Chapter 8 The lighting was warm inside the live broadcast room. Wearing a simple suit, I calmly sat in front of the camera. The host asked cautiously, "Ms. Scott, what do you think about the recent online discussions about your divorce and your new company?" I smiled at the camera. "I divorced my ex-husband to fix the mistake I made in the past. The company is a new beginning for me. I don't regret any of my choices." "I heard that Larson Group's in a tough position lately. Are you-" I cut her off and explained calmly yet firmly, "I hope this is the last time I have to say this-I only care about Queenly Innovations' future." The people in the comment section went wild. "You go, girl! That scumbag deserves it!" "Nothing is more attractive than a career woman!" "I heard that her ex-husband and the homewrecker turned on each other. Anyone got the scoop?" The interview received better traction than I expected. My composed and resilient image contrasted heavily with Zachary and Julia's dirty scandal. Public opinion was on my side. Meanwhile, Zachary was looking into Julia's studio. The financial statements were a mess. It wasn't clear where the funds went at all. He trembled with anger and sued her for fraud and embezzlement. Julia was at the spa when she received the court summons. At first, she panicked. Then, she snickered and exposed Zachary's dirty secrets to the media. "Zachary was a cheater! He abused his power to give me the funding! He did everything willingly!" She gave them a few blurry screenshots of their chat history and transfer statements and tried to bend the truth. "He was in my bed when his wife suffered a miscarriage!" The media went crazy with speculations. When Zachary saw the news article, he trashed his office. "That bitch!" He never expected Julia to bite back. He immediately organized a press conference and explained, his face ashen. "Everything Julia said was a lie. I never cheated. She was the one who kept throwing herself at me!" He even pulled out some project documents. "Those fund transfers were part of our company's normal operations." 1/3 The netizens didn't buy it. "Normal operations? How is allocating the funds of a core project to the studio of the woman he was having an affair with normal?" "Bullshit! All cheaters and homewreckers should die!" Their public feud ruined their reputation. The tax authority's involvement added to the chaos. Someone had anonymously reported Zachary for tax evasion and had the evidence to prove it. In Julia's last-ditch effort to save herself, she had dug out Zachary's old scandals. The police immediately started an investigation and froze his company's bank account. Standing in his empty office, Zachary saw how confident I looked during the interview on the opposite billboard and felt his heart ache so badly that it was suffocating. He recalled how I had helped him with his tax issues and carefully avoided taking on any risky projects in the past three years. I even entertained our clients with him and drank so much that I got stomach bleeding. But now, Julia had dragged him down with her. "Queenie... I'm sorry... It's all my fault..." He mumbled and cried as he drank himself into a stupor, but I would no longer respond to him. The evidence was clear, so Julia was sent to prison for fraud and embezzlement. When she heard the court's decision, she pointed at Zachary like she had gone mad and yelled, "It was him! He taught me everything! He said his wife was stupid and easy to deceive!" Zachary's expression was unreadable. He simply glared at her like she was trash. Julia was dragged away. She went mad in prison. Every day, she would say nonsense like "Zachary loves me" or "Queenie stole what was supposed to be mine". She even hallucinated that she was pregnant, but no one bothered to listen to her. At the other end of the city, Queenly Innovations' newest product was selling well. During the celebration banquet, Caleb came and toasted me. "Congratulations." I smiled. "Thank you for your support, Mr. Green." It was bright inside and outside. I was no longer the Queenie who cried after she was betrayed. My future was bright and limitless. 2/3