OLIVIA
“Ma’am, you need to see this right now. It will surely blow your mind away,” Kate said, bringing my attention to something on her phone.
I hadn’t even checked Kate’s phone yet, but I already had a bad feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
“Oh, my days. People can be so cruel. Damn! Are they this jobless to be worried about irrelevant things?” Kate lamented, raising my blood pressure.
Out of curiosity, I snatched the phone from Kate to see for myself. What I saw nearly sucked the life out of me.
Media trolls were flooding my timeline with derogatory comments on my previous posts.
While some accused me of being a whore, others called me a coward for not making a post to address the scandal.
“So what are we gonna do about this now? The trolls are causing a lot of damage lately. They’re surely gonna ruin a lot for us if we don’t act fast,” Kate suggested.
Deep down, I was tempted to track some of these trolls and have them arrested for cyberbullying. However, I quickly dismissed the thought. I had more important issues to worry about than dedicating my life to fighting trolls.
“Ma’am, you’re not saying anything about the trolls. I expect immediate action from you, not the silent treatment you’re giving me right now. What are we gonna do about them?” Kate asked again after I failed to respond.
“We do nothing about it, Kate. Just let it slide. I don’t wanna talk about it anymore,” I responded harshly.
“Does this sound like a joke to you? What do you mean we do nothing about the trolls? Have you considered your mental health?” Kate asked, her voice laced with concern.
“To hell with mental health, Kate. I don’t give a fuck about some keypad warriors who sit in their cubicles just to insult me. I’ve got better things to talk about,” I yelled, making her sit back in silence.
That was the last time she ever asked me about the trolls.
“Get ready. We are checking out of this hotel. Our next destination is to meet Cyril’s grandmother. Have you booked an appointment with her?”
“Yes, ma’am. She asked us to come. I guess she must have been waiting for us to show up,” Kate responded.
Unlike me, Kate was already dressed and waiting for me to do the same. I just had to style my auburn hair to appear neat. Applying makeup was the least of my worries.
“I am ready now,” I informed Kate as I led our exit.
Kate met with the receptionist to return the room tags and keys.
As we were about to get into the car, a swarm of media personnel with large microphones surrounded us.
It was no coincidence that they showed up just moments after the trolls had roasted me online like a barbecue.
“Hello, ma’am. I’m sure you must have seen the video trending on the media. What do you have to say about that?” one of the reporters asked.
I signaled Kate to step in, but she was equally overwhelmed, struggling to break free from her own set of reporters.
“I have nothing to say about this. I am a hardworking and dedicated woman who wouldn’t thrive on controversy,” I responded without directly answering their questions.
“What do you have to say about Adrian, the man whom your husband accused you of having an affair with? Could we say your husband was right or wrong?” another reporter asked just as I was about to leave.
“I am done talking about this,” I fumed and forced my way into the car. Kate did the same.
“Where are we heading now?” Kate asked, more confused than I was.
That was the worst media interview I had experienced in recent times. How they knew my whereabouts remained a mystery.
“Take me out of here. I need to be free from those vultures out there,” I ordered Kate.
I was breathing heavily after surviving the media ambush. It felt like a near-death experience.
As Kate drove, my phone rang. It was Adrian. I answered immediately, hoping he would be the relief I needed.
“Are you okay? Are you still at the hotel? I saw the horrible comments on your timeline and decided to reach out,” he said, sounding concerned.
I took a deep breath before explaining my ugly encounter with the media, which had nearly choked me to death.
“Where are you right now? Do you need me to come over?” Adrian asked, his voice laced with worry.
“I’m heading somewhere to cool off with Kate. I can’t possibly go home at the moment,” I lied.
“How about you stop by my place?” Adrian suggested.
I frowned immediately. “Adrian, please, let’s not do this. I wouldn’t wanna give the media more topics about me to talk about.”
“Okay. If you insist. Just be safe. Extend my regards to Kate,” Adrian said before ending the call.
From his tone, I could tell he was disappointed that I had turned down his request again. That was the third time I had done so in 24 hours.
“Like seriously, ma’am? You’re not gonna tell Adrian about your visit to Cyril’s grandmother? Or perhaps the divorce?” Kate inquired.
“Not in this world, Kate. This ain’t the time,” I responded.
I was reluctant to discuss my next move with Adrian. The last thing on my mind was informing him about what was coming.
The divorce would mean our deal was off, and the company would have to pay a hefty sum in settlements.
It was one hell of a journey I wasn’t ready to embark on.