Bab 42: The Scandal

An hour ago.

"mmmm?" Everest groans twisting and turning around the large fluffy bed, suddenly his eyes scarcely open, "the fuck? Since when was a bed comfortable?"

He sat up quickly, realizing where he is, "that's right, I came here with that bitch!" he recalls last night in snippets, but his head begins to ache, "ahhh…ouu.." he groans, "it's been a while since I've woken up hungover. Shit! My head!"

After massaging his temples, he looks around, noticing the dead silence in the room, "that's odd, are hotels normally this quiet? It's like the calm before the storm." He nonchalantly heads to the bathroom to take a shower and starts dressing.

Once he walked out of the bathroom, he finds his phone on the sofa, "fuck! It's not charged," he clicks his tongue. "Ima have to charge it at work…Noah should have the same charger, eh," he shrugs, turning to look at the time, "I gotta get out of here."

Right before opening the door, he turns, taking one last glance at the room and heavily sighs in relief. After opening the door into the hallway, he's met with reporters, paparazzi, and cameras snapping their shots at him aggressively.

Everest, horrified by being called out, and cameras shuttering. The lights flashing from the cameras paralyze him from being able to make any move. An employee calls security and pushes Everest out of the way, telling him to go through the exit. Seeing this chaos makes him tremble in fear as he hurriedly dashes to the exit stairs. All he can think of is, "how the hell did they find me? What are they doing here? Why did they keep saying cheat? Cheat on who? What the fuck is going on?!"

He finally got out through the exit leading to the hotel's back when he notices from afar people crowding the entrance causing a huge commotion. He thinks for a second, "d-did I cause this?"

Fear strikes his heart again when he overhears random people walking along the sidewalk, "I wonder what is going on?"

"Maybe a singer or celebrity is checking in?"

"Wouldn't it be cool if it were a kpop group!"

"Nah! There are too many people for it to be a kpop group. It must be a celebrity."

Everest hides his face in his coat when walking to his car. He hurriedly tries turning the engine on. His cover is blown. He quickly drives out of the hotel into the freeway. After losing the crowd, he sighs, feeling relieved and thinking to himself, "what is going on? Are they all there because of me? Maybe it was a mistake."

He prevents himself from overthinking and turns on the radio, "Can we get back to cheating! This is a story people want to know. Its circling all over the morning so here is the tea! Belen Astares and her fiancé Everest Fox, you all know them as the Sleeping Beauty couple. Well, my people! Everest Fox was caught cheating this morning like just now, right Jack Lack!"

"Man, I don't even know what to say other than bro!! Everest, my dude! What is wrong with you? You are engaged to a beauty and cheat on her? Come on, man! That's not even. I'm speechless. I don't know this dude, but all I know is that they work together, right, Jane?"

"That's right, Jack Lack, all I know is Belen! Honey! If you are listening, which I doubt you would, trash! Throw him away! Break it off, girl! You don't need a man who will cheat on you! Next!"

Everest turns off the radio, making it dead silent in the car when he sighs, rolling his head back, "what the fuck did I do?!" he rubs his face, "ugh! I don't even know what I did last night…cheat? Ha!"

Just as he arrived at A Star, he notices the gates crowded with reporters, journalists, and, most of all, cameras! He secretly enters through the back, but just as he made his way to the front of A Star, he freezes upon seeing Belen already talking to the heads of departments and Noah by her side.

Though as Everest froze in place, their attention automatically trailed to him, all he could do was barely gulp down his saliva nervously while staring at Belen's cold gaze.

Belen's brows furrow in, "good to see you here, Everest Fox. But I'm afraid you're late," she says surprisingly calm.

He looks down, afraid to meet her eyes, "I-I," he stutters, "Forgive me, Madam President."

As he apologized, he can somehow overhear the employees who are already in their stations murmur amongst themselves aloud, "he really has the nerve to come?"

"What a fucking loser!" "Once a cheater always a cheater." "He's nothing but trash."

"Does he have no shame coming here?" "Poor Madam! She looks furious."

"She should just break it with him." "He should quit!" "How embarrassing!"

And more making Everest stare at the marbled floor clenching his fist to keep him from shaking. He can feel their eyes on every inch of his body, making him twitch as fear began seeping into his muscles.

Belen coldly says, "let's begin the inspections." She walks past Everest giving him the cold shoulder. Just then, Noah passed by him, showcasing a malicious grin. Everest notices a glint of his evil smile, making him angry but, at the same time, cower like a dog.

***

After the inspections, Everest stayed with the departments' heads and collected the surveys they handed out. But as he was doing so, he noticed the change in tension within the female employees. He can feel their evil eyes on him. It was as if they were secretly shooting lasers at him at any chance they got.

