Chapter 152 Living in Shame
Liam quietly closed the office door behind him.
A moment later, Athena’s phone rang again. It was the same unfamiliar number.
She sighed, picked it up, and placed it to her ear.
“Athena! What the hell is this?” David’s furious voice exploded from the other end. “The lawyer’s letter—it’s been delivered to my house! What do you mean by this?”
Athena frowned and ended the call without a word.
Seconds later, her phone lit up again. David was calling back. She let it ring out this time, letting his panic simmer a bit longer before answering.
When she finally picked up, her voice was calm and almost lazy. “Hello?”
“Miss Newton, don’t go too far!” David growled through clenched teeth.
Athena’s lips curved in a soft smile. “I told you I was going to file a lawsuit—right in front of everyone. Actions have consequences, Mr. Zucker. What exactly about that is going too far?”
David’s ragged breathing could be heard over the line.
“We all work under the Crawford Group. There’s no need to turn this into a big deal,” he muttered. “You… you should withdraw the lawsuit.”
Athena leaned back in her chair, eyes half-closed. “That sounds more like an order than a suggestion.”
“No! I’m just… negotiating!”
She didn’t reply at first. Then her tone dropped, cool and sharp. “Mr. Zucker, as far as I know, you’ve done this before.”
There was a heavy pause.
“You once slandered a brilliant young analyst in the Crawford Group. She had a promising future—outstanding performance, stellar quarterly reviews. She was about to be promoted to director. But you couldn’t handle her success, so you spread rumors about how many superiors she slept with.”
David remained silent.
“She developed severe bipolar disorder, attempted suicide multiple times, and nearly ended up in jail after attacking you in a mental breakdown,” Athena continued.
“She was too weak. If she couldn’t handle words, she wasn’t fit to be promoted anyway,” David snapped defensively.
“Is that so?” Athena let out a laugh, soft but full of contempt. “Then I’m curious to see how you handle the same treatment.”
David’s voice shot up. “What do you mean?!”
Athena didn’t answer. She ended the call.
When David tried calling again, his number was already blocked.
In a fit of rage, he hurled his phone across the room.
But the real storm was just beginning.
Later that day, rumors exploded inside the Crawford Group. Whispers turned into a torrent—David Zucker had a history of coercing and luring new female employees into inappropriate relationships. Some even claimed he kept photos and videos.
Several victims, emboldened by Athena’s stand, came forward. With hidden evidence long tucked away, they filed formal police reports.
The media descended like vultures once the story leaked.
The scandal shook the Crawford Group’s senior leadership.
David’s wife, mortified and furious, filed for divorce the same day.
Under immense pressure—legal, public, and familial—news broke in the afternoon that David, now held in a detention facility, had attempted suicide.
Back in Athena’s sunlit office, she lounged in her chair, warm sunlight falling across her desk.
She had a wireless earpiece in as she listened to Logan report from the other end.
“David’s collapsed,” Logan said coolly. “Attempted suicide in the holding center.”
Athena’s expression didn’t change. “So fast?”
“Well,” Logan said with a smirk in his voice, “besides the staff reporting him, I might’ve… accelerated the process.”
“You hacked him?” Athena asked, though she already knew the answer.
“Phone and computer. Found a lot. Photos. Videos. Names. The guy’s a damn creep. I sent an anonymous dump to the police.”
Athena was silent for a beat.
“He deserves to rot, not die,” Logan said. “He should live long enough to feel the shame.”
Athena nodded slightly to herself.
“Oh, by the way,” Logan added cheerfully, “Grandpa and I are heading to the seaport to buy seafood. I’ll drop some off at your place later.”
“Thanks,” she said lightly.
Just then, Liam pushed the office door open again, looking like he had seen a ghost.
“Miss Newton!” he whispered urgently. “Mrs. Lola Crawford is here…”
He gulped.
“She looks absolutely furious.”