---- Chapter 8 Mr. Carter arranged for an assistant to drive me to my new apartment. On the way, the assistant mentioned the chaos at Ethan's company that afternoon. "Did you hear? A building project they invested in collapsed, and some people died." had a feeling this might happen the moment I heard the phone call earlier. The project manager had approached me multiple times, trying to get me to approve Ethan's companys involvement. After visiting the site and assessing the risks, 'd declined. Apparently, Ethan ignored my concerns and went ahead with the deal. Well, that was no longer my problem. At my new home, | finally slept peacefully for the first time in ages Mr. Carter told me to take a few more days to rest, so | stayed in and ordered a healthy breakfast. When the doorbell rang, | expected the delivery driver-but it wasn't. It was Maddie. Her face was marred with visible scratches, and she was shaking with rage. ---- She pointed a trembling finger at me and spat through clenched teeth. "Vivian, you witch! If it weren't for you, | wouldn't have been thrown under the bus, and Ethan wouldn't have abandoned me!" From her tirade, | pieced together what had happened. As | suspected, the families of the victims and the remaining property owners had stormed the office, demanding answers. Neither Ethan nor | was there. That left Maddie, the so-called executive assistant, to take the heat. The crowd found an easy target and unleashed their fury. While being assaulted, Maddie had the audacity to yell, "How dare you touch me! When Ethan gets here, he'll have you all arrested!" Hearing Ethan's name only enraged them further. "He should worry about ending up in jail himself!" By the time Ethan arrived, security had already separated the mob His first stop was my office, which was now completely empty. Maddie, sobbing, ran to him for help, but Ethan grabbed her by the collar and growled, "Who gave you the right to throw away Vivian's things?" Tears streamed down her face as she stammered, "She submitted her resignation! | just approved it!" ---- Ethan's expression darkened. He shoved her aside. "Why did you do that?" "You said only emergencies should be brought to you, and | didn't think this, was a big dealt" His face turned an alarming shade of red as he paced back and forth, Finally, he hauled Maddie up by her arm "And this contract? You approved this too, didn't you? Maddie, you're going to take responsibility for this." Ethan threw her out of the office, pinning all the blame for the disaster on her. Back at my door, Maddie's rage boiled over. "Its all your fault, Vivian! Ethan loves me, not you. He promised to marry me once he divorced you. How could he lie to me?" Poor girl 'She was just another victim of Ethan's lies, like | had been. But | was too tired to argue. As | turned to shut the door, Maddie shoved her hand into the gap. In an instant, her hand swelled from the force. Behind her, Ethan's voice rang out, full of panic. ---- "Vivian!" Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!