Chapter 299
Shocking news: Richard and a mystery woman were spotted by paparazzi entering a hotel late last night, not leaving until 4 AM today. And it was Rowena’s birthday! Although the photos were taken secretly, they were clear enough to leave no room for doubt. Both Richard and the woman wore baseball caps and masks, making an effort to hide their identities, but Richard was still recognizable. The video showed them entering the hotel together, laughing and chatting intimately, completely disregarding the fact that it was Rowena’s special day.
Is Richard cheating on Rowena, even on her birthday?
Cormac stared at the headline, his stomach churning.
“Richard is such a jerk!” Stellan spat, her face flushed with anger. “He’s got a girlfriend like Rowena, and he still goes off and cheats, on her birthday, no less.”
She shook her head, unable to contain her frustration. “I can’t believe this. If it were my birthday and my boyfriend did this, I’d be heartbroken.”
Stellan’s empathy for Rowena ran deep. She could only imagine the pain Rowena must be feeling.
“Richard, you absolute jerk!” she muttered, pacing around the room in fury.
Meanwhile, Richard’s PR team went into full damage control mode. With his status as a top-tier male star, a scandal like this would be disastrous for his career. The team quickly drafted a statement in an attempt to quash the rumors.
“The woman who returned to the hotel with Mr. Walker last night is a crew member and a mutual friend of Mr. Walker and Miss Blaire. The crew had wrapped up filming late, and after finishing, they returned to the hotel to celebrate Miss Blaire’s birthday over a video call. They then went to their respective rooms to rest. This was a completely normal interaction between friends with no infidelity involved. We are prepared to take legal action against anyone spreading false rumors.”
The statement went live, and Richard’s fans, loyal and vocal, rallied behind him, flooding social media with messages of support. They denounced the scandal as a baseless rumor, helping to shift the narrative.
But the key to making the PR campaign work was Rowena.
Richard immediately called her, his voice pleading as he explained the situation.
“I’m so sorry, Rowena. I never meant for this to happen. I’m begging you, please forgive me,” he cried on the phone. “You know I never cheated. It was a mistake, I swear. I was drunk. Please, just help me out. All you need to do is issue a statement saying that the woman is a mutual friend and that we were just celebrating Miss Blaire’s birthday over a video call. That’s it. Please, Rowena. Help me.”
Rowena felt the anger rising in her chest. She had already been dealing with her hurt and betrayal, but now, this request? It was the final straw. Her voice was trembling with fury.
“You want me to lie for you?” she snapped. “You think I’m going to help cover up your mistake?”
“I was drunk, Rowena. You know how much pressure I’ve been under with filming. Please, just this once, help me out. I’ll never drink again. Just do this, and it’ll blow over,” Richard pleaded desperately. “I’ll do anything. I swear.”
Rowena could barely hold it together. Her heart was pounding with rage and betrayal. “Help you? After everything you’ve done? You got drunk, you cheated, and now you want me to play along like nothing happened? You’ve completely ruined yourself, Richard. And now you want me to help you cover it up? No, I’m not doing that.”
Richard was silent for a moment, then came back with a different attack, his tone shifting to one of cold frustration. “So you’re not going to issue the statement? Fine. But I’ll remind you of something else, Rowena. You’ve been secretly meeting with Cormac behind my back. Isn’t that just as shameless?”
Rowena froze. What was he talking about?
“Richard, what are you even saying?” she demanded, her voice rising in disbelief.
“You don’t even remember, do you?” Richard’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. “You know why you were chosen as the entertainment ambassador, don’t you? It’s because you’re friends with Cormac and Alaric. You acted like it was a coincidence, but I saw through it. You’ve been talking to Alaric about him behind my back. You think I’m blind?”
Rowena’s mind was racing. She had never done anything with Cormac—nothing even close to what Richard was accusing her of.
“You’re twisting things! I’ve never done anything with Cormac!” she shouted, her voice filled with outrage. “When did I ever secretly meet with him? This is ridiculous!”
Richard laughed bitterly, ignoring her defense. “Don’t pretend. You two have been getting closer and closer, and I saw it. The way you looked at him during the photoshoot—your eyes said everything. Don’t play me for a fool.”
Rowena’s blood was boiling. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him how ridiculous he sounded, but she held back. “How dare you accuse me of cheating when you’re the one who messed up? And now you want to smear my name?”
Richard’s voice was sharp, cutting through the silence. “I’m asking you one last time, Rowena. Will you issue the statement or not?”
“You’re delusional if you think I’ll help you lie to save your reputation!” Rowena yelled.
“Fine, Rowena! Fine!” Richard’s anger flared, and without another word, he hung up the phone.
Furious and heartbroken, Rowena stood there for a moment, staring at her phone. She had already made up her mind. She couldn’t forgive Richard for this. He had made his mistake, and now he wanted her to clean up the mess. She was done.
But Rowena wasn’t interested in saving face or being gracious anymore. Not after everything he’d done.
She took a deep breath and typed out a response on social media:
Rowena: Bullshit!
The internet erupted.
Her fans went wild, supporting her and condemning Richard as a cheater. The hashtag #RichardIsCheating quickly began trending, with people questioning his loyalty and integrity.
Richard’s PR team scrambled to put out the fire, but the damage had already been done. The backlash was relentless, and after a day of mounting outrage, Richard’s management company issued a new statement.
This time, it was worse.
“Richard’s Cheating Scandal Takes a New Turn!” read the headline. Richard reveals to the media that Rowena cheated first. According to Richard, Rowena had been secretly meeting with her ex-boyfriend, Cormac, multiple times after returning to Arizona. Despite his heartbreak, Richard had tried to reconcile with her, but Rowena refused. On the night of her birthday, she even turned him away when he tried to fly back and spend time with her. Desperate, Richard turned to alcohol, drinking heavily with a female friend outside the industry. Initially, Richard wanted to preserve Rowena’s dignity, but after being refused, he had no choice but to speak out.
The statement went on to outline Rowena’s timeline, including her return to the country and Cormac’s sudden rise at Nexus Innovations.