NovelEnglish
Chapter 349 Futile
In the middle of the night, the negative trending searches about Leah spread like wildfire, prompting her
fall from heaven to hell.
Commenters came down on her with abusive and crude insults.
Oftentimes, such was life. Just when one enjoyed a hint of bliss, they would have to pay the interest for
it manyfold.
Right after Leah had stepped into the bathroom, she heard the incessant ringing of the office landline
and her personal phone. Having no other choice, she could only shower hurriedly.
The first call she answered was from Serena. “What’s wrong?”
Right then, she was still oblivious to the comments on the internet.
Serena was utterly panicked. “Sarah, someone deliberately fabricated a scandal about you and Donald
as well as other Photoshopped men!”
Shocked, Leah hastily tapped open Twitter.
By then, the negative trending searches about her had multiplied by a few.
One of the hashtags read, “The once-renowned jewelry designer, Cindy, is a mistress.”
A barrage of insults followed, reading, “Gosh, this woman used to have countless scandals in the past
but Mr. Howard suppressed them with the charity incident back then. Sure enough, she hasn’t
changed!”
“A sl*t is always a sl*t, never amounting to anything good! All she can do is strike up such shameful
deals behind the scenes!”
“Just die! I’m sick at the sight of a heinous mistress like you!”
Leah did not continue reading the negative comments after that. She locked her phone, her pupils
quivering imperceptibly.
This time, I purposely avoided the name Cindy when I established this studio, merely introducing
myself as Ms. White. Neither had I ever revealed my identity before the media. I never thought that
someone could still unearth this past identity of mine. Who exactly is it who hates me so much?
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAfter she had hung up the phone with Serena, she promptly received a call from Donald.
The instant the call was connected, the man’s rough voice rang out, colored with urgency. “I’m sorry,
Ms. White. I’m already trying my best to suppress the trending searches this time, but the culprit behind
this is too powerful. A small and medium-sized company like mine is of no use at all! This is on me for
promoting your work arbitrarily! The popularity of your studio must have sparked the envy of those in
the industry, leading to them defaming you desperately!”
Leah was skeptical about his innocence. Frowning slightly, she replied, “It’s okay. I’ll hire a lawyer.”
Donald had transferred her the remaining payment of seventy-five thousand yesterday. Coupled with
the deposit of forty-five thousand, she could afford to hire a lawyer to protect her rights.
Still, Donald felt exceedingly guilty. “I’m really sorry. This matter came about because of me, so I’ll pay
the lawyer fees. I’ll continue making arrangements to remove the trending searches. Have a good rest.
I’ll do my best to resolve this matter for you before dawn.”
When the disconnect tone sounded from the phone, Leah wore a conflicted expression on her face.
Judging from his sincere voice just now, he doesn’t seem to be the kind of person who’d secretly
sabotage me. Could it be that he only wants to repay the debt of gratitude he owes me?
“This is the studio! Let’s destroy it!” Out of the blue, a few flashes of flashlight beams manifested
outside the studio. On the heels of that, fierce voices split the air.
Bang! A glass bottle was smashed against the roller shutter door before it shattered into smithereens.
The sharp and piercing sound broke the silence in the night.
Sheer panic swamped Leah as she listened to the group of boorish men’s voices outside. From the
sounds of it, they were smashing things against the door, seemingly attempting to break in.
Several loud bangs rang out in succession. In her helplessness, her eyes turned red-rimmed.
Trembling, she picked up her phone and called the police.
They’ve ruined the house I bought after much scrimping and saving, and they’re now targeting my
studio that has finally started getting off the ground?
At that moment, she was beyond glad that Carlotta was not there.
Speaking of that, I’ve got to thank Han.
Subsequent to her call, the police arrived within ten minutes.
The ruffians were laughing uproariously as they smashed the roller shutter door. When the police
arrived, they had just forcibly detached the door.
After arresting the ruffians, the police inquired after Leah. “Are you okay, Ms. White?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” While thanking the police, Leah lodged another report, saying, “Officer, can you
please help to handle the matter of me being slandered and defamed online, leading to severe damage
to my reputation?”
“Sure. In that case, follow us back to the police station with the evidence of slander to file a report.”
Leah changed into a formal suit before going to the police station with the police officers with her laptop
in her arms.
Upon arriving at the police station, the police swiftly collected evidence of the current negative public
opinion about her on the internet, jotting down some accounts that shared the libelous rumors and
gained a certain degree of popularity. With that, the initial report was filed.
As she waited for the follow-up procedures, she was given permission to observe the interrogation of
the ruffians who vandalized her studio.
“What is your motive?”
The ruffians were not the least bit perturbed by the police. Instead, they glared at Leah disdainfully. “We
simply disapprove of this sl*t who seduced someone else’s fiancé. How shameless—”
“Shut up! It’s the police station here, so watch your tongue!” The police officer cut them off sharply.
Following that roar, the contempt on the ruffians’ faces intensified. “Whatever you say. Anyway,
someone will be coming over to bail us out very soon.”
Leah’s eyes darkened, for she discerned that they were under someone’s orders. “Who instructed you
to do such a thing?”
Not in the mood to entertain her, the ruffians merely rolled their eyes.
The police officer threw Leah a reassuring look before helping her repeat the question earlier. “Who are
the lot of you working for?”
Before the ruffians could answer, another police officer stepped forward and interrupted the
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏminterrogation. “Captain, someone is here to bail them out.”
As soon as bail was posted, the ruffians cackled and climbed into the car with the person who came to
pick them up before leaving.
Leah was momentarily stunned. She quickly sprinted out, but she was only in time to see the car
speeding off.
However, she still managed to catch a glimpse of the license plate in that fleeting second. Such shock
inundated her that her pupils abruptly constricted, and her eyes gradually filled with tears.
That car belongs to Han’s assistant, Ben… Is Han really the culprit behind this? Ah, this is his so-called
revenge and interest. He wants to redeem all the pain and humiliation he once suffered at my hands.
For the sake of her safety and to facilitate the follow-up investigation, Leah stayed at the police station
the entire night to assist in the investigation.
The next morning, when the investigation had wrapped up, she bowed and thanked the police officers.
“Thank you for working all night to help me file a report and investigate the matter, officers.”
Smiling, the police captain reassured, “It’s okay. That’s our responsibility. We’ll arrest those slanderers
as soon as possible. Go back and have a good rest.”
No sooner had Leah left the police station than she bumped into Shawn and Serena, who came to pick
her up.
The instant Serena spotted Leah, she rushed over and hugged the latter. “Are you okay, Sarah? I
almost had a heart attack when I arrived early in the morning and saw the mess that was the studio’s
door! Fortunately, Mr. Shawn said he found out that you’re at the police station.”
Stepping forward, Shawn likewise expressed his concern. “Let’s go, Sarah. I’ll bring you back to my
place to stay for the time being, for it’s too dangerous these few days.”
While speaking, he moved to take Leah’s hand, but Leah surreptitiously dodged.
Exhaustion was written all over her lovely eyes, yet she forced a polite smile. “Thanks, but no thanks.
I’ll just stay at the studio. The police have promised to patrol around the area these few days.”
Since it’s Han making a move against me, it would be futile for me to hide anywhere.
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