Chapter 508
Niamh glanced over at Elmer.
His eyes were brimming with tenderness, so clear and sincere it was
almost overwhelming.
She nodded.
“Okay, I promise you.”
“But you have to promise me, too… No matter what I say or do, you’ll forgive me.”
“Alright, I pro… Wait-”
Niamh caught herself mid-sentence, suddenly suspicious. Was Elmer setting a trap for her?
She narrowed her bright, inquisitive eyes at him, studying his expression.
Elmer’s lips twisted into a wry smile, but there was a sly glint in his gaze.
“What did you do?” Niamh’s curiosity got the better of her.
They walked side by side out of the hospital as Elmer replied nonchalantly, “If I tell you the truth, will you be mad?”
“That depends on how good you are at making it up to me,” she teased.
Niamh guessed Elmer must’ve done something that could irritate her, but she trusted it was ultimately for her own good.
“I made it official…”
“Made what official?” Niamh’s eyes widened.
Elmer grinned, his happiness practically radiating from him. “I announced online that I’m your boyfriend.”
“…What?”
By now, they had reached the car. Elmer opened the door, reaching inside to pull out a book, which he handed to Niamh.
She took one look and burst out laughing, caught somewhere between exasperation and delight. “You really are something…”
Clutching the book, she couldn’t hide how pleased she was. “Fine, I’ll give you points for effort.”
It was her favorite pianist’s autobiography-long out of print. Not only had Elmer tracked down this rare edition, but it even bore the pianist’s
original signature.
It was obvious he’d put a lot of thought into this “official announcement.”
Niamh could also guess his reasoning.
After Marina’s suicide attempt, the internet was swarming with accusations against her. Marina’s carefully crafted image painted Niamh as the jealous ex-wife: she’d supposedly ruined Marina financially, hired people to assault her, and now-worst of all-driven her to attempt suicide.
Sitting in Elmer’s car, Niamh scrolled through her phone. Just as she expected, users had already dug up every detail: the bankruptcy, the assault, the failed suicide. To them, Marina, Jonathan, and Niamh formed a perfect love triangle, and Niamh’s supposed persecution of Marina fit the narrative perfectly.
Now, the internet had branded Niamh with every vicious label: “spiteful ex,” “black widow,” “deserved the divorce.”
But there were people defending her, too.
Some pointed out that Niamh was Jonathan’s first wife, which meant Marina was the other woman. In that case, maybe it was only natural for the ex-wife to want revenge-though, of course, breaking the law was still wrong. Others countered that the real “other woman” was whoever wasn’t loved. Some even dug up old rumors, accusing Niamh of cheating first.
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Chapter 508
The debate online was fierce, the arguments more heated than anything between those actually involved.
But those were yesterday’s comments.
Now, the tide was turning in Niamh’s favor-and all because Elmer had publicly announced he was dating her.
Elmer had his own Twitter account, often linked with government projects. Alone, he might not have drawn much attention. But a young, handsome, sharp-dressed PhD who looked better than most celebrities? That was a different story.
The moment Elmer made it official, people started questioning the logic behind the accusations. Why would Niamh go to such extremes over Jonathan if she was already dating someone like Elmer?
Relaxed in the passenger seat, Niamh scrolled through the flood of online comments, a satisfied smile on her lips. Suddenly, her phone rang. The caller ID made her sit up, a spark of anticipation flickering in her eyes-
It was Michael.
Meanwhile, back in the hospital, Marina was hooked up to an IV, with Jonathan sitting anxiously at her side.
He was scrolling through his own phone, watching Elmer’s announcement blow up online, each new post stabbing at him like a needle to the eye.
