Never Too Far Novel

Chapter 1911-1920

“Just deal with the problem as best you can. I can’t go away. What? Is that how you solve a problem?” Ethan sounded furious. Then, he started speaking in a different language. He still sounded displeased as though his subordinate had made a huge mistake at work.

Josephine was worried as she listened to him. Did anything happen to his company? He seems exasperated.

Since she was well-versed in the language, she understood that Ethan had been asking for a solution from the other party, but he couldn’t get a satisfactory answer. When the call ended, he even spoke in foul language.

Josephine had to leave at once, for she didn’t want Ethan to know she eavesdropped on him. She realized he must’ve spent too much time keeping her company and ignored his work, which was why such a mistake happened. Therefore, she decided to let him go back and deal with his work. Although they would be separated for a while, she was fine with it.

When she returned to her office, she started working on her laptop. However, when she recalled how furious the man looked, she let out a sigh. Does he think I won’t let him leave? Is that why he’s been neglecting his work and staying by my side?

While she spaced out, a towering figure stepped into the place. When she turned around and saw the man, she rose from her chair and asked, “Are you alright?”

Ethan curled his lips. “I’m fine. Am I disturbing you?”

“No. Do you have work to attend to, Ethan? You can go ahead and deal with it,” Josephine said.

Ethan was an intelligent man. He realized she must’ve passed by the corridor and overheard him lecturing his subordinate.

“Don’t worry. It’s no big deal.”

“No. Even though I love staying with you, I don’t want to affect your work. We can be separated for a while,” Josephine said sincerely.

Ethan indeed had a problem to solve, but he said calmly, “I don’t have the heart to leave you.”

Josephine placated him by saying, “It’s fine. We can always hop on a video call. If you miss me, I can take some time off work and visit you.”

“I’d like to invite your family members to have a meal with my mom in the evening so that they can meet up,” Ethan said gently. He wanted both parties to meet each other and arrange for the marriage.

“Alright, I’ll contact my parents. I have to call my dad earlier so that he’ll have enough time to come back.” Josephine was pleased that both parties were finally going to meet.

Then, Josephine called her mother. When Heidi learned about the dinner, she was elated. She had always been worried that the Quarles Family would look down on her daughter. It wasn’t that she was diffident, but the Quarles Family’s wealth was beyond her imagination.

“I’ll call your dad. We’re not going to invite your grandpa, though,” Heidi said.

Josephine understood her mother’s concerns. Peter loved alcohol, so she was worried he would drink excessively during dinner. Given his old age, they had to ensure he would only drink moderately.

“Sure. Let’s meet up with Mrs. Quarles in the evening,” Josephine replied.

Meanwhile, Ethan informed his mother about the dinner. Donna had always wanted to meet the Jacobsons. With Jenna serving as a bad example, Donna was satisfied with Josephine. The most important qualities of a woman were kindness and sincerity, after all. Her appearance and background weren’t so important.

Josephine was joyful as well, for her first live stream was successful. Her company had arranged a celebratory dinner party for her, but she turned them down since she had a more important meal to attend.

Ethan had already booked a place in a restaurant. He and Josephine waited for their parents’ arrival. Donna arrived at 6.00PM, followed by the well-dressed Mills and Heidi. When Josephine saw her mother wearing her most expensive pearl necklace, she knew the latter treated the meet-up seriously.

Donna and Heidi greeted each other. Although they came from vastly different family backgrounds, a sincere and frank smile was the best way to start a conversation.

“Hi, you guys have raised Joey well. She’s beautiful and capable.”

“You have no idea how envious I am of you for having a son like Ethan. He’s handsome and intelligent.”

The two mothers praised each other’s children. When they looked at the young couple, they were truly pleased to see them getting together.

Meanwhile, Josephine and Ethan held hands under the table. They were happy to see each other’s parents getting along well. After all, their lives would be filled with joy since they had their parents’ blessings.

Their parents got closer during the dinner. After seeing them off at around 8.30PM, Josephine and Ethan finally had some time alone.

Ethan was in a hurry as he had to leave by 3.00PM the next day. He promised that he would come back to her in half a month.

On the other hand, Josephine didn’t need him to come back in a rush. However, when she learned that he was heading to the Arctic, she was worried and hoped he would come back safely.

