A Calculated Defamation

The crystal chandelier's light shattered over the champagne tower, casting a dazzling array of shimmering colors throughout the room. I stood beside the head table in the banquet hall, my fingertips resting against the button of my suit jacket, slightly tense. Today was the engagement banquet for Jinny Spears and me. She wore an off-white fishtail gown, her long hair pinned up with pearl accessories. When she looked at me, her eyes and brows were full of shy tenderness. I reached out and took her hand; the warmth in my palm spread through me but couldn't dissolve the inexplicable unease buried deep in my heart. Jinny's father stood beside us, chatting and laughing with his several old friends from the business world, his tone brimming with satisfaction over this union. Guests gathered in small clusters, their elegant attire and coiffures shimmering amidst the chorus of congratulations, while a lilting violin melody drifted through the air. Everything seemed so flawless, like a carefully scripted play. Until Jesse Johnson appeared. He was Jinny Spears's secretary, clad in a sharply tailored gray suit, wearing a professional smile that concealed a barely perceptible chill in his eyes when he looked at me. In a situation like this, he should have remained on standby in the corner. Yet, holding his wine glass, he steadily made his way through the crowd, heading straight for the main table where we sat. Jinny sensed something amiss, gently tugged my sleeve, and whispered, "Why is he coming over?" I shook my head, my gaze fixed firmly on Jesse Johnson, a growing sense of unease stirring within me. Jesse halted before us, first bowing slightly to Jinny with a tone of respect: "Ms. Spears." Before Jinny could reply, he suddenly lifted his eyes and glanced at me, his smile instantly twisting into mockery. The surrounding laughter and chatter seemed to quiet at that moment; many noticed the unusual tension and turned to look. "Mr. Shane," Jesse Johnson's voice was low but carried clearly throughout the banquet hall, "congratulations to you and Ms. Spears on your engagement." I frowned, offering no reply; my intuition warned me that what he was about to say would not be pleasant. Jesse swirled the wine in his glass, the liquid tracing circles along the walls, his tone deliberately ambiguous: "I just wonder whether Ms. Spears and all the guests truly know Mr. Shane." Jinny Spears' face darkened as she snapped, "Jesse, what nonsense are you spouting!" "I'm not spouting nonsense," Jesse Johnson ignored Jinny's warning, his gaze sweeping the room as his voice abruptly rose. "Perhaps you don't all know, but Mr. Shane was quite famous abroad." He deliberately paused to heighten the suspense. Meeting the curious, probing eyes of the guests, the smile on his lips grew even deeper. "The male lead in many clandestine videos on the external network was none other than Mr. Shane." The words hit like a thunderclap, instantly shaking the entire banquet hall. The entire room fell into a heavy silence; even the violin stopped playing. My body went rigid, unable to believe my own ears. Staring at Jesse Johnson, I asked, word by word, "Say that again."