Our Accidental Forever
Chapter 40: The Bombshell (2)

Chapter 40: The Bombshell (2)

Arec’s POV:

The second I saw Ella burst into my office, her face pale and her hands trembling, I knew something was wrong. She didn’t even speak. She just shoved her phone in front of me, her eyes wide with disbelief and hurt. I grabbed the phone and hit play. As the video started, my stomach twisted into a tight knot.

Klaus.

There he was, sitting smugly in some cheap-looking apartment, live streaming to who knows how many people. The title below him read, "Arec Weston’s Fiancée Exposed." I could already tell this was bad.

He started with a laugh, the kind that’s meant to make you feel like the joke’s on you. And then he launched into it.

"I bet you all think Ella Davis is this sweet, innocent girl, right? Well, let me tell you, she’s not. She’s a gold-digger, through and through. She left me because I wasn’t rich enough for her. As soon as her boss, Arec Weston, you know, the Arec Weston, showed her a little attention, she dropped me like I was nothing."

I could feel Ella’s gaze burning into me as I listened. My jaw clenched tighter with every word. This man... This pathetic man was trying to destroy her, and for what? For some attention? To satisfy his bruised ego?

The comments below the video were scrolling fast, and even at a glance, I could see the venom pouring in. People love a scandal. They crave it. And they were eating this up.

I glanced at Ella, her lips quivering, eyes wet with unshed tears. She was trying to stay strong, but I could see she was breaking. Her hand covered her mouth, as if trying to hold back the emotions that were flooding her. I wanted to smash something, anything, but I had to keep it together, for her.

As soon as the video ended, I didn’t say anything for a second. I just sat there, staring at the screen, my mind racing through possible ways to contain this before it got worse.

"Why would he do this?" Ella whispered, breaking the silence. Her voice cracked, barely audible. "I haven’t spoken to Klaus since we broke up. Apart from that one time we ran into him at lunch and he was gloating about his new girlfriend. Why now? Why is he doing this now?"

I reached out, grabbing her hand and squeezing it. "Ella," I began, trying to keep my voice steady, "we’re going to handle this. I’ll call the PR team, and we’ll shut this down before it gets any worse."

But even as I said it, my mind was spinning. How could someone who used to be in love with her turn against her like this? It didn’t make sense.

What kind of man would stoop this low? And how could people just...believe him? Without knowing a damn thing about her? People were so quick to judge, so eager to see someone fall.

"Klaus ended things with you, right?" I asked, knowing the answer but needing to hear it again.

"Yes," she whispered, her voice barely holding together. "He ended it. I thought it was mutual at first, but...but now I wonder if he’s just angry. Angry that I didn’t...I didn’t fall apart after him. Maybe he doesn’t want to see me happy."

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to make sense of it. If only Klaus knew that our relationship wasn’t even real. That this entire thing was for the sake of appearances. Would he still have gone this far if he knew? Or would it have just given him more fuel for his lies?

Ella’s tears finally spilled over, running down her cheeks as she turned her face away from me. I slid my chair closer, putting my arm around her shoulders and pulling her in. "Hey, don’t. Don’t let him get to you. We’re going to fix this. But you can’t stress over this, Ella. Not for your sake, and not for our baby."

She nodded, but I could see how hard it was for her to hold it together. She was already fragile, and now this. I couldn’t imagine how overwhelming this was for her.

I grabbed my phone and dialed our head of PR, pacing the length of the office as it rang.

"Greg, we have a situation," I said as soon as he picked up. "Have you seen the video?"

"Yeah, Arec. It’s blowing up right now. We need to act fast."

"Get a statement drafted. I want something out within the hour. Denounce every claim, but keep it clean. We can’t sink to his level. And contact the platforms, get that video removed for defamation. We’re not going to let this spiral out of control."

"I’m on it," Greg replied, hanging up with a sense of urgency in his voice.

I turned back to Ella, who was wiping her eyes and staring blankly at her phone. The comments were still rolling in, and I knew she was reading every vile thing being said about her.

"I can’t believe this is happening," she muttered. "People are calling me a gold-digger. They think I’m...they think I’m with you for your money. But this isn’t even real."

My heart clenched at her words. What she didn’t realize was how much it hurt me to hear her say that.

Because even though this marriage had started as nothing more than a contract, it didn’t feel that way to me anymore. Not after everything... Not after knowing she’s carrying my baby. But this wasn’t the time to tell her that.

"I know it feels overwhelming right now," I said, sitting down beside her again. "But I promise you, we’ll clear this up. People will forget about it once we put the truth out there. Klaus is a liar, and it’s only a matter of time before everyone sees that."

She sniffled, nodding weakly, but I could tell her mind was still racing. I hated that she had to go through this.

"We should make our own statement," I suggested. "We’ll go live. Address it head-on. You deserve the chance to tell your side, Ella."

Her eyes met mine, wide with uncertainty. "Go live? You mean...publicly?"

"Yes. We’ll do it together. You, me, side by side. We’ll shut this down. People will believe you, Ella. They just need to hear the truth from you, not from some bitter ex."

She hesitated, chewing on her lower lip, before slowly nodding. "Okay. If you think it will help."

I leaned in, pressing my forehead to hers for just a moment, offering her comfort in the only way I knew how. "It will. I’m with you. We’ll get through this."

I called Greg back, telling him to prep for the live stream. We’d address everything, together. This wasn’t just about controlling the narrative. It was about showing the world that no one was going to tear Ella down. Not Klaus, not anyone.