Just after receiving the Research Award, gossip about me exploded on the Trending Topics. Photos and videos of me in compromising situations with multiple people in the lab were everywhere, my face clearly visible. In an instant, I went from a respected scientist to a public scandal. I was at a loss and wanted to seek help from my fiancé. But I overheard them mocking: “Now she’s surrounded by people, and someone even volunteered saying they’re really good at it.” “Everyone knows she’s easy to approach! Just a little gesture, and she’ll come over. As long as it’s a guy, she’ll agree!” Ethan posted new videos and photos on some obscure website again. “Who told her not to give her research results to Maeve? Doesn’t she want fame? I’ll make sure she gets her spotlight!” Looking at Ethan’s cold and disdainful face, I decided to terminate the pregnancy. “Who has the latest video? Photos will do; a friend of mine wants to see!” “Does anyone have her contact info to send over? Want to ask how much it costs to hang out, Dr. Nolan can reach out directly if he sees this!” There was another update on Twitter. “Who still remembers she was a researcher at the Sunrise Research Institute? I wouldn’t dare use the cosmetics she developed! Boycott people without principles!” You could tell this ID was Ethan’s alternate account. His intentions were clear: to kick me out of the institute so Aurelia could take over my research. The insults and accusations on Trending Topics didn’t break me, but Ethan’s attitude and expression made me feel like I was in an ice cave. Dragging my exhausted body, I took a cab to the hospital. “You’ve already decided not to have this child, haven’t you?” I thought we would get married soon and welcome new life together. Now I realize I was a joke. With tears, I touched my belly, feeling a deep sorrow. The doctor probably knew about the news online, looking at me with contempt, signed the paper, and told me to wait outside. As soon as I left the consultation room, someone with ill intentions surrounded me and blocked my path. “Dr. Nolan, what a coincidence. How much would it cost to have some fun with you? Name your price, we’ll make sure you’re satisfied!” I was looking at the form in my hand and was caught off guard when they pushed me, causing my head to hit the wall hard. I held my head, looking at the burly men surrounding me. “I’m not that kind of person! The photos and videos online are fake, it’s not me!” However, the person in front of me sneered, not believing a word I said, reaching for my shoulder. “This face can’t be faked. We understand you’re ashamed to admit doing this kind of thing. Let’s go find somewhere quiet to have some fun!” Suddenly, someone poured some unknown liquid on me, the stench going straight to my nose. “Maybe she caught something dirty and came to the hospital! Get her out of here, what if we get infected?” I wiped the stinking liquid off my face and was shoved out of the hospital’s outpatient building. Ethan appeared just in time, pulling me behind him. “Weren’t we supposed to go for the prenatal checkup together after my break? Look at you now, are you doing this on purpose to make me worry?” Aurelia stood gracefully behind Ethan, with one hand gently on her belly, the other holding an ultrasound report. “Nora? Are you hurt? Ethan has already handed over the next phase of research to me. He wants you to have a good rest for a while!” Because of this online farce, my superiors at the research institute ordered me to suspend work. I didn’t expect my research, nearing completion, to be handed over just like that! Since they like my work and my man so much, I might as well quit. I wish them a long-lasting relationship. Ethan and Aurelia’s clean and tidy clothes made me look like a scruffy beggar. I stepped back, ready to turn and go home, but Ethan blocked my way again, pinching his nose. “The report for your research needs to be checked, go back and write it now!” I looked up at Aurelia’s smug face, my heart aching with hunger. “I want to go home.” Ethan’s face darkened immediately, and he looked at me with disdain. “It’s just writing a report; don’t make it such a big deal!” He frowned at me, his tone intolerant, forcibly dragging me toward a gaming hotel. His grip was too strong for me to break free; he pushed me into the room.
Panic set in, and I tried to get up and leave immediately, only to find the door already closed. Laughter came from behind, and I looked to see two middle-aged men. “Who are you? I don’t know you at all!” The men grinned menacingly, slowly approaching me. “Aren’t you the star of the show? You actually dared to come, seems like you’re thirsty again?” “We guys like you just the way you are. Since you’re here, come play with us, let’s see if you’re like in the video.” He reached out to grab my arm. I kept banging on the door behind me, hoping someone would hear and save me. The door didn’t open, but I heard voices outside. “Thinking about you getting married makes me sad, she always gets what I want so easily.” “It’s the same at the institute. Ethan, you said you’d help me, right? I’m carrying your child too!” Ethan’s voice sounded muffled through the door. “The institute has already expelled her, just rest assured, the project lead position will be yours! If she behaves, I’ll let her have the baby.” There was no respect for me in his words. ‘Thud’ My head was pressed against the door, my neck gripped tightly, another person started tearing my clothes. The feeling of being trapped made it hard to breathe. Just as I felt I was about to die, the door suddenly opened. I fell to the ground, ready to crawl out, only to find several people standing at the door. The men behind me suddenly softened their tone. “She invited us out, nothing happened, this is entrapment!” All of a sudden, all those heated gazes focused on me. A phone appeared in front of me, along with a hand grabbing my hair. “You shameless woman! Who knows if you have some dirty disease, coming out to meet people. You just need a lesson!” “Today I’m exposing you, let’s see what kind of people are at your institute! @” Ethan suddenly came over, stopping the woman filming. “The institute has already dismissed her, what she did has nothing to do with the institute!” With Ethan’s reassurance, the people gradually dispersed. The people behind Ethan looked at me with disdain. “It’s just writing a report, and you invite people over like this. We’re not trying to criticize you.” “You can’t even spare a moment? If Ethan hadn’t explained, you’d be headed to the police station!” Ethan finally stood by my side, reaching out to help me up. “Nora, what I said earlier was out of necessity, just to calm them. You know if the institute’s reputation is ruined, our future cooperation is over.” He gazed at me sincerely, as if he truly cared for me. His friends sighed, almost pointing at my nose to scold me. “Nora, I know you have your reasons, you’re not that kind of person!” Even as he said this, he turned and told the woman who filmed to upload the video to Twitter, even buying Trending Topics for it. Suddenly, I realized how blind I was before; I only now see through such clumsy lies. Among the crowd’s disappointed gazes, Ethan spoke again. “Tonight is Aurelia’s birthday, we’re all heading over now, you should come too and post an apology video online.” Those videos weren’t me, why should I apologize? I didn’t want to fall into the trap of proving my innocence. “I’m not going, I want to go home.” Ethan frowned, staring at me sharply. “Are you really going to ignore Aurelia’s birthday? Apologizing is for your research, you don’t want your research to be buried, right?” I just wanted to go home, but he wouldn’t let me, acting as if it was for my own good. So many people criticized me, yet he wasn’t thinking about proving my innocence, but about handing my research project to Aurelia. Then, Ethan dragged me to a bar. But those disdainful gazes always lingered on me, making me nauseous. Aurelia stood in front of me, seeing this. “Today is my birthday! Nora came for me! Don’t be too harsh!” After saying this, she tried to hold my hand. Unexpectedly, Ethan half-embraced her and walked away, his face still showing disdain for me. He was really blatant! At the bar, a server brought a drink over, placing it on the floor in the corner.