After a night of intimacy, Ethan suffered from insomnia. No woman had ever made him unwilling to leave her before. He was even worried that Josephine would stop loving him when he returned half a month later.

Josephine awakened before dawn. When she realized the man beside her was wide awake, she was shocked. She hugged him and asked, “Why didn’t you sleep?”

“It’s fine. I can get some shut-eye on the flight.” Ethan wrapped his arms around her and ran his fingers through her soft hair.

“Let’s go to the beach and watch the sunrise,” he suggested.

Since Josephine was well-rested, she nodded. “Sure.”

Young people like them could go wherever they wanted to when they felt like it. Josephine put on some light makeup and changed into a dress before leaving with Ethan.

The road was empty at this hour, so they didn’t have to worry about getting stuck in traffic. Ethan and Josephine were thrilled as the car moved at an incredible speed. They were in a hurry as they could already see the sun spreading its glow across the clouds. Needless to say, the sun was about to rise.

Ethan found the best place to watch the sunrise on the internet and drove to the destination. They soon left a coconut grove and arrived at the beach where the sunrise would be the most beautiful.

Josephine opened the door and walked along the beach while holding hands with the man. As they watched the sun rising above the clouds and shining its rays everywhere, they couldn’t help but feel awestruck.

“It’s magnificent!” she exclaimed. It had been a long time since she last watched such a beautiful sight at ease.

It was made even more meaningful since she could do it with the man she loved.

Ethan’s gaze fell upon her face. No doubt she was alluring as the morning rays shone on her. The morning breeze blew through her long hair, making her look adorable yet charming. His heart fluttered at the sight.

He placed his arm around her shoulder and kissed her hair. When Josephine looked up and saw the attractive man beside her, she was aroused. She boldly draped her arms around his neck and tiptoed.

The man lowered his figure and supported her weight, so she didn’t have to exert herself. Then, he easily lifted her off her feet and let her legs wrap around his waist.

The kiss was intimate and intense.

Their breathing became unstable as Ethan shuffled toward the car while carrying the woman. Realizing what the man was up to, Josephine was shocked. She thumped his chest and demanded, “Put me down, Ethan.”

However, the man had been aroused, so he wouldn’t let her go. Moreover, they were in the right place and at the right time. He wanted to try out a different kind of excitement with her.

Since they were about to part ways, Josephine decided to let the man do whatever he wanted. The intimate session was intense as they were reluctant to bid each other farewell.

A long time later, it was fully bright outside as the breeze whisked through them gently. Ethan sent her home. After she took a shower and put on her clothes, he sent her to the company.

“I have to go home and pack up. Let’s have lunch together later,” he suggested.

“Alright, see you later.” Josephine got out of the car and entered the company.

When she was done with her makeup, she headed to the studio in tip-top condition. In the corridor outside the studio, Katrina stood there and looked at the confident Josephine in a blue suit while the woman presented the news. No doubt she was green with envy. Perhaps I’ll replace her soon and present the news to the audience. Just wait, Josephine. I’ll destroy you!

Katrina sent a document to Atticus. When she saw several documents that had to be dealt with urgently on the table, she asked, “Atticus, do you want me to send these to Mr. Quarles?”

“There’s no need for that. Mr. Quarles isn’t in his office. He’s leaving the country.”

“Where is he going? How long will he be absent?” she asked.

“I have no idea where he’s going, but I suppose he’ll be absent for one to two months. He told me to take care of Josephine, though.”

Katrina was secretly pleased. When the scandal breaks out, Ethan won’t be in the country. That’s wonderful. Since he can’t help Josephine, her reputation will be ruined. When that happens, all the viewers in the country will hate her. By then, I just have to hire some trolls to flame her online. She will be so embarrassed that she will have no choice but to resign.

At the thought of this, Katrina was ecstatic. When she left the place, she even sported a smug smile. She had prepared some material, so she could post it online whenever she felt like it.

After Josephine and Ethan had their lunch, he had to head to the airport. Donna would be leaving with him this time, and he would send his mother home before going to the Arctic to deal with his work.

When Josephine arrived home in the afternoon, she cleaned up the house and realized she had already started missing Ethan barely an hour after the man was gone. She missed him so much that she could no longer do anything else. She just wanted to space out and think about him.

