The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 122

Jotham had barely stepped into the office that morning when he was greeted by a flurry of whispered conversations rippling through the open-plan workspace.

He caught Ramona’s name more than once, and immediately called someone over to find out what was going on. It didn’t take long for the article to land in his hands.

The writer seemed to know everything about Ramona, painting her as a scheming woman who’d always juggled men since her school days. According to the article, after graduation she married into money and used her husband’s company to continue her supposed “affairs,” all while engaging in shady competition and under-the-table deals...

“Bastard!”

Jotham didn’t even make it halfway through before his blood pressure was about to hit the roof.

He slammed his palm on the desk so hard that his assistant jumped, eyes wide with alarm.

“Mr. Holt, please, try to calm down. If this really is Ms. Jarrett’s doing... For the sake of the company’s reputation, should we notify HR first—?”

“Notify them about what? I’m not talking about Ramona, I’m talking about the piece-of-trash who wrote this article!”

Jotham couldn’t be bothered to keep up appearances. He cursed furiously, flinging the assistant’s phone across the room in a fit of rage.

“Mr. Holt!”

The assistant sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, clearly pained, but could only scurry to retrieve the phone.

Without waiting for his assistant to catch up, Jotham stormed out of his office and summoned all the department heads for an emergency meeting.

Everyone assumed there must be some company crisis brewing. No one expected the meeting to revolve around a single online article.

“Don’t believe everything you read on the internet,” Jotham announced, his voice cold and cutting. “The person described in that article is absolutely not Ms. Jarrett. All of you know firsthand what kind of person she is. Her character and work ethic speak for themselves.

Spread the word: I don’t want to hear a single rumor about Ms. Jarrett in this company. If anyone is caught sharing that article, they will be immediately terminated and face legal action. Understood?”

He enunciated every word, then slammed the door behind him as he left.

Jotham had always been the epitome of calm and composure in front of his staff, but lately, it was as if he’d become a different man, his actions more impulsive, his temper far shorter.

Back in his executive office, Jotham tore off his tie, his breath coming fast and shallow, unable to contain his fury.

Every insult hurled at Ramona online landed like a punch to his own gut.

He’d been with her six years. He knew better than anyone how stubborn, earnest, and innocent she was. Ramona wouldn’t even give a male celebrity a second glance unless it was strictly for work. She was, at heart, still that naïve girl he’d gently led by the hand out of her own private Eden, guiding her step by step into his life.

It took a long stretch of heavy breathing before he could pick up his phone, intending to call Ramona.

But as he opened his alumni group chat, he saw the article being shared everywhere. People were openly mocking Ramona; some even tagged him, expressing their ‘sympathy.’

Jotham typed out a message with trembling fingers and hit send.

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