The crazy scene at Apex Solutions kept showing on every TV screen. Bianca got louder and louder, saying it was all lies, and news reporters shouted questions. But my office was super quiet. The big storm had passed, but you could still feel a tense feeling in the air. Liam, who looked pale but happy, slowly put down his tablet.
"We did it, Ms. Hilly," he said, his voice a bit rough. "Everyone knows the truth."
I just nodded. I couldn't really say how I felt. Relief, for sure, was the biggest thing. My company, Hilly Enterprises, was safe. Our good name, which was almost ruined, was now strong again, all thanks to the clear proof. But with that relief, I felt a cold kind of happiness mixed with deep sadness. Seeing Damian's face on the news, showing he was definitely the one who hurt us, felt like an old cut opening up. The justice I wanted felt empty, like winning a fight but feeling bad about it.
My phone, which had been quiet for so long, suddenly blew up with messages. Calls from people on the company board, crazy texts from the team that talks to the public, and tons of news alerts saying Apex Solutions' money value was crashing. Their "tech revolution" had turned into a huge public disaster.
"Liam, start writing a public statement," I told him, my voice steady even though my hands were shaking a bit. "Keep it short, just the facts, and be respectful. No bragging. Just the truth."
He nodded and went to his desk. The immediate problem was over, but the messy stuff after was just starting. There would be people looking into it, lawsuits, and the news would talk about it forever.
Hours later, the first wave of craziness started to calm down. The news changed from showing the live mess to trying to explain what happened. Experts talked, saying Bianca was wrong and praising Hilly Enterprises for acting fast and smart. Damian's name was now tied to the bad event forever, his face a sign of stealing company secrets.
I sat alone in my office. The city lights sparkled outside, but they didn't show any of the upset inside me. That cold, empty feeling stayed. Damian. The man I loved, who had broken my trust once before, had done it again. It was really strange and sad. I had given him another chance, thought I saw a hint of the good person he could be, only for him to show his true self for everyone to see. The public shame he put me through years ago was now, finally, happening to him. It felt like justice, yes, but a cold, empty kind of justice.
There was one unread message on my personal phone. It was from a number I didn't know. My fingers paused before I opened it.
"It wasn't me. Look closer."
My heart suddenly jumped. It was Damian's number. My first thought was to make fun of it, to shake my head and ignore it. Of course, he'd say he didn't do it. What else would someone caught doing something bad say? The picture on the screen, a bit blurry but clear enough, was strong proof.
But still, a tiny, uncomfortable bit of doubt sparked inside me. "Look closer." What did that even mean? Liam handled all the technical stuff; he was very careful. But the picture was blurry. Could I have missed something? Was it possible… no. The proof was too strong.
Or was it?
The public shame he had put on me all those years ago was now, finally, back on him. It was a kind of justice, but a cold, empty one. Now, a new, unwelcome question started to bother me, threatening to break the fragile peace I had just found. Had I really seen the whole truth, or just the truth I expected to see?