Chapter 7
After spending the night at the forest preserve, we got back home to find a bunch of reporters crowding our front door.
They were almost shoving their mics through the car window:
“Ms. Blackwell! Did you cheat on your husband and cause the divorce?”
“There are rumors about your relationship with CEO Steven Coleman. Is it true?”
Sharp questions came at me like daggers.
I pushed open the car door and got instantly blinded by camera flashes.
“Back off!”
A deep, cold voice cut through the noise.
Steven’s tall figure stepped in front of me, his powerful presence making the whole chaotic scene freeze for a second.
‘What the hell are you idiots talking about!”
Helen was so pissed she was jumping up and down, pointing right at the reporters:
‘It was that asshole David who cheated on his student, got her pregnant, and forced my girl to divorce him!
‘Now he’s got the nerve to flip the script? Seriously?!”
‘Rachel!”
David showed up in a wrinkled suit, his eyes bloodshot, his face twisted with hate and exhaustion.
He stared hard at Steven and me, his voice shooting up:
‘My dad’s a vegetable because of her! He’s still in the ICU!”
He pointed at Steven and me, his words dripping with venom:
‘My dad’s fighting for his life, and she’s shacking up with some other guy!”
“If that’s not cheating, what is?”
I laughed to myself.
He was expertly playing on everyone’s sympathy and anger, making himself look like the tragic victim.
Guy really was a famous psychologist.
“You’re full of shit!” Helen was shaking with rage, about to charge at him. “You lying piece of garbage!”
The reporters went crazy, cameras flashing like strobe lights.
“Enough!”
Steven held back Helen with one hand while keeping me safely behind him with the other.
His cold gaze swept over all the rowdy reporters, his powerful presence instantly shutting down all the chaos.
The whole scene went eerily quiet.
Looking at David’s pathetic, manic state, I felt nothing but ice-cold emptiness:
‘Emma’s baby is yours. And your dad collapsing from anger? That’s got nothing to do with me.”
David let out a bitter laugh:
The baby’s gone now-no evidence left! Rachel, you can pin whatever bullshit you want on me!”
You’re with this guy for his money, making up lies about me, destroying my family, and now you’re trying to flip the script!”
teven’s eyes went completely cold.
le pulled a gold-embossed business card from his suit pocket and handed it to the nearest reporter.
I’m Steven Coleman. Ms. Blackwell is a very important friend of mine.”
About Mr. Blackwell’s mean slander and attacks on Ms. Blackwell’s reputation-her lawyers are gonna take care of it all.”
lis gaze was sharp as he looked around at everyone:
If you really care about the truth, go ahead and follow the legal stuff.”
But right now, get out of the way!”
ack home, Dad’s face was dark with rage as he slammed his hand on the table:
This is too much!”
Iom held me tight, her voice shaking:
Honey, I’m so sorry you had to go through that! We’re not letting this slide!”
teven looked grím as he called his lawyer:
Mr. Carson, it’s me. Get the papers ready right now. We’re suing David Blackwell for slander-trashing her reputation. Hit tim with everything we’ve got.”
Watching my family and Steven getting so worked up and angry for me,
bit my lip:
‘If this whole thing’s getting so big, would you gonna be embarrassed?”
