Today's Scoop: She Cheated on Me

Back when Elaine and I are most in love, I'm a renowned financial reporter, while Elaine Crowley is a rising star in capital circles. However, on the day I'm supposed to interview her, she stands me up once again. My boss, Lisa Donica, waves a limp finger at me and sneers. "You've been sleeping together for eight years, and you still can't land an interview with her? Has she already gotten bored of you? But I guess that makes sense. Some men don't respect themselves—they throw themselves at women and expect to be worth something!" I ignore her and step outside to call Elaine. But the moment I turn around, I find her Cullinan parked right outside. A surge of joy rushes through me. I'm just about to call out to her when the car door opens. Elaine, with her head bowed, carefully steps out with my coworker, their bodies far too close for comfort. Lisa shoots me a sideways glance. "Your woman is letting your biggest rival put his arm around her waist? Luke Tilghman, you've been cheated on!" My eyes fall on the Cullinan. I press my lips together and make a call. "Send a crew over. It's time to take out the trash!" Chapter 1 My boss, Lisa Donica, looked at me like I'd completely lost my mind and tried to pull me away. But I could only stare at the two figures leaning into each other. Elaine Crowley and I had been together for eight years, but she'd kept our relationship hidden to the extreme. She never held my hand or kissed me in public. In fact, she'd barely even smiled at me. Yet now, she was looking at Brian Clancy with such tenderness, and even her eyes seemed to burn. I fought back the sting in my nose and called her. She glanced down at her phone, her brows instinctively knitting together. After a long beat, she finally answered. "Where are you?" I asked, forcing my voice to stay calm. "I'm busy." "Busy where? You promised me—" She interrupted my questioning coldly, "Who gave you the right to question my schedule? You should know your place, Luke Tilghman." She promptly hung up. Then, as if to soothe Brian, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. I clenched my fists so tightly my knuckles cracked. Eight years. Nearly 3,000 days and nights. I'd asked her for an interview countless times, but every single time, she was "busy". Even though she knew the station was deciding between Brian and me for a promotion to producer and that this interview was the final test, she was still "busy". Busy with what? Busy doing Brian's interview? Busy flirting with him in public? I pulled my hand free of Lisa's grip as a mocking smile curled across my lips. "You love watching me compete with him, don't you? Well, enjoy the show!" I hissed to myself. I grabbed a decorative piece from the lobby reception desk and dragged it straight across the hood of Elaine's car. A harsh screech—enough to make my teeth ache—cut through the air. The two of them, just about to step into the elevator, stopped in their tracks. "Luke Tilghman! What the hell is wrong with you?" Chapter 2 Brian stormed over, fuming. Lisa looked at me like I was hopeless. "Elaine was never that into you to begin with. Now that you've wrecked her car, you might as well wait to be dumped." I said nothing. I just kept my eyes fixed on the woman striding toward us, step by step. I wanted to hear how she was going to explain her "busy" this time. Brian broke the silence first, sneering at me. "What? Can't get Elaine to meet with you, so you're jealous out of your mind? How sad. I guess, as a favor to me, my girlfriend will agree to your interview next time." I looked straight at Elaine. "Girlfriend?" The woman, who had been silent this entire time, finally made a move. She pulled me aside and lowered her voice. "Don't embarrass Brian. This interview is really important to him." My chest tightened with a suffocating ache. The interview was really important to him? But what about me? I gripped her arm, my voice hoarse and tinged with sadness. "What about me?" Elaine froze for a moment. Realizing what I meant, she lightly scratched the palm of my hand, and her voice softened. "Let's do yours next time, okay, Luke?" "But you promised me," I said, staring at her stubbornly. Her expression gradually turned cold. She slowly pried my fingers loose and took a step back. "Behave. Don't make a scene," she said, her voice hardening. Ignoring my reddening eyes, she took Brian's hand and started toward the elevator. But Brian wasn't about to let it go just yet. He pulled free of Elaine's hand, turned back around, and gave me a taunting smirk. "Since we're coworkers, Luke, I'll give you one chance. Get on your knees, apologize, and admit you're a worthless bastard who'll spend your whole life beneath my feet. Then, I'll let you off the hook for wrecking the car." I pressed my lips together and looked straight at Elaine. "What about you? Do you think I should apologize too?" Seeing my bloodshot eyes, a flash of reluctance crossed her face. But just as she was about to say something, Brian tugged on her sleeve impatiently. And just like that, the words that came out of Elaine's mouth changed. "You are indeed in the wrong this time. Just apologize to Brian, and I'll handle the rest," she said, looking as if she was asking me to do the most natural thing in the world. Looking at her expression, I felt like something was clawing viciously at my chest. I laughed out of sheer anger. I raised the decorative piece again and smashed it into the car window. "You blew me off, but you showed up for his interview and somehow became his girlfriend, and now you're saying I'm in the wrong?" I asked. "Just what exactly did I do wrong?" Elaine frowned deeply, clearly unwilling to discuss it any further. "Brian isn't like you. He just started at the station. He doesn't have any connections or background, so all he can do is work late