Chapter 28
Liz put her phone away and started the car to head home.
Once she got back, she changed into her slippers and had just settled onto the couch when a voice call from Jane came through.
“Liz! Voyager Tech just posted some ridiculous statement saying you and Zac broke up forever ago and that Xena was never a homewrecker. I couldn’t help myself-I left a comment, and now all of Zac and Xena’s brainless fans are coming after me.”
A wave of warmth and guilt welled up in Liz’s chest.
If it weren’t for her, Jane would never be caught arguing with trolls online. That just wasn’t her style.
“Thank you, Jane. But don’t waste your energy on them. I’ll take care of this.”
“You sure? I’m worried Zac and Xena might gang up on you.”
What she really meant was that she was afraid Liz might still go soft on Zac.
After all, while Liz seemed like she had moved on, eight years of feelings weren’t something one could just walk away from so
easily.
“I won’t,” Liz said firmly.
“Alright. But if you need anything at all, just say the word.”
Liz smiled. “You know I won’t hesitate.”
After they hung up, Liz pulled her laptop out of her bag and got to work.
She put together a detailed timeline of her relationship with Zac-the start, the shift, and the exact point when Xena got
involved.
Then she added audio recordings of her conversation with Xena and uploaded everything to the backend of her social media
account.
Her cursor hovered over the “publish” button for a few seconds before she finally clicked.
After that, she closed her laptop and went to take a shower.
Within minutes, her post blew up.
“Zac Lincoln cheated” shot straight to the top of the trending list.
People who had just been defending him and Xena under Voyager Tech’s official statement quickly changed their tune.
“These two are absolutely disgusting. He cheated, and she knew about it. Then she had the nerve to play the victim and act like she did nothing wrong? Give me a break.”
“I can’t believe I actually defended them earlier. I feel like a complete fool. Can I sue them for emotional distress?”
“And get this-Zac’s ex gave up everything for him. Her family cut her off because she chose to support him during the early days of his startup. And the second he found success, he went out looking for someone else.”
Social media exploded with backlash, filled with outrage over Zac cheating on the woman who had stood by him for years, only to replace her the moment things got easier.
The official Voyager Tech account was hit with such intense criticism that they had to disable the comment section entirely.
Inside the boardroom, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
1/2
The shareholders were livid. Their expressions said it all.
“This is what you meant when you said this wouldn’t impact the company?”
“At this rate, we can forget about the IPO. There’s no way we’re going public in two months.”
“If I remember correctly, didn’t you say you’d step down if your personal scandal affected the company? Or was that just for appearances?”
Zac looked straight at the man who spoke. His voice was icy. “Mr. Wilson, don’t worry. I meant every word.”
He stood from his seat. “I’m resigning as CEO, effective immediately. Anyone who wants the position is welcome to it.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the room.
No one moved until the door clicked shut behind him. That was when it hit them-he was serious.
Panic broke out in the room.
But Zac didn’t return to his office.
He got in his car and drove straight to Liz’s apartment.
2/2
Chapter 28
Liz put her phone away and started the car to head home.
Once she got back, she changed into her slippers and had just settled onto the couch when a voice call from Jane came through.
“Liz! Voyager Tech just posted some ridiculous statement saying you and Zac broke up forever ago and that Xena was never a homewrecker. I couldn’t help myself–I left a comment, and now all of Zac and Xena’s brainless fans are coming after me.”
A wave of warmth and guilt welled up in Liz’s chest.
If it weren’t for her, Jane would never be caught arguing with trolls online. That just wasn’t her style.
“Thank you, Jane. But don’t waste your energy on them. I’ll take care of this.”
“You sure? I’m worried Zac and Xena might gang up on you.
What she really meant was that she was afraid Liz might still go soft on Zac.
After all, while Liz seemed like she had moved on, eight years of feelings weren’t something one could just walk away from so
easily.
“I won’t,” Liz said firmly.
“Alright. But if you need anything at all, just say the word.”
Liz smiled. “You know I won’t hesitate.”
After they hung up, Liz pulled her laptop out of her bag and got to work.
She put together a detailed timeline of her relationship with Zac-the start, the shift, and the exact point when Xena got
involved.
Then she added audio recordings of her conversation with Xena and uploaded everything to the backend of her social media
account.
Her cursor hovered over the “publish” button for a few seconds before she finally clicked.
After that, she closed her laptop and went to take a shower.
Within minutes, her post blew up.
“Zac Lincoln cheated” shot straight to the top of the trending list.
People who had just been defending him and Xena under Voyager Tech’s official statement quickly changed their tune.
“These two are absolutely disgusting. He cheated, and she knew about it. Then she had the nerve to play the victim and act like she did nothing wrong? Give me a break.”
“I can’t believe I actually defended them earlier. I feel like a complete fool. Can I sue them for emotional distress?”
“And get this-Zac’s ex gave up everything for him. Her family cut her off because she chose to support him during the early days of his startup. And the second he found success, he went out looking for someone else.”
Social media exploded with backlash, filled with outrage over Zac cheating on the woman who had stood by him for years, only to replace her the moment things got easier.
The official Voyager Tech account was hit with such intense criticism that they had to disable the comment section entirely.
Inside the boardroom, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
1/2
Chapter 28
The shareholders were livid. Their expressions said it all.
“This is what you meant when you said this wouldn’t impact the company?”
“At this rate, we can forget about the IPO. There’s no way we’re going public in two months.”
“If I remember correctly, didn’t you say you’d step down if your personal scandal affected the company? Or was that just for appearances?”
Zac looked straight at the man who spoke. His voice was icy. “Mr. Wilson, don’t worry. I meant every word.”
He stood from his seat. “I’m resigning as CEO, effective immediately. Anyone who wants the position is welcome to it.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the room.
No one moved until the door clicked shut behind him. That was when it hit them-he was serious.
Panic broke out in the room.
But Zac didn’t return to his office.
He got in his car and drove straight to Liz’s apartment.
2/2
