The Heiress Who LiedChapter 3

"Shameless bastard, get out of here! Who knows what filthy disease someone like you is carrying? You're probably about to turn this whole building into a pigsty!"

Only then did I realize the story had exploded online.

[Male College Student Sneaks Into Bed at Night, Throws Himself at the Whitehall Group's Female CEO]

Someone had taken photos of Rosalind holding me in her arms and of me leaving the rented apartment late at night.

Someone else had dug up photos of me from college and claimed that all my part-time jobs and tutoring work were nothing more than a cover for seducing women and hunting for a sugar mama.

Countless vicious comments flooded the internet, and someone even threw trash at me.

I slammed the door shut in a panic and called Rosalind, desperate for help.

The call connected.

Before I could say a word, Rosalind tried to calm me down. "Sam, I saw the trending post. Don't panic. I'll handle it. Don't open the door for anyone, no matter who it is. Keep yourself safe."

I could hear a faint edge of anxiety in her voice, but she still tried her best to sound gentle.

My voice cracked. "Let's break up—"

Before I could finish, Victor's panicked voice came from her end of the line. "Something's happening with the board..."

The call ended before I could finish my sentence.

…

Half an hour later, a new video set the trending topics ablaze once again.

Victor stood in front of the camera with tears streaming down his face.

"Samuel Cooper is a student from a poor family whom Rosalind sponsored back in college. Rosalind only helped him out of kindness. She never expected him to develop ulterior motives because of his greed for money.

"A word of advice to certain people: if you're going to act like a rat, stay in the gutter where you belong and out of the light."

Victor's words nailed me firmly to a pillar of shame.

Rosalind's statement was the blade that drove straight into my chest. "Those photos were edited. Vic and I have a very good relationship. Anyone who continues to spread these rumors will face legal action."

The internet erupted.

[Knew it had to be fake! What normal person would give up a perfectly good young heir like Mr. Grosvenor to cheat with some poor college student instead?!]

[Is this some scheme where the kept man tries to force out the original husband? This college student's getting dragged through the mud worse than anyone I've ever seen...]

…

Someone dug up my personal information and posted it online, and countless abusive messages flooded my phone.

Then I received a call from my school.

My advisor's tone was grave. "Samuel, the program abroad has already contacted us. They're asking you to provide a reasonable explanation for the public backlash online, or your offer may be revoked..."

Blow after blow left me almost numb.

My phone buzzed with a message from Rosalind.

Rosalind: [Sam, don't hold this against me. This is the best way to handle it.]

When I didn't reply, Rosalind called again.

Deep exhaustion weighed on her voice. "Sam, just bear with it a little longer. Once this storm passes, I can give you everything except the title of husband."

In her heart, I would never come first.

I spoke quietly. "Rosalind, stop lying to yourself. The one thing you could never give me wasn't the title. It was love."

I didn't stay on the line to hear her explanation. I hung up.

Then I opened my phone and began drafting a post, gathering seven years' worth of evidence of our relationship.

Just as I was about to hit send, another call came in.

Jayden's voice rang through the phone. "Samuel, someone told your mom you were some woman's kept man. She got so angry she ended up in the hospital!"