Rise of The Unknown Billionaire

Chapter 7

"What?!" Ethan was dumbfounded. 

A scandal? Ethan couldn't understand why someone would do such a thing. He wasn't a popular person, so he assumed no one in their right minds would choose to mess with him in such a way. 

"Let me see it." Ethan said as Andrew reluctantly gave him the tablet. 

What Ethan saw shocked him. It was a hot headline on the internet about Ethan the pauper who had manipulated Sophia into marrying him while he also prevented her from seeing the love of her life, Philip. It said that she finally was able to break free of his manipulation and went to see Philip for help. Then Ethan disguised as a cleaner to get Sophia back in his control.

The information also labelled Philip as Sophia's saviour as he chased Ethan away. 

Ethan's face crumpled in disgust at the ridiculous thing he had just read and he flinged the tablet onto the floor with an angry face. 

In the first place, it was Sophia who had deceived and manipulated him into marriage. He never for once got to know her parents as he had been made to think that they were dead. But now that he caught her 'cheating' on him with Philip, she suddenly dumps him as she is done with keeping up the facade of a marriage. 

"Do you know who did this?" Ethan asked Andrew again. 

Ethan shook his head. "It was anonymously done." He replied. "But I can investigate and try to find out who did it." He offered with determination. 

"No need to bother yourself with such a trivial thing." The person who did this would show themselves if they have the guts. 

Ethan already guessed that it was either done by Philip or Sophia herself, but that wasn't what he was going to use to deal with them. He had once thought that Philip wasn't to be blamed for what Sophia did to him but he was now beginning to harbour resentment against him because of the scandal.

Andrew nodded his head but he still made up his mind to find the person who portrayed Ethan in such a manner to the public. He would make that person regret it even if Ethan didn't bother himself with it. 

Ethan was uncomfortable about the scandal that was circulating the internet about him. It was embarrassing but he decided to take his revenge in his own way. 

Ethan and Andrew moved in to discuss more important matters. 

***

Meanwhile, in a sizable office in what seemed like an investigative company. A beautiful lady with light brown eyes and a slim frame was scrolling through the internet on her computer when she saw a disturbing topic. 

It was the same headline that highlighted Ethan's scandal marriage with Sophia. 

"This is a lie!" The lady spat in anger. She was very confident that the hot gist was all a ruse and a big lie. She was confident because she knew Ethan wasn't that kind of person. 

She revisited the memories of Ethan that she had and reflected over his kind demeanor and meekness that was quite different from any other person she had met in her life. It was those special traits of Ethan that had made her attracted to him so she didn't believe that Ethan could do something as despicable as what was narrated on the internet. 

She picked up desk telephone immediately and spoke to her her colleague at the company. 

"Hey Finn, I have a favour to ask of you." She said. 

"What is it that you want, Maya?" Finn asked. 

"You know that new gist that's trending on the internet about that man Ethan, I want you to take it down and wipe it off the internet." She said. 

"You mean the one about that manipulative man?" Finn asked for clarity. 

"He's not a manipulative person!" Maya fired back without delay. She couldn't have an extra person speaking badly about Ethan. 

"It's just a made up lie to tatter his image!" Maya argued with Finn. 

"Woah... Sorry if I poked a nerve. I will see to your request but you know you'll owe me one for this." Finn said with a hint of greed in his voice. 

"Just do it immediately. I'll compensate you." Maya said hurriedly. "And make sure that boss doesn't get to hear of this." She added. 

"What do you think I am? A parrot?" Finn asked in a playfully offended tone. 

"Yes, Finn." Maya replied flatly. "I still haven't been able to redeem myself after your last mess up." She reminded him. 

"Oh, sorry. Bye." Finn said as he hurriedly terminated the call. 

Maya was relieved that Finn had agreed to help her take down the gist. Something outrageous about the loveable Ethan shouldn't be on the internet. 

And as she had expected, it didn't even take five minutes for the scandal to be wiped off the face of the internet. Seeing this, Maya smiled in relief. 

"I really should see him again one of these days." Maya mumbled to herself. "But will he even recognize me? I wonder what he's doing right now..." Maya thought. 

She really doubted if Ethan would remember her. It had been a few years since they last saw each other... Well, maybe for Ethan, she had seen him quite a number of times but she didn't approach him out of consideration for him and the thought that maybe he would have forgotten her. 

She sighed as she leaned back in her chair and kept daydreaming about Ethan. 

***

Meanwhile, Andrew was browsing through the internet and trying to make investigation to find out who the perpetrator behind the scandal was when he noticed that the scandal had disappeared without a trace. 

"Hmm?" Andrew was confused. He didn't understand why it suddenly disappeared but it was still welcome. 

"It might be the person who posted it in the first place. Don't worry, I'll get you eventually." Andrew promised under his breath. 

Throughout the rest of the day, Andrew monitored the internet to make sure that there wasn't any more of such nonsense things about Ethan on the internet. 

Meanwhile, Ethan was exhausted. 

A lot of things had happened to him in just one day: be was fired, kicked out his house and divorced, beaten by thugs, he had been saved by his father's butler all to realise that he had a father who died as he was still speaking with Ethan. And last of all he had been painted on the internet with a scandal. 

"I hope this is the end of all these terrible things..." Ethan prayed sincerely. 

But it was as though life wasn't done with him yet. Little did he know what was going to cause him a lot of trouble the next day.