It made him uncomfortable, but what shocked him the most was the cold shoulder he was getting from pretty much everyone other than the departments' leaders. He somehow couldn't show a smile. It's a lot difficult than he thought.

He felts judged, watched, and wronged, but what bothered him the most was the fact that he couldn't remember what happened last night. Did he really sleep with someone? If so, who? The more he began thinking about the events, the more suspicious he grew to recall his car was parked in the hotel. If he were intoxicated, it wouldn't be possible for him to drive at all under such conditions. Unless someone drove him?

These questions continued to bite his head because the news makes him out to be the cheater, but in what? He does not remember sleeping with anyone, yet again he does not remember anything. It's all a blur.

Soon he goes upstairs to his office until Noah enters wearing a displeased expression on his face. He sits at his desk across from Everest. Only the keyboard sounds echo when Noah asks, "do you like getting this kind of attention?"

Everest is only waiting for his phone to charge when he turns, "what?"

Noah arrogantly scoffs, "you just love causing trouble, don't you?"

Everest pauses, "and you're just bored, aren't you? That's why you keep wagging your tail around her."

Noah maliciously laughs, "childish."

Everest gets worked up when Noah turns to meet his angry gaze, "that is the difference between you and me" his eyes narrow, "you don't belong here, why don't you go back to that hooker from last night."

Everest confusedly stares at him, "how do you know that?!"

He smirks, "pfft! Is this all an act? You'd make a good actor, but after today, I doubt anyone will want to hire you."

Just then, Everest's phone rings. He violently disconnects it from the charger and quickly storms out of the office into the stairs.

"DAMN!," he frowns while scrolling at the many messages and missed calls from his sister, "fuuuuuuck!" he groans, taking out his frustration on the wall, "It's better turning it off," he slips it in his back pocket.

Just then, he decides to make his rounds at each department to check if everything is running smoothly. He immediately regrets showing himself after noticing the constant shoppers' glares. He internally groans, wishing to leave but pauses near the male employee's lounge, overhearing their conversation.

"Aye! Erik, what do you think about this whole drama going on about the Madam and her boyfriend?"

"You mean fiancé?"

"It's the same thing, fuck the technicalities."

"Who cares? Honestly, I just want to clock out already."

Another joins them, "I read that he's been hooking up with prostitutes since before he started dating the Madam."

They gasp, amazed, "well damn. He sure was getting it."

"I don't know how he and the Madam are even dating. It took me a while to know who he was."

"Like he was trying to get that, but yo! Prostitutes?" they all groan disgustingly.

"Aye tho! Did you guys see what happened during the inspections? It was fucking hilarious! That guy Everest was looking down the whole time, and the females weren't even looking his way."

"Guess they finally saw his true colors, what a joke."

"I hope he gets fired or better yet quits!"

"What do you think about this whole thing Noah?"

Everest's eyes widen because he had no idea Noah was there to begin with and is somehow interested in listening to his response.

"Yeah, Noah, what is your take on it?"

Noah casually answers, "why does it matter? He's going to leave A Star. He never belonged here from the beginning."

The rest of the workers like his response, "that's true. He should go crawling back to his rich parents" they all laugh.

Everest walks away, wearing a dark complexion immersed in his dark thoughts when he bumps into someone snapping him back to reality. He worriedly looks to his side, apologizing to a young woman carrying shopping bags and sincerely offers help. The woman instantly recognizes him, clicking her tongue, "don't touch me, eww." She walks away, wearing a disgusted expression on her face.

Everest clenches his fist again, trying to detain himself from shaking. He does not know what he's feeling. Is he angry? Sad?

Shameless

He knows everyone in A Star is giving him cold stares and ignoring him, but he's never felt such hostility before, especially from a random person.

It left him confused. What was this burning constipating feeling in his throat? The more he tried recalling last night's events. It made his stomach churn, making him run to the nearest bathroom to throw up.

While vomiting, bits of images from last night form in his mind.

"A woman?" He breaths heavily while shaking his head, "there was a woman, dressed in red..."

He gathers the last bit of strength in his legs to stand, dragging them to the sink rinsing his mouth.

"Gugh!" He grunts angrily, wiping away the water from his mouth, "I-I want to go leave this place," he grips the sides of the sink tightly, showcasing the veins in his muscular arms.

Meanwhile, Noah is handling the walkthroughs instead of Everest when he can't help but overhear the employee's constant side conversations about the scandal.

It's irritating enough just hearing his damn name all over the news. And to listen to it from the employees tests his patience.

He interrupts them with a fake smile, "ladies, if you all have time to talk, I'd suggest doing that during your breaks or days off" his eyes shift coldly, "I assume you know otherwise."

The female employees flinch, moving on their feet to keep themselves busy.

