Chapter 4

By the time I got home, it was already past eight o'clock at night.

Bradley and Old Mrs. Whitney were sitting in the main room, both wearing sour expressions.

Bradley demanded right away, "You've been gone all day. Did you go make a scene at the factory gate again?"

I said calmly, "I took Niki to see a doctor."

Old Mrs. Whitney snorted. "What kind of illness takes a whole day to check? I bet you've been out meeting some man!"

In my past life, this was exactly when they'd started slandering me for loose behavior.

In this life, they were pulling the same trick again.

I pretended to look wronged. "Mom, what do you mean by that? I was at the hospital all day. How could I have been seeing other men?"

Old Mrs. Whitney slapped the table. "Let me tell you, Myrtle, this afternoon someone saw you talking to a man outside the supply co-op. The two of you were chatting and laughing. You still dare say you weren't off meeting some man in secret?"

I explained, "He was asking for directions. I don't know him."

Bradley sneered. "You need to be all smiles and laughter to give directions? Myrtle, do you take me for a fool?"

"Let me tell you, Myrtle, you'd better behave yourself. If I find out you really do have someone on the side, I won't let you off!"

With that, he slammed the door and went into the back room.

Old Mrs. Whitney followed him in, but not before shooting me a vicious glare.

I stood in the main room, a cold smile slowly curving my lips.

So they wanted to slander me?

Fine.

Then let's see who ends up ruined and disgraced in the end.

...

Over the next few days, Bradley and Old Mrs. Whitney treated me worse and worse.

They started spreading rumors around the mill, saying I was of loose morals, that I was carrying on with the male workers.

The rumors got detailed, claiming I was having an affair with a male worker from the Supply and Sales Department in the warehouse, caught in the act.

Director James himself spoke up, saying the matter would be dealt with seriously, and even set up an investigation team specifically to look into my "conduct problem."

Lucy wanted my reputation destroyed, so she could marry Bradley openly.

Bradley wanted me thrown out with nothing, so he could keep all the family property and take custody of Niki as a matter of course.

Old Mrs. Whitney wanted to force me out, so she could bring Lucy into the household.

After the investigation team finished questioning me, they handed me a punishment: "suspension pending investigation."

Bradley seized the chance to demand a divorce, saying I had loose morals and wasn't fit to be his wife.

Old Mrs. Whitney stood outside the door and cursed, "You've dragged the whole Whitney name through the mud! Get out, and the farther the better!"

A few days later, I tucked a bag stuffed with evidence under my arm and walked straight to the Broadcast Room in the office building.

Old Cole from the Broadcast Room went to the cafeteria for lunch at 11:30 sharp every single day, without fail.

I timed it perfectly, pushed the door open, went in, and threw the latch behind me.

The moment I flipped on the microphone, my voice carried through the speakers to every corner of Starline Textile Mill.

"Leaders and coworkers of Starline Textile Mill, this is Myrtle from the Spinning Workshop."

The workers packing up their tools all froze.

A woman from the Spinning Workshop nudged the coworker beside her. "Huh? Wasn't Myrtle suspended pending investigation? Why is she in the Broadcast Room?"

"Who knows? Probably wants to plead her innocence. Let's hear what she has to say!"

Gripping the microphone, I said in a steady voice, "I'm taking ten minutes of your time today. There are three big things I want to make clear in front of every worker at this mill."

"And I ask you all to bear witness, and see whether I, Myrtle, am really the crazy woman, the rotten woman they say I am."