Chapter 5
995words
Eleanor immediately looked at me in embarrassment, but after hesitating for a moment, she still answered the call.
The moment the call connected, Joseph's voice came through, heavy with anguish. "Ellie, is Victor still refusing to come out and explain? Everyone online is attacking me now. I'm really scared."
I sneered as I looked at Eleanor. Did she really think that I would step forward and clear things up myself?
Eleanor fell silent briefly. After glancing at me, she immediately understood where I stood.
She said slowly, "Joe, what happened online is our fault to begin with. Don't worry about it for now. Give it some time, and everything will die down."
As soon as Eleanor finished speaking, she hung up. As if trying to prove something to me, she opened her contacts, found Joseph's number, and deleted it.
She said earnestly, "Victor, look. I'll keep my distance from Joseph from now on. Don't worry, okay?"
The confidence on her face made me want to laugh. Setting everything else aside, based on what I knew about Joseph, there was no way he would stay quiet, and his next move would surely be a big one.
Sure enough, the ringtone sounded again very soon, but this time it was a video call instead of a voice call.
The moment Eleanor answered, Joseph's voice rang out, thick with despair. "Ellie, I know that I've put you in a difficult position. But don't worry. I swear that I won't bother you again."
As he spoke, he turned the camera around and aimed it at his wrist. With his other hand gripping a knife, he slashed hard at his wrist.
What happened next needed no explanation.
Eleanor immediately cried out his name. She looked up at me, silently pleading. What she wanted to ask was already painfully clear.
I looked straight at Eleanor and said calmly, "If you don't go now, his wound might stop bleeding by the time you do."
When Eleanor heard my words, she instantly looked at me with excitement. She sprang to her feet and tried to hug me. After I pushed her away, she spoke in an emotional tone.
"Victor, thank you. Wait for me to come back. We'll go take our wedding photos and book the wedding venue right away. I promise the wedding will be held in an incredibly luxurious hotel."
I had initially planned to break up with her right then, but after she said something so absurd, I stood up and looked at her. I said, "Since I don't have anything else to do, I'll go with you and see how badly he's hurt."
Without the slightest hesitation, Eleanor nodded in agreement. "Okay."
Joseph probably hadn't expected me to come along with Eleanor, but the moment he saw her, he immediately collapsed into her arms. Eleanor instinctively held onto him to keep him from falling.
Only after helping him back onto the hospital bed did she notice me standing nearby. A flicker of panic flashed through her eyes.
However, it didn't bother me at all. I simply lowered my head and adjusted the camera I was wearing.
There was no helping it. After all, in today's world, attention was everything. Once you had the traffic, you could have it all.
I had already lost one million dollars. I couldn't afford to miss this viral opportunity.
It wasn't until Eleanor had helped Joseph onto the hospital bed that he pretended to have just noticed me. "Victor, did you come to see me too?" he asked, sounding aggrieved.
I rolled my eyes at him. I forced myself to ignore the hostility in his gaze and set the half-finished bottle of water I was holding aside. "Yeah. I came to see you."
Joseph seemed like he wanted to say something else, but I had already slipped past Eleanor and walked straight over to him.
I whispered into his ear, "Thank you for pushing my popularity to the top. Don't worry, I'll make good use of this wave of attention. And rest assured, I won't forget you. I'll definitely make a big deal out of it and make sure everyone knows that you're a homewrecker."
As soon as I finished speaking, I turned and walked out, ignoring the murderous look in Joseph's eyes. The moment I stepped out of the room, I heard the sound of a cup shattering behind me. Glass scattered everywhere.
When I glanced back, I saw Eleanor comforting Joseph, who looked upset.
I didn't know what Joseph said, but just as I walked out of the hospital, Eleanor rushed after me.
Her attitude completely changed. She grabbed my wrist and said angrily, "You knew Joe can't handle that kind of pressure. Why did you have to provoke him on purpose? Why can't you just let him be happy?"
I looked at her indifferently and replied in a sarcastic tone, "He's the homewrecker who came between us. Why would I ever wish him well?"
My words left Eleanor speechless. Seeing that people were starting to gather around, she suppressed her anger and said, "Victor, those hateful comments drove Joe to attempt suicide. If you'd step in to clear things up, I promise that I'll keep my distance from him from now on. You—"
I immediately removed my sunglasses and stared at her in disbelief. After a long pause, I tentatively reached out and touched her forehead. "Are you out of your mind?" I asked.
Eleanor slapped my hand away and frowned at me. "Victor, we've been together for so long. I know that you can't bear to let me go either. If you don't know what to say, you can leave it to me—"
A sharp slap rang out.
Before she could finish, I slapped her across the face. I said mockingly, "Sounds nice, but I don't buy it. Do you really think that I'll clear his name? In your dreams."
