Chapter 11 Fighting Back
The caption read, “I broke up with Antwan at the beginning of this month. There’s no need to go into details, but it doesn’t change the fact that we had a lot of beautiful moments during our eight years together.”
Yolanda’s response quickly went viral. Its view count grew rapidly.
Kaylen commented while marveling at it.
“Turns out you and Antwan were really a couple.”
Yolanda rolled her eyes. “What did you think?”
“I honestly thought you were his creditor.”
Yolanda leaned in with a smile, seeing Kaylen typing quickly, posting one comment after another, but they were soon buried by negative
comments.
“Her fans are taking control.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means they control the public opinion battlefield and get to decide what’s black and what’s white.”
After typing for a while, Kaylen paused to catch her breath. “But Jaslyn has caused a huge stir. Her rivals are bound to get involved. The fact that your response is trending means someone is pushing it behind the scenes. Just wait. It’ll get even more chaotic.”
Kaylen scrolled back to see the photo. It was a graduation picture.
The photo showed eight or nine people, with Antwan in the center of the front row, wearing his graduation gown. Standing beside him was Yolanda.
Yolanda hadn’t graduated yet, so she was wearing a white dress. The two held hands, smiling at each other, clearly looking like a couple.
On Antwan’s other side stood Jaslyn, who was making a heart gesture with the girl next to her.
They had just graduated that year, full of vigor. They hadn’t yet faced the harsh realities of society, nor had they experienced disappointments. Their eyes were clear and their faces were full of vitality.
“Yolanda, you completely outshine Jaslyn.” Kaylen clicked her tongue. “But any clear–eyed person who looks at this photo can tell what your relationship with Antwan was. Who’s the homewrecker and who’s the innocent one are crystal clear.”
Kaylen continued scrolling through the comments, growing angrier with each one. “Wait, what? Some people are saying this photo’s been edited!”
Yolanda never intended to stir up too much of a public uproar. She just wanted to force Jaslyn into clarifying the situation.
“Hey, someone commented on your post,” Kaylen quickly showed Yolanda. “She said everyone back then knew you two were a couple.”
Yolanda glanced at the comment and saw that it was from Gemma Werner.
Gemma was actually Jaslyn’s classmate and had been Elvis‘ girlfriend at the time. She and Jaslyn were quite close.
“Hey, there’s a comment under hers.”
It wasn’t much of a comment. Just three thumbs–up emojis.
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She checked their profile pictures and recognized that it was Elvis and
Kieran.
Kaylen noticed that the topic had grown even more trending.
“Some marketing accounts have already shared it. It’s about to go viral.”
She was pleased for a moment, but when she refreshed the page again, the trending topic was gone.
“Hey, where did it go?”
She scrolled all the way down, but couldn’t find it. “Wow, Jaslyn’s team reacts fast.”
Yolanda fell silent for a moment and decided to post another picture.
But this time, her account was muted.
“They used money to shut you up,” Kaylen said as she scrolled through. “The marketing accounts also deleted their posts.”
Yolanda didn’t understand all the politics behind this. She just wanted to clear her name. Was that really too much to ask?
“What else can I do?”
Kaylen patted her shoulder. “Forget it. We’re just ordinary folks. We can’t compete with big shots and those rich kids.”
At that moment, the director called, asking her to come over.
It was almost time to get off work, and when Yolanda arrived, the director was just leaving his office.
“Let’s talk in the elevator,” the director said.
Yolanda followed him into the elevator, and it was just the two of them inside.
The director was a man in his sixties, balding in the front with his hair grey in the back.
He adjusted his glasses and pondered for a moment before speaking. “From tomorrow on, you won’t need to come to work.”
Yolanda frowned. “What does that mean?”
“It’s just temporary. Once this storm blows over, we’ll discuss it again. I hope you understand. The hospital has its own order and reputation, and we can’t afford to lose either because of an individual.”
“But all those things online are just rumors!”
“Whether they’re rumors or not, that’s your business. But it can’t affect the hospital.”
“I won’t accept this!”
“I’m not asking for your opinion. I’m just informing you.”
Yolanda clenched her fists. She’d been through things before, and the hospital usually protected its doctors.
This was supposed to be a personal matter. The situation wasn’t clear yet, and the hospital had already made its decision. It didn’t make sense.
“Was this Antwan’s idea?”
The director sighed. “I warned you not to go head–to–head with people like him. It won’t benefit you.”
Yolanda took a deep breath. “The hospital has no valid reason to suspend me, and if I accept the suspension, it will only confirm those rumors. So, I
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will come to work as usual tomorrow.”
“You… You’d better go apologize to Antwan!”
“You’re right. I should go talk to him!”
After leaving the hospital, Yolanda went straight to Elvis‘ small bar.
When the waiter saw her, he thought they had made an appointment and led her to Antwan’s private room directly.
“Antwan, this is too much!” That was Kieran’s voice.
“Get out. It’s none of your business!” Antwan said impatiently.
“Yolanda and you were together for eight years. Eight years! In the end, she became the other woman and got bashed online. This is just too much!”
“Shut up!”
“Anyway, this time, I’m on Yolanda’s side.”
Yolanda exhaled and pushed open the door.
The private room was quite dark, with only Antwan and Kieran inside. The coffee table in front of them was covered with unopened bottles of alcohol.
“Yolanda… what are you doing here?”
“To see him.” Yolanda looked at Antwan.
Antwan also looked up at her, and perhaps out of guilt, he lowered his head immediately.
“Did you tell the director to suspend me?” she asked.
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Antwan paused for a moment and said, “Once the storm blows over, you can return to work.”
“What do you mean by that?” Yolanda scoffed. “When will that be? When my name can never be cleared? When everyone sees Jaslyn as the victim? Or is it when you two get married?”
“Think whatever you want.”
“I want you to step up and clear my name.”
“That’s impossible.”
Yolanda took two steps forward, grabbed a bottle of alcohol, and smashed it against the edge of the coffee table.
That was a sharp sound.”
Fragments flew everywhere, and the liquor was spilled all over the floor.
Kieran jumped back in shock, while Antwan opened his eyes wide.
Yolanda, holding the broken bottle, smashed it on the floor under Antwan’s gaze.
“Do you think I’m easy to bully?”
Antwan exhaled. “If I clarify your name now, Jaslyn’s public image will be ruined, and her career could come to an end. So, I have to make you suffer.”
Yolanda laughed. “Make me suffer? On what basis? What position do you have to make me suffer?”
“Yolanda, enough! Stop making a scene.”
Yolanda nodded. She wanted to give them a second chance, but they
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didn’t want it.
She took out her phone and opened a video. Jaslyn appeared in the video, smiling.
“Antwan is like a car to me. I don’t need to love him, but I can drive him anytime. East, west, south, or north, as long as I hold the steering wheel, he will always listen to me. Although you’re his girlfriend, he will always be mine to control.”