into the night day after day. He needs this opportunity to establish himself. You're the senior here. Isn't it only right that you give him a break?" For a second, I thought I must have misheard her. Yet, the pain in my chest was all too real. Every word out of her mouth oozed sympathy and concern for Brian, but who at the station hadn't started out the same way? Just so I could spend more time with her, I regularly wrote my s late into the night. Pulling consecutive all-nighters was practically routine for me. She clearly knew all this, yet she had never once shown me the same concern. I used to quietly blame her for being too focused on her career and overlooking those little things. Only now did I understand. It wasn't that she didn't notice. She'd merely given all that concern and affection to someone else. But what she seemed to have forgotten was that Brian and I had joined the station in the exact same year. And he even had an uncle who was a producer. It was almost laughable how she was treating a privileged insider like an overworked nobody. I was about to argue back when the station director happened to walk past. Hearing the commotion, he strode over to us. "Two of our station's star journalists fighting right outside the front door? What are people going to think?" As he spoke, his gaze landed on Elaine, and his face instantly lit up with a sycophantic smile. "Ms. Crowley, you're here? Please, come inside and have some coffee!" Brian immediately perked up. He pointed at me and started tattling. "Sir! Luke couldn't get an interview with Elaine, so he went crazy and scratched up her car! She's my girlfriend, yet this psycho is making a scene and publicly demanding an explanation from her!" His voice was shrill and cutting, immediately drawing a crowd. Colleagues, both old and new, gathered around and looked at me with open ridicule. "Luke is such an idiot. Ms. Crowley is dating Brian. Of course she's going to help him instead of Luke." "Making a scene just because he lost to Brian… How disgusting! Makes one wonder if he slept his way into all those past interviews too. He didn't succeed with Ms. Crowley this time because she has a boyfriend." "No wonder his girlfriend of eight years refuses to go public with him. She probably thinks he's filthy!" The insults stabbed at my head like needles, giving me a headache. Elaine only shot me a quick glance before pressing her lips together and stepping in front of Brian. Her silence and protective posture practically confirmed every accusation thrown my way. I clenched my teeth, but I still couldn't seem to stop my whole body from trembling. Seeing this, Brian grew even more smug. Pretending to be all magnanimous, he said, "Forget it. We're colleagues. Everyone makes mistakes. I won't hold it against him." The director nodded approvingly. Then, he turned to me and urged, "See that? You should learn from Brian. Your professional skills aren't up to par, and all you do is resort to cheap tricks." I could let go of a cheating girlfriend, but I wasn't going to tolerate anyone questioning my professional capabilities. Letting out a long breath, I looked straight at Elaine. "Elaine Crowley, why don't you tell everyone yourself? Just whose girlfriend are you?" Chapter 3 Just the week before, when we went on a date, Elaine had been in the mood and kept me going for hours. I'd nearly thrown my back out because of her. "Elaine, if you don't make us public soon, I'm done being your secret," I joked. Back then, she'd cuddled into my chest and giggled softly. "Okay, okay! Once you wrap up the interview, we'll go public!" I'd been so thrilled I hadn't slept a wink that night. Now that I thought about it, Lisa was right. Throwing myself at someone only made me cheap. My quiet, stubborn refusal to back down seemed to prick at Elaine's conscience. She sighed and said in a low voice, "Just be good, okay? I'll explain everything when we get home." Her ambiguous response left everyone even more bewildered. That was when Lisa stepped forward, holding her hand up as if she were taking an oath. "I can guarantee that Ms. Crowley is indeed Luke's girlfriend. They've been together for eight years. He's been harping on about her for the past eight years. I practically have calluses on my ears because of him." The crowd exchanged glances, unsure who to believe. Brian panicked. He pointed at Lisa, his voice sharp and heated. "You're lying! You say they're a couple, but where's the proof?" He quickly pulled up his social media account and started showing his posts to our colleagues. "This was last year. She took me to the Avelmonts to get away and relax. And this was earlier in the year. She took me to Fjormont to see the snow. And this was three months ago, when she flew me out on a private plane to Ettenhall Estate for a wine tasting." Finally, he slipped his phone back into his pocket, rolled up his sleeve, and revealed the ring on his ring finger. "And just a few days ago," he continued, his voice rising, "Elaine dropped hundreds of millions of dollars to bid on this 'True Love' ring for me." He turned back to me, his face dripping with disdain. "You say she's your girlfriend, Luke? Do you have any proof like this? Proof of the two of you in love?" My expression went rigid as I stared at Elaine. She didn't dare meet my eyes. Her gaze darted away guiltily. Lisa was furious. She grabbed my arm and shook it hard. "What are you standing there for? Quick! Show them your proof!" But I just stood there like a frozen corpse, completely unresponsive. Oddly enough, all I wanted to do was laugh. In all these years with Elaine, even though we'd shared a bed and made love in countless positions, we didn't have a single picture together. Even if I secretly took one, she'd demand that I delete it immediately. So taking me somewhere to see the snow was certainly not part