Chapter 177 Trapped Again
Lauren couldn't wrap her head around how all these reporters showed up overnight. They bombarded her with questions about her divorce from Quentin. How did they even find out?
Lauren was worried. If this news got out, it would be worse than she imagined.
Quentin was just as shocked. He got a wake-up call from Noah that morning.
"Quentin, don't come to the office today," Noah said, sounding frantic. "Reporters are swarming the entrance. You'll be mobbed."
Quentin frowned. He hadn't checked the news yet.
"What's going on? Why are there reporters? Is some celebrity visiting?" Quentin joked, half-serious.
Noah rolled his eyes. "Get real! Haven't you seen the news? It's everywhere. Your divorce with Lauren is all over the internet."
Quentin was stunned. He quickly opened his laptop. Headlines about him and Lauren were trending. After reading a few lines, he almost smashed his computer.
"What the hell is happening?" Quentin asked, trying to stay calm and figure out a solution.
Noah was frustrated. "I don't know. I saw the news when I woke up. Twitter is blowing up with tweets about your divorce. This has to be someone's doing. It's a mess. Reporters are probably at Lauren's house, too."
Quentin was floored. How did he not think of that? He hung up on Noah and rushed to his car, speeding to Lauren's place.
Noah was speechless. Going to Lauren's now would just give the reporters more to talk about!
Quentin kept calling Lauren, but she didn't answer. She was busy arguing with the reporters.
Ethan got a call from Kimberly and was anxious but couldn't leave.
Ethan's father, Kevin White, looked at him sternly. "No matter how bad things are for Lauren today, you stay put!"
The online news also dragged Ethan into the mess, painting him as a homewrecker, which nearly gave Kevin a heart attack.
"Dad, how can you be so heartless? We've been friends with the Walkers for years! I can't just do nothing!" Ethan argued.
Kevin was even angrier. "Whatever trouble Lauren is in, it's not your problem. If you care about the White family and the White Group, you stay here!"
"Dad, Lauren is already miserable. How can you be so cold?" Ethan said.
"Shut up! I'm doing this for you and the White family. Have you seen the news? You might not care about your reputation, but the White family does! Don't go, or I'll disown you!" Kevin was genuinely furious this time.
Ethan saw Kevin's anger and felt torn. Lauren was in trouble, but his father strictly forbade him from going. He didn't know what to do.
Just then, Ethan's phone rang again. It was Kimberly. He was about to answer when Kevin stopped him. "Don't answer it!"
Ethan looked at Kevin with sorrow. "Dad, I'm sorry. I can't let Lauren face this alone! I'll come back and apologize later!"
Ignoring Kevin's anger, Ethan ran out.
Lauren's small house was packed with reporters, cameras, and phones pointed at her. Onlookers crowded the hallway. The place was a madhouse.
The reporters were relentless. Lauren didn't want to say a word, but they kept pressing her.
"Lauren, please say something. The public deserves the truth."
Lauren bit her lower lip, hoping someone would save her from this chaos. The image of that person became clearer in her mind until Quentin's deep voice came from the door.
"Get out of my way!" Quentin, out of breath, pushed through the crowd and saw Lauren surrounded by reporters. His heart broke.
Lauren, trembling, looked at Quentin and felt a sense of relief, but then Matthew's crying caught her attention.
Seeing Quentin, the reporters rushed towards him.
"Mr. Robinson, are the online reports true? How do you explain the fact that you and Lauren have been divorced for a long time?"
"Please tell us the real situation. We have the right to know the truth."
Quentin, with a dark face, looked at the noisy reporters and said coldly, "I'll hold a press conference this afternoon. Ask your questions then. Don't disturb Lauren here, or you'll regret it!"
Quentin's words scared the reporters. They knew Quentin's character and believed he had the means to back up his threats. So, they looked at each other and finally left under Quentin's angry gaze.
Quentin walked towards Lauren. Strangely, Matthew suddenly quieted down. He looked at Lauren with big, smiling eyes.
Heartbroken, Lauren hugged Matthew tightly. Matthew was so understanding. He had almost scared her to death just now. She thought something had happened to him.
"Lauren, I'm sorry." Quentin looked at Lauren and Matthew with pain. He hadn't expected the news to leak or the reporters to rush to Lauren's place.
Lauren shook her head. "What happened? Why did our divorce suddenly become public? I'm fine, but Matthew might have been scared."
"Can I hold Matthew?" Quentin's eyes showed longing. He felt so sorry for the child.
Lauren nodded. She was about to hand Matthew to Quentin when Kimberly suddenly rushed over and pushed Quentin aside.
"How dare you come here! Didn't you deliberately tell the media about the divorce?" Kimberly showed Quentin no mercy.
Quentin, pushed back, stood dazed.