At that moment, she couldn’t help teasing herself. Before she fell in love, she never expected to miss someone so much.

Now, she finally realized the power of love.

She picked up her phone to call Ethan, but when she recalled that he must be boarding the plane at this hour, she put it down and scrolled through her photos. Just then, she received a message.

‘What are you doing right now?’ Ethan asked.

Josephine straightened up and replied, ‘Hasn’t the plane taken off?’ Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

‘It’s about to. I want to talk to you before we’re asked to turn off our phones.’ He wasn’t willing to turn off his phone, for he wouldn’t be able to contact her for over ten hours.

‘Alright, we can talk another time. Turn off your phone now,’ Josephine texted. She just wanted him to be safe.

Ethan sent her a selfie, which was taken from a weird angle. He wasn’t used to taking selfies, but since he was handsome, he looked good from any angle.

Josephine broke into laughter and saved the photo. ‘I miss you. We’ll talk when you arrive at your destination.’

‘Alright. I miss you too,’ he replied and turned off his phone.

The next morning, Josephine arrived at the company with faint dark circles under her eyes. Fortunately, the makeup artist was able to conceal them for her. She had suffered from insomnia last night since Ethan wasn’t there to hug her. She kept tossing and turning until 4.00AM before she finally fell asleep.

Is this what happens when a person falls in love?

When she didn’t have a boyfriend, she could sleep soundly on her own. Now that she had one, she felt hollow and uneasy when he wasn’t around.

Soon, she successfully presented the news. Although it had only been a few days since she became a news anchor, she had already gotten the hang of it.

However, she wasn’t aware that someone had prepared some material to smear her name in secret. Katrina had passed the information to a small media company. As long as the scandal broke out, all the major news companies would report the incident, so she didn’t have to worry about the news not going viral.

Katrina was no longer in any mood to work. One hour after Josephine finished presenting the news, Katrina dialed a number and said to the person, “You can take action now.”

The person replied, “Alright. I’ll upload the photos right away and spend some money to promote the news.”

Katrina curled her lips. Her first step was to upload photos of a female model whose face had been changed to Josephine’s. Although the face was blurred, she believed the netizens would soon make out the woman was Josephine.

The person soon sent her a link. She clicked on it and looked at the photos while giggling with her mouth covered. Josephine, let’s see how you’re going to deal with this storm!

Presently, Josephine was getting some rest in the lounge. She had been lacking sleep as of late, so her assistant didn’t dare to disturb her as she closed the door for her.

As expected, many people in the same industry saw Josephine’s photos. Since such photos of a famous news anchor had been leaked, they certainly wouldn’t want to miss the hype. They also

forwarded the news and even promoted it on their main pages. One of the media companies even mentioned Josephine’s name and shared photos of her presenting the news.

Many netizens left nasty comments and started cursing at her. Some of them even asked for raw photos.

Soon, the people in Josephine’s company discovered it as well. The first person who saw the news was in disbelief. It took him quite a while to confirm that the salacious woman in the photos was Josephine.

Then, he patted a colleague’s shoulder. Soon, the news was shared in the company’s group chat. All the colleagues were excited, as though awaiting a good show to take place.

Tori noticed it as well. It seems that Katrina has made a move. When she saw how thrilled her colleagues were in the group chat, she believed Josephine’s reputation would be destroyed this time. I don’t think she can ever be a news presenter again!

When Wren saw the news, she flew into a rage. “Who’s pranking Joey by spreading such fake news?!”

However, the person most talked about on the internet, Josephine, was asleep on the couch. She was oblivious to everything that was going on and the malice against her.

When Wren rushed over and saw the assistant sorting out documents, she asked, “Where’s Joey?”

“She’s getting some rest in the office. She didn’t sleep well last night.”

“What? Why is she even sleeping?” Then, Wren pushed the door open and found the woman sleeping on the couch. She walked up to her and patted her. “Wake up, Joey. You need to see this!”

Josephine slowly opened her eyes. When she saw how anxious Wren looked, she batted her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Wren passed her the iPad. “Look. Someone is smearing your name on the internet. They’ve even cut out your face and pasted it on a female model.”

When Josephine saw the photos, her mind turned blank in an instant. She didn’t expect someone to paste her face on a woman wearing silk stockings and in sexy postures. Those were some obscene photos.

