Page 77 of Protective Cowboy

Theresa nodded tearfully. “Thing is, the guy’s a charmer. Comes across as real sincere, ya know? And with me thinking he lived here in Jersey, and his wife still on the other side of the country… well, it seemed like he was telling the truth.”

As the interview continued, with one damning revelation after another about Phillip’s lies and emotional abuse, Matt clenched his jaw and ground his teeth.

He finally understood how expertly Phillip had targeted and then manipulated Autumn, before she grew too old for him and began pushing back on his attempts to control her.

That snake. And then that SOB had gone and dragged poor Theresa into his web of lies, too.

“The final straw was when I discovered Phillip married me six months before his divorce was final,” Theresa confessed, her voice cracking. “All I wanted was for our baby not to be illegitimate! I didn’t even know he already had a kid!” She wiped away more tears, then looked straight at the camera. Her eyes pleaded for understanding. “Autumn Snowberry, if you’re watching this, I am so fucking sorry. I didn’t know he was cheating on you. Honest!”

“And there you have it,” declared the voiceover as the video ended on the close-up of Theresa’s devastated expression. “It looks like we’ve exposed the real scandal behind the uproar currently rocking the hit TV show, Reviving Snowberry Springs! Don’t forget to like or comment below!”

A few days ago, Matt had cautioned Autumn not to read the comments. Now, curiosity got the better of him.

How were people reacting to these new revelations? Were they even sorry they’d trashed Autumn with so many vicious insults?

Sure enough, the video had over 300,000 views in the short time since it was posted.

Matt couldn’t help but feel a grim satisfaction as he scrolled through the long list of comments. Most viewers appeared outraged at Phillip’s blatant lies and hypocrisy.

But unlike the universal condemnation heaped on Autumn, Matt found an odd mix of sympathy, outrage, and even some humor in the posted comments.

One person joked that Phillip must have taken tips from a soap opera villain, while others called for harsher penalties for his crimes.

Then he saw an embedded link to a press release from the pharmaceutical company where Phillip worked. He clicked on it and read the contents with disbelieving joy.

**PRESS RELEASE**

*For Immediate Release: August 26*

**RE: Termination of Mr. Phillip Garthe, Vice President of Rocky Mountain Region Sales**

In light of recent revelations and in response to the flood of inquiries regarding the scandal involving Mr. Phillip Garthe’s personal life, we at ZenithMed Solutions have conducted a comprehensive internal review of Mr. Garthe’s business trip expenses to the states in question. Our thorough investigation has unveiled massive fraudulent activities tied to his expense reports.

We hold our employees to the highest ethical and professional standards. Based on our findings and the gravity of the misconduct, we have made the necessary decision to terminate Mr. Garthe’s employment from his position as Vice President of Rocky Mountain Region Sales, effective immediately.

Furthermore, our commitment to corporate transparency and accountability demands that we address such improprieties with the utmost seriousness. As such, we have turned over all relevant evidence to law enforcement authorities. In collaboration with them, we will be pursuing criminal charges of embezzlement against Mr. Garthe in the state of New Jersey.

We deeply regret the impact that Mr. Garthe’s actions may have on the reputation of our company. We assure our clients, shareholders, and the public that we remain dedicated to upholding the highest standards of ethical business practices.

Thank you for your continued trust and understanding.

*Contact:*

*E. Bingley, Corporate Communications Department*

*ZenithMed Solutions*

*Email:[email protected]*

*Phone: (555) 456-7890*

Matt’s phone buzzed, interrupting his thoughts. He picked it up to see his brother’s name on the screen, and answered. “Hey, Gabe.”

“Matt, you’re not gonna believe this,” Gabe said, excitement bubbling in his voice. “Phillip checked out of his Airbnb this morning and caught a flight from Bozeman to Newark, New Jersey.”

“Really?” Matt leaned forward, his heart pounding. “Did he file for amended child custody with Park County Courts before taking off?”

“Nope, I checked with the court clerk right after I heard he skedaddled,” Gabe confirmed.

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