Choosing One Life Over Many

"Should I answer it for you?" Nina asked me.

I shook my head. "I'll handle it myself."

The moment I picked up the phone, Harrison's cold voice came through. "Mikayla, where's my blue tie?"

"We've broken up. Find your stuff yourself. I'm not your maid," I retorted.

There was a stunned silence on the other end before Harrison spoke up again. "Mikayla, is this really necessary? Stop acting out and just come back already!"

He thought I was throwing a tantrum.

"Harrison, I'm not joking with you. You'll never be able to repay what you owe me in this lifetime!"

I hung up and blocked his number immediately.

Nina patted my shoulder. "Don't bother wasting any emotions on that piece of trash. Let's eat first. After you've had something to eat, we'll go find you a lawyer."

Thank goodness for Nina—without her, I wouldn't have known what to do.

My relatives were still staying at a hotel. The lawyer suggested I apply for forensic testing, gather evidence, and force those responsible to come forward by way of using public opinion to pressure them.

I followed all the advice given to a tee. My family stood firmly by my side—not for anything else but justice for our deceased members.

Nina took matters into her own hands. A week later, an explosive exposé she wrote set the Internet ablaze. The title of her article was: "Unethical Factory Dumps Toxic Wastewater Into River, Poisoning Over Ten Members of One Family".

Of course, Nina didn't reveal my name in the article. However, she included pictures of the polluted river and a clear video showing the factory situated upstream dumping the wastewater. She also stated that the police and relevant authorities were already investigating and collecting evidence.

I boosted the article on social media with the help of a content promotion tool. Within hours, it hit the top trending topics. The culprit, Pinnacle Manufacturing, was exposed by Internet sleuths.

I patiently waited for the chance to seek justice to come.

"Nina, this story is just a flash in the pan. We need to act fast," I said.

She understood exactly what I meant. Public opinion could expand the impact, but hard evidence was what truly mattered because someone was suppressing the story behind the scenes.

Sure enough, the trending topic lasted only a day before it dropped to the tenth spot by the next morning. Whoever I was up against had deep pockets and didn't care about Nina's exposé. They even hire ghostwriters to accuse us of exploiting the dead for money.

Despite Nina keeping my identity private, someone dug it up in no time. My phone number was leaked, and I was bombarded with harassing calls. Even my relatives received threats.

I told everyone to go back home while I faced this alone.

Nina refused. "Mikayla, I'm staying with you. Trust me."

I knew she meant well, but this was something I had to face on my own.

Three days later, I received a call from Zara Langdon. She said, "Let's talk, Mikayla."

I knew she couldn't hold back any longer.

At the meeting place, Zara handed me a check. "How much will it take for you to stop?"

"Is the factory run by your family?" I asked.

She crossed her arms and didn't answer.

I understood why Harrison had intervened right there and then.

"Over ten of my family members died from this. How much money do you think it'll take to heal the wound after suffering such a tragic loss?" I questioned resentfully.

Zara sneered. "Oh, stop faking it. This is all about money, isn't it? That day, Harry was only a few minutes late. Your family members were weak and couldn't hang on. Now, you're pinning all the blame on the factory.

"What you're doing is disgusting. You're profited from the deaths of your family. No wonder Harry's family looks down on you. If I were you, I'd take the money and leave before losing everything."

Her condescending tone made my stomach churn. Thinking of my nephew's final struggles before he died, I couldn't hold back any longer.

"Keep your money and buy a coffin with it. I won't let this go, nor will I compromise in any way!" I bellowed.

"Stop playing the martyr, Mikayla. You're doing all this because you want Harrison. Too bad for you—with just one phone call, he came running to me that day. To him, your family is nothing but garbage," Zara said disdainfully.

My patience snapped at that moment. I raised my hand and slapped her hard across the face.

The next moment, a strong force yanked me backward. "Mikayla, what the hell are you doing?"