The Unwilling CEO's Love Game
Chapter 71

Jocelyn was on pins and needles the whole day without a peep from Melvin.

Instead, the comments under that account were blowing up.

Only then did she notice the top comment was actually posted by Harrison.

"Hey everyone, it's Harrison here. Just to set the record straight; it was just a regular, casual get-together, not an engagement like some of you are making it out to be. Let's not jump to conclusions. Thanks!" Jocelyn knew Harrison was looking out for her. That guy had a way of being thoughtful without making a fuss about it.

If it weren't for the worry that Melvin might stir up trouble, she wouldn't give a hoot about what others were gossiping about.

The bigger the hoopla, the more she fretted about Melvin getting ticked off.

After a moment's hesitation, she also chimed in with a comment under Harrison's, "Just a friendly hangout. No need to fill in the blanks, haha. Your well-wishes aren't doing any favors for me and my boyfriend's harmony. If you wanna send good wishes, send them to me and my beau, alright? Thanks!"

She was scrambling to make amends.

The last sentence was just to soothe Melvin.

But her reply didn't do squat to calm the storm. Some troll started a beat, accusing her of playing the field, hopping from one boat to the other.

Then came the photos. There she was in the city with Melvin at a hotel entrance, her neck covered in love bites.

The snapshot was taken at a tricky angle. Her face was clear as day, but Melvin's was blurry. It still could be told he was not Harrison though. Besides that photo, the troll dropped the bomb that Jocelyn was a middle school teacher.

The netizens went ballistic in a hot minute.

One by one, they swarmed her comment section, slamming her for wild living style. She was said to be a disgrace to teachers.

The controversy just kept getting louder. What started as blessings for her and Harrison turned into a free-for-all on her character.

For the first time, Jocelyn felt the full brunt of a cyber mob, which could crush a soul all of a sudden.

She used to wonder how she'd handle being in the shoes of those who faced online witch hunts. In the past, she'd be unfazed because her conscience was clear. But now, faced with the real deal, she was still clear-conscience and all, but she couldn't just brush it off.

She was scared. She worried that her parents would get dragged into this mess.

A whirlwind of grievance, fear, anxiety, worry, and terror hit her all at once, overwhelming her like an unbreakable net.

What was just a follow-up to a street interview had blown up into a nightmare.

The flooding insults were flying left and right. It didn't take long before Jocelyn was out.

Then came the snide remarks about her looks being too sultry for a serious teacher.

With her students in their teens and her good looks, any slight impropriety or intention to go lowbrow will lose students' focus on their studies.

Later, folks were hitting up the school's official website and demanding to dismiss Jocelyn.

Nobody saw the uproar coming.

Jocelyn never imagined she'd become the talk of the town, on par with internet celebs or stars.

If there wasn't someone pulling strings behind the scenes, she'd eat her hat.

As the online saga went from bad to worse, Calvin headed home before clocking out, his face as stormy as the neighbors' curious glances.

Daisy was all sighs, with those harsh words stabbing her heart.

Jocelyn, not wanting to drag her parents down, beat it back to her apartment before anyone could come knocking.

She almost tripped getting out of the cab, mask on and all.

The morning's bright skies were now grim as if the heavens were about to collapse.

A sudden gust, the growling thunder, and the weeping leaves seemed to resonate with her mood as she slumped onto the steps of a nearby garden, drained.

She powered off her phone, her hair whipping around in the wind, clothes rustling.

A bolt of lightning tore across the sky on the other side of the city, and soybean-like raindrops began to fall, spreading ripples at her feet and slowly drenching the ground.

At this time, no one was spying on her, right?

When she went out of home, those normally friendly neighbors were giving her the side-eye, and the driver seemed to size her up even in the cab. She felt like someone was ready to spit out "shameless" at her everywhere.

The rain was relentless, soaking her through and through. But it was the only place she could replace a moment of peace.

She had no clue why she was suddenly the target of a cyber roast, or why things had spiraled out of control.

The streetlights reflected on the wet pavement made her look even more pitiful, as if she was the only one left in the world, or as if the world had cast her aside.

Heading down, she felt her eyes burned and her throat sliced open. Covering her face, she did not know if it was rain or tears, cold and salty.

The rain seemed to stop, but she could still hear it.

When she dropped her hands, she saw a pair of rain-soaked shoes, her gaze slowly trailing up to see sleek legs in sharp suit pants. She knew who it was.

When she finally saw the face, she clenched her teeth stubbornly, a surge welling up in her eyes.

"Had enough of the rain?" The man's cold voice without any warmth seemed even icier against the chill of the rain.

Jocelyn propped herself up by her arms. She had seen stray cats that always huddled in corners during the rain, filthy and forlorn.

Right now, she was just like one of those strays.

"Get up!" Melvin's tone was flat.

Sitting still, Jocelyn swallowed hard and tightly pressed her lips, "Just let me be for a while."

As soon as she finished, the man yanked her up with no tenderness, hurting her arm.

With numb legs, she nearly collapsed to her knees.

Melvin ditched the umbrella, scooping her up in his arms. His whole body instantly soaked, their bodies pressing together. His warmth shivered Jocelyn who was too weak to struggle.

Back home, Melvin tossed her into the bathroom and stripped off her wet clothes. His one hand steadied her so she wouldn't fall, the other held the shower head, turning on the hot water to rinse her from head to toe.

"Plant your feet!" Melvin had her lean on him as he squeezed out some body wash and started lathering her up with bubbles.

It wasn't the first time that Jocelyn was bathed by him. However, this time he was super rough, not giving a damn about being gentle or treating her like a delicate flower. He seemed to scrub a layer of skin off her.

And for the first time, he didn't play her as a toy, just genuinely gave her a bath.

After turning off the water, he wrapped her up in a towel like a burrito and carried her to the bedroom, plopping her down on the bed.

Seeing her lying there, lifeless like a doll with its spirit sucked out, Melvin didn't say a word.

He patiently blow-dried her hair before heading back to the bathroom to take his shower, which was quite out of his character.

Jocelyn, listening to the sound of water running, felt groggy and curled up under the covers, burying her head.