded competitive tactics to push Amelia out. All kinds of dirty rumors spread like wildfire, told as if they were facts.
The company's PR department was already overwhelmed, and several executives called to probe indirectly, but I deflected them all in a few words.
I quietly watched the public opinion ferment, not rushing to respond.
Just then, my college classmate group chat, which had been silent for ages, suddenly became active with unprecedented intensity.
Someone had posted Willie's article link in the group, stirring up a huge reaction.
[Oh my god, is this the Ophelia we knew? She's so successful now?]
[What success? Didn't the article say her methods weren't clean?]
[Willie's a well-known reporter. Would what he writes be fake?]
The discussion in the group quickly evolved from initial shock to a trial of me.
Those classmates who had spent four years with me in college were now all playing righteous judges, condemning me with harsh words.
I watched coldly as those familiar avatars said the most cutting things, feeling nothing in my heart.
Just as I was about to close the chat, an unexpected person suddenly spoke up in the group.
It was Michael.
He posted a very long message.