Chapter 10: Alycia's Public Humiliation

By sunrise, the scandal had become impossible to contain.

Every major news network carried the same story.

Every business publication ran the same headline.

Every social media platform was flooded with the same question.

Had Alycia Beasley built her career on stolen research?

The answer was becoming increasingly obvious.

Inside Compton Empire headquarters, panic spread through the executive floors.

Employees gathered in small groups.

Phones buzzed constantly.

Stock analysts demanded answers.

Investors demanded explanations.

Lawyers demanded emergency meetings.

And at the center of it all sat Cole Compton.

Furious.

Exhausted.

Humiliated.

"How bad is it?" he asked.

His chief legal officer slid a tablet across the conference table.

"Bad."

"Three major investors have frozen negotiations."

"Two pharmaceutical partners have suspended contracts."

"And our public relations department has stopped counting media requests."

Cole clenched his jaw.

"What about Alycia?"

"She's refusing interviews."

"Of course she is."

The conference room doors suddenly opened.

Sarah, his executive assistant, rushed inside.

"Mr. Compton, you need to see this."

She connected her tablet to the large screen.

A live press conference appeared.

June Erickson stood behind a podium.

The room immediately fell silent.

For many executives, this was the first time they had ever seen Cole's wife.

Or rather, his soon-to-be ex-wife.

June wore a perfectly tailored black suit.

Her posture radiated confidence.

Authority.

Control.

She looked nothing like the quiet housewife everyone had imagined.

"Good morning," June said calmly.

"Over the past forty-eight hours, many questions have been raised regarding the ownership of Neuro-X."

"Today, I intend to answer those questions."

A giant screen behind her lit up.

Photographs appeared.

Laboratory footage.

Research records.

Patent filings.

Academic awards.

Each document carried dates predating Alycia's claims by years.

"I developed Neuro-X at the age of twenty-three," June continued.

"The research took four years to complete."

"Every page, every formula, and every clinical result originated from my work."

Reporters erupted into questions.

"Miss Erickson, are you accusing Alycia Beasley of fraud?"

"I'm not accusing anyone," June replied.

"The evidence speaks for itself."

"Will you pursue legal action?"

"Absolutely."

"Do you believe others were involved?"

June paused.

"That investigation is ongoing."

Back inside Compton Empire, executives exchanged nervous glances.

Cole's face darkened.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

June wasn't supposed to fight back.

She wasn't supposed to stand in front of cameras.

She wasn't supposed to have evidence.

Most importantly, she wasn't supposed to win.

Meanwhile, Alycia sat inside her luxury apartment.

The curtains remained closed.

Her phone hadn't stopped ringing for twelve hours.

Friends stopped answering.

Sponsors stopped calling.

Public support vanished overnight.

She stared at the television.

At June.

At the woman she had spent years mocking.

"How?" Alycia whispered.

"How did she do this?"

Her manager looked exhausted.

"Because she had proof."

"And because you underestimated her."

"Everyone underestimated her."

Alycia threw a crystal vase across the room.

It shattered against the wall.

"She was nobody!"

"No," her manager replied quietly.

"That's what you wanted to believe."

Across social media, public opinion turned vicious.

Former supporters deleted old posts.

Medical organizations announced internal reviews.

Universities revoked invitations.

Conference organizers canceled appearances.

One by one, every door began closing.

By noon, the first official announcement arrived.

The National Medical Innovation Board suspended Alycia's research credentials pending investigation.

The news spread instantly.

Another blow followed.

Then another.

Then another.

By evening, Alycia's career was collapsing faster than anyone thought possible.

June watched it all from her penthouse office.

Vera entered carrying two glasses of wine.

"To revenge?" Vera asked.

June accepted the glass.

"To justice."

"Fine," Vera laughed.

"Justice."

They clinked glasses.

For the first time in weeks, June allowed herself a moment of satisfaction.

Not because Alycia was suffering.

But because the truth was finally winning.

Her phone vibrated.

A new email.

June opened it.

The sender's name immediately caught her attention.

Federal Financial Crimes Division.

Attached was an official request for cooperation.

Subject:

Investigation Into Corporate Fraud and Intellectual Property Theft.

June's smile faded.

This was bigger than Alycia now.

Much bigger.

The government was getting involved.

And once federal investigators started digging, they might uncover secrets far beyond a stolen patent.

Perhaps even secrets connected to her parents' deaths.

June slowly closed the email.

Then looked out across the city lights.

"Your turn is over, Alycia," she whispered.

"Now let's see who else falls with you."