When Wren saw how dumbfounded the woman looked, she placated her by saying, “Don’t worry. I know it’s not you.”

Josephine took a deep breath, for she needed to calm down and figure out who pulled such a dirty trick on her.

Wren thought the woman was enraged, so she quickly patted her back. “Calm down, Joey. Don’t be too mad.”

Josephine replied, “I’m very calm.” She wasn’t worried about what was being circulated on the internet. She had to get to the culprit.

It was pointless for her to explain anything on the internet. If she wanted to clear her name, she had to bring the culprit to justice and make sure the person ended up in a horrible state.

She let out a breath. I don’t think I’ve offended anyone in my private life, but I did fall out with several people in the company. Katrina? Tori? Could the culprit be either of them?

She couldn’t be blamed for assuming that one of them might be the culprit. It was apparent to her that the culprit intended to smear her name and make her lose her job by pulling such a dirty trick on her.

Who could it be? Tori? But I think it’s likely to be Katrina, for Tori probably won’t do anything that might backfire.

Josephine let out a breath and rose from the couch before leaving the room. Wren quickly followed her and asked, “Where are you going, Joey? Aren’t we supposed to call the police first?”

Without responding to her, Josephine walked up to the elevator where many colleagues looked judgingly at her. It was as though they were mocking her with their gazes.

Josephine tucked her hair behind her ears without explaining anything. She frankly faced their gazes, for when the truth was revealed, they would understand what had happened.

After she entered the elevator, they started talking behind her back.

“Gosh! I didn’t expect her to take such salacious photos for money when she was a student. Made me blush.”

“Well, all the male colleagues are drooling over her body now. It’s no wonder Mr. Quarles is fond of her. She indeed has a curvy figure.”

“I wonder what Mr. Quarles will think of these photos when he sees them.”

“Needless to say, he’ll be displeased. The men out there have seen his girlfriend’s almost naked body. There’s no way he can take it.”

“That’s right. I suppose Mr. Quarles will dump her very soon.”

“She’s very famous now, so it’s expected that some people would try digging into what she did in the past.”

After stepping out of the elevator, Josephine and Wren were greeted by another group of colleagues, who were usually on good terms with Josephine. However, they looked at her in a different light now.

“Josephine, are those photos real?” someone asked.

“Of course, they’re not real,” Josephine replied.

After she was gone, someone sneered. “She certainly wouldn’t admit to it in front of so many people.”

“If I were her, I would’ve dug a hole and hidden my face into it instead of walking around.”

Presently, Katrina was scrolling through everything about Josephine on her phone. No doubt she was pleased as she could already imagine Josephine losing her job. The netizens commented that they would boycott her news program.

A smug Katrina wanted to take a sip of coffee, which she had asked someone to buy for her.

Just then, the door flung open, almost causing her to jump in shock. She lifted her head and saw Josephine storming into the place. Her gaze was filled with murderous intent.

Katrina put down the coffee and snapped. “What’s wrong with you, Josephine? If you break my door, I’ll make you pay for it!”

“Was it you?” Josephine questioned while staring at her.

Katrina was astounded, but she appeared as if she had been wronged. “What are you talking about?”

“Did you ask someone to alter the photos and post them online? You couldn’t outcompete me, so you pulled such a dirty trick on me, didn’t you?” Josephine balled up her fists. She was certain that Katrina was the culprit.

Katrina put on a sneer. “That’s funny. How can you accuse me of doing such a thing without any evidence? What right do you have to slander me? I can sue you.”

Suddenly, Josephine stepped forward and clenched her collars before pulling her closer. “Did you do it?”

Behind her, Wren was astonished. She had never seen Josephine being so ferocious. A furious Katrina shouted, “Are you out of your mind? Release me!”

“I knew it was you!” Josephine said through clenched teeth.

Meanwhile, many colleagues had gathered outside to watch a good show. Katrina had wanted to push the woman away, but when she saw so many people around, she decided to put on an act. She started sobbing and said aggrievedly, “What right do you have to bully me? I don’t know what you’re talking about. How could you shift all the blame to me when you did such a thing in the past?”

Since the woman refused to admit to it, Josephine pushed her away and stepped backward. “Just you wait. I’ll look into the matter. Regardless of who the culprit is, I won’t let them off!”

