Chapter 20: The Media Storm
Diane's POV
The morning sun streamed through the kitchen windows of Joan's beach house, but it did little to warm the ice settling deep in my bones.
I sat at the kitchen table, my hands wrapped around a mug of now-cold tea, staring at the tablet before me with a mixture of disbelief and horror.
"SYNERGY SPHERE GROUP CEO'S WIFE IN CHEATING SCANDAL!" the headline screamed, accompanied by a photo of me from happier times, my smile now seeming forced and fake under the harsh light of accusation.
I couldn't believe it had come to this. Just days ago, our divorce had been a private matter, known only to our closest friends and family. But Liam, Furious over the court's ruling on our prenup, he decided to play dirty and take the battle public —and the tabloids were his weapon of choice.
The tabloids were having a field day. Every day seemed to bring new story, each article more outrageous than the last.
I was painted as a scheming gold-digger, a manipulative villain who married him for his money. The irony? Liam was the cheater, the liar, the one trying to leave me with nothing. But the truth didn't sell newspapers. Lies did. And now they were calling me the unfaithful one.
But this latest article... This was a new low. They were accusing me of infidelity, implying that was the real reason for our divorce. The story was completely fabricated, of course, but that didn't stop the nausea feeling in my stomach as I read through each word.
"Diane?" Joan's voice broke through my thoughts. She stood in the doorway, concern etched on her face. "Are you okay? You've been staring at that tablet for an hour."