âI tried pursuing my true love, only to be badly scarred.â Alyssa tasted bitterness on her lips. She wore a crushed expression. âI met the right person at the wrong time. Iâd never love again.â
Jonah furrowed his brows, concerned for his sister, who had given up on hope at her tender age. He tried a different approach and chuckled goodânaturedly.
âLyse, chin up! You must have fallen hard for Jasper because you saw something in him. You didnât waste your youth on him. What can we say other than the two of you arenât destined for each other.â
âI thought I had good taste in men. I thought my lover was the perfect man. Looking back, I must have been blindâ¦â
Alyssaâs phone vibrated. It was a call from Sean.
âSean, whatâs wrong?â She picked up the call.
âMs. Alyssa! I finally got hold of you. The signal on your side is so crappy!â Sean gulped in excitement and went on, âCheck Twitterâs livestream feed now! Betty Beckett is liveâstreaming a press conference.
Sheâs offering a public apology to our hotel employee.â
âWhat?â Her eyes widened, and she shot up with a shocked expression. The gloom and doom from before was gone.
âIt was a sudden press conference. We think the Beckett Group plans to get it over with to minimize the fallout. There are five million viewers on the live stream, and the number keeps climbing!
âThe company should have either gone all out on that public apology or kept its silence to spare the humiliation. Look at that cheap setup and the embarrassing scale! Itâs very unlike Beckett Group and nothing like the KS Group!â
Alyssaâs eyes twinkled as she came to a realization. Jasper had undergone a sudden change in attitude. Betty wouldnât have caved in, given how combative she had behaved yesterday. Something must have happened between then and now, which forced Betty into the apology.
She figured Javier wouldnât have hung his beloved daughter out to dry, especially with Sophia around.
Who would have forced an apology from Betty? Was it Jasper?
Alyssa shook her head vehemently to shake off the thought. However, no one else in the Beckett Group had the power to force Betty into submission other than Jasper.
But why would he do so?
Taking a deep breath, she quickly hung up and watched the live stream. The flurry of activity in At that moment, Betty stood on stage facing the reporters in a black dress. A mix of anger, fear, and distress flashed across her face.
âHaha! Karmaâs a bitch! Whatâs in their mind, thinking they can get away with this?â
âDid Betty Beckett put on makeup? She must be st* pid to put on makeup at this press conference.
Put some thought into it if you want our pity.â
âTsk tsk, is she that dumb but pretty chick they talk about?â
âSheâs really dumb. I canât agree with the âprettyâ part, though.â
Alyssa read the negative comments as a devious grin crept onto her lips.
âAfter my belonging went missing, I impulsively went off on an innocent hotel employee. This triggered an epileptic seizure in said employee and nearly resulted in a catastrophe.
âOnce again, I express deep remorse for my actions and sincerely apologize to the employee for my actions.â
After the speech, Betty put on a pitiful face and shed some crocodile tears with much difficulty.
She continued, âBut I am an ordinary individual just like you. I have my troubles, and there are times I struggle to keep my emotions under check. I now suffer from insomnia after two days of online abuse. Iâm on the brink of a breakdown.
âI admit that I was in the wrong, but it is my wish that netizens approach this matter sensibly.
Please do not drag my family through the mud. I beg of you.â
The new comments in the chat moved along fast.
âCry me a river! I canât deal with her bitchy attitude after that apology!â
âSheâs acting like the victim when the real victim hasnât uttered a word about it.â
âShe wouldnât have apologized had we not called her out. She might even cover it up!â
âI donât feel sorry for her. Those are crocodile tears.â
Alyssa narrowed her eyes. Her smile deepened. This must have been the worst day in Bettyâs life after 25 years of growing up sheltered and wellâloved.
She figured that Betty must have felt embittered, and sheâd love to see that. Itâd be no fun if Betty gave up without putting up a fight.
Suddenly, an incoming call interrupted the entertaining live stream.