Chapter 122
Chapter 122:
The following day, Helena made her way back to the station.
Her first stop was the HR office, where she officially ended her leave. By the time she returned to the office, most of her coworkers were already there.
A few of the more talkative ones were huddled in a corner, whispering among themselves.
“One after another, the Simpson family’s projects were crashing. It looked like they were about to fold. Who would’ve guessed the Wilson family would step in and rescue them p>
“I already know that! The Simpson family barely registers among the wealthy families in Cheson. No one can figure out when they managed to cozy up to the Wilson family. That family holds more power in this city than most can dream of p>
Hearing their conversation made Helena pause in surprise.
She opened her laptop and pulled up the latest headlines, slowly connecting the dots.
Helena had known for a while that Rylan and Emily had been working together.
What she hadn’t seen coming was how quickly the Simpson family would spiral toward collapse—or that Rylan, of all people, would actually step in to pull them back from the edge.
That led her to wonder if Alden had been the cause of the Simpson family’s downfall.
And as for Rylan, someone who always put himself first—why would he suddenly step up for the Simpson family?
A slight frown settled on Helena’s face as she began to feel that the Wilson family’s web of secrets was only getting more complicated.
She was still deep in thought when Betsey’s voice snapped her out of it.
“Helena, can we talk for a minute p>
Betsey’s voice, for once, held no trace of sarcasm.
Helena hadn’t meant to strike up a conversation with her, but the thought of Betsey’s link to Emily tugged at her curiosity. Hoping she might be holding onto something useful, Helena trailed after her into the break room.
“Helena, I know we’ve had our issues, but we work together. I hope you won’t hold anything against me p>
m𝓸r𝓮 𝓾ρda𝓽es 𝓲𝓷
Betsey’s tone held an unexpected hint of regret.
Helena gave Betsey a scrutinizing look and cut straight to the chase, saying, “Out with it, if you have something to say p>
Caught off guard, Betsey responded softly, “It’s really nothing. I just… I hope you might speak well of me to Mrs. Wilson now and then p>
It took a moment for Helena to realize that Betsey was referring to Emily when she mentioned “Mrs. Wilson p>
Previously, Betsey had been unsure of Emily’s standing with Alden, but recent events had made it clear—Emily was indeed Alden’s wife. It was also evident that the Wilson family held Emily in high regard. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have dispatched Rylan to rescue their relatives from an impending crisis.
Realizing this, Betsey regretted not making an effort to connect with Emily sooner.
Now that the moment was lost, her only option was to appeal to Helena, since she was Emily’s sister.
However, Helena saw right through Betsey’s intentions.
Indifferent, she responded with a dismissive tone, “I’m no longer involved with the Simpson family. If you’re trying to win Emily over, you should go to her directly p>
With those words, Helena turned and left.
“You—” Betsey exclaimed, mistaking Helena’s lack of interest in the Simpsons for some kind of smugness. Once Helena walked off, Betsey muttered to herself, “She’s just Alden’s sister-in-law. What’s she acting all high and mighty for p>
Back at the office, a new assignment was swiftly handed to Helena. The station had assigned her and Dominick to report live on a flower exhibition.
Scheduled to span four days, the exhibition was a significant municipal initiative demanding the team’s complete involvement.
However, Helena’s assessment was scheduled exactly four days from now, making it almost certain that the two plans would overlap. Having devoted extensive preparation to her upcoming evaluation, Helena was reluctant to miss it. She approached the station manager to ask about adjusting her assignment.
“Helena, you’ve put in a lot of effort during your time at Nexus TV these past few years. I’ve always seen you in a good light, which is exactly why I’m trusting you with this major assignment. But now you’re getting particular about what tasks you take on? What happened to your sense of professionalism p>
Lucas came off as full of himself, and the concern in his tone felt forced.
Helena began to respond, hoping to make herself clear, but Lucas interjected with a dismissive gesture. “That’s enough. The crew’s van is already parked out front. Don’t waste any more of their time.” His half-hearted manner left no doubt in Helena’s mind—he wasn’t planning to offer her any real opportunity.
Laurence, who had once held the role of deputy manager, had risen through the ranks under Lucas’s guidance.
Now that Laurence was gone from Nexus TV because of her, Lucas likely wasn’t letting that go anytime soon.
And with Helena’s marriage kept under wraps, Lucas probably believed she lacked any influential backing, which gave him even more reason to treat her unfairly.
Helena was poised to defend her position further when the impatient honking of the van’s horn indicated it was time to leave.
Resigned and not wishing to inconvenience her colleagues with personal matters, Helena exhaled a deep sigh of frustration and made her way to the van.
Upon boarding, she discovered Betsey was also assigned to the coverage team.
The moment Betsey noticed Helena, she offered a cold, sarcastic smile. “Oh, what a shame, Ms. Ellis. Missing your final assessment for the news anchor position? Looks like you’re stuck with weather forecasts. As for the news desk—well, you might as well forget that dream p>