“Josephine Jacobson, stop right there!” Katrina barked, then turned to her colleagues who were watching the commotion at the door and said, “Everyone, let’s reason this out. Josephine wrongly accused me without distinguishing right from wrong. She’s the one who engaged in such licentious actions, yet she wants to push the blame onto me. Have you all met anyone more unreasonable than her?!”

Everyone immediately stood on Katrina’s side, finding Josephine overbearing and unbelievable.

Some female colleagues even stood up for Katrina. “We believe you’re innocent, Katrina. Josephine only acts high and mighty in the office because of her relationship with Mr. Quarles. What actual power does she have when she’s just a mere journalist?!”

Alas, Josephine had been in the limelight lately, and it made many of her colleagues jealous. Naturally, they would kick Josephine down and remove her from her position as the anchor now that the opportunity had presented itself.

“Do you want to explain yourself, Jacobson? When did you take these photos?”

“Yeah! Are you broke?”

“Even so, she shouldn’t stoop so low! The world isn’t short of broke women, yet none would take such licentious photos to make money either!”

Despite the crowd’s self-righteous accusations, Josephine calmly announced, “I won’t explain myself. All of you will know the kind of person I am once the truth is out.”

With that, she walked away, leaving Katrina barking behind her, “Do you really think you’re some big shot?! As if I’m afraid of you, b*tch!”

Josephine had just returned to her office when Atticus’ assistant approached her, asking her to go to Atticus’ office.

At that, the young woman went to Atticus, who gazed at her with some regret. “Josephine, how can something so damaging happen? Do you not know that your image is everything as a newbie?”

“Someone set me up. I will get to the bottom of it. Please give me some time, Mr. Kowalski,” Josephine requested. She was the number-one victim in this incident, after all.

“Very well,” Atticus agreed after some thought. “I’ll have someone cover for you for the time being. Take some time off for now. Do you want me to report this to Mr. Quarles, or will you do it?”

Josephine tensed up at once, and she quickly said, “I’ll tell him myself. No need to trouble yourself with this, Mr. Kowalski.”

The last thing Josephine wanted was for Ethan to learn about this incident. Although the pictures were fake, they would still leave a negative note on Ethan when it was her face that was superimposed.

Hence, she wanted to deal with this her way.

Even when the world had blown the issue up, Josephine remained calm. She didn’t lose her rationality and give in to anxiety and anger because she knew the people trying to kick her down would ultimately pay the price.

Since she was little, Mills had reminded Josephine to lie low and never tell anyone about their family, especially never to talk about Peter’s job. Josephine never got it when she was little. But a couple of middle-aged men approached her in school and gave her a gift that was worth tens of thousands in hopes that she would ask Peter to agree to have a meal with them.

Freaked out, Josephine ran away, and since then, she stuck fast to her father’s words, never mentioning her grandfather’s job and staying as low-key as she could.

Though Peter had already retired, he remained influential in politics. She never requested anything substantial from her grandfather, either. In fact, she didn’t even use his influence to get into college or a job. It was all herself.

However, what happened this time had crossed the line, and she was absolutely livid. She wanted to catch the culprit and make them pay at once.

With that, she grabbed her phone and called Peter.

“Hey, Joey, missing Grandpa?”

“Grandpa, I need your help with something. I’ll come to you now.”

“Have you been mistreated?”

“I’ll tell you when I see you.” With that, Josephine grabbed her bag and left.

When she stepped into the elevator, a senior who was usually kind to her comforted her. “Don’t let it get to you, Joey. I know it’s a move someone jealous of you made against you. Don’t take it to heart.”

“Thank you. I’m doing good.” Josephine pulled a forceful smile.

However, much to her dismay, she ran into Tori just as she left the elevator, and it was inevitable that Tori would have a few words to say to Josephine.

“Is what they say on the internet true, Jacobson? Did you really take licentious photos for money in the past?” Tori questioned with crossed arms.

“Are you a part of this?” Josephine looked up and interrogated.

“What are you talking about?!”

“I’m asking you if you have anything to do with my scandal on the internet,” Josephine reiterated, which caused Tori to snort disdainfully and retort, “What are you trying to say, Jacobson? Are you saying I’m the one behind this? Would I even need to slander you, given my ability?!”

