Gone Viral

After Nicole and Yvette left Imperial Gardens, Yvette had been cursing the Fergusons until they got home. “That old hag is a weirdo! If it wasn’t for her age, I would’ve taught her a lesson!”

Nicole was used to it and smiled. “Forget it. Don’t stoop to her level. Anyway, we won’t be seeing them anymore.”

The two ladies were talking and laughing. When they finally returned to the Stanton Mansion, they saw Grant Stanton, who rarely appeared because he was always busy with work, sitting on the sofa and reading the newspaper. He looked so serious, noble, and indifferent.

Nicole happily ran over and hugged him from behind as she acted like a spoiled child. After three years without seeing him, he still felt as familiar as ever.

“Big Brother, you’re finally back! Why did you disappear after sending me home?”

Grant helplessly and dotingly allowed her to hug him and rock him back and forth. In the cozy atmosphere, his cold aura was totally gone.

“There was an important meeting I had to attend. I rushed back as soon as it was over. Here, your gift.”

This was Grant’s habit. No matter how far away he went on a business trip, he would always bring her souvenirs. This was a limited-edition custom-made handbag that was not yet available in the country. It had an eight-digit price tag and was invaluable in the market. Most importantly, it was unique to Nicole.

Grant found out in advance that Yvette was also here, so he bought her a custom Chanel perfume that women liked.

Yvette took it over with a blush on her face and said softly, “Thank you.”

However, Grant did not notice Yvette’s expression because his eyes were fixated on his sister. He knew that she had a rough time, so he felt heartbroken and only wanted to give her the best.

On the other hand, Nicole keenly observed Yvette’s reaction. Her smile widened and she had already fantasized about their future.

“Your second brother is in a laboratory abroad participating in a confidential scientific research project, so he can’t come back at the moment. Your third brother’s at a film festival and will be back in a few days. For the next couple of days, you can shadow me at the office…”

Nicole made a bitter face, but she knew that there was no escape, so she could only nod and agree.

......

Late at night.

“Holy sh*t!” Yvette was hyperventilating as she called Nicole, who picked up the phone in the middle of the night with a sleepy voice, “What’s wrong?”

“Go online right now! The Fergusons still didn’t forget to sling mud at you after the divorce. They said that you stole something from them and that they won’t involve the police if you return it by tomorrow. Otherwise, they’ll screw you over. It’s gone viral!”

Nicole’s heart sank and she immediately went online. Sure enough, the hashtag, #FergusonsExWife, was trending on the internet.

It was an official statement from the Ferguson Corporation accusing Nicole of having no character and stealing valuable jewelry after the divorce.

“Valuable? They even dare to show off a mere $10 million jewelry? Do they think that you’ve never seen money before?” Yvette cursed indignantly.

The comments on the internet were speculating that Nicole was kicked out of the wealthy Ferguson family because of her bad character.

Those netizens spittled so much hate and even dug out Nicole’s social media account. Her only happy memories during the past three years that she posted on her social media were all spun into twisted stories by those spiteful netizens.

[Peaceful times? I think she’s just pretending!]

[She deserves to get kicked out of the family!]

[They should just call the police. She’s not only a clown but also a thief!]

There were many other hateful comments about Nicole.

Nicole had seen that set of jewelry once. Eric kept it locked in the safe and she did not know the password, nor did she ever ask for it.

‘Haha! Eric Ferguson doesn’t even have the basic decency after our divorce and wants to hurl mud at me? Does he think that I’ll put up with this crap?!’

Nicole immediately dialed Grant’s number. “G, I remember that K’s entertainment company is under my name. Who is managing it now?”

Grant paused for a moment and rubbed his temples. He had also just learned about this news. “Dominic Young. I’ll get him to handle that viral hashtag right away.”

“No need. I’ll handle this myself.”

Nicole’s tone was indifferent. ‘Don’t they want a confrontation? Do they think that I’m scared?’

This viral topic spread like wildfire after one night. Nicole became a rat that everyone mocked.

At 8:00 am, Nicole logged on to her social media account and posted a photo with a statement.

After that, she looked at the nice weather outside and smiled bitterly in self-derision.

‘I was really so blind to marry Eric Ferguson…’

Apology

The photo Nicole posted was the one of Wendy Quade and Eric Ferguson sleeping together. Their intimacy was self-evident.

