Ella’s POV:
The next day at work felt like stepping into a lion’s den. The mont I walked through the doors of Denco Group, I could sense the shift in the air.
Conversations died down when I passed by, replaced by hushed whispers, muffled snickers, and curious glances. It was as if I had stepped into the office as soone entirely different, a walking scandal instead of just Ella.
By the ti I reached the elevator, the murmurs were loud enough to break through my fragile armor. I forced myself to stand tall, pretending not to notice the people behind exchanging sly looks, but their words seeped through like poison.
"Do you really think she’s innocent?" one woman whispered just a few steps behind .
Another voice, softer but sharper, replied, "She knew exactly what she was doing. She’s probably been after Arec’s money from the start."
The elevator doors slid open, and I stepped in, quickly pressing the button to close them before anyone could follow .
The silence inside the small tal box felt suffocating, but at least it drowned out the whispers. For a mont, I let myself breathe, but even that short-lived peace shattered as I reached the break room for a coffee.
The noise picked up again, conversations that weren’t quite loud enough to be direct, but loud enough for to know they were ant for my ears. At the coffee machine, two colleagues who used to chat with regularly were now huddled together, whispering between sips.
"I saw her video response last night. Do you think she’s just trying to save face?" one of them asked.
The other shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe she’s telling the truth, maybe she’s not. But honestly, after Klaus’s video, who’s to say? She looks like she’s been hiding sothing."
I could feel their eyes burning holes into my back, and when I turned around, they imdiately dropped their gaze to their cups, pretending like I hadn’t just caught them gossiping. I clenched my teeth, gripping the coffee cup a little too tight.
"Ella, hey." Karen’s voice broke through the tension. I turned to see her walking over, a comforting smile on her face. "Don’t mind them. They’re just bored. You know how this place is. Everyone jumps on whatever drama they can find."
I tried to smile, but it felt more like a grimace. "I know, but it doesn’t make it any easier."
Karen leaned in, her voice low but gentle. "People love to gossip, especially when they don’t know the full story. But I believe you. I know who you are, and I know you’d never do sothing like what Klaus is saying."
Her words, though kind, felt like they were coming from a place I no longer lived in. "I appreciate that, Karen. I really do. But it feels like the entire world’s turned on overnight."
She frowned, placing a hand on my arm. "You’re stronger than this. You’ve got Arec on your side, and that’s what matters. He’s the one who knows the truth. Everyone else... they’ll co around eventually."
I nodded, though the knot in my stomach refused to loosen. "I just don’t understand why Klaus would do sothing like this. We ended things... God, it feels like ages ago. I thought he has moved on, but clearly, he hasn’t."
Karen’s face darkened for a mont. "So people can’t stand to see others happy, especially when they’re miserable themselves. He’s just bitter. You can’t let him win by letting it get to you."
"I’m trying," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
"Try harder," Karen said, squeezing my arm before letting go. "You’ve got a lot more riding on this than just your reputation now. Don’t forget that."
"Thanks, Karen," I murmured, trying to compose myself.
"Anyti," she said, giving one last reassuring look before heading back to her desk.
I returned to my own space, grateful for the solitude. Arec and I had our own section of the office, which at least spared from the endless whispers. But as soon as I sat down, the weight of everything crashed over . The relentless rumors, the judging eyes, the way my life had beco a spectacle for everyone to dissect and pick apart.
I leaned over my desk, burying my face in my hands. How had it co to this? One minute, I was managing fine, my job, my life. Now, everything was falling apart, and it felt like there was no way to stop it.
I didn’t deserve this. I didn’t deserve the lies Klaus spread, the humiliation, the endless scrutiny. What had I ever done to him to make him so cruel?
A sob choked its way up my throat before I could swallow it back. "Why did he do this to ?" I whispered to no one, my voice trembling. Tears burned my eyes, and I let them fall, my body shaking as I leaned against the desk, feeling smaller and more defeated than I ever had.
My hand instinctively went to my stomach again, a pitiful attempt to find so comfort in the one part of my life that was still pure. But even that felt tainted now, tainted by the lies, by the judgnt, by the fact that this wasn’t even supposed to be real.
Our relationship had been fake, nothing but a contract to solve both our problems. How could people say I was using Arec when there wasn’t anything real to begin with?
The door creaked open, and I tried to wipe my tears quickly, but it was too late.
"Ella?" Arec’s voice was soft but full of worry.
I froze, keeping my head down, trying to hide the tear-streaked ss of my face.
"Ella, are you okay?" His voice was closer now, and I could hear the concern laced in every word.
I couldn’t even answer. My throat was tight with unshed tears, my heart aching in ways I didn’t know how to explain. How could I tell him I wasn’t okay when I didn’t even know how to fix any of this?
I felt his hand on my shoulder, gentle but steady, and it was the only thing that kept from completely falling apart. But I couldn’t look at him. Not now. Not when I felt so broken.
"Talk to ," Arec said softly, but his voice carried a weight that made it impossible to ignore.
I took a shaky breath and forced myself to lift my head, eting his eyes. The worry etched on his face mirrored my own pain, and in that mont, I knew that despite everything, the lies, the rumors, the chaos, Arec was here. And he wasn’t going to leave to face this alone.
But I still couldn’t stop the flood of tears.
I choked out a shaky breath. "I don’t know how to fix this, Arec. I don’t know what to do anymore."
His grip on my shoulder tightened, and his eyes held mine, full of unspoken promises.
"We’ll figure sothing out," he whispered.
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