Josephine quirked a brow in response. “You better have nothing to do with this, or I’ll have you expelled from the broadcasting industry,” she declared intimidatingly.

However, Tori burst into laughter and ridiculed, “You? Kick me out? Whom do you think you’re kicking down when you’re already in deep sh*t yourself! Mr. Quarles has probably seen those photos, hasn’t he? I wonder if he finds you revolting.”

“You better mark my words,” Josephine warned. “If you are involved in this, tell me now and confess to the police yourself before I turn you in.”

Tori turned grim. She had an illusion that the issue was severe when she looked at Josephine’s expression, but she knew that she was merely being threatened into admitting the truth. As if she can scare me!

“Josephine, I sympathize with you, but there’s nothing I can do. If you don’t take care of yourself, don’t blame others for wanting to take you down. Pray that you survive this!”

With that, Tori walked away, but just as she did, Josephine clasped her wrist and pulled her back. “What do you want?” Tori growled.

Josephine held her tightly and sneered, “I know you and Katrina have teamed up to attack me. I don’t have the proof yet, but I will find it. By then, you better not come begging on your knees.”

The young woman had an indescribable sense of dominance, and it sent chills down Tori’s spine. For a moment, she thought Josephine might actually get her way.

At that, Tori wrested her arm away and sneered. “You better not speak out of turn without evidence, Jacobson.”

“Oh, I will have the evidence,” Josephine declared and walked away.

Tori couldn’t help frowning in response. She hoped Katrina had done a clean job and not given Josephine any chances of finding any evidence, or Katrina, that big mouth, would certainly sell her out once they investigated her. Even if Tori didn’t do anything, she was still an accomplice.

As such, she went straight to Katrina’s office.

“Tori!” Katrina exulted triumphantly upon seeing Katrina. “Did you see it? The whole internet is condemning Josephine now. We’ve done it!”

“Good job,” Tori praised.

“Of course, I, Katrina Sullivan, have always been reliable. Tori, you have to recommend me when the time comes!”

“Relax, I can only send you up after Josephine comes down. However, I ran into Josephine just now. She seems confident about finding evidence. You didn’t leave anything behind, did you?”

“How can I?! Trust me, she won’t be able to find anything even if she gets the police involved. Besides, does she even have that kind of ability?! If anything, Mr. Quarles might be questioning her now! Then again, he’s not in the country, so he can only question her on the phone.”

“Mr. Quarles is not in the country?”

“Yeah! My brother-in-law said he’s away and won’t be back for a month or two.” At that, Katrina mused, With Mr. Quarles gone, Josephine will have absolutely no support!

Tori, on the other hand, eased up after having Katrina’s reassurance. Then again, Josephine sounded very confident.

“Tori, you don’t look very happy. What are you afraid of?” Katrina asked, sensing that Tori still had some concerns.

“Me? No, I’m over the moon. I’m going to head back to my office. You keep an eye on the situation, alright?”

“I’m not only going to keep an eye on it but also hire an army to belabor her!” Katrina busied herself with the incident. She didn’t want to do anything for the day except watch this episode unfold.

Soon after Tori left, Ivanka’s call came.

“Ivanka, you saw it too, right?! It’s all thanks to you! Jacobson’s reputation is ruined for good!”

“Naturally. Don’t forget who your sister is.” Ivanka gloated, for she was the one who came up with the idea.

“Hey, Ivanka, Josephine came to me earlier. She still looks pretty smug.”

“Don’t worry. She won’t be for long. You’ll be able to take her place soon enough and make Mom and Dad prouder.”

“I will also marry well so that Mom and Dad will be happy for me.” Katrina could already see a promising future.

Meanwhile, Josephine had already driven to her grandfather’s house. She didn’t talk this over with her parents, for she was seriously beyond furious for the first time. Her parents forbade her from using her grandfather’s connections. However, this time, she wanted the culprit to suffer the worst consequence immediately.

As such, she related the incident stoically to Peter, who lost his cool and slammed the table. “They what?!”

“Take it easy, Grandpa. Now, I just want to find the culprit and see that they receive the legal sanctions they deserve.

At that, Peter grabbed his phone and made a call, ordering, “Come to my place at once.”

A dozen-or-so minutes later, a commanding man appeared and greeted Peter deferentially. “What seems to be the problem, sir?”