What was originally a sharp weapon used to hurt Nicole became a shield for her to protect herself.

Nicole’s statement was as follows:

[Dear Mr. Ferguson,

I was deeply sorry to hear that ‘Daydream’ was stolen, so I hired a private detective to track it down overnight. The detective found the jewelry across the Atlantic Ocean in Germany, at the hands of Ms. Ingrid Ferguson. It seems that Ms. Ferguson is quite a world-class gambler.

I hope that you will investigate this thoroughly before jumping to conclusions.

Regards,

Nicole.]

Nicole also attached the well-known private detective’s investigation report as well as another photo of “Daydream” that was on a gambling table with Ingrid Ferguson.

In an instant, the already viral gossip became even more turbulent. Eric Ferguson’s divorced ex-wife, Nicole, was put in such a vulnerable position, yet she hired a reputable private detective agency and even cleared her name during the day without disturbing anyone’s rest. Her statement was also justified and concise.

Moreover, that photo of Eric Ferguson and Wendy Quade together implied the reason for their divorce - adultery.

Who was the unprincipled one in this relationship?

The overall attitude of netizens instantly changed. Needless to say, Nicole’s innocence was proven. She was blatantly accused without reason. Her post was forwarded by everyone. All of a sudden, the Fergusons became the subject of this scandal.

Eric Ferguson had a few drinks with some friends that night and did not expect that so much had happened overnight. Even Ferguson Corporation’s stocks began to plummet by the morning.

Early in the morning, Eric’s face was extremely glum as he sat in his office. He exuded a chilly air that his assistant, Mitchell, only stood there with trepidation and dared not breathe too loudly.

“Who authorized the use of our company’s main account to post such a statement?” Eric gritted his teeth. His eyes were cold and stern.

“Madam Quinn ordered this last night, saying that she has already informed you.”

Eric swept everything off his desk, which clattered all over the floor.

The man’s gaze was harsh and piercing. “When has this company ever listened to the Madam’s orders? Fire everyone in the PR Department!”

Mitchell’s heart trembled. “Y-Yes, sir.”

“Get rid of that news on the internet immediately!” An abysmal storm was brewing in the man’s dark eyes.

Mitchell bowed his head and spoke hesitantly, “President Dominic of Falcon Entertainment has already given word to lock this news for 24 hours. No one can remove it.”

Falcon Entertainment was the top player in the entertainment industry, so no one dared to go against them.

Eric’s face was stormy. ‘Ha! I didn’t know that Nicole is so capable! Dear Mr. Ferguson? Does she think that this was my idea and at my behest?’

The man’s face was tense. His eyes were cold and stern. Suddenly, his phone rang. When he saw that it was from his mother, he hung up the call without thinking.

‘I didn’t allow her to call the police, so she made such a big scandal?! If Nicole didn’t find the whereabouts of ‘Daydream’, would Nicole have taken the blame for this?’

The thought of this made Eric even more enraged.

His phone rang incessantly. Eric looked at the caller ID again and frowned - Father.

“Get Nicole to delete that post immediately! Is this not embarrassing enough? Do it now!” Charles Ferguson’s voice was deep as he suppressed a huge wave of anger.

“Eric, bring that b*tch back. How dare she do this?! She must be taught a lesson!” Quinn grabbed the phone and roared.

Eric closed his eyes and said in a deep and cold voice, “Did she do anything wrong? It’s obvious that Ingrid took away ‘Daydream’, so why frame Nicole?”

He was mad at Nicole’s emotionless statement as if there was no way that they could reconcile.

‘Even if Nicole did not respond, would I just stand by and watch her get wrongly accused? Did she have no trust in me at all?’

However, he was more angered by the fact that his mother righteously accused Nicole without remorse. It seemed like a common occurrence!

Quinn was told off by her son, so she begrudgingly defended herself. “How would I know that Ingrid took it? Hasn’t it always been in your safe? Who else would’ve taken the necklace but Nicole?”

“It’s not too late to apologize to Nicole now.” The man’s gaze was dark. This was a PR crisis, and they needed to solve it within the golden hour.

