Sonia had been a dedicated worker at Prosperous Media Corporation, recognized for her strong work ethic.
Her sudden resignation was uncharacteristic.
Ariana pondered whether Soniaâs new boss had been causing problems for her.
Recalling the dignified appearance of the man she had seen, she couldnât picture him as petty.
Sonia bit her lip, speaking in a low, sorrowful tone.
âIt was my own doing, nothing else.
â
Ariana was taken aback.
Thinking of Soniaâs professional competence, she didnât believe that Sonia would make a mistake that was severe enough to make her quit.
âWhat did you do? Youâre a prominent figure in the media.
What could be the cause of your resignation?â Ariana asked.
Sonia appeared troubled, finding it difficult to tell Ariana what had happened.
âDid your boss bully you?â Ariana asked.
âNo,â Sonia replied.
âItâs because Maxwell has been making things difficult for me.
I wrote an erotic fiction about him out of frustration, and he discovered it.
â
Ariana, who had just taken a sip of water, spat it out in astonishment, staring at Sonia.
âWhat? Are you being serious? Did you really write that about your boss? How did he discover it?â
âShh!â Panicked, Sonia swiftly covered Arianaâs mouth, whispering urgently, âKeep quiet; people are staring at us.
â
Ariana looked around, observing the peculiar expressions on the faces of the people nearby.
Lowering her gaze, she murmured, âWhat exactly happened? How did he discover it?â
Sonia explained in a sorrowful tone, âItâs a complicated situation.
I started a new novel, but my creativity has been Lacking.
So, in a moment of desperation, I depicted Maxwell as the main character in an erotic fiction, using his real name.
Then, I planned to share a snippet of it with my group chat, but at that exact moment, Maxwell messaged me.
His chat window appeared at the top.
Inadvertently, I sent it directly to him.
â
Sonia covered her face with her hands.
âI was wondering why my friends didnât respond.
But when I clicked the chat window, I discovered I had sent it to Maxwell! It was already too late for me to retract the message.
â
She let out a deep sigh, her voice filled with despair.
âAriana, you know I can handle anything, but I canât risk tarnishing my reputation.
â
Arianaâs brow furrowed as she asked, âDid he fire you because of this? Or did he say anything about it? Has he been spreading the matter around the office?â
Sonia shook her head.
âNo, he didnât say anything, and I didnât dare ask him about it.
I feel extremely uncomfortable whenever I encounter him now, and thatâs why the situation seems dangerous.
The silence before a storm is usually the most unsettling.
So I chose to resign.
â
Ariana asked, âDid he approve of it?â
Sonia shook her head again.
âNo.
â After a pause, she added, âThatâs why Iâm feeling so uneasy.
Who knows what heâs plotting? Just look at these dark circles under my eyes.
I havenât slept all night.
â
Speaking of this, Soniaâs frustration grew.
âI never intended for this to happen, but I donât know whatâs happening with Maxwell lately.
He has been picking on me, and I canât challenge him because heâs my boss.
The stress is overwhelming.
â
She covered her face and continued, âIn my story, heâs portrayed as a vigorous man who can engage in intimacy ten times a night.
Isnât it flattering to have three women attend to him? Heâs the perfect main character in my story.
â
Ariana was left speechless.
Although she couldnât comprehend the advantage of being the main character in an erotic fiction, she offered a courteous, albeit insincere, comment.
âWell, regardless of the genre and setting, you are good to him.
â
Sonia agreed enthusiastically, saying, âPrecisely.
He ought to thank me, as the future developments in the plot of my story will be even more advantageous to him.
Obviously, he doesnât have such abilities in reality.
â
Soniaâs enthusiasm grew as she spoke.
âOriginally, I planned to portray him as the most captivating character in the story.
I imagined him captivating the attention and relentless pursuit of the worldâs most attractive gay man, resulting in him being tied up and auctioned off at a high price.
I could even orchestrate everyone being irresistibly drawn to him.
Arenât I doing him a favor by giving him such a fascinating role? Damn! If only I had realized this would happen, I would have exposed him to more distasteful storylinesâ¦â
Ariana stared at Sonia, her eyes wide with shock.
Instinctively, she clamped her hands over Melonâs ears, trying to shield him from the grown-up gossip.