C3 Rumors and Slander

The image of that woman bent over, fleeing in haste, irked Jabe for reasons he couldn't quite place.

"Come on, drink up. Let's finish this one," Thos and Sammie urged, hoisting their glasses as though the earlier incident had simply vanished, and they drank deeply.

Their eyes met, each filled with a burning curiosity about the reality of the recent events.

"Mr. Russell, Charly from the demolition company is on the line," Volney said as he approached with a mobile phone, standing respectfully beside Jabe and speaking with a somber tone.

The company had successfully bid to demolish a line of old houses, with plans to redevelop the space into a brand-new commercial district.

In the expansive, eerily quiet office of X Company's Administrative Department, every staff member remained seated, yet their gazes were all drawn to the manager's office, as if they could see through the glass door to the drama inside.

"Have you heard? Katie's mistake cost the company a big contract."

"Really? But she's not even in sales."

"You don't know the half of it. They pulled her in last minute to discuss a partnership deal last night."

Within the office, Katie stood in her professional attire before the desk, hands behind her back, her expression cool as she faced the manager seated behind the executive chair.

"Katie, what am I to do with you? The sales team called you in for a negotiation, and you let it collapse. The boss has spoken; you're to shoulder the blame," the manager declared, his hand slamming down on the desk, sending papers flying. He stood up, visibly angered by Katie's calm facade.

As an administrative assistant, she had been unexpectedly tasked with negotiation duties. She refused to compromise her integrity for the sake of the deal, which ultimately fell through. And now, she was being held accountable for the whole debacle.

"I'm to blame? I'm merely an admin staff member; this should be the sales department's issue. I agreed to step in for the negotiation, but I draw the line at unethical practices. If you're looking to assign blame, I have no choice but to resign," Katie stated, her tone controlled yet her almond eyes betrayed a spark of anger. The injustice of it all was clear.

Was the company truly prepared to let her take the fall for this?

"Unspoken rules?" The administrative manager's eyes bulged as he glanced at Katie, quickly piecing together the situation.

Traditionally, his department didn't meddle in business affairs.

However, as the manager, he realized the most sensible solution was to dismiss Katie. Her continued presence threatened his own prospects. Yet, there was an alternative...

"Katie, we're all adults. You've found yourself in a bind with the sales team. Perhaps, just this once, you could accommodate them?" he said with a note of gravity, walking around his desk to rest a comforting hand on her shoulder. He acknowledged her talents, but felt powerless in this predicament.

"Manager, I'll turn in my resignation soon. Within the hour, I'll be at HR to process my departure," Katie replied, her smile strained as she spun around and strode out the door, each step weighed down by determination.

Life can be so cruel.

In the North District, on Old Street, a dilapidated apartment building rose three stories.

Katie lingered at the base of the stairs, her lips sealed tight. Finally, she gathered the will to climb. Just three floors, yet she was gasping for air.

She opened the door with a "clang," stepping into the small living room where Edson was absorbed in a video game on the sofa. He stopped and looked up at the sound of her entrance.

"Katie, how dare you come back? You've disgraced the entire Rowland family," Edson accused, flinging his mouse aside and rising to confront her, hands planted firmly on his waist.

"What's going on?" Katie asked, baffled and too weary for confrontation, but his tone forced her to inquire.

"You've become someone's mistress, and the whole street's talking. How can you just stand there?" Edson's fury was tangible, his words dripping with disdain as he pointed at Katie.

Edson, Katie's younger brother, had been adrift since failing to get into university. He spent his days gaming and had recently taken up gambling. Katie's attempts to steer him right were met with resistance and misunderstanding, driving a wedge between them.

"What mistress am I supposed to be now?" Katie scoffed, collapsing onto the couch and rubbing her throbbing forehead, too drained to engage in another argument.

The chasm within her family left her speechless. She and Edson had reached an impasse in communication.

Every trip home seemed doomed to end in a quarrel.

"How can you deny it? Mom, tell her!" Edson, seething with anger, shattered a plate on the ground and balled his fists, as if ready to throttle Katie for the truth.

Rumors had spread like wildfire through the neighborhood that Katie was keeping company as someone's mistress. Now, Edson was too embarrassed to show his face outside, his friends taunting him with jibes about the Rowland family's tarnished reputation.

"Katie, tell me, is there any truth to what Mr. Jenkins has been saying?" Mollie asked as she came out of the kitchen with a freshly cooked dish and confronted her daughter.

"Mom, do you honestly think I'd do something like that?" Katie replied, her frustration barely contained as she shot Edson a look of disbelief. She stood up, reaching out to support her mother.

But Mollie recoiled, avoiding Katie's gesture.

"We may not have much, but we don't stoop to that," Mollie said, her gaze probing Katie for honesty.

Overwhelmed and at a loss for a retort, Katie simply grabbed her purse and headed out the door, Edson's vitriolic shouting echoing behind her.

Late into the night, amidst the city's neon glow, a quiet bar hummed with an intimate atmosphere, a refuge for those seeking companionship over drinks.

In a quiet corner, Katie and Nancy sat on a couch, two empty wine bottles haphazardly strewn across the table. Katie took a swig of beer, the bitterness lingering uncomfortably in her mouth, prompting a grimace and a hiccup.

"Butterfly, do you think I really need to go on blind dates at my age?" Katie lamented, her voice tinged with distress. "Mr. Jenkins is out for revenge, spreading rumors about me and Sammie. Now, everyone on the old street knows, and my brother even accused me of being someone else's mistress. Do I look like that kind of person to you?" She slapped the table and let out a low growl, her eyes blurry with alcohol as she vented her pent-up frustrations, a well of grievances within her that she couldn't seem to release.

She hadn't been compromised, yet she had lost her job.

It was supposed to be just a blind date, but it had escalated as if they were sworn enemies. Now, her reputation was being smeared by others, making her the subject of ridicule.

"Katie, next time I see him, I'll sort him out for you," Nancy said with a toss of her hair, moving around the small table to sit closer to Katie. She thumped her chest with a gesture of solidarity.

The two shared a knowing look and chuckled, clinking their drinks in a toast.

"Katie, you're here too?" Suddenly, a bald man approached, slamming his hand on the table and glaring at Katie with a mix of anger and disbelief.