“What? Apologize? That b*tch is the one who should apologize! She’s just an ungrateful gold-digger with unknown origins and even dared to put our family in a crisis?! Bring her back and watch how I’ll teach this b*tch a lesson!”

“We’re already divorced…”

Banquet

Eric Ferguson hung up the phone and rubbed his temples. His face was glum and he felt extremely irritable.

He dialed Nicole’s number, but as expected, she did not answer and even blocked him.

Eric slammed his phone so hard on the desk that it made a loud clang. He looked at Mitchell coldly.

“Go find out where Nicole is. I want an answer in fifteen minutes.”

Mitchell felt like he would lose his job and hung his head even lower.

“Mr. Ferguson, I had someone check Ms. Nicole’s whereabouts. She doesn’t seem to be in Atlanta. There’s no trace of her anywhere.”

Eric’s thin lips were pursed, and his face grew darker.

Half an hour later, the Ferguson Corporation deleted the statement involving Nicole and issued an apology, stating that it was a misunderstanding. However, they did not clarify a word about the marriage between Eric and Nicole.

Even so, the effect of this move was still very minute. Eric browsed through Nicole’s social media page and found her posts about their life together. It was so close to him, yet so foreign.

[Hubby came back early today! *smiley face* ]

[It’s raining… I wonder if Hubby has an umbrella with him…]

[Hubby picked me up from work~]

[Breakfast especially prepared for my hubby!]

......

Eric unconsciously scrolled to the bottom and suddenly felt that their three years of marriage were not completely empty. This woman’s presence was everywhere.

He noticed that he had never understood her and had never participated in her happiness.

Every one of her posts was about him, and the latest statement she released at 8:00 am today was emotionless, unlike her previous posts.

It was as if this was the end of their marriage.

He suddenly felt as if a piece of his heart was missing. His chest felt empty.

Eric wanted to continue scrolling, but the page suddenly stopped moving. When he refreshed it, all those posts he had just read suddenly disappeared. They were all deleted, leaving only the cold statement from this morning.

The number of likes, comments, and retweets kept increasing.

‘This was her stance. She just deleted everything like that? She wants to pretend that these three years never happened?’

Eric’s heart sank and his gaze was gloomy. His heart felt like it was being squashed.

‘I will find her even if I turn the whole country upside down!’

......

A month later.

Those who attended Atlanta’s business banquet were dignitaries and the elites of society. Almost all of the upper class were present.

The banquet was not open to the public. Bodyguards were also stationed a few blocks away from the venue to stop paparazzi from secretly snapping pictures.

A luxury Mercedes Benz sports car slowly stopped at the entrance of The Waldorf. Eric Ferguson looked incomparably noble and was undoubtedly the focal point as he made his grand entrance with his female companion, Wendy Quade.

When Wendy learned of Eric’s divorce, she was excited and knew that her opportunity had come.

However, after all this time, Eric did not visit her once even when she was really sick.

Wendy was only able to attend this banquet as Eric’s female companion because her uncle had sent her an invitation.

Her effeminate-looking face and expensive custom-made dress would move any man.

“Welcome, Mr. Ferguson…” The organizer went over to shake hands with Eric but suddenly heard a commotion at the door.

Someone said, “Grant Stanton from West City is here…”

A luxury custom Rolls-Royce came up to the entrance. Grant Stanton was truly worthy of being a legendary big name on Wall Street. His aura was extraordinary and he had a natural high-born bearing. Grant Stanton and Eric Ferguson were both legends that were comparable in strength.

As soon as Grant appeared, people around him were already waiting to shake his hands and exchange pleasantries with him.

However, Grant did not leave immediately after getting out of the car. Instead, he walked to the other side of the car, took over the position of the porter, and opened the car door. He then extended his hand modestly, which attracted the attention of the crowd.

Who did Grant Stanton, who had never been close to women, bring with him tonight?

“Nicole!” Someone shouted out her name.

The woman was wearing a custom handmade gown from a European royal family. The dress was studded with diamonds and was sparkling with grandeur. It outlined her slender figure flawlessly.

Her makeup was extremely meticulous and highlighted her features perfectly. It made her look even more beautiful.

Eric narrowed his dark eyes as he watched the woman take Grant Stanton’s arm and walked inside the hotel with a bright smile.

Nicole was getting closer to him with each step she took.