Noah walks away, melting back into his gentle smiling facade to everyone as if nothing happened.

But deep down, he wonders, "I need to hurry and see what's taking them so long. I can't have those bastards ruining everything before anyone finds out the truth. Should I contact her?" He takes out his phone, glaring intently at the screen in hesitation.

***

Everest timidly knocks

"Enter," Belen responds coldly.

He automatically recognizes the tone of her voice, icy, sharp, and emotionless, lacking warmth.

He enters like a timid boy who is about to get scolded by its mother. But most annoyingly looking down at the floor.

"Well?" Belen impatiently glares at him.

"May I please be excused for today?" He nervously fidgets between his fingers.

She hauntingly raises an eyebrow, "why is that? Do you feel sick?"

Everest quickly lifts his head to meet her cold, glazing eyes, "b-but," he stammers, "the scandal," he manages to utter.

She scoffs in disbelief getting up from her seat, "Is that what this is all about?" Her brows furrow in a twist, "why do you want to leave? Are you sick?"

Everest can't help but answer honestly, "I don't think it'd be good for me to work today because of the scandal, I don't feel comfortable, and I think me being here is causing others discomfort as well..."

She mockingly laughs, "I'm glad you've figured it out yourself. Your little fun last night is causing me so much trouble for A Star, do you realize that? Oh, and let's not forget the fact that your secret was revealed to the whole world!" She pauses for a moment, "why couldn't you have done what you had to do in private?"

Everest stares at her in shock, almost speechless, "wait, hold up, wait a minute...are you trying to say that you'd be fine with me doing this kind of thing? With any kind of girl as long as no one were to find out about it? What kind of bullshit is that!?" He shouts bitterly.

She frustratedly sighs, not even trying to cover up her annoyed expression, "I don't care what you do in your spare time, but it'd be wise if you do it behind closed doors because your impulsive needs can cause me." She scoffs, "It can harm A Star's reputation since your name is unmistakably clinging onto mine!" She glares, madly fuming.

It's like a battle of lions when Everest decides to throw away his timid attitude revealing his core anger, "Is that all you care about? A Star! I swear its always this stupid mall! You believe anything they claim on the news? On the internet?! Huh!!"

Belen looks away, "I don't care if it's true or not. What matters now is the aftermath, the consequences! It's all because of your stupidity that A Star is in this mess!!" She fiercely shouts unable to contain her calm composure.

He lashes out, "what the fuck do you want me to do when I can't even remember what the fuck happened last night!?" He sighs, feeling a heavy sensation in his throat, "you don't even care to ask how I feel about everything that's been going on!?" He tearfully looks up at Belen with shaking pupils.

But Belen, on the other hand, is coldly unmoved and simply sighs, rubbing her head, "ugh..." she moans, "why can't you be," she mutters underneath her breath.

Everest can already tell what she was about to say and finishes her sentence, "like Noah?" He gathers the courage to glare at her offendedly. "You wish to control me like that obedient dog!? Ha," he mockingly laughs, "I was mistaken about you, Belen! Now I know why people are often after your downfall! You don't treat others as human beings. You only know how to look down on them and treat them like slaves! Well, I'm tired of this fucking contract! As of this day, I quit!" He dashes to the door when Belen says in a severe tone, "how disappointing."

Everest looks down, "yeah, I'm disappointed as well," he silently walks away.

***

It's late at night, Everest can't help but stay hidden in his car parked a nearby beach.

As he turned on his phone, a call comes through, "keuk!" He flinches, "Hello?"

"Everest, where are you!!!?"

"H-Hey Leena..."

"Don't 'hey Leena' me! WHERE ARE YOU!?"

"I'm parked near a beach, Ummm yeah."

She sighs, "thank goodness," her voice calms, "are you hurt anywhere?"

"Huh?" He twitches, surprised, "what are you talking about?"

She sincerely asks, "I mean, how are you feeling...?"

As she said, this silence befalls them when she overhears a few sniffs.

She sweetly yet maturely comforts him over the phone, "Everest, it's okay to cry when you're feeling hurt. Remember, I'm not our dad. I know he'd often hit us if he ever saw us cry. I'm your big sister, just be yourself."

Everest, on the other hand, can't stop his sorrowful wailing as tears trickle down his cheeks.

He continued to cry his heart out. He felt scared, alone, and desperate. If it weren't for Leena's call, who knows what kind of act he might've done, kill himself? Or sink deeper into darkness.

"Heuk!" He's trembling while holding onto the wheel, "No one believes me, Leena, no one believes me!!" he sadly reveals.

Leena soothes him over the phone, "I know, I know. Everything is going to be okay, don't worry."

