Chapter 59: The Letter That Destroyed Laura.

Chapter 59: Chapter 59: The Letter That Destroyed Laura.

Flora exhaled deeply and leaned back in her chair.

"What a live," she murmured, shaking her head slightly.

She was still trying to process everything that had happened. The comments, the support from her viewers, and the unexpected attention Simon had received. It had been an exhausting experience, but she was glad she had faced it.

Simon stood up and began disconnecting the live equipment. He carefully removed the cables and gathered the lights, preparing to put everything back inside the box.

Flora watched him closely.

Her eyes followed his movements, and a strange thought crossed her mind.

"This guy is so perfect. Even the whole world has confirmed it today, and he wasn’t even ashamed to show his face. I thought he would feel embarrassed or uncomfortable after everything people said about him. But he didn’t."

She studied his face for a moment.

That means he is ready to face battles with me, regardless of what the world says. He isn’t running away. He isn’t trying to distance himself from me. He is simply being himself.

Simon suddenly turned in her direction.

Flora quickly dodged his gaze and pretended to be looking at something else.

Simon didn’t notice. He was busy arranging the equipment.

"Simon," Flora called softly.

"Yes, ma?" he answered without turning around.

"You must be tired by now. You can go and rest."

Simon placed the last cable inside the box before turning towards her.

"Ma, have you eaten?" he said .

Flora raised her eyebrows slightly.

"Why are you asking me that?"

"Because you’ve been busy all afternoon. You spent hours attending to people on live, and fulfilling people’s requests. You need to eat and rest."

Flora gave a little smile.

"I will eat when I’m ready. You don’t have to worry about driving me today. Just go and rest your head."

Simon looked at her for a few seconds. Then he slowly approached her.

"Ma."

Flora looked up at him.

"Yes?"

Simon reached for her hands and gently held them. His eyes settled on hers, and his expression became serious.

"I’m sorry you have to go through all this online drama," he said quietly. "You don’t deserve it."

Flora remained silent, allowing him to continue.

"I know people can be cruel, especially when they don’t understand what is happening. Some people will believe anything they see online without even trying to find out the truth."

He paused and gently squeezed her hands.

Flora looked directly into his eyes.

Simon continued, "Just have it in mind that I will always stand by you, even through your darkest moments. You don’t have to face everything alone."

His voice became softer.

"I’m super proud of you, ma. Not everyone would have the courage to come out publicly and defend themselves. Thank you for always supporting the less privileged and people who have nothing to offer you in return."

Flora’s expression softened.

For a moment, she couldn’t find the right words.

Perhaps it was the sincerity in his voice and the way he looked at her without expecting anything in return.

Or simply because he had become someone whose words could reach places in her heart that other people’s words could never reach.

She gently withdrew one hand and touched his arm.

"Simon, I’m sorry you were dragged into this mess," she said. "I never expected things to go this far, and I certainly didn’t expect people to start attacking you because of your connection with me."

Simon shook his head.

"Please, don’t apologise, ma. You have nothing to apologise for."

"No, Simon. I mean it. You came here to do your job, and somehow, you’ve found yourself in the middle of something that has nothing to do with you."

"That’s alright, ma. I’m not bothered."

Flora sighed.

"I promise you, I will get to the root of this matter."

Simon smiled.

"Exactly ."

She chuckled softly.

"Thank you, Simon."

"You’re welcome, ma. Please, get some rest."

He released her hands, picked up the equipment box, and headed towards the door.

Flora watched him disappear through the doorway.

When she was finally alone, the smile on her face slowly faded.

Her body trembled, but she remained calm. She sat straight, like a queen who refuses to break, even when her heart is shaking.

She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the empty doorway.

For several seconds, she remained completely still.

Then she whispered, almost afraid of hearing her own thoughts.

"I wonder how lonely I would have felt if you hadn’t come my way, Simon."

Her eyes became moist, but she did not let the tears fall freely.

"Your presence never ages my soul. It only becomes more vibrant every day."

