Chapter 923 Cindy's Distress

At that time, Cindy was at the height of her fame. 

After she and Patrick went public with their relationship, her phone and studio line were blowing up with calls from reporters.

Every journalist wanted an interview, probably dying to know how she managed to snag Patrick.

For a while, this was the kind of juicy content that netizens craved. 

If she agreed to an interview, the buzz would be off the charts, and no media outlet wanted to miss out.

But besides the media circus, some hardcore Patrick fans somehow got hold of Cindy's number. 

They bombarded her with calls, spewing all kinds of nasty stuff.

Cindy couldn't handle it anymore. In just a few days, she was completely drained and looked miserable.

When Phoebe saw her again, she couldn't help but tease, "What's up with those dark circles? You need to stop staying up so late. Just 'cause you're young doesn't mean you can ignore your health."

Cindy lay on the couch, exhausted. "If only it were just staying up late. I've been tormented by Patrick's fans."

Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "What's going on? I saw on Facebook that the fans seemed happy. They're even begging you to update your status."

Cindy sighed deeply. "Phoebe, you never really know how awful people can be until you go through something like this."

Phoebe placed the food she brought on the table and laid it out. "Get up and eat something. We can talk about it."

Cindy got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up. 

When she came back, Phoebe handed her some food. "Eat up, and tell me what's been going on."

"I've been getting calls from strangers, cursing me and even my parents. Phoebe, what did I ever do to them?" Cindy said bitterly.

While she was enjoying the spotlight on Facebook, few knew the price she was paying behind the scenes.

Some of the more extreme fans even threatened her, saying they'd kill her if she didn't break up with Patrick.

Phoebe hugged a pillow to her chest and looked at Cindy's distressed face. "Maybe you should change your number?"

"How can I do that? All my contacts have this number. Besides, if I change it, it's like I'm giving in. I haven't done anything wrong. Why should I have to put up with this?"

"If they were reasonable, they wouldn't be harassing you in the first place. Cindy, this can't go on. You're on the verge of a breakdown," Phoebe said, worried.

Cindy's voice turned cold. "Next time someone calls to harass me, I'll curse them right back. Why should I let them bully me? I haven't done anything to them."

Phoebe laughed. "That's the Cindy I know. Don't let them push you around. If you stand up to them, they'll back off."

"Really?" Cindy asked, uncertain. "But won't that affect Patrick?"

"Who cares? You need to take care of yourself first," Phoebe sighed. "Honestly, this whole situation is partly my fault. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had to go public so quickly. Maybe you wouldn't have had to go public at all."

Cindy gripped her fork and ate quietly. "Yeah, if it weren't for this, we wouldn't have gone public."

Phoebe looked at her and realized Cindy had misunderstood. "No, I heard Patrick is slowly stepping back from the entertainment industry. He's planning to retire."

Cindy had heard rumors about this from Laura, but she hadn't asked for details. She didn't think it was true.

"Why? His career is at its peak. Wouldn't it be a waste to retire now?" Cindy asked.

Phoebe glanced at her. "You'd have to ask Patrick about that."

Before Phoebe could finish, Cindy's phone rang. She lost her appetite and glared at the phone like it was a monster. "Not again."

Phoebe saw Cindy's reaction and picked up the phone. It was Patrick's manager, Laura.

"It's Laura," Phoebe said.

Cindy frowned. "Why is Laura calling me?"

Cindy had a clear aversion to Laura. 

Two years ago, when she and Patrick had a falling out, Laura had come to see her. 

They had a confrontation, and Laura had told her never to come back to Patrick.

Phoebe handed her the phone. "Do you want to take it?"

Cindy shook her head, biting her fork. "No, hang up."

Phoebe glanced at her and then answered the call. 

Laura's cheerful voice came through. "Cindy, it's Laura. Is this a good time to talk?"

Phoebe replied, "Laura, it's Phoebe. Cindy's in the bathroom. Do you need to talk to her?"

Laura immediately recognized Phoebe's voice and sounded more enthusiastic. "Ms. Ziegler! Are you with Cindy? I've been so busy these past few days, I haven't had a chance to check in on her. How is she?"

"She's doing well, thanks for asking." As Phoebe spoke, Cindy made faces, clearly showing her disdain for Laura.

Phoebe pointed at Cindy and then got to the point. "Since Cindy and Patrick went public, a lot of shows have been calling, wanting to invite them on. Especially the popular dating shows. The one your company's Claire was on last year was a huge hit and set the stage for next year's ratings."

Phoebe listened quietly, understanding that Laura wanted to make a big profit before Patrick retired. 

After all, this would be Patrick's first variety show appearance, and with his girlfriend, the appearance fee would be substantial.

"Yes, that show has been running for four years and only gets more popular. But isn't Patrick planning to retire?" Phoebe asked.

There was a brief silence on the other end. "Yes, Patrick is planning to retire. But I thought it would be nice for him to relax on a dating show, give the fans a treat, and let them get to know Cindy."

Phoebe could tell that Laura didn't want Patrick to retire. 

If she could keep him in the industry for a few more years, she could make a lot of money before stepping down.

Phoebe understood Laura's position. 

If Noah came to her saying he wanted to retire, she'd be upset too.

"I understand, Laura. I'll talk to Cindy and have her call you back," Phoebe said.

Laura laughed. "Ms. Ziegler, you always understand. I'll be waiting for your call."

After hanging up, Phoebe looked at Cindy, who had quietly finished her food.

Phoebe said, "You heard that. Laura wants Patrick to go on a dating show. What do you think?"

Cindy stared into space. "Patrick wanted to retire three years ago. But then we had a falling out because of Laura."
The CEO's Tormented Wife
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