The heat outside was suffocating as they pulled up to the Meyers Corporation building. To Evelyn, the sun felt like it was trying to expose her, burning into her skin. But as she stepped into the familiar marble lobby and the blast of cold air hit her, her survival instincts finally kicked in. She wasn't just a girl who had a bad night anymore. She was a daughter whose father was being erased.
The first-floor lobby was eerily quiet, the usual bustle of the Meyers Corporation silenced by the scandal. Evelyn bypassed the reception and took the elevator straight to the executive offices on the top floor. The moment the doors slid open, the air was thick with the flashes of cameras and the drone of voices. Standing at the center was Tail Watson. His voice smooth as usual, practiced, and uncharacteristically soothing to the ear.
"...and I hope we have your blessings," he said with a thin smile. "Miss Tanya Banks, the daughter of the Nelson's Corporation's Vice President, and I will be announcing our engagement shortly."
Evelyn froze. Tanya? Her best friend of eleven years? The "bomb" of her father's downfall was followed immediately by the pain of her best friend's betrayal. Besides, her stood Lucy, whose face displayed pity. Evelyn grabbed the corner of her jacket. Her face was pale, her hand trembling, but she shook her head. She wanted to hear exactly how deep the knife could go.
"General Manager Watson," a reporter called out, "There have been persistent rumors that you and the former president's daughter, Evelyn Watson, were a serious couple. Now you're engaged to Miss Bank. Can you clarify your current relationship with the Meyers family?"
"We were together once," came his dry response. His tone was casual, as if he were discussing the weather. "But we've been over for a long time now." The words felt like physical blades plunging into her chest. At that moment, a jagged memory pierced through her mind, the numerous glasses of wine that she had been forced to drink, all in the name of toast, and Tanya..., it was definitely her yesterday being so "helpful" in guiding her upstairs. "Ha!" A sharp, sarcastic laugh cut through the hall just as the cameras zoomed in on Tail's face. It was a cold, mocking sound that echoed off the marble walls. The crowd turned in unison.
"Evelyn Meyers! It's her! The Meyers family's only heiress!"
A female reporter shouted and the pack of journalists immediately swarmed her like piranhas, causing Tail's face to sour. He hadn't expected her to show up here. He thought back to last night, he hadn't loved her, but he had coveted her body. He had planned to take her after she drank the spiked wine, but he'd been sidelined by a conversation with her father. By the time he went to find her, she had vanished. A wasted opportunity, he thought bitterly.
"Miss Meyers, what's so funny?"
"Miss Meyers, what do you have to say about your father's crimes?"
"Why did you and Mr. Watson really break up?"
Evelyn ignored the cameras. Her eyes were locked on Tail, staring at him as if he were a stranger, or worse, an enemy. There was no explanation. This father and son duo had dismantled her father's legacy, discarded her the moment she was no longer useful, and moved on to her best friend. But Merci had warned her months ago that Tanya was not who she seemed. She had simply been too loyal to listen.
"You want to know why we broke up?" Evelyn said, her voice rising with a dangerous edge. "Do you know that the 'Golden Bachelor' over there is a three-second man?" A stunned silence fell over the lobby. Tail's face twisted in embarrassment and fury.
"As for Miss Banks," Evelyn continued, her voice cold as ice, "She's nothing but a mistress who couldn't wait for us to finish before sliding into his bed. They've conspired to tear down my father and steal his hard work. From this day forward, there is no peace between me and them!"
Tail quickly composed himself, dropping his gentle facade for a look of pitying disdain. "Miss Meyers, I understand that you are emotional, but these slanderous words are beneath you. The evidence against Uncle Meyers is undeniable. My father and I are just as disappointed as everyone else. And as for Miss Banks..."
Evelyn didn't give him the satisfaction of a response as she raced through the crowd of reporters, followed by Lucy, who tried protecting her to her best ability from the reporters. At the President's Office, Lucy stood guard at the door, leaving her to go in alone. Evelyn pushed the heavy door open softly only to see her father slumped at his desk, his head in his hands.
"Dad..." She cried out and ran to him. "Eve, you're here." He looked up, and the sight of his broken smile made her throat tighten. He looked like he had aged ten more years overnight; streaks of white hair she had never noticed before shimmered under the office lights
"Dad, don't be sad. You still have me and Grandma," she whispered, her voice choking up. She felt a wave of guilt. For years, she had enjoyed the luxuries his hard work provided without ever thinking of the burden he carried.
"Eve... I am afraid I can't give you the life you're used to anymore," he said, staring at the screen of his computer. "I don't care about any of that, Dad. I just want us to be together." She walked over and hugged the man who had protected her since childhood.
He patted her hand slowly, before he began slowly packing his personal belongings. When they finally stepped out of the office, Tail was gone, but the crowd of reporters was still there, waiting like vultures.
"Mr. Meyers! Do you have a response to the embezzlement charges?"" Earlier, Mr. Watson said that if you resign, the company wouldn't pursue criminal charges. Is this an admission of guilt?"
John Meyers remained silent, his dignity his only shield. But Evelyn couldn't stay quiet. "My father hasn't done anything wrong! This is a plan by ungrateful people who have waited for their moment to strike. One day, the truth will come out and prove his innocence!"
"By 'ungrateful people' do you mean the new President, Mr. Watson and his son?" a reporter pressed.
"I think I've made myself perfectly clear," Evelyn snapped, her small face set in a mask of stubborn pride.
Across the city, in a high-rise office, a man sat in front of a giant television screen. As he watched the defiance in the girl's eyes, a little twitch appeared on his lips.
"Sir," his assistant said, holding a file. "Now that the Meyers Corporation has changed owners, should we proceed with the acquisition as planned?"
The man's attention was fixed on the screen in front of him, and no one knew what was running through his mind.