On the third day, Stefan’s lawyer finally came knocking on Joy’s apartment and he was accompanied by three police officers. Her neighbors saw what happened and they started taking pictures of her and posted them on the internet. They knew who she was and what she did recently, therefore, she was bound to make another headline after being arrested. If only she faced them voluntarily and apologized to Cayenne and Stefan, probably, none of this would happen.
The news of her arrest was instantly spread especially since she was a well-known host. For someone who talks with people in her show, praising and supporting them; it was rather surprising that she’d lost her cool and slandered someone in someone else’s show.
“Just how much do you hate her to risk your life-long career?”
“She shouldn’t have gone against Cayenne. That wife-slave Stefan would never allow anyone to bully his wife.”
“Apparently, she received a lawsuit summons for several days but she didn’t do anything. We’re neighbors and I saw the letters in her mailbox.”
“My friend works as a stylist in their company and she told me that she got fired from work. That must be the reason why someone else took over her show last episode.”
“She’s actually a mistress.”
The person who claimed that she was a mistress supported his statement with several videos and photos. He was a blogger that Tristan contacted and paid to spread this information about Joy. It turned out that her sugar daddy wasn’t just a daddy. She has sugar daddies who supported her career. One of the men on the video was the chairman of TV N who suddenly disappeared after her issue exploded like a timebomb. The other four were not mentioned since they didn’t really do anything against Stefan. If those men involved themselves, Stefan would surely ruin them.
.....
Proof of her malice against Cayenne was brought to light by many citizens as they took screenshots of her foul and malicious comments in Cayenne’s every post.
In the end, not only was she sued for defamation and libel but she has to bear the consequence of having a sex scandal with the chairman. She has to pay Cayenne for the damage to reputation as well. One wrong move and she lost both her money and fame.
“Why didn’t you apologize? Why won’t you?” The Atty. Sherwin Tines asked because, in his whole life of being a lawyer, this was the first time that he met someone so stubborn even though she was being ruined already. She didn’t want to lower her pride and apologize. Most people who got sued for defamation or libel would pretend to have realized their mistake and apologize for the sake of saving their reputation, but she was not like them.
“Why should I?” She retorted with her hand on her face. Unlike the past few days wherein she was stressed and worried about all other things; this time, she was calm and nonchalant about what she has become. She no longer cares! She wouldn’t win anyway. “I won’t apologize. Fine! I’ll pay for whatever damages in reputation but you won’t be able to make me apologize to her.”
“Suit yourself. Here are the liquidated damages.” The lawyer handed her the documents that he drafted along with the fines and the summary of damages she caused. “It’s not much.”
Three hours later, in his company, Stefan listened to his lawyer about what happened as he received the thick envelope with so much money in it. “That woman was very hard to deal with. I asked her to send the money directly to the company’s bank but she refused. She had to withdraw money over the counter with the police officers tailing her. I can’t believe she never felt embarrassed doing it.”
“What can I say? She didn’t even apologize to my wife. Let her suffer in whatever way she wants to. I don’t care.”
“So, my job here is done. I’ll leave now. Give me a call whenever you need me.”
“Thanks, Atty. Tines.”
“You are welcome. I get paid doing menial tasks like this.”
After the lawyer left, Stefan sent Cayenne a message, asking if it was alright to call her. He has her class schedule but there were times when her professors won’t come to class. He was hoping it was the same case for today.
Cayenne: “I’m doing my report. I’ll call you once I’m done. ??”
Stefan just replied with a salute emoji and went back to work. Many people would say that Stefan has gotten over his clinginess to his wife and could come to work as normal people do. They had no idea that whenever she comes home, he would be hugging her for a long time – just feeling the realness of her existence.
Sometimes, when his anxiety acts up, he would cling to her wherever she goes in the house. It was like Cayenne has grown a handsome tail.
Thirty minutes later, Cayenne called him and Stefan answered before it could ring the second time. That’s how important her call was. If it was someone else, they’d have to wait for a long time before he would pick up their call.
“What’s the matter?” she asked while making her way to the faculty office and submitting the report she made. “Did something bad happen?”
“I just miss you.”
Cayenne coughed drily and looked around to make sure that no one was looking at how silly she was looking right now. “I miss you, too. I really want to go home right now or maybe I should just drop by your office to see you.”
“You want to slack off?”
“Hm.”
“Wow! The good ol’ student wants to slack off without me telling her.”
“You are not telling me but you are the cause of it.”
Stefan laughed out loud at her words and honestly, he also wanted her to skip class. He badly missed her and he wanted to see her as well. “Shall we meet somewhere close to your university?”
“Are you tempting me?”
“You don’t have class right now, correct? Then that means we have enough time to meet until lunch is over.”
“You’re kidding me.”
Stefan chuckled as he grabbed his keys and walked out of his office. “I’m on my way.”
This wasn’t really the purpose of his call, but things took a different turn and he suddenly got horny and; to think they were just having a normal conversation.