“Mr. Finneas.” Josephine was familiar with the man, Finneas Lind, who immediately became gentle upon seeing her. “Oh, I didn’t see you there, Joey!”

“Joey is facing a cyberbullying attack. Someone has used her photos to create some obscene pictures and post them online. I need you to find out about this before tonight and calm things down.”

“Since you asked, I shall see to the end of it. Rest assured, I’ll get to the bottom of it by eight tonight.”

“Thank you, Mr. Finneas.”

“Leave this to me, Joey. I won’t let anyone bully you. I’ll have them pay the price,” Finneas promised Josephine before heading off to investigate the incident.

“Forget about going to work today. Spend some time with me here and wait for Finneas’ update.”

“Okay!”

At this point, the internet was buzzing over Josephine’s scandal. Many even dug up Josephine’s affairs in the company, especially exaggerating how she seduced Ethan, ruining her image for good.

The person attacking most aggressively was naturally Katrina, who spared no expense in buying traffic to promote the incident just so that the whole world would know about this.

The netizens, too, played their roles as cyberbullies unabashedly, expressing their viewpoint on this scandal without reserve. Some men even posted lewd comments.

At this point, Katrina was only waiting for Josephine’s news broadcast the following day to see how far her ratings would drop or how the company would receive overwhelming complaint calls from the public. The whole world will certainly want Josephine to step down, and by then, the company will have a word with her regarding the company’s image and cancel the program for the time being!

However, unknown to Katrina, someone had already stepped in. A highly experienced team had already located the IP address of the earliest post and traced it to the computer technician Katrina contacted.

The man was still playing video games when the police barged in. He was petrified, and he confessed at once when the police pulled Josephine’s photo out.

“It’s me. I superimposed these photos. I’m sorry!”

“Who asked you to do it? Tell the truth!”

“It’s a young woman. She was wearing a face mask when we met up, so I don’t know what she really looks like either. But… But I have her bank account number. You guys will know once you check!”

The man was taken away, and very quickly, the police identified a young woman by the name of Katrina Sullivan following the bank account number provided. They also found out she worked in the same TV station as Josephine.

With that, the police dispatched six of its members to seize her.

Alas, the oblivious young woman was still celebrating her victory and was about to invite some colleagues to hang out when she received a call from the hacker. In the phone call, he asked to meet up in the garden outside her company for something important.

Katrina got restless, so she rushed to their rendezvous point at once. However, she didn’t see the man. Instead, several cops in casual clothing pinned her on the ground as soon as she appeared.

“Ah! Who are you people?! Let me go!” Katrina screamed in panic, thinking she was being kidnapped.

Just then, one of the officers showed their badge to Katrina and said, “We’re the police. Come with us.”

“W-What are you arresting me for?!” Katrina widened her eyes with incredulity. “What crime have I committed?!”

“Do you really not know?”

The young woman’s head went blank. Never had she thought the police would find her in less than three hours of the photos being posted. Finally, it dawned on her that she had committed a very serious offense.

Meanwhile, Peter was attending to his vegetable patch, and Josephine was helping him water the plants when the elder’s phone rang. “Hello?” He answered the call.

“It’s been sorted out, sir. We’ve found the culprit. It’s Josephine’s colleague, Katrina Sullivan.”

“Good, that’s settled then. Please issue a statement on the internet as soon as possible.”

“We will, sir.”

At that, Peter ended the call and turned to his dear granddaughter. “They’ve found the culprit. It’s your colleague—Katrina Sullivan.”

The answer was well within Josephine’s expectations, and she snorted. “I knew it!”

Inside the police station, Katrina covered her face, blinded by the suddenly glaring lights. Her makeup was smudged at this point, and her face was ghastly pale as she gazed fearfully at the interrogators. “Will I be sentenced for this? How many years will I get?”

“Ten years and above if it’s severe.”

“What?!” Katrina nearly passed out. She closed her eyes as tears fell like a never-ending waterfall, confessing. “I didn’t mean to do it! I was just jealous of Josephine. I didn’t intentionally want to ruin her reputation. I… I just acted impulsively.”

“It’s useless to say that now. You better confess. When did you start planning the crime?”