After some time, Everest calms down, feeling a sense of emptiness. The heavy feeling weighing in his heart, stomach, and throat disappeared.

He can finally talk when Leena asks, "now Everest, I need you to answer me honestly, what happened last night?"

"Leena? Not you too!"

"Everest, listen closely, I think you were set up."

He silently gasps, "w-wh... n-no that can't be true!"

Leena's tone shifts, sternly, "I need you to tell me everything you remember, please Everest so that I can get a lead on the investigation."

Everest bewilderedly asks, "investigation?"

***

Flashback to last night.

Everest is groggily walking from the hotel elevator to the assigned room with the help of a woman and a tall man. He can't make out their faces, but this woman had beautiful fair skin, blonde, lushes red lips, and attractive features. On the other hand, the man was an Asian tan man about the same height as him but with a muscular physique.

After entering the room, the Asian man throws Everest to the bed and heads to the door until the woman stops to talk to him.

On the other hand, Everest starts undressing, feeling hot, stuffy, and starts whining that he's thirsty.

The woman and Asian man exchange strange glances as the man excuses himself, "have fun, Stephanie."

"I won't take long," she smirks, licking the corner of her lips.

After undressing himself, Everest is still wearing his pants when he shouts demanding, "WATER!!"

Stephanie gives him water and a white pill, "here" she caresses him, "drink this pill, it'll sober you up."

He violently smacks the pill from her hand, "I don't do that shit!" he glares at her, thinking she was probably trying to feed him some kind of drug. When she smiles, "Then what do you want?" She throws herself into his lips. He does not resist it and continues to swirl his tongue in her mouth, making sloppy noises as their saliva's intertwined, his arms unconsciously caress her body while grazing her supple bosom.

Heat emanates from them both as they stop for a break before going forward when an image of his ex-fiancé pops up in his head, making his heartache. He strongly pulls the woman close to his chest, intensifying the kiss, his lips slowly trail to her nape, as his hands recklessly rip off her dress like a wild animal.

The woman pleasantly moans, loving his violent kisses when she whispers seductively, "more."

Everest snaps out of his trance when he notices the woman feeling ecstatic from his touch. He gasps, shoving away from her when Belen's face pops in his head.

His heart unknowingly races, revealing his flushed expression, "get out…" he says quietly as he got off the bed.

The woman half nakedly sits up, looking confused, "what's the matter?"

Everest overhears a phone vibrating and notices the caller ID. He gets infuriated seeing a text message reading, "are you done with him?"

He sharply throws the phone to Stephanie, "what is the meaning of this? What are you supposed to do?!" he yells.

She jumps to stop him, "its nothing!"

Everest brutely pushes her to the wall, with crazed eyes, "who are you!!?"

She tries to change the topic by gently caressing his arm, "I'm just someone who's looking for a good time, just like you."

Seeing her alluring eyes only angers Everest more when he harshly grabs her wrist, "don't play dumb with me! What are you? A slut? A hired whore?"

She looks at him with different eyes, her behavior quickly changes, "ugh, what a loser," she says arrogantly with an indifferent cold tone.

Everest does not look surprised seeing her true colors, "ha, so this is who you really are? A hired prostitute? What does he want?"

She maliciously laughs, "what's the problem? You fucked whores, what's the difference? Is it because of your engagement?"

"What kind of bullshit are you trying to do to me?"

"Oh please, you're trying to act like a good boy all of a sudden? Is it that Astares bitch?" she laughs.

Everest heatedly grabs her neck, making her choke, "watch your mouth! Shut the fuck up. You don't know anything!"

"ha," She gasps for the little bit of oxygen she can get, "I pity that bitch for dating a good for nothing rich bastard like you! Face it, Everest! You can never change! You are going to end up alone, abandoned just like how Sun-young left you for someone far better!!" she triggers him.

Seeing her face turn purple makes Everest even angrier when he violently throws her to the floor, she winces, coughing, gasping for air, "get out! I don't want to have sex with a fucking whore!"

"Ha, that's not how your lower half reacted!" she remarks.

Everest savagely drags her by the arm, throwing her outside the room into the empty hallway without care. As he went back to the room, he exhaustedly sat down on the sofa, gulping down a glass of water.

In less than five minutes, he collapses on the sofa. After a while, he has hot-flashes, seeing the woman from earlier and another blurred-out figure.

End of flashback.

Everest finished explaining to Leena, "and that's when I woke up this morning, I've been feeling nauseous all day."

Leena's silent, deep in thought, "this might be harder than I thought. For now, Everest, just stay away from the public, see if you can stay at A Star."

Everest breaks the news to her, "I don't work there anymore…I quit."

Leena dumbfoundedly replies, "eh? Huh? YOU WHAT?!" she shockingly yells.