I see, that sounds like a softlock of some sort... but even in that case, I don't see any reason at all that it would delete your saves.
1. This may seem like a silly question, but do you have adequate space free on your computer's storage drive?
2. Was it after the scene HAPPENED, or was it one of the rejections?
(And if it was one of the rejections, was it before or after sitting down on the stool?)
I'm trying to narrow down where to look for a possible softlock or bug, if necessary.
Finishing the entire scene and leaving did NOT seem to softlock me on my machine.
I appreciate you answering questions. :)