I hung up the phone and tossed it onto the sofa.
But CEO Zhao's silence did nothing to quiet the world.
Quite the opposite. A few minutes later, my phone began to vibrate uncontrollably, like a bomb that had just been detonated.
Thousands of private messages and @mentions flooded in, each one carrying the most vicious curse imaginable.
My name, home address, and ID number were plastered all over the top trending topics—in high definition, completely uncensored.
"Lu Mingqian is scum! He was jealous his wife was more successful than him, so he maliciously retaliated!"
"This kind of man is disgusting. He has no talent himself, so he has to destroy a talented woman?"
"I feel so bad for the goddess Wanqing, being dragged down by this loser for so long."
Under the manipulation of Zhou Wanqing's team, the tide of public opinion had turned overnight.
I had become a madman consumed by jealousy, while she was the poor soul who had escaped her cage only to be slandered.
The next day, my doorstep was piled high with rotting garbage and discarded takeout. Red paint had been splashed across the door, with the words "Scumbag, go die" scrawled on it.
I drew the curtains, shutting out the world outside.
On the television, Zhou Wanqing was giving an exclusive interview.
She wore delicate, light makeup, her face pale and her eyes red and swollen. She sobbed uncontrollably for the camera.
"I admit, Lin Jingxuan and I made a mistake, but that was because... because my husband's constant emotional abuse and silent treatment were suffocating me... I just wanted someone to talk to..."
"I never thought he could be so cruel, to destroy everything I have in this way..."
Tears streamed down her face, a heartbreakingly beautiful sight. It was a performance that would make anyone's heart ache for her.
The live comments scrolling across the screen were filled with messages like "Don't cry, goddess!" and "We believe you."
Just then, my phone rang.
It was Zhou Wanqing.
"Lu Mingqian!" The moment I answered, her shrill, distorted voice pierced my eardrums. "Are you satisfied now? You mad dog! You've ruined me, and I'll make sure you pay for it!"
She was a completely different person from the fragile, helpless woman on camera.
"Oh?" I leaned back on the sofa, my voice calm. "What's wrong? Did they forget to give you the award for Best Actress of the Year?"
"You just wait! I won't let you get away with this!" she shrieked hysterically.
I chuckled and hung up.
Not long after, my doorbell began to ring incessantly.
I looked through the peephole. A few young girls holding signs that read "Protect Wanqing" were kicking and punching my door.
"Lu Mingqian, come out! Apologize to Wanqing!"
"Coward! You have the guts to do it but not to admit it?"
I didn't open the door. I simply took out my phone, recorded everything through the peephole, and then dialed the police.
The police arrived quickly and took the aggressive fans away.
The incident quickly made the news again. The headline read: *Scumbag Husband Calls Cops on Wife's Fans After His Own Scandal Breaks.*
Naturally, the comment section was another torrent of abuse.
"LOL, he has the nerve to call the police?"
"He brought it on himself. Serves him right!"
I turned off my phone and made myself a bowl of noodles.
Just as I picked up the bowl, a loud crash came from the front door.
The lock had been smashed.
Lin Jingxuan, his eyes bloodshot, burst in wielding a fruit knife.
"Lu Mingqian! I'll kill you!" He lunged at me, roaring like a cornered beast.
I sidestepped his attack, grabbed a salt shaker from the dining table, and smashed it down hard on his wrist.
The knife clattered to the floor.
He howled in pain but tried to lunge again. I kicked him squarely in the knee, and he crumpled to the ground.
My once-best friend was now a pathetic mess on the floor.
I looked at him, feeling not a ripple of emotion, only a sense of absurdity.
Was it worth it? All for a woman?
I ignored him and dialed the police again.
As the police led him away, he was still roaring at me, refusing to accept defeat.
I calmly watched the police car drive away, and with it, the last trace of sorrow I felt for our past friendship vanished into thin air.
The world was finally quiet.
I went back inside, closing the broken door behind me.
On the living room table, stacks of documents were spread out.
There were chat logs between Zhou Wanqing and CEO Zhao, records of financial transactions between her bank account and his, and... a contract signed by Lin Jingxuan, an agreement to "voluntarily" "devote" everything he had to Zhou Wanqing's acting career.
I picked up the blood-stained agreement, my fingertips gently brushing over the signature.
The video was just the appetizer.
I let out a low, cold laugh that echoed in the empty room.
"Did you think this was the end?"
"No. This is just the beginning..."