“I’m sorry, Nora, they really don’t want to sit with you. This is the best we can do. You should explain online, and slowly everyone will accept you!” One of Ethan’s friends sneered. “The institute has already expelled her; having her around is bringing shame to the institute. Who could accept someone like her?” The mocking voices swirled around me, I bit my lip and looked at Ethan and Aurelia. “Happy birthday, can I go home now?” He is really shameless! At the bar, a waiter approached with a drink and placed it on the floor in the corner. “Sorry, Sister Nora, they really don’t want to sit with you. Just bear with it for now. Explain it online later, and eventually, everyone will come around!” One of Ethan’s friends sneered. “The institute has already removed her name. Her presence just tarnishes the reputation of the Sunrise Research Institute. Besides, who can accept someone like her?” The mocking voices swirled around me as I bit my lip and looked at Ethan and Aurelia. “Happy birthday. Can I leave now?” Ethan, who had been sitting since we arrived, stood up. “They’re just talking. You’re here to have fun, so don’t make a scene!” After saying this, he forced me to squat on the ground, holding the drink that was tossed there, like a discarded stray. Soon, someone came in with a mop and drove me to the farthest corner. Then Ethan forced me to record an apology video and post it on the social media platform. “It just went up! Already ten thousand comments! This is even more than top celebrities get.” Ethan glanced over, and the person quieted down. “I’ve never seen so many. They surely understand Sister-in-law!” But soon, a few popular comments were pushed to the top. [“Seriously, she’s going to a bar? Is she scouting for a new target?”] [“She starts the video squatting in the bar’s corner. Who knows what’s happening? Is she completing her master’s task?”] [“I can’t believe she has the nerve to show her face. Has the incident of seducing someone else’s husband just blown over?”] [“Don’t enter the Sunrise Research Institute again. We can’t trust those products anymore!”] … Ethan looked at me, his expression gentle. “Nora, leaving the Sunrise Research Institute is the only way to protect our child. I’m doing this for our future.” I stared hard into his eyes, feeling the sting of tears. “Ethan, do you really believe the person in the video is me?” His expression changed instantly, the gentleness turning to impatience. “Everyone thinks it’s you now. Would anyone believe your explanation? Over time, people will forget.” The video was posted from my account, sealing this stain on me. Whenever my name appears, people will remember this incident. They want to ruin my life. I glanced at Aurelia, who had a sinister smile, and suddenly smirked. The comments under that video kept increasing, hundreds more every second. “People like this should be deported!” Ethan closed his phone, ignoring the comments. “Nora, don’t worry. People will forget over time. You can stay home and focus on the pregnancy!” Aurelia suddenly approached with a toast, forcing me to down a glass of strong liquor. In the booth next to us, they were loudly celebrating Aurelia’s birthday, spewing blessings like they were free. I knelt on the ground, staring at the disgusting messages in my private inbox, feeling completely lost. “Brother Ethan, a business partner wants to meet with me. Hurry and take me to meet them.” Everyone rushed out with Aurelia in a hurry, leaving me alone in the corner. Suddenly, sharp pain radiated from my stomach, and I felt something wet below. It must have been the alcohol! The sight of red blood on my thigh shocked my senses. I endured the pain, holding my phone, and made my way to the lake. Standing at the lake’s edge, I recorded a video of myself. In the video, I looked pale, eyes determined, but with a mocking smile. [“During an avalanche, every snowflake is not innocent. If you want me to die, then I’ll fulfill your wish!”] After hitting send, I jumped into the lake with the phone, swimming out with all my might. Only through destruction can there be rebirth. I had to leave. Ethan was sitting in his office, waiting for the collaboration Aurelia was discussing. He was about to call me to come home when a friend suddenly pushed him. “Ethan, bad news, Nora jumped into the river! She posted that and then committed suicide!” 4 The man’s face suddenly froze, his pupils narrowing. “What on earth are you talking about? Stop with this nonsense!” Only then did he notice the phone being handed to him, displaying a recently posted video on the screen.
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