Chapter 29 Tamara’s Lies
Lailah and Maxwell have grown increasingly close lately.
As they spent more time together, Lailah was delighted to discover that she and Maxwell shared a surprising number of common interests.
Maxwell, for instance, was also fond of concerts and even studied violin as a minor in college. Though he had to set it aside to manage the company, his passion for music remained.
His insights into the art form, though unrefined by technical skill, were surprisingly profound and helpful to Lailah.
Not long ago, Maxwell had begun calling her “Lili” deliberately, a nickname he used in front of Zayden to draw at- tention away from her.
Now, as genuine friends, the name had lost its artificial edge; it felt natural, even comforting.
Lailah’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Tamara believes herself flawless, but the truth is far uglier. Today, I’ll expose her for who she really is.”
Ever since Tamara arrived, Lailah had endured countless injustices.
She genuinely despised Tamara, yet she had never entertained the idea of utterly destroying her.
After all, infidelity is rarely the mistress’s fault alone.
Flies didn’t bite unblemished eggs.
If a woman could not hold a man’s heart, the fault lay with her, not the other woman.
Today, it was Tamara; tomorrow, it could be someone else by another name.
In the past, Tamara’s tactics had been mere trifles.
But recently, her actions had crossed a line, seriously offending Lailah.
Disloyal men and faithless women deserved to go to hell together.
Maxwell arched an eyebrow. “But releasing that video could make things difficult for you in the Walter family.”
The Walter family included not only Zayden but also Zayden’s mother, Myah, and Zayden’s sister.
“Doesn’t matter,” Lailah replied, her expression serene. “Zayden and I have no future.”
Her trending scandal had lingered online for days, yet not a single member of the Walter family had stepped up to de- fend her.
Why should she care about their reputation now?
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From this moment on, she wouldn’t sacrifice herself for people who didn’t deserve her.
A faint smile touched Maxwell’s lips, and he said no more.
As the time approached, Lailah bid Maxwell goodbye and took the stage.
She hadn’t released the video earlier because she’d feared Zayden would intercept it and suppress it.
It was something she couldn’t allow.
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Now, with countless media outlets broadcasting live, even if Zayden had tried to suppress the story, it would have been impossible.
***
Half an hour before the press conference was set to begin, Zayden sat relaxed in his office chair, calmly watching the live feed.
Suddenly, a knock echoed at the office door.
Konnor stepped in, his expression anxious. “Mr. Walter, I have urgent news that requires your attention.”
Zayden’s gaze shifted to him.
“What is it?”
Konnor’s lips trembled slightly, as if struggling to speak. Without realizing it, a sheen of cold sweat had broken out on his forehead.
“The reason Ms. Griffith called this press conference isn’t to apologize, but to reveal a video.”
“What video?”
“It’s footage from the car accident scene,” Konnor said, his voice hesitant. “Mr. Walter, you need to see this for your- self.”
As he spoke, Konnor extended the iPad he was holding toward Zayden.
Zayden took it, noting that the video was less than a minute long.
As soon as Zayden hit play, his pupils contracted sharply, and disbelief flooded his eyes.
The video ended all too quickly.
A suffocating silence fell over the office.
The footage left no doubt-it was clear as day.
Lailah hadn’t suddenly darted out and struck Tamara’s car.
Instead, Tamara had deliberately hit Lailah’s car.
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Tamara had lied.
Which meant the eyewitness testimonies were lies, too.
This video was a game-changer.
Imagine the chaos it would unleash if made public.
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Konnor’s voice barely broke the quiet, “Mr. Walter, in half an hour, Ms. Griffith will reveal this footage to the world. What are our next steps?”
If this video were released, Tamara would be utterly ruined.
Zayden was silent for a long moment, then finally said, “First, get that video pulled. Have the car ready-we’re going to the press conference now.”
Konnor was stunned, though he nodded and hurried out.
He’d assumed Zayden would shield Tamara, but he never expected him to be so decisive, striking at the source.
With the event about to go live to a global audience, it made sense that Lailah would seize this chance to clear her
name.
Replacing the video wasn’t without risk-Lailah might bear this blame forever.
But if she did release it, Tamara would likely face ruin, possibly branded a mistress.
In today’s society, such a label was enough to condemn anyone.
Konnor sighed inwardly.
Between Lailah and Tamara, Zayden had still chosen to protect Tamara.
***
The press conference began on time, and Lailah stepped onto the stage.
Instantly, camera flashes erupted, blindingly bright.
Lailah scanned the sea of reporters and media below. “Before answering any questions, I’d like to show you a video first.”
The house lights dimmed, and the LCD screen before her flickered to life.
A hush fell over the crowd, though confusion lingered. They watched, curious about Lailah’s intentions.
Yet, after an agonizing wait, the screen remained stubbornly blank.
The silent hall soon buzzed with murmurs.
“What’s happening? We were supposed to see a video! Where is it?”
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“What’s Lailah playing at? Is this just for attention?”
“I came expecting a bombshell, and now… nothing?”
“What’s the point of this? Is she stalling?”
Murmurs of discontent rippled through the audience, and cameras flashed relentlessly at Lailah.
Online, the live chat exploded with mocking comments aimed at her.
Lailah’s brows furrowed slightly as she tried to grasp what had gone wrong.
Just then, a staff member scrambled onto the stage from backstage, whispering urgently into her ear.
“Ms. Griffith, someone replaced the video…”
Lailah stiffened for a moment, but realization dawned swiftly-she knew exactly who was behind this.
A flash of anger lit her eyes, quickly replaced by a chilling smile.
“It’s fine. I have backups. This footage is in my cloud storage. Or, I don’t even need to show it. I can just play the au- dio for everyone to hear.”
With the technology available, even when the distance was too great for the human eye to see clearly, the equipment could adjust to bring the image closer, allowing for an accurate and complete recording of the entire process.
Did Zayden really think replacing the video would leave her powerless?
That was impossible!
Suddenly, a stir erupted at the entrance.
“Zayden’s here!” someone yelled, and all eyes snapped to the figure standing at the door.
