Chapter 7
892words
In the end, as I looked at the fans who had supported me all this time, I expressed my deepest gratitude to them, thanking them for always being by my side. Without them, I might not have made it this far.
Countless fans left comments under the livestream, saying that they admired how I had stayed rational despite everything I had been through. They said that some of their family members hadn't lasted long after being diagnosed with a malignant tumor.
Seeing the flood of comments below, all I could do was try to comfort them.
"Please believe in our country and believe in our medical technology. If you're sick, don't be afraid. No matter what happens, doctors will never abandon us."
That single livestream shot straight to the top of the trending topics. Even the smaller streamers working in my company benefited. Their follower counts skyrocketed. They earned more in a single day than they used to make in a month, surpassing established streamers and becoming breakout stars overnight.
However, after everything I had been through, I no longer had the energy to work hard every day like before, so I handed the company over to professional agents to manage.
Just as I was preparing to take my parents on a trip, Eleanor appeared at my door again.
Before I could say anything, she dropped to her knees in front of me. Her face was filled with regret.
"Victor, I'm sorry. It was all because of Joseph. He pushed me into doing all of that. I was just momentarily blinded by my own foolishness. I'm begging you, please forgive me," she said.
I looked at Eleanor without a hint of surprise. Although she had been my manager, I had always handled everything on my own. Whether she was there or not made little difference.
After such a major scandal, there was no way the company would keep her. She was probably fired. I was sure that even if she applied for new jobs, hardly anyone was willing to hire her. That was probably why she had come to me in tears, begging for my forgiveness.
Unfortunately for her, I wasn't in the business of saving lost causes.
"Ms. Brook, you took my money. Make sure to pay me back soon. Otherwise, if this ends up in court, it'll be really embarrassing for you," I said.
Hearing that, Eleanor completely broke down and shouted at me. "Victor Blackwell, are you trying to drive me to my death?
"I already apologized. What more do you want? Do you really want me to jump off the building before you're satisfied?"
Seeing that I had no intention of stopping her, she suddenly ran toward the window, shouting at me even though everyone was trying to hold her back. "Victor, after all these years together, are you really going to be so heartless and drive me to my grave?
"I know that I did you wrong, but I've already been punished. The company fired me, and even Joe left me. I'm willing to change and start over now. Why won't you give me a chance?"
I had to admit that her shamelessness stunned me once again. I stared at her in disbelief and said, "Wasn't getting punished exactly what you deserved?"
Eleanor didn't seem to understand at all. She just kept shouting at me. "Why won't you forgive me?"
Just as I was about to leave, firefighters finally arrived and forcibly pulled her away from the window, saving the neighborhood from becoming permanently unsellable.
It was only through them that I learned that during this time, Eleanor had not only suffered online harassment, but her parents had also passed away one after another. Joseph had also been imprisoned.
Eleanor couldn't cope with such a heavy blow, and her mental health collapsed.
To calm me down, and noticing the curiosity in my eyes, the firefighters explained how everything had happened.
Since the scandal directly affected Eleanor's interests, her parents immediately went to Joseph, demanding that he take full responsibility online, yet he refused.
The three of them erupted into a quarrel. Mrs. Brook struck first, and Mr. Brook joined in to help. As they both cornered Joseph and tried to attack him, Joseph suddenly unleashed a force he had never shown before and fought back, killing them both with a kitchen knife. He was arrested shortly afterward.
Eleanor developed mental health issues because she witnessed all of that after work. She stubbornly believed that if I forgave her, everything would return to normal—she would still be a prominent manager, and her parents would still be alive.
However, in this world, an apology didn't guarantee forgiveness, and not every mistake could be made right.
For the sake of what we once shared, I was willing to cover Eleanor's expenses at the psychiatric hospital, but only the most basic option. Even though she got beaten and disciplined, punishments like that were considered relatively mild.
Once everything was settled, I turned to my parents, who were waiting nearby. I smiled as I led them into the airport.
