Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

A visitor?

No one had come to look for Samantha since she started living there, except for that one time she invited Alan over as a guest.

She had few friends to begin with and Rochelle was the one person she contacted on a regular basis. Did Rochelle come to the villa?

That was unlikely because Rochelle’s dislike for Jonathan extended to Jonathan’s best friends too. Rochelle also did not have a good impression of Timothy after all the hurt he caused Samantha, so any meeting Rochelle had with Samantha would always be outside rather than at the villa.

Who could it be?

Samantha thought for a while but could not figure out who it could be, so she just said, “Okay, Aunt Julia. Please entertain them on my behalf. I’ll be right down after changing my clothes.”

“Alright, Mrs. Barker.”

Samantha hurriedly walked into the dressing room, changed into some decent house clothes, then sat in front of the dressing table. After tidying herself slightly, she walked out of the room and headed downstairs.

As soon as she set foot into the living room, she spotted Walter sitting on the sofa. He was drinking the tea that Aunt Julia had just brought to him.

Samantha was rather taken aback by it. Walter had always contacted her through WeTalk, so it came as a surprise that he would suddenly visit her.

She stepped forward, sat on the sofa opposite Walter, and greeted him with a smile. “Good morning, Mr. Schuck.”

Walter put down his tea and answered with a smile as well. “Good morning, Sammy. I hope I didn’t bother you by coming so early.”

“Not at all,” Samantha said. “What brings you here, Mr. Schuck?”

Walter did not answer immediately but asked softly, “Have you eaten breakfast yet, Sammy? I know a restaurant that serves good breakfast. May I treat you to some?”

When he mentioned that, Samantha immediately knew why Walter came to the home so early.

She decided to listen to what he had to say.

Samantha nodded. “Okay.”

After letting Aunt Julia know, Samantha left the villa with Walter. He came over with his own car, so he drove her.

20 minutes later, the car stopped in front of a restaurant and the two of them walked in. One of the waiters then led them to a private room.

After Samantha sat down, Walter handed her the menu. “Please go ahead and order anything you feel like having.”

“You can order whatever, Mr. Schuck. Our main purpose isn’t to eat breakfast anyway,” Samantha said bluntly. “I prefer being direct if you don’t mind.”

The expression on Walter’s face turned stiff but it disappeared soon enough. He shook his head with a chuckle and said, “You really are a smart girl, Sammy.”

He randomly ordered some food and the waiter excused himself while closing the door. Silence filled the entire room at once.

Walter picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for Samantha. He then looked at her and pondered for a moment before opening his lips, “I believe you already know what happened on Waybo yesterday, Sammy?”

That sounded more like a statement rather than a question.

Samantha answered, “Yes.”

“What’s your opinion?”

That question was asked in such a way that Samantha found it ridiculous. She did not beat around the bush and said with certainty, “I was the one who dealt with the madman and saved the child. Outsiders are not privy to this, but you, some staff members of Lychee TV, and other people present at the time would all know about it. The least they could do is clarify things on my behalf, right?”

Walter was not surprised by what Samantha said to him, but he had a frown on his face. He looked at her embarrassedly but finally decided to speak up after some hesitation. “This is the situation right now, Sammy. All of us knew and saw what you did. We are aware that you alone should be credited for those acts, but…that video yesterday boosted Harmony’s numbers at the end and allowed her to win the competition. The entire competition went live, and everyone saw Harmony winning it during the live broadcast. If… If we came forth to make things clear and overturn our competition results, we cannot predict what will become of public opinion.

“You’re probably aware that there was a video involving you that circulated during the first round, and netizens had a very bad impression of Lychee TV since then. It was difficult for us to stop the rumors. If we come forward and side with you again, netizens might not believe it, and they might even think that we’re bullying a powerless Harmony just to please you. This will have an extremely serious impact on Lychee TV’s reputation.”

Samantha understood right away.

Walter had come to her early in the morning and seemed afraid to talk to her directly in the villa because Old Madam Barker was there. Based on that alone, she already had a hunch as to what Walter was going to talk to her about, but after hearing it in person, she inevitably felt speechless and angry.

She was so angry that she laughed. “What you mean by that is, you want me to shut up, to accept this loss just like that, to give my credit to Harmony, and to give Harmony the victory that belongs rightfully to me? All because I’m Mrs. Barker? Because in the eyes of the public, I’m rich and powerful, while Harmony is weak? Because it’s just for her to get what’s mine even if she got it by stealing it away from me? Because I’m the one using my influence to bully her if I don’t let her win?”

“Hey, hey, calm down. Take a breather.” Walter calmed her at once. “Sammy, this issue was taken very seriously by the top management. After the competition ended yesterday, we had a meeting as soon as possible and discussed it until four this morning just to solve the problem.

“I can understand your feelings, and it’s not like I kept you in the dark over this. The top management discussed a solution that would solve this problem and give everyone the best of both worlds.”

Samantha’s lips twitched. “I’m all ears.”

Walter was a little nervous, so he took a big sip of tea before letting out a deep breath. He then said in a small voice, “Sammy, your participation in this competition is surely to join Lychee TV and be an anchor. The higher-ups have seen your abilities and you’re more than qualified to join us. So… As long as you don’t say anything about this, we will also bring you into Lychee TV as an anchor.”

Samantha laughed as soon as he finished speaking.

If she were to shut up and stop pursuing the matter, Harmony would continue taking the credit and using the victory that was rightfully Samantha’s. Harmony’s career in Lychee TV would be achieved by stepping on Samantha’s head.

Samantha could then be compensated by being allowed to join Lychee TV even if she did not win the competition.

Was she supposed to be grateful for that?

Her dream had always been to enter Lychee TV, but not by such means.

She looked up and stared firmly at Walter before opening her lips and saying clearly, “I refuse!”

A treatment like that was too unfair for her and was thoroughly humiliating.

Walter’s eyes flickered a few times and he persuaded, “You don’t have to answer so quickly, Sammy. You should think about it carefully because it benefits everyone..”