Chapter 3
When Nora stopped updating her posts, I thought the whole mess was finally over.
But to my surprise, a week later, the villa Leo and I bought during our honeymoon abroad ended up being Nora's personal getaway.
Nora updated again. This time, she posted a video. In the video, she said, "It's been ages since my last update. Yup, that's because my CEO gave me a vacation.
"There were some unpleasant things before, so he gave me a whole week off to help me chill out and recharge.
"Okay, let me give you all a tour. Honestly, my CEO found this place for me. No way I could afford somewhere this fancy by myself.
"So this week, I'll..."
I couldn't stand it anymore, so I turned off the video.
The instant I realized that was our house, my mind went blank and started ringing.
I couldn't think straight, and my fingers were trembling.
This time, I just couldn't hold back anymore. I dove straight into her comment section and left a message myself.
I commented: [I noticed your CEO has a ring on his ring finger. Are you his wife?]
Someone else caught it too and replied right under my comment.
The person commented: [I thought I was the only one who saw it, but everyone in the comments is shipping them.]
More and more people started liking my comment, and the replies just kept coming.
I kept scrolling through the comments.
Suddenly, I stumbled upon an old comment where Nora tried to explain herself.
She texted: [Come on, guys, don't jump to conclusions. It's not what you think. My CEO is totally standoffish, you know.]
This was Nora's so-called "explanation." And this was what Leo meant when he said she'd handle it.
Her comment wasn't pinned, so it just got buried in the flood of replies.
Nora kept deflecting, never giving a straight answer, and her words were always suggestive.
Everyone in the comments was piling on her now.
Her comment sections were totally overrun.
People were just jumping to wild conclusions.
The harshest critics were actually her longtime followers.
Most of her old fans used to admire her life, but that admiration quickly turned into jealousy and hate. That was just how it went with people.
Leo had just wrapped up an online meeting.
That was when he saw Nora come in, put down a cup of coffee for him, and turn to leave.
Nora looked completely exhausted, her eyes swollen like she'd been crying for three days straight.
Leo stopped her, a puzzled look on his face.
He asked, "Didn't I give you a whole week off? Why are you back so soon?
"Was it too expensive?"
Nora shook her head, clenching her jaw, trying hard not to cry.
Leo could tell something was seriously wrong.
He kept his eyes on Nora, waiting.
Nora finally gave in, hesitating before she spoke.
But just as she was about to speak, her words dissolved into choked sobs.
Leo watched her quietly, patiently handing her a tissue.
Nora tried to compose herself, taking a moment to pull herself together.
She finally managed to speak, her voice trembling. She said, "Mr. Goodman, if Mrs. Goodman really can't stand me, I can resign.
"I'm sorry, I never meant to come between you and your wife. Could you please talk to her and clear things up?"
The more Nora spoke, the more upset she sounded, her voice shaky and on the verge of tears.
She added, "I really just wanted to share my life online. I used those clickbait titles because they get more attention. I just wanted to see if I could earn a little extra from my posts."
At that point, she couldn't hold it in anymore and started to cry softly.
She said, "Mr. Goodman, could you maybe talk to Mrs. Goodman for me, maybe apologize again? I didn't think she'd still be mad at me."
Leo remembered how I used to be so different.
But after that online meeting, he was already exhausted.
"Alright, I'll handle it," he said.
Leo rubbed his temples, feeling the stress building up.
"Just keep working as usual. You don't need to quit," he added.