The Media Attack
Jason went upstairs to take a shower. He smiled, seeing what Julia had done with the room. He entered the bathroom and was equally satisfied. He changed into something comfortable and returned to the living room to find Julia standing in front of the sofa looking like she had just seen a ghost and her hand was covering her mouth. Jason's eyes quickly moved to the TV screen, and he was shocked to his very bone.
The ground begins to slip away from underneath Jason. He held the back of the sofa for support. Peter quickly got to him, but he waved his hand to tell him he was fine.
"Change the channel," Jason said, sounding a little angry.
"It is everywhere sir, all the channels, this is what they are talking about," Peter informed him.
"Turn the volume up," Jason requested, and Peter increased the volume.
The living room was silent and only the voice of the report could be heard.
"You can never tell about people. Who would have known that the highly respected, rich and powerful handsome Jason Haward was a criminal who schemed his way up to become heir to Haward's fortune? From the news received, Mr Jason Haward is not of the bloodline of the Hawards as he was adopted by Mr Johan Haward and hence can never be the heir, but he somehow got to know the condition to satisfy to become eligible for the inheritance. He fulfilled this by picking some random woman and presenting her as his wife. According to Mrs Haward, the wife of the late Mr Johan Haward, her husband had adopted Jason when he was just 9 months old. Even though he was not a Haward, he was a good child, or so they thought. They felt they could trust him with the management of the family wealth. Little did they know that he was using the new position to amass wealth. In his position, they had found out, he was transferring the family wealth to his wife and a plan to leave the family penniless," the reporter announced.
The news headlines with Jason's image read: A criminal in action. Other news channels gave him the headlines: Jason Haward, the con man. In less than a few minutes, his image was everywhere on social media. While some people defended Jason based on having to meet him personally, the majority insulted him with no mercy.
Peter quickly checked the various media platforms and realized Jason was the new trending topic on every platform.
"But sir, who would have done this to you?" Peter inquired, very shocked.
Peter had worked closely with Jason and could attest to the fact the news was a lie.
"How did the media land this information with so many lies?" Peter asked no one in particular, as he was still surprised.
Julia's eyes shifted to Jason, who was standing with his eyes fixated on the TV screen in complete silence and her heart shattered into many pieces.
"Please turn off the TV," Jason said, and left the living room, heading upstairs.
Julia followed Jason upstairs and threw her hands around him upon entering the bedroom and found him standing there motionless, hugging him from behind. Jason stood there and allowed Julia to hug him.
In the living room, Peter called a few friends, trying to control the situation. If this news continues to spread, it will be difficult for Jason to find a new job, and how long can the money they have now sustain them?
The night became long and unbearable as Peter tried to answer the calls that were coming in with the hope of turning things around. Jason sat on the bed as he equally tried to control the situation by speaking to a few top powerful contacts of his from the various companies he was managing, but it appeared Mrs Haward had already gone ahead of him to ensure no one fed the media with contradicting information that would flaw the news she had put out there.
Jason closed his eyes in frustration, wondering what wrong he had done to the woman he had known as his mother all his life. He had stepped down as the heir, knowing the rules of the Haward, so why would she do this? Sadly, there is no one to defend his innocence of not knowing he was an adopted child and no one was willing to give evidence of the truth.
Jason turned his phone off as he could not handle the calls coming through anymore. He sat down on the sofa after he had paced up and down the room, answering one call after another.
Julia, who sat on the bed watching him all this while with little to do to help with the situation, got up from the bed and went to sit next to Jason on the sofa, pulling him into her arms. Jason rested his head on Julia's shoulders as she tried to calm him down.
The sun quickly came up as they stayed awake all through till morning on their first day in their new apartment.
Jason was the first to step out of the room. Julia wanted to follow him, but he told her to wait in the bedroom for him. He went downstairs and found Peter still in the living room. He walked towards the front door to go for a walk. He felt it would help him relax and clear his mind, but as soon as he closed the door behind him, someone shouted.
"There he is,"
Immediately, people carrying cameras emerged from all directions running towards him. It was as if they were hiding, waiting to confirm which of the apartments on the block was his. Jason quickly entered the apartment, closing the door and locking it.
Peter stood to his feet wondering what was going on, only to hear loud banging on the door. Julia came downstairs upon hearing the noise. The people in the other apartments were out wondering what was happening to the new neighbour who had just moved in.
'Sir, what happened?" Peter asked, but before he could reply they heard from the media reporters outside.
"We have finally located the hiding place of Mr Jason Haward," said one reporter, and Peter quickly turned on the TV to realize they were streaming live.
"O, God!" exclaimed Peter.
"How did they know where we were?" Julia asked, shocked, as they had not told anyone their new address and no one knew about it.
"Did the landlord sell us out?" Julia thought as she waited for an answer to the question she asked earlier.
"Mr Jason, why will you scheme against the people you once called your family?" one reporter yelled from outside.
"Mr Jason, we would like to know the truth. You should tell us your side of the story," yelled another reporter.
Jason stood behind the door with a cold expression thinking of what to do. Addressing the media was not the problem, but if someone had sent them there, it might be a trap where someone could only be waiting to attack him. Opening the door to address them might just be him walking into a set trap.
"Mr Haward, why don't you tell them your version of the story by sending a video," Julia suggested, and Jason's gaze shifted to her.
"That is a good idea, sir. I know we may not have enough evidence, but going silent might just be confirming all that they are saying about you," Peter added.
Jason alternated his gaze from Julia to Peter, giving their suggestion some thought.