The Forbidden Throb (Emma and Daniel) novel Chapter 196

Chapter 196

We chose not to disclose our marital status publicly to protect our privacy and maintain normalcy in our respective professional environments. Daniel

is the most ethical, principled person I have ever known. The anonymous accusations are not only false but constitute defamation and invasion of

privacy.

My throat was tight. I swallowed hard and forced myself to continue.

We will pursue full legal action against those responsible for spreading these lies. Our legal team at Ropes & Gray has issued cease and desist letters and is preparing a formal lawsuit. We will not tolerate this attack on our reputation and privacy,

I attached three images: the Portland photo, the marriage certificate (with sensitive information like our Social Security numbers redacted but the date and location clearly visible), and the first page of the cease and desist letter-complete with the Ropes & Gray letterhead and an attorney’s signature.

Then I copied the entire post and pasted it into identical drafts on Twitter and Facebook. Same words. Same images. Same message.

My finger hovered over the “Post” button.

Three seconds. That’s how long I stared at it, my heart hammering, my palms slick with sweat.

Then I pressed it.

Instagram: Posted.

Twitter: Posted.

Facebook: Posted.

On the BU forum, I titled the thread “RE: False Accusations – The Truth” and pinned it to the top of the Public Discussion board.

The moment it went live, I felt like all the air had been sucked out of my lungs.

I pushed back from the desk, my legs shaky as I stood. I walked to the window. Back to the desk. To the bathroom, where I splashed cold water on my face and stared at my reflection in the mirror.

You did the right thing, I told myself.

When I came back to the desk, my phone screen was lit up like a Christmas tree. Notification after notification, the numbers climbing so fast I could barely track them.

Instagram: 800+ likes. 67 comments.

Twitter: 205 retweets.

BU forum: 2,000+ views.

I picked up my phone with shaking fingers and opened the Instagram comments first.

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Chapter 196

Holy shit. They’re MARRIED? And the marriage certificate is legit?

The person who posted anonymously is the real trash here! Hiding in the shadows to slander people!

Professor Prescott’s professional ethics are well-known across campus. I believe Emma. Sue them!

A legally married couple gets slandered as homewreckers? Has the world gone insane?

Ropes & Gray is a top-tier Boston law firm. Whoever posted that anonymous shit is FUCKED.

There were skeptical voices too-But the power dynamic is still problematic…-but they were quickly drowned out by a tide of support.

I scrolled through Twitter, where the conversation had taken on a sharper edge.

People really will believe any anonymous post without fact-checking, huh?

The fact that someone would go this far to destroy two people’s reputations is genuinely disturbing.

My phone rang at exactly 3:00 PM.

Olivia’s face filled the screen.

I answered the video call, and immediately her voice exploded through the speaker.

“Emma. Stop talking and open Twitter. Right now.”

“What? Why-”

“Just do it. Search for Daniel Prescott’s name.”

Confused, I pulled up Twitter on my laptop. Typed in his name.

And froze.

Daniel had retweeted my post from his verified Harvard Medical School account-@DrDanielPrescott_HMS, the blue checkmark gleaming next to his name. The account he usually only used for sharing published research papers and conference announcements.

His caption: My wife. My choice. My responsibility.

Posted fifteen minutes ago.

“Holy shit,” I whispered.

“Oh! And Emma–the original post on BU Confessions? It’s gone. Deleted. The forum moderators put up a notice saying they’re cooperating with the legal team and tracking the IP address of whoever posted it.”

“They’re running,” I murmured. “But it doesn’t matter. We’ll find them anyway.”

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The Forbidden Throb