Filed To Story: Finding the Secret Daddy for My Baby Novel
Regardless, when Tori’s mind kept returning to the thought that she had spent the night with an old man and was now facing such criticism from Josephine, she felt the very last strands of her sanity snap. “Don’t get so cocky, Josephine. You’ll receive your retribution,” she spat viciously and went straight to Atticus’ office
Atticus was about to go out when she entered in a flurry of skirts. “Just what are you doing here? Didn’t I already tell you not to show up at the office?” he demanded in annoyance. “Mr. Kowalski, I can host the news. This doesn’t affect my work in any way. Please let me return to work!
“You still want to come back to work after destroying the company’s image with your actions? Just look at what you’ve done to Katrina!” Atticus was furious. Because of this matter, his wife was in a cold war with him, leaving their three sons alone and him with a pounding headache.
“Mr. Kowalski, I’m begging you. I can’t lose this job. I promise that I won’t cause any trouble after this.” Tori blocked Atticus’ way out.
“Tori, I’ve made myself perfectly clear about this. If you keep pestering me, I’ll fire you effective immediately,” Atticus snapped angrily.
However, Tori was willing to do anything to save her job as she suddenly dropped to her knees in front of Atticus and said humbly, “Mr. Kowalski, I’m begging you. I can do anything you say. Please let me continue my work here.”
She really needed this job. If she lost her job here, it would spell the end of her career in the industry because none of the other TV stations would accept her. Hence, she could only try any means necessary to keep this job.
Just then, an assistant opened the door to deliver a document and caught her kneeling on the floor. The assistant jumped in surprise at the sight, and Tori hurriedly sprang to her feet to protect her reputation. She even shot a furious look at the poor assistant.
“Mr. Kowalski, the car is ready. Are you leaving now?” the assistant inquired professionally, smart enough to read the room.
Atticus immediately took the opportunity to open the door and walk out. Unfortunately, Tori followed closely behind like a piece of gum and grabbed his arm. “Don’t go, Mr. Kowalski—”
The doors of the elevator slid open and Ivanka came out. The instant she caught sight of Tori holding her husband so intimately, she lost her temper, lunged forward, and slapped Tori harshly across the face.
Slap!
The sound was so loud that everyone around came over to check out the situation, and they seemed to be enjoying the show when they saw that it was Tori at the receiving end of the blow.
So, Tori had such a day coming for her, too!
“Tori Alford, haven’t you done enough harm to my sister? Are you trying to snatch my husband as well? You b*tch, I’m going to kill you!” Ivanka showed the masses just how shrewd she could truly be as she ruthlessly grabbed Tori’s hair, pushed her to the floor, took off her own shoe, and used it as a tool to hit her.
“Ah!” Tori held her head as she had never encountered such a situation before. Since she had no experience in this, all she could do was scream while protecting her head.
Still, none of the employees nearby bothered to help. Instead, they were watching on the sidelines as she received a beating. Some even went as far as to record it.
“My sister is in trouble all because of you, jinx! Why didn’t you go to jail instead?! How could you still have the cheeks to show up here? Get out this very instant!”
While Ivanka was venting all her frustrations on her, Wren dragged Josephine over to watch the show. When Josephine silently watched the sight of the disheveled Tori as Ivanka rained hits on her, she only had one thought: That Tori really deserved what was coming to her.
On the other hand, Atticus couldn’t allow things to escalate any further. So, he pulled his wife away. “That’s enough. Let’s talk in the office.”
He dragged Ivanka away, leaving Tori on the floor with a big, red palm mark on her face. She slowly staggered to her feet as she glared at everyone with her bloodshot eyes. Usually, she always had her nose up in the air and barely looked anyone straight in the eye. Now, she could clearly see that the people she thought were nothing but nobodies, were mocking and criticizing her. Amongst the crowd, she even found Josephine with her hands crossed over her chest as she watched the scene in triumph. Thus, she glared at Josephine with daggers in her eyes as though she was the source of her pain, but Josephine merely raised her brow at her and left.
Tori picked up her handbag and took an elevator as well. By now, she was aware that her career was over. Not long afterward, someone uploaded the video of Tori receiving a beating on the Internet, causing a heated round of discussion in an instant. The one who uploaded the video was an assistant whom Tori had bullied in the past. The assistant had nursed a grudge of rather massive proportions due to Tori’s abuse. So, there was no way she would let go of this golden opportunity when she finally had the chance to get back at Tori, her bully.
On the Internet, rumors of Tori being a sugar baby were leaked out once more and her reputation took yet another massive hit, causing it to drop straight to the dumps. The top searches of major websites were dominated by Katrina and Tori. Not only do they have to endure public criticism, but someone deliberately exposed Tori’s dirty past. A wealthy woman even told a story using her real name, claiming that Tori seduced her husband and used sex as a means to get to her current position.
