Chapter 2
Panic set in, and I tried to get up and leave immediately, only to find the door already closed.
Laughter came from behind, and I looked to see two middle-aged men.
"Who are you? I don't know you at all!"
The men grinned menacingly, slowly approaching me.
"Aren't you the star of the show? You actually dared to come, seems like you're thirsty again?"
"We guys like you just the way you are. Since you're here, come play with us, let's see if you're like in the video."
He reached out to grab my arm.
I kept banging on the door behind me, hoping someone would hear and save me.
The door didn't open, but I heard voices outside.
"Thinking about you getting married makes me sad, she always gets what I want so easily."
"It's the same at the institute. Ethan, you said you'd help me, right? I'm carrying your child too!"
Ethan's voice sounded muffled through the door.
"The institute has already expelled her, just rest assured, the project lead position will be yours! If she behaves, I'll let her have the baby."
There was no respect for me in his words.
'Thud'
My head was pressed against the door, my neck gripped tightly, another person started tearing my clothes.
The feeling of being trapped made it hard to breathe.
Just as I felt I was about to die, the door suddenly opened.
I fell to the ground, ready to crawl out, only to find several people standing at the door.
The men behind me suddenly softened their tone.
"She invited us out, nothing happened, this is entrapment!"
All of a sudden, all those heated gazes focused on me.
A phone appeared in front of me, along with a hand grabbing my hair.
"You shameless woman! Who knows if you have some dirty disease, coming out to meet people. You just need a lesson!"
"Today I'm exposing you, let's see what kind of people are at your institute! @"
Ethan suddenly came over, stopping the woman filming.
"The institute has already dismissed her, what she did has nothing to do with the institute!"
With Ethan's reassurance, the people gradually dispersed.
The people behind Ethan looked at me with disdain.
"It's just writing a report, and you invite people over like this. We're not trying to criticize you."
"You can't even spare a moment? If Ethan hadn't explained, you'd be headed to the police station!"
Ethan finally stood by my side, reaching out to help me up.
"Nora, what I said earlier was out of necessity, just to calm them. You know if the institute's reputation is ruined, our future cooperation is over."
He gazed at me sincerely, as if he truly cared for me.
His friends sighed, almost pointing at my nose to scold me.
"Nora, I know you have your reasons, you're not that kind of person!"
Even as he said this, he turned and told the woman who filmed to upload the video to Twitter, even buying Trending Topics for it.
Suddenly, I realized how blind I was before; I only now see through such clumsy lies.
Among the crowd's disappointed gazes, Ethan spoke again.
"Tonight is Aurelia's birthday, we're all heading over now, you should come too and post an apology video online."
Those videos weren't me, why should I apologize?
I didn't want to fall into the trap of proving my innocence.
"I'm not going, I want to go home."
Ethan frowned, staring at me sharply.
"Are you really going to ignore Aurelia's birthday? Apologizing is for your research, you don't want your research to be buried, right?"
I just wanted to go home, but he wouldn't let me, acting as if it was for my own good.
So many people criticized me, yet he wasn't thinking about proving my innocence, but about handing my research project to Aurelia.
Then, Ethan dragged me to a bar.
But those disdainful gazes always lingered on me, making me nauseous.
Aurelia stood in front of me, seeing this.
"Today is my birthday! Nora came for me! Don't be too harsh!"
After saying this, she tried to hold my hand.
Unexpectedly, Ethan half-embraced her and walked away, his face still showing disdain for me.
He was really blatant!
At the bar, a server brought a drink over, placing it on the floor in the corner.