Chapter 2

ERIC

I could feel myself floating as I walked into my office. I had woken up this morning to discover the mess a blogger created alleging I was gay. That had not moved me, although I knew my father was going to bring down the roof. Damien had not called me, even though I was sure as hell that he had seen the headlines.

What made me avidly angry was the state I was in when they took those photos. I was at the peak of pain from the betrayal I suffered from a woman and they called me gay? Since when did gays get broken because of the opposite gender?

I had sent my investigator to gather more information about the blogger. Once they had gathered the information, I would make her life hell for what she did. But why did she decide to post about me? Some other businessmen and celebrities were gay but had never been carried by blogs.

After all, it was their personal life. It could only mean so many things. She did it to increase conversion to her blog page, or one of his competitors hated him so much that they wanted to ruin him. could it be a strategy from Damien’s father’s opponent to reduce his chance of being elected for the second tenure as prime minister?

Whatever it was, I would get to the root of it when I apprehend the blogger.

Walking into my office, I could hear silent whispers about me. I would normally have shouted at them and asked them to get back to work, but I left them. After all, what is life without gossip? The only thing here was that they did not know how it affected me.

When I got to my office, my investigator, Tyler, was waiting for me. He was a long-time friend and had been loyal. Tyler narrowed his eyes, eye-rating me.

“You have grown leaner. Have you been eating?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

“What can I say, friend? My girlfriend cheated on me with my opponent. While trying to recover from it, a blogger decides to declare me gay,” I replied and sat up. “Do you know how much damage this news is going to cause to the people involved in it? To Damien and his father. To me and my career?” I let a moment of silence pass before I responded. “I am too worried to care about eating.”

There was no need to lie and keep up with the tough billionaire's name. If there was anything I had discovered within the past week, it was that. Love and Rumour could break a man more than anything.

Tyler heaved a sigh and nodded his head in understanding. “I understand but I’ve gotten everything you asked for,” He said and handed his tab to me as I scrolled through the file. He turned on the television and started recounting the girl’s whole life to me.

“Did you find the reason she did it? I mean, did you check her call logs, her bank account, and stuffs like that?”

“I did, and there was no trace. No money was paid into her account. No calls. I think she did this on purpose.” Tyler concluded.

I nodded at him. “She was not under any duress; she did this for her selfish reasons. So, what do we do?” I asked.

“Well, I think…”

A loud bang on the door interrupted our discussion. I shut my eyes in anger for a moment as a familiar scent hit the room.

My father, he walked in, his face heavy. He threw at me, a copy of a magazine with mine and Damien’s photos on it. I got more furious, seeing the caption.

He sat opposite me, slanted himself a little in the chair, his two hands were intertwined together with his chin resting on it.

He glared at me. “What is the meaning of this?” He asked, his eyes on the paper.

Scoffing, I replied. “It’s just some blogger snooping around. I will take care of it,” with that, I tossed the magazine back to him.

“My question is why will Eric Sloan, son of Landon Sloan, future heir to the Sloan group of companies, be found at a bar with his friend in this position”

I shrugged. “I was drunk”

“Why?” He asked, wearing a more serious face.

“I wanted to relieve myself of some stress. Besides, why did you seem to care? You know it's a lie,” I replied. My father did not know the reason why Bella and I had broken up. No one did, except Damien and Tyler.

He banged his fist on my table. “You do not relieve some stress by getting drunk! I trained you more than that!” His nostrils flared as he shouted.

“Did you forget who you are? So many of our investors will question your capability. Is that what you wanted? To be referred to as a failure?” He asked.

I closed my eyes as I tried to control my anger. Who said being gay made one incompetent?

“I would fix it?” I assured him.

He stood up and buttoned his suit. “Better do! The world does not need to know you are a coward,” he said with a stern voice and left.

Tyler stood there, his mouth cracked. He was shocked at my father’s outburst.

Damien entered inside a few minutes later and shook hands with me as if he was not aware of what happened. “We need to do something about this tweet of a blogger," he said, facing me. Tyler sat by his side.

“The political party is beginning to question my dad because he said I was straight, I mean I campaigned for him as a straight man and then this news came out that I am gay,” Damien explained, his voice low, his eyes red with worry.

“Let’s not forget Bella, my girlfriend. People are throwing questions and I am not trying to blame you, but it's your fault!” I glared at him.

“Don’t look at me like that. You would have gotten drunk in a more expensive restaurant where your privacy could have been be more safe, or even at one of your hotels.”

I knew what he was saying was true. I would have gone to my restaurant or an expensive one. But then again. I was too sorrowful to think. “I know, but I am confused. I don’t…”

“We have to figure it out before it blows up everything” Damien cut me shut before I could finish my statement.

Tyler suddenly increased the volume of the TV. We glared at him. Why would he be bothered about something like TV at this time? He pointed towards the TV. “That’s the blogger. That’s Laura,” he said, pointing at her.

We listened to her with rapt attention. “Yeah, I was an eyewitness to that photo I posted. Even his former girlfriend approached me after I wrote it. She thanked me for being able to do what she could not do. This confirms the entire issue. That they are both gay.”

I curled my palm into a fist.

“What the fuck!” Damien shouted. He spared a glance at me, then at her. “She needs to be taught a lesson,” he said

I nodded in support “An unforgettable lesson!”