“It wasn’t me. I didn’t initiate it. I never intended to harm her. Someone incited me!”

“Who is it?”

“Tori. Tori Alford, the seven o’clock news anchor at our station. She called me into her office and incited me, saying that she would recommend me as a news anchor if I ruined Josephine. I was influenced

and committed this crime.” Katrina confessed everything.

She finally realized how wicked Tori was. She is the one jealous of Josephine, yet she incited me to commit the crime while she achieved her goal by just moving her lips. Now, I am the guilty one, while Tori is free of any charges.

“Can I please talk to Josephine?” Katrina still wishfully thought she could talk to Josephine, ask for her forgiveness, and deal with the incident privately.

“Do you not get it, Sullivan? You’ve committed a crime. This is no longer between you two.”

Oh, how Katrina rued the day. Her mind was blank at this point. It was Tori’s incitement and Ivanka’s suggestion that formed the incident. However, she ended up being the one to pay the price.

The police immediately took down all photos related to Josephine and also released an official statement regarding the arrest of the hacker and Katrina Sullivan. They explained the whole incident clearly and mentioned a female news anchor by the surname of Alford was also involved.

Instantly, netizens who had just been criticizing and cursing furiously on their keyboards turned their attention toward the cunning Katrina. Everyone was also wildly speculating about who this anchorwoman was. It turned out that the whole incident was nothing but a product of a vile and ignorant woman’s self-directed and self-acted jealousy.

Meanwhile, Ivanka was enjoying dinner with her friends when one of them leaned in and asked, “Hey, Ivanka, is your sister named Katrina?”

“Yeah, she is,” Ivanka answered, prompting her friend to press on, “Is she working in your husband’s TV station?”

“Yeah, she’s there as an assistant.”

“In that case, is there another girl named Katrina Sullivan in the station?”

“No, why do you ask?” Ivanka replied as she picked up her wine glass gracefully while her friend finally pulled her phone out and warily leaned closer. “Is this your sister?”

Ivanka took a casual gander at the phone before hastily putting the wine glass down and snatching her friend’s phone. Panic arose within her as she read the title and the news report.

“Sorry, I have to go!” Ivanka said and dashed out of the restaurant with her bag in panic. At the same time, her other friends leaned in and read the news.

“Good Lord! Her sister is so shameless, using such despicable means to frame a newbie!”

“I’ve watched this new news anchor’s program. She’s good at her job and has an excellent temperament. She doesn’t look like a newbie at all. She’s pleasant to watch.”

“Didn’t Ivanka’s sister land the job because of Atticus? Word is that she graduated from a third-tier college and even used to be a delinquent.”

At the same time, Ivanka hopped into her car and called Atticus, who flipped out when he received his wife’s call. “Ivanka, why didn’t you stop Katrina from doing something so stupid?! She’s been arrested now, and my company has become a joke in the industry!”

“Honey, please save Kat! Ask Josephine Jacobson if she’s willing to settle the issue privately. We’ll give her money. Kat can’t go to jail!”

“Do you think Josephine needs money? This can’t be resolved. I can’t even locate Josephine myself. She won’t answer any calls.”

“Go to her house. Go to her house and talk to her. I’ll do it. You ask her to come out. I’ll kneel even if I have to. Kat’s still so young. Her life will be ruined if she’s sentenced to jail time!” Ivanka was now in

tears of regret. She never imagined how foolish she was when she suggested the plan.

It was she who ruined her sister’s life, giving her the stupid idea and even lending her money to frame Josephine. Alas, she was the one who sent her sister to jail.

“I’ll try contacting her again. Don’t worry,” Atticus comforted his wife on the other end of the line.

News about Katrina’s misdeed spread even more wildly than Josephine’s photoshopped images on the internet at this point. After all, the former’s actions had pissed off the working class, who despised the shameless woman for playing such a dirty hand.

Tori, on the other hand, learned about the news after finishing the news broadcast and was resting in the green room. Her assistant came running with the news to her, and her mind went blank the second she read it, for she read the line, ‘A female news anchor by the surname of Alford was also involved.’ That sentence alone caused Tori to slump weakly into the chair and heave.

“Miss Alford! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Let me have a moment,” Tori put up a calm front and said to her assistant, who left quickly, for she realized from Tori’s expression that the news was likely referring to Tori herself.