The next morning, I woke up and instinctively reached for the spot beside me, only to find it empty.
A sudden jolt went through me as I realized Larry Tate was gone. I took a deep breath, smiled lightly, and got up to start a new day.
Because I had mis-set my alarm, I quickly grabbed two slices of bread and rushed to catch the bus.
I needed to save money wherever I could.
I hurried into the office just in time.
To my surprise, not only the receptionist but even my colleagues at their desks were staring at me, whispering among themselves.
Frowning, I sat down at my workstation. I shouldn’t have been late today, right?
Just as I was focusing on my work, a few colleagues gathered around me.
“How old is your son now?”
“Six, he’s about to start elementary school.”
A smile crept onto my lips at the thought of Anders; it brought me joy.
“What about his dad? Why haven’t we met him?”
“This is a private matter; I’d rather not disclose it.”
I intended to leave it at that, but the ringleader clapped her hands and laughed heartily.
“I thought it was just a rumor; turns out it’s true.”
“Private matter? I bet that little bastard has a mother but no father, right?”
I snatched the coffee cup from her hands and smashed it on the floor.
As the coffee splattered onto her, she gasped in shock.
“If you want to gossip, I’m fine with that, but if I hear you slandering my son again, no one will be having a good time!”
“Do you think a third party interfering in someone else’s relationship can escape criticism?”
Perhaps startled by my outburst, the woman brushed off her dress and led her group away.
I pressed my temples, feeling a splitting headache coming on.
Before I could rest for a moment, I got word from my boss.
“Summer Cooper, this company can’t accommodate someone like you.”
That was the first thing my boss said when he saw me.
As I left the office, it started to rain.
Of course, I hadn’t brought an umbrella.
Perhaps it was just my bad luck; the rain poured harder, showing no signs of stopping.
Feeling frustrated, I trudged home in the downpour.
On the way, I opened Weibo, and my name popped up in the trending searches in bold letters.
#Summer Cooper seduces a married man and gives birth to his child
I first saw the trending topic on my boss’s phone.
Due to public pressure, the company had no choice but to fire me.
In this scandal, “the woman” referred to Katie Baker, and “the husband” was Larry Tate.
And here I was, the legitimate girlfriend, suddenly cast as the mistress.
Larry Tate, it turns out, our relationship was flawed from the very beginning.
This trending topic had been posted by Katie Baker.
She claimed that she and Larry Tate had known each other since high school.