All this bad press completely distorted Tori’s fans’ opinions about her, and she no longer had a future. She could continue living in reality, but she had lost her favorite job. Even if she was overqualified, no company would accept someone like her with open arms any longer.
Tori returned to her apartment as she was completely exhausted. She looked at her spacious 200- square-meter flat, knowing she had to pay a high mortgage every month. She felt emotionally drained.
Although she earned some money, her extravagant spending habits prevented her from saving anything. Now, besides her ruined reputation, she also had to figure out how to sustain her future expenses.
Simplicity was easy to achieve, but it was difficult to go from luxury to simplicity. She couldn’t return to her previous lifestyle.
“I hate you, Josephine. I really hate you,” Tori exclaimed, venting her collapsed emotions.
She approached the mirror, the mark of the slap from Ivanka still visible on her face. She looked disheveled and swollen, far from her radiant self.
Katrina was still confined in custody, suffering more than Tori. She not only lost her reputation but also her freedom, awaiting the ordeal of imprisonment.
At the company, Josephine sat in her office when she heard the door being pushed open from outside. Shortly after, Ivanka entered with a bunch of gifts in different sizes and packages. She had just bought them, including expensive jewelry and branded handbags, totaling hundreds of thousands in value.
As soon as Josephine saw her, she stood up, intending to leave. But Ivanka immediately extended her arms to stop her. “Josephine, don’t leave. Let’s talk.”
“There’s nothing to discuss between us, Mrs. Kowalski.” Josephine was unwilling to talk, nor did she want to give her a chance to plead.
Ivanka suddenly closed the door and knelt in front of Josephine. “Josephine, I apologize on behalf of my sister. She is foolish and naive, just a young woman in her twenties. Josephine, I beg you to settle this privately. Whatever conditions you have, I’ll do my best to fulfill them.”
Josephine took a step back as she crossed her arms. “Mrs. Kowalski, please don’t do this. My stance on this matter is clear—I will not agree to settle it privately.”
“We’re all colleagues in the same company. Can’t you be forgiving and spare my sister? I promise she’ll never appear in front of you again,” Ivanka pleaded, no longer concerned about her image. If it meant rescuing her sister, she could kneel in front of Josephine all night.
But Josephine had no intention of relenting. When Katrina caused harm to her, she didn’t consider the consequences. So now, Katrina should pay the price for her actions.
“Your sister is an adult, and she knows very well what is right and wrong. If she insisted on ruining my reputation, then she should have expected this outcome,” Josephine said coldly.
“Josephine, my husband has always been generous to you. Can’t you spare my sister for his sake?” Ivanka tried to appeal to Josephine through her husband.
Josephine looked at her and asked abruptly, “Mrs. Kowalski, may I ask, did you know about your sister’s actions? If you were aware, why didn’t you stop her? Instead, you allowed her to plot against me?”
Ivanka’s face changed and a hint of guilt flashed in her eyes. How could she have stopped it when it was her idea to begin with? Otherwise, Katrina wouldn’t have come up with any plan to deal with Josephine.
“Miss Jacobson, my sister genuinely realizes her mistake. Please spare her! I’m sorry, I apologize on behalf of my sister.” Ivanka kept apologizing, hoping to soften Josephine’s heart.
However, Josephine was not a person easily swayed. She simply dismissed Ivanka, urging, “Mrs. Kowalski, take your things and there’s no need to apologize to me. I won’t forgive Katrina.”
Ivanka became extremely desperate. She genuinely and sincerely pleaded with Josephine. Usually, she was an arrogant person who didn’t care about others, but today, not only did Josephine not give her a chance, but she even drove her away.
“Josephine, why must you go so far? We’re all part of the same company. Your boyfriend and my husband are also partners. Are you purposely trying to make things look ugly?” Ivanka stood up as her expression turned sour.
Josephine heard this statement, thinking it was blatant moral blackmail. She looked at Ivanka and said, “Mrs. Kowalski, if you want my boyfriend and your husband to maintain a working relationship, it’s important to separate the company matters from personal issues. Let’s keep them separate and not let personal grievances interfere.”
Ivanka pointed at the pile of gifts in front of her and said, “I spent over three hundred thousand on these gifts just to apologize to you. Can’t you show some understanding and spare my sister?”
Josephine noticed the change in her attitude, from apologizing to blame-shifting. She even suspected that Ivanka and Katrina were colluding, so Ivanka might have played a role in framing her.
“Mrs. Kowalski, I think it would be best if you leave now. Let’s avoid escalating things further.” Josephine gestured toward the door, indicating her desire for Ivanka to depart.
Ivanka awkwardly picked up the gifts and left. As she walked out, she glanced back at Josephine’s office.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.