of the equation. I used to think she was just naturally aloof, a workaholic, and maybe even shy. But looking back at those photos on Brian's phone, where she was smiling so radiantly, I realized the truth. All the times I'd accommodated her, all the excuses I'd made for her—they were all nothing but a massive joke. Muttering under her breath, Lisa snatched the phone from my hand and started scrolling through it herself. But with just one glance, she froze. Whether it was my chat history with Elaine or my social media, they were all practically empty. There were only a handful of scattered messages. "Have you arrived?" "Shall I go over to your place tonight?" "I bought a few new outfits. I'll put on a show for you tonight." Brian read every single word out loud in front of everyone. The crowd instantly erupted. They swarmed toward me, hurling insults like "man-whore" and "worthless bastard". "This is rock-solid evidence of him trying to seduce Ms. Crowley! Someone as immoral as him has no place at this station!" Someone grabbed me by the hair and shoved me to the ground. Another person dug their fingernails into my flesh, as if they wanted to tear my skin right off. They descended on me like rabid dogs, their faces twisted with rage as they unleashed all their built-up frustration on me. All Elaine had to do was step forward and tell them the truth, and my name would be cleared. But with just one glance from Brian, the foot she'd just lifted slowly came back down. I lay crumpled on the ground, curling into myself and enduring the agonizing pain. Until finally, from behind the mob, my grandfather's hunched figure appeared. "Don't you dare talk about my grandson like that!" Grandpa yelled. Chapter 4 My heart skipped a beat. I suddenly remembered that I had made plans with Grandpa today. We were going to grab lunch together, and I'd also take the opportunity to introduce Elaine to him. I never imagined he'd end up seeing me at my most helpless. Grandpa had always been fiercely protective of me. He couldn't stand seeing anyone bully me, so he rushed forward and stood in front of me. But those people had completely lost their minds. Someone grabbed his hair and slammed his head against the wall. "Grandpa!" With a single blow, Grandpa, who was already in his 90s, collapsed, his eyes rolling back. I hurriedly lunged forward and caught him. Blood seeped from his forehead. His face had turned purple, and his entire body was trembling violently. I turned toward Elaine and roared, "Call an ambulance. Now!" Her face tightened with panic, and she immediately reached for her phone, only for Brian to slap it out of her hand. He tugged on her sleeve, putting on a pitiful expression. "Old people these days love pulling scams like these. For all we know, he's just pretending to pass out to get sympathy! And once you get a doctor here, he'll pin the whole thing on you. Then, we'll have to miss our interview this afternoon." At that, the concern that had just flickered across Elaine's face vanished instantly. The panic on the crowd's faces quickly gave way to anger, too. Someone even kicked Grandpa and stepped on his wrinkled, aging face. "The old bastard runs scams, while his grandson sells his body. Like grandfather, like grandson!" I charged forward like a madman and started kicking and punching wildly. "Let go of my grandpa! You're going to kill him!" Lisa couldn't stand watching any longer. She quietly slipped away and tried to make a call, but someone snatched her phone, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it until it shattered into pieces. They even punched her a few times before pinning her firmly to the ground. I tried to move, but two people had me by the hair, holding me in place. I tilted my head up and looked at every single one of them. "Let my grandpa go while he still can be saved. If anything happens to him, I swear I'll make every last one of you pay!" Brian scoffed. He walked over and punched me in the face twice. "Keep talking tough! It won't save you or that old geezer! Once my interview wraps up this afternoon, the producer position will be mine. And you…" He sneered in a hushed tone. "You'll forever be known as the renowned journalist who traded his body for interviews! Your reputation will be ruined, and your career will be officially over!" Elaine seemed to feel a momentary pang of guilt and made a motion to step forward to help Grandpa up, but Brian threw both arms out to block her. "Elaine, as long as Luke promises to get down on his knees and apologize to me, I'm willing to risk getting scammed and help his grandfather," he announced with righteous conviction. She didn't hesitate at all. She turned to me, her voice completely flat and unbothered as she urged, "You heard him. Apologize to Brian. Unlike you, he's a magnanimous person." Brian could barely hide the smug smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. I stood frozen in place. It felt as though my heart was being ripped clean in two. Half of it was overwhelmed by the suffocating humiliation of being slandered. The other half was filled with pure concern for Grandpa's life. Seeing his breathing grow weaker by the second, I closed my eyes. Then, with a thud, I dropped to my knees. I ducked my head before Brian, who was looming proud and tall over me. Slapping my face repeatedly, I squeezed out an apology through gritted teeth. "It's my fault. I'm a bastard for trying to seduce Ms. Crowley. Please, I'm begging you. Call an ambulance…" The very next second, a loud clang rang out. The Cullinan parked right beside us was slowly hoisted into the air by a crane, revealing a group of people standing behind it. Before Brian could even react, someone kicked him flying. "A good dog doesn't block the way. And even if you were remade from scratch, you still wouldn't be worth my brother kneeling to you!"