Chapter 41
Jonathan released Cynthia and strode away.
Cynthia suddenly felt even more exhausted. After arguing with Filip at the Yates residence, she had a fight with Jonathan.
She could understand a man’s possessiveness to some extent, but she hadn’t broken any of their agreements. If she had to lower herself to appease anyone, it would be too tiring for her.
Men were merely toys for her happiness, and she didn’t want to fall for any of them again.
Cynthia slept for half the day. When her phone finally charged, she opened it to find a screen full of missed calls–all from Jonathan.
There was even a call at four in the morning. He had waited for her all night.
She sighed, feeling an inexplicable emotion stir within her. In truth, she wasn’t as carefree as she seemed.
When Filip returned home, she chose to break up with Jonathan because she realized she had developed feelings for this “Pretty Boy“.
She couldn’t allow herself to fall in love, so she decided to cut off the relationship completely. But she hadn’t anticipated that Jonathan was a big shot in Betrico.
The situation had flipped; she couldn’t just end things on her terms. The initiative was in Jonathan’s hands. As long as he hadn’t had enough fun with her, she was stuck.
Deep down, she didn’t want to be too entangled with him. Jonathan was more dangerous than Filip.
If their relationship soured to the point where Jonathan let her go, it might not be such a bad thing after all.
As Cynthia had expected, Jonathan didn’t return to Greenfield Villa for the next few days. She didn’t send him a single
message.
Each night, she found herself wondering if their relationship was truly over.
As the days passed, the weight in her heart gradually lifted, and she felt as if she had finally escaped from someone she shouldn’t have gotten involved with.
A sense of relief washed over her, yet for some reason, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of disappointment.
Cynthia’s vacation was about to end. Just as she was struggling with whether to resign, Freddie called her. He asked her to come to work the next day and host the 7 PM prime–time news.
Cynthia was puzzled; Freddie wouldn’t just return the prime–time hosting position to her for no reason.
As she expected, when she checked the news online, there were various developments regarding the earlier post.
First, it was revealed that Dennis had a gambling addiction and had been abusive for years.
Additionally, someone claiming to be a champion for justice had come forward online to defend Rachel, saying she was -kind and loving.
Furthermore, Rachel had previously worked as a nanny, and several families she had served also stepped forward to vouch for her good character, denying the rumors that painted her as a cruel killer.
A neighbor gave an interview to the media, stating that he had witnessed Dennis abusing Rachel on the day he died,
suggesting that Rachel might have merely acted in excessive self–defense and unintentionally killed him.
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Chapter 41
There were also rumors circulating that Cynthia, the prime–time host, had been switched at birth in the hospital and had grown up as the daughter of the Jones family, who owned the Jones Group.
Suddenly, the internet was ablaze with discussions. One wave of skepticism surrounded the judgment of Rachel’s case, with calls for a new investigation and a retrial. Another focused on the intriguing story of the true and false daughters of the Jones family.
Shirley’s identity was also exposed. Both Cynthia and Shirley appeared on the trending topics list.
[Poor Rachel; after being abused by her husband for twenty years, she accidentally kills her abuser during her only act of defiance and now faces life imprisonment.]
[I hate the term domestic violence; it’s clearly assault. If Rachel hadn’t resisted that day, would it have just been defined as another family dispute?]
[Ms. Jones shouldn’t be affected by this; she grew up as the daughter of the Jones family. While everyone is criticizing her, she could easily distance herself from her birth mother, but she hasn’t denied her at all.]
[Is it really possible for babies to be switched at birth? That real daughter of the Jones family, Shirley, is also pitiful, growing up in such a horrible family.]
The public sentiment about her had shifted dramatically. Many were even calling for her to return and host the prime–time
news.
Cynthia’s Twitter following, which had previously been around a hundred thousand, skyrocketed to three million overnight. Freddie likely saw this surge in followers as a reason to bring her back to host prime–time news.
Cynthia naturally didn’t believe that the online narrative could change so quickly without some manipulation behind the.
scenes.
The details surrounding Rachel’s situation had been investigated thoroughly, and the public opinion had been swayed. This wasn’t something an ordinary person could accomplish.
Was it him?‘ For the first time, Cynthia felt conflicted. She took out her phone and contemplated calling the number several times.
In the evening, as she continued to waver, her phone suddenly rang. It was Jonathan calling.
Cynthia stared at her phone, contemplating for a few seconds before finally answering the call. After connecting, she didn’t speak right away.
The line was silent for a few moments until a deep voice came through the receiver. “Is it true that if I don’t reach out to you, you’ll never contact me?”
Cynthia replied, “Did you have anything to do with what’s been going on online?”
In truth, she knew that the rumors circulating on the internet would fade away in time, even without intervention. Addressing the issue would require an immense amount of manpower, resources, and financial investment. She had originally planned to let the storm pass on its own.
“Yeah, it cost me a lot of money. How are you going to thank me?” Jonathan said.
Cynthia chuckled. “How about I treat you to dinner tonight?”
They agreed to meet at Cloudtop Restaurant, and Cynthia arrived first.
Since the private dining room had already been booked, she had to settle for a table in the main dining area. She chose a seat by the window and began to look over the menu.
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“Cynthia, are you having dinner here, too? What a coincidence.” Suddenly, she heard Shirley’s voice.
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Cynthia looked up to see Shirley, along with Selena and Justin. She stood up and greeted them, saying, “Dad, Mom.”
Selena cast her a cold glance, but didn’t respond. Justin, however, explained, “We’re here to check out the venue. Next Sunday is Shirley’s birthday, and we plan to throw a big party in the banquet hall.”
Before Cynthia could say anything, Shirley eagerly chimed in, “Next Sunday is also your birthday, Cynthia. Since we share the same birthday, why don’t we celebrate together?”
Ever since “marrying” Filip, Cynthia had spent the past three birthdays celebrating with the Yates family.
She replied, “No, I don’t want to overshadow you. I’ll let you be the one and only little princess.”
Shirley scoffed, “You really think you can overshadow me?” Realizing Justin and Selena were right beside her, she quickly changed her tone and wrapped her arm around Selena’s.
“Mom, even though Cynthia is married now, she is still part of the Jones family. We shouldn’t let others think we treat her poorly. I’d love to celebrate my birthday with her, to