She swallowed and looked down at her hands, the same hands Simon had held moments earlier.

"You have worked so hard to build a connection with me, yet your approach never slows down. Every day, you find another way to make me feel that I’m not alone."

One tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. She did not wipe it away immediately. She let it stay, like proof that she is still human beneath all her strength.

"I have worked so hard to build a life, Simon. I have spent years chasing achievements and making sure everything around me remains in place."

She paused, allowing her thoughts to settle.

"Sometimes, I wonder about the deeper meaning of all this work. What exactly am I achieving if I cannot enjoy the little things that make life beautiful?"

Her lips trembled slightly, but her voice remained steady.

"But, whenever you are around me, something changes. I suddenly find myself wanting to return to the world of achievements and productivity. I want to do more, become better, and face another day."

She finally wiped her cheek slowly.

"How do you manage to do that, Simon?"

Her voice was barely audible.

"How do you make an ordinary moment feel so important?"

Flora leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

For once, the powerful woman who had spent years controlling everything around her had no answers to the questions in her heart.

THE SAME EVENING, AT LAURA’S HOUSE......

"Jeff!" Laura called from the bedroom.

"Finally, you are awake! You have been sleeping all day."

"I’m in the kitchen," Jeff replied.

Laura walked into the kitchen and stopped when she saw him washing the dishes.

"Jeff, what are you doing?"

He glanced at her. "I’m washing the dishes. Isn’t that obvious?"

"I have told you to stop washing dishes in my house. I find it very disgusting."

Jeff turned off the tap. "What’s disgusting about washing plates?"

"I didn’t bring you into this house to become a housekeeper. You should play the role of a man by supporting me with bills, not washing dishes."

Jeff stared at her, clearly irritated. "You are so annoying, Laura."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You complain when I sit down, and you complain when I try to help. Nothing I do is ever good enough for you."

"I want you to act like a responsible man!"

"And I want you to stop treating me like I’m worthless." He fired back .

He dried his hands with a towel, picked up his car keys from the counter, and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Laura demanded.

"Out. I need some peace."

"Just go away!" she snapped.

"You will push everybody away one day".

He said..

Jeff walked out without another word. A moment later, the front door slammed.

Laura shook her head. "What a useless man."

She returned to the sitting room and picked up her phone. A TikTok notification appeared on the screen.

She opened the app.

Her eyes widened.

Her name was trending on different pages. People were talking about her in comment sections, and thousands of users had tagged her under videos from Flora’s live session.

"What is this?" she whispered.

She opened one of the videos and began reading the comments.

"Isn’t this Laura?"

"So she was the woman Flora was talking about?"

"Laura is a gold digger!"

"Confused and frustrated woman!"

"Imagine trying to embarrass someone who has done nothing to you."

She continued scrolling. Then she noticed a clip from the end of Flora’s live session.

She tapped it and listened.

The video played Flora’s final words, followed by the comments that had exploded across the screen. Laura’s face slowly lost its colour.

When the clip ended, a cold feeling ran through her body. Goosebumps covered her arms.

She dropped the phone on the couch.

For a moment, the truth she had been avoiding came back to her.

She thought no one would trace it to her.

She was wrong.

"How did Flora know it was me?" she whispered. Her voice was shaking."

Before she could think of what to do, someone knocked loudly on the front door.

Knock! Knock!

"Who is it?"

"Delivery!" a man answered.

She opened the door and found a delivery man holding a large envelope.

"Good evening, ma’am. I have a letter for you."

"From whom?" Laura asked.

He checked the envelope. "C.C. Solicitors."

Laura’s expression changed.

"C.C. Solicitors?" she repeated.

"Yes, ma’am. Please sign here to confirm receipt."

She signed and took the envelope. The delivery man left.

Her heart began to pound.

With trembling fingers, Laura opened the envelope and pulled out the document.

The first line made her freeze.

*RE: LETTER BEFORE ACTION -DEFAMATION AND UNLAWFUL USE OF IMAGE*

Her eyes moved across the page, and her lips parted in disbelief.