Chapter 96

Chapter 96:
The abrupt typhoon brought gloomy skies and heavy rain to Ploville throughout the entire weekend.
Rain pounded against the glass in torrents, and the brisk wind whipped back and forth for what seemed like an eternity.
However, the storm had subsided by Monday morning.
It was just beginning to dawn when the loud ring of Candice’s phone jolted her awake. After fumbling, she retrieved her cell phone from the bedside table.
It was a call from Bettina. The clock had not yet struck six.
Candice was quite exhausted, having not slept well for two days. She ended the call and went back to sleep.
Honestly, she didn’t believe Bettina would have anything significant to share. Yet the phone rang again!
Unwillingly, Candice answered while stroking her head. “Whatever you want to tell me at this hour, Bettina, it better be important!”
Bettina exclaimed, “Candice, you don’t know how much trouble we’re in!” from the other end.
“What the hell do you mean?” Candice sat up in bed as she heard Bettina’s urgent voice.
“A lot of people have been talking about the situation between you and Mr. Lopez online. It’s everywhere! The first post about you two appeared early this morning, and now there is no more popular hashtag than this one. My brother told me, and he has zero control over its spread. We’re in a pickle here!”
Candice could feel Bettina’s worry through the phone.
“Me and Milton?” Any remaining sleepiness vanished from Candice’s face.
“Yeah. Pictures were taken of you and Milton the morning after your wedding, as well as while you were at Wilmint High School. Your story has gone viral, and everyone seems to be talking about you two. Also, your marriage to Greyson has been made public. Check it out. I’ll hang up now—I’m driving. I’ll be there shortly.”
The call ended abruptly as Bettina hung up.
Candice threw on a coat, washed her face, and brushed her teeth while reading the news on her phone.
Your next favorite is on gⱯlnσν𝓮𝓁s．𝒸o𝗺
She scowled more and more with each passing second.
A large majority of people online were cursing her.
She was labeled a playgirl who had seduced the most powerful man in Ploville and described as promiscuous and shameless.
“Oh my! Such a brazen woman! Already married, and yet she dares to woo Mr. Lopez?”
“I never expected Mr. Lopez, a man with no rumors for all these years, to be fooled by such a dishonorable woman.”
“God! A married woman with the nerve to chase Mr. Lopez?”
“Wow, what a slut! Maybe she resorted to underhanded tactics.”
“It’s outrageous she tried to seduce Mr. Lopez on campus. What a disgrace to the great school!”
“Both of them attended Wilmint High School and graduated there. The photos seem to be from homecoming day. I was there too. That explains why Mr. Lopez didn’t deliver his speech. Turns out, he fell for the tramp’s charms!”
“What? Her family went bankrupt?! Clearly, she plans to use Mr. Lopez to escape poverty!”
“Her poor husband is stuck with such a cheating woman. On their wedding night, she committed adultery.”
“She’s nothing more than a slut!”
“Really, a bitch is a bitch! Mr. Lopez, you can do better than that!”
After finishing the comments, Candice put away her phone and stepped out of the bathroom.
Bettina burst in frantically. “Hey, Candice, do you know what happened? Who released those pictures?”
Candice walked into the living room, wiping her face with a towel, and said, “How exactly am I supposed to know that?”
“Did you really run into Mr. Lopez when you went to Wilmint High School that night to drop off a present for the principal?” Bettina, seated on the sofa, inquired. She obviously hadn’t combed her hair and was clearly in a rush when she left home.
“I did. I sprained my ankle. He helped me get back. That’s all,” Candice replied, placing a hand on her forehead. “I have no idea who took those pictures. Furthermore, the photographs taken on the morning after the wedding aren’t the ones in Rachel’s hand. The camera’s perspective is different.”
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