My CEO Ex: Let Me Go.-Chapter 123

Vivienne’s POV

It was Sunday, and Alexander hadn’t come home.

He probably didn’t know how to face me.

Around five in the evening, another piece of news broke onto Twitter’s Trending Topics.

A fire had broken out at Vanguard Global Enterprises in the Grandview industrial park. One person had died, three were injured, and the cause of the fire was still unclear; an investigation was underway.

In a video posted by a bystander, flames soared into the sky while chaos unfolded around it. Firefighters were doing their best to contain the blaze.

The public already had a strong resentment toward large corporations and capitalists, and with Alexander currently under heavy scrutiny in the media, the comments section was filled with mockery.

Rumors about Alexander’s affair with Isabella during his marriage resurfaced, gaining more and more traction.

At some point, several different versions of the fire’s cause began circulating online, all pointing fingers at Vanguard Global Enterprises. With the help of certain clickbait accounts stirring up the drama, netizens grew increasingly hostile.

Even when Vanguard Global Enterprises’ official Twitter account issued a statement, assuring the public that they would fully cooperate with the police investigation, it was to no avail. The comments section flooded with insults and accusations.

Some more rational voices tried to urge patience for the official investigation, only to be branded as puppets of the capitalists by the enraged masses.

When the news broke, Jane came to The Crescent Estates to give me a brief update. She said Alexander was busy dealing with the aftermath and wouldn’t be home for a while. She quickly took Alexander’s suitcase and left.

I stared at the empty room, frowning.

I took out my phone, stared at it for a moment, but in the end, I didn’t make the call.

Monday

I went to work as usual.

The moment I entered the office, everyone I passed greeted me with smiles.

"Director Vivienne, hello."

"Good morning, Director Vivienne."

"Have you had breakfast, Director Vivienne? I’ve got some milk and a sandwich here."

I smiled faintly and declined, walking past the corner where a female employee bumped into me.

She was about to snap, but when she saw it was me, her expression quickly softened.

"Sorry, Director Vivienne, I didn’t bump into you, did I?"

"No problem," I smiled back.

I didn’t know this employee, but I recognized her voice.

She was the one involved in the controversial OTP drama—Lulu.

I wasn’t sure what to say.

Maybe this was just reality.

At 9 AM, the Grandview police released details about the fire. According to surveillance footage and the testimonies of survivors, the deceased had been drinking during working hours, and improper handling led to the fire.

Many netizens, inflamed by irresponsible media outlets, began to question the police’s statement, demanding the release of the surveillance footage.

Whenever it’s linked to the capital market, no matter the truth, it’s always the capitalists’ fault.

But where had they gone wrong?

The mistake? Not giving money away for free to the netizens.

In this incident, some people questioned whether the deceased had actually been working regular hours or had been forced into overtime.

Others doubted the survivor testimonies, claiming anyone with money could lie.

There were also doubts about the inadequacy of the industrial park’s fire safety equipment, with people citing potential safety hazards.

Various conspiracy theories spread like wildfire.

Once in a while, a post supporting the police’s narrative would appear, but it was drowned out by the furious online attacks, failing to make any impact. In fact, those few voices were relentlessly mocked and even harassed by the outraged masses.

Soon after, an interview video surfaced on Twitter, gaining massive attention.

In the video, the deceased’s son, Mason, a young man in his twenties dressed modestly, appeared on screen.

With reddened eyes, he wiped away tears as he spoke to the camera.

"My dad was always honest and diligent. How could he have been drinking at work? He worked his entire life to put me through school and never had the chance to enjoy happiness. Now, he’s gone so young, and I won’t let him be slandered after his death! I don’t want money; I just want the truth! I’m going to apply for a re-investigation, and I ask everyone to support me. Thank you!”

The comments are filled with support for the family, while condemning Vanguard Global Enterprises.

The issue of alcohol consumption is a sensitive one.

Workers’ compensation regulations have long stated that intoxication or drug use disqualifies someone from being eligible for Workers’ Compensation.

In other words, if a worker disregards company rules and operates machinery under the influence of alcohol, resulting in an injury, it’s unlikely to be classified as a workplace accident.

The worker would bear primary responsibility for the injury, while the company, due to poor oversight, would bear secondary responsibility, with the amount of compensation varying.

Vanguard Global Enterprises issued an official statement on Twitter, expressing respect for the ongoing police investigation and confirming that they would comply with the law.

Some users commented, questioning whether the company’s wealth was really so limited that it couldn’t afford to pay the two million dollars in compensation—wondering why they made such a public spectacle when they could have just settled the matter.

Others argued that if the deceased was truly responsible for the fire at the industrial park due to operating machinery while intoxicated, then Vanguard Global Enterprises was also a victim.

However, this reply was quickly drowned out by hundreds of negative comments.

The case’s re-investigation would take time.

During this period, the debate surrounding the industrial park fire remained heated, with many users eagerly awaiting updates from the police and government.

Vanguard Global Enterprises’ stock continued to drop, and the stock exchange was chaotic, with people murmuring and shouting insults.

In the office, the tense atmosphere was palpable. The CEO’s office phone rang constantly, with media outlets calling one after another for updates.

Secretaries responded uniformly: "The company is actively handling the situation. Please be patient."

One secretary came to warn me, "CEO Hawthorne just called and asked that you stay out of the spotlight, especially when entering or leaving the company."

I knew some media outlets would do anything for attention, even ambushing me for a headline.

I nodded but couldn’t help asking, "When will CEO Hawthorne be back?"

"He didn’t say."

...

Alexander’s POV

At the Grandview Industrial Park, the area around the burned building was cordoned off, and employees had stopped working.

Two senior managers from the group, looking travel-worn, exited the elevator and made their way to Alexander’s temporary office.

On the phone, Alexander’s voice revealed no emotion, but it was clear that no one wanted their company’s project to become tangled in negative news, especially when stirred up by unscrupulous media outlets—it only made everything harder to manage.

In the office, I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, my gaze fixed on the burned building, slowly sipping my coffee.

As the two senior managers entered, I gestured for them to sit on the sofa and spoke in a calm tone, "So, tell me. What happened?"

One of the senior managers, responsible for the industrial park, sat rigidly, looking somewhat nervous. "CEO Hawthorne, this is my responsibility. The safety and regulatory measures were insufficient. No one expected him to be drinking during work and operating the production machines. His colleagues couldn’t convince him to stop. This kind of thing has never happened before..."

"So, it took a tragedy for you to learn your lesson?"

"...”

The manager’s face went pale, shifting uncomfortably.

If his three colleagues had truly wanted to stop him, they could have.

They clearly didn’t take it seriously, only realizing something was wrong when the fire broke out. Afraid of being held accountable, they quickly shifted the blame entirely onto the deceased.

The atmosphere in the office grew heavy. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The other senior manager, Vice Chairman John Smith, was responsible for the industrial park. As soon as the incident occurred, he rushed to the park, hoping to minimize the damage. But by then, it was too late.

John spoke up, "CEO Hawthorne, what’s done is done. What we need to focus on now is containing the public outcry and minimizing the fallout. After that, I’ll personally meet with the deceased’s family to discuss compensation. That’s the most prudent course of action."