Chapter 94



“What is it? Just tell me! You don’t have to be so formal with me!” Linsey urged.

Kallie shared with Linsey that Donovan had invited her to lecture at the university. She then explained her knowledge of Linsey’s brother having graduated from Eastonville University and wondered if he had heard anything about the event.

Due to her inability to speak, Kallie expressed her concern that something might occur during her visit and engagement in the discussion.

Before Kallie could fully explain her concerns, Linsey grasped her worries and took her hand reassuringly.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. There’s no need to be anxious. I’m familiar with Eastonville University’s anniversary. I can attend it with my brother,” Linsey promised, instilling a sense of calm in Kallie.

For some reason, Kallie had always felt a wave of anxiety about this event, fearing that something might go wrong.

Unfortunately, Kallie’s fears seemed justified when the next morning brought unexpected news.

Waking up earlier than her alarm, Kallie checked her phone while still in bed. As she scrolled through the news, she saw her name.

An attention-seeking blogger had published the guest list for Eastonville University’s anniversary event, singling out Kallie’s name and highlighting her inability to speak.

The caption blared, “Inviting a mute to give a presentation, has Eastonville University lost its senses?”

Although Kallie had braced herself for criticism, the swiftness and severity of the harsh words took her by surprise.

In the comments section, most netizens were noticeably confused. After all, Eastonville University was renowned for its stringent standards and had never invited anyone lacking the necessary qualifications.

Even a prominent actress, despite her influence, had previously been denied the opportunity to give a lecture there after it emerged that she had significant flaws in her character.

Therefore, no one harbored reservations about Eastonville University’s decision to have Kallie as a guest. They assumed the blogger was merely pulling off a trick to garner attention.

However, it wasn’t long before a wave of accounts overwhelmed the genuine feedback from regular netizens.

These accounts relentlessly criticized Kallie, claiming she had only achieved her position through her husband and family ties. They accused her of exploiting Hayden to gain fame and attention and covertly leveraging Jake’s support. Far from the tolerant wife aware of Jake’s affairs, they labeled Kallie a sly, malicious manipulator, saying her public image was merely for sympathy.

After the company’s morning meeting, Jake caught wind of this from his team members. “Why wasn’t this taken care of immediately?” he questioned, his expression growing stern upon learning about the extent of the smear against Kallie.

“It’s not what it seems,” the director of the PR department said, looking somewhat embarrassed. “Before we could intervene, another party had already addressed the issue.”

“Who?” Jake asked immediately.

“It’s the Hayes Group,” the director of the PR department replied, his head lowered. “We were a bit slow, and they got ahead of us.”

Jake remained silent, the air thick with tension.

The director of the PR department hesitated to raise his head. He had abided strictly by the company’s protocol to address the crisis. Who could have predicted the Hayes Group’s swift response?

On her way to work, Kallie’s brow was furrowed with worry. She was due at Hayden’s studio today and fretted over the potential impact of the online rumors regarding her on her colleagues.

While Hayden wasn’t one to be easily intimidated—a fact well-known within their circle—this wasn’t necessarily clear to the faceless masses on the internet.

The thought of Hayden being affected filled Kallie with guilt.

Upon her arrival at the studio, however, Kallie was relieved to discover that the online rumors had vanished. Whoever had quashed the negative publicity so adeptly must wield significant influence. She wondered whether it was Donovan.

Kallie had resolved to apologize to Hayden right away, as the whole ordeal had started partly because of her.

As Kallie walked in, Gregory and several concerned colleagues immediately approached her. “Kallie, are you alright?”

“We all saw the posts online, but don’t let them get to you.”

“It’s clear someone is trying to tarnish your reputation, which really just shows how talented you are. Only the petty and envious would stoop so low. Keep your spirits up!”

Gregory seemed to excel at offering comforting words.

Taken aback, Kallie still felt compelled to apologize for the studio’s reputation being affected because of those rumors regarding her.

“Why are you apologizing? You weren’t the one spreading those rumors!” Gregory raised an eyebrow at Kallie, puzzled by her apology.

Flushing with embarrassment, Kallie explained those slandering her had targeted Hayden, resulting in her guilt.

“Kallie, do you think you might need to talk to someone, like a therapist?” Gregory said solemnly to Kallie. “You always blame yourself, and it’s not healthy, you know?”

Kallie paused, struck by a realization. Throughout her marriage, she had believed that Jake’s unhappiness was her fault. But Gregory’s words sparked a new thought. Perhaps she wasn’t as much at fault as she had believed.

“Kallie, someone’s looking for you,” a voice from the doorway called out as Kallie was deep in thought.

Turning around, Kallie saw Donovan step inside.

“I’m sorry, Kallie,” Donovan said, looking remorseful. “I failed to handle things properly, and you ended up being smeared just because you’re attending the Eastonville University anniversary.”

Gregory said teasingly, “Ah, another one plagued by unreasonable guilt.”

Kallie walked over to Donovan with a reassuring smile, gesturing that she was impressed by how swiftly he had handled the situation after the blogger made the sensation.

“What?” Donovan looked confused. “But I didn’t take care of it. I thought your studio sorted it out!”

Kallie’s eyes widened in surprise as she realized it wasn’t Donovan who had fixed the situation. Resolving it so swiftly wasn’t a small feat. Could Jake have been involved?

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