Her manager looked troubled. "I don't think that matters right now, Ms. Vivienne. Watch this." He turned on the TV in the van.
Vivienne's eyes widened as she saw her father, Arnold Montgomery, on the news. He was being escorted out of a building by police, surrounded by media.
The news anchor's voice came through clearly
[Breaking news: Mr. Arnold Montgomery has been implicated in a serious crime. Reports confirm that Mr.Montgomery is currently a suspect in an ongoing murder investigation.]
Vivienne stared in shock, her mind racing as the reality of the situation sank in.
After that day, Vivienne's once peaceful life turned upside down. The quiet and privacy she used to enjoy were shattered, replaced by chaos and public scrutiny.
Her father, Arnold Montgomery, was formally charged with murder, and the news spread like wildfire. A witness had come forward, providing evidence that tied him directly to the crime.
The situation escalated quickly, leading to a court case that became the talk of the town.
As the days passed, Vivienne had to attend several court hearings, watching her father, once a respected businessman, sit in the defendant's chair.
The trial was intense, with lawyers presenting evidence and witnesses taking the stand. The witness's testimony was damning and it became clear that the case against her father was strong.
On top of that, Montgomery Enterprises, her father's company, took a massive hit. Stocks plummeted, investors pulled out, and employees began to panic.
Within weeks, the company which had been one of the most successful in the industry, declared bankruptcy. The family's wealth and status crumbled overnight, and Vivienne found herself thrust into the public eye, surrounded by a whirlwind of scandal and speculation.
Everywhere she went, the media hounded her. Reporters swarmed her outside her apartment, at the courthouse, and even near her workplace. They shoved microphones and cameras in her face, shouting questions over each other.
"Ms. Vivienne, what do you think of your father's crime?" one reporter asked.
"Do you believe he's guilty?" another one shouted.
"Is it true that Montgomery Enterprises is bankrupt? What's next for you?" yet another reporter pressed.
Vivienne tried to push through the crowd, her heart pounding, but the constant barrage of questions and flashing cameras made it nearly impossible.
"No comment," she repeated over and over, but they didn't stop. She could feel the panic rising in her chest. This was her new reality—living under the relentless scrutiny of the media.
One day, while trying to leave the courthouse after another grueling day in court, she found herself cornered by a particularly aggressive reporter.
"Do you think your father deserves to go to prison?" he asked, his tone sharp.
Vivienne stopped, her eyes flashing with frustration and exhaustion.
"My father deserves a fair trial, just like anyone else," she said firmly. She pushed past him but the cameras kept following, capturing every moment of her distress.
Back at home, Vivienne sank into her couch, overwhelmed by the events unfolding around her.
She never imagined her life would come to this—her family's name dragged through the mud, her father facing a possible life sentence, and her own life in ruins as she struggled to navigate the fallout of her father's actions.
She felt like she was drowning in a sea of problems with no shore in sight.
Her phone rang, breaking the heavy silence around her. She glanced at the screen, recognizing the number. It was her manager. Justine Her heart sank.
She took a deep breath and answered, trying to steady her voice. "Hello?"
"Ms. Vivienne," Justine's voice came through, Her Husband Assistant. "I'm really sorry to call you like this, but I have some news."
Vivienne's heart raced, and a knot formed in her stomach. "What is it, Jus?"
There was a pause before he spoke again, his voice trembling slightly.
"Sir James reached out to me because he couldn't get through to you. He wanted me to let you know that he's filing for divorce." The words felt like a physical blow, leaving Vivienne reeling and speechless
Vivienne immediately grabbed her keys and rushed out of her apartment, her mind clouded with a single question, 'Why James?'
It's just been a month since they're married.
She slid into her car and started the engine, her hands gripping the wheel tightly. She needed answers. James couldn't just end everything like that, not without a real explanation.
As she drove, the city lights blurred together, and her thoughts raced faster than the car. Every memory, every conversation, and every smile they had shared in the past months ran through her mind like a broken record. What had gone wrong?
Within minutes, she found herself pulling into the parking lot of Sterling Ventures, the tall glass building.
She parked her car hastily and stepped out, not caring about the whispers and sideways glances of the employees milling around the entrance.
She noticed a few of them watching her, their heads bent together as they whispered to one another.
"That's Vivienne Luna Montgomery, isn't it?" one of them muttered.
"Yeah, I heard that He's divorcing her," another replied, their voice hushed.
"Can you blame Mr. President? Her father's scandal is all over the news. He's been accused of murder, for God's sake," a third chimed in.
Vivienne's chest tightened at the mention of her father. She tried to ignore the whispers, but they seemed to grow louder, swirling around her like a storm.
"She must be here to beg James to take her back," someone whispered as she passed by.
Another voice chimed in, "I mean, who would want to marry into a family like that? Especially now that the Montgomery name is practically ruined."
Vivienne's face burned with a mix of anger and embarrassment, but she didn't have time to dwell on their words.
She marched through the lobby, her heels clicking sharply against the polished marble floor. The whispers seemed to follow her as she made her way toward the elevator.
As she rode the elevator up to the top floor, where James's office was located, she took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger and confusion boiling inside her.
"What happened, James" she whispered.