Chapter 67

Chapter 67:

Kristine found Madisyn’s bold declaration somewhat amusing. Why was she always so arrogant?

But just then, Josie’s phone rang. She answered it, and her body trembled. “How is that possible? No way! What?”

Her shout was piercing, capturing the attention of everyone in the restaurant.

Carly nudged Josie, snapping her back to reality.

After ending the call, Josie turned around to catch Madisyn’s taunting gaze. To Madisyn, Josie looked like a joke. Josie felt her anger surge, nearly overwhelming her.

Carly, concerned, inquired urgently, “Josie, what’s the matter? Is there a problem with the company?”

Josie remained silent. However, Carly soon found out what was happening as her phone began to ring incessantly. Numerous contacts were buzzing her with updates.

“Is it true? Carly, your daughter is actually cooperating with the wrong actress.”

“Carly, check this out. Quickly!”

She clicked on the link and saw the post of Natural Beauty’s official account.

It was an audio clip. Denali’s voice could be heard clearly:

“Give me ten million, and I’ll make a public statement clarifying that my so-called allergy had nothing to do with your products. Simple as that.”

“Miss Johns, you can believe that all you want. But do you think the public will? In today’s digital age, people choose to believe whatever suits them. All I have to do is say I had an allergic reaction to your products, and that’s the story they’ll buy, regardless of the truth.”

“Madisyn, you’re such a fool! Did you really think I’d actually go through with it? Clarifying would only damage my own reputation. Hah! But thanks for the money. If you don’t want me to stir up more trouble, consider it a payment to avoid another round of cyber violence.”

“How could you do this? That was ten million dollars!” Madisyn’s voice was filled with disbelief.

“Is ten million more valuable than your entire business? Sure, you can sue me, but what good would that do? The real damage will be to your company when everyone finds out you paid me off to lie,” Denali retorted mockingly.

“But our products didn’t cause your allergy at all!”

“It doesn’t matter. Perception is reality, my dear. How about you give me another ten million? Then I’ll really clarify it.”

The recording clearly showed Denali engaging in extortion. Additionally, Natural Beauty initiated legal action against Denali.

Earlier in the day, many had supported Denali, viewing her as an artist who put the public first and didn’t care about personal gain. Now, her reputation was completely tarnished. Those who had previously supported her were left feeling deeply embarrassed.

At the same time, they felt a deep sense of guilt towards Natural Beauty. They now realized that they had been wrong about Natural Beauty all along. It was Denali who had deliberately maligned the company.

The online community was enraged. They unleashed their anger on Denali.

“Denali, how could you do this?”

“Denali, you deceived us. I admired you so much. I’m not your fan anymore!”

Especially vocal was Talia, once a die-hard fan of Denali. She declared, “Hello, everyone. I’m Talia Moreno. I previously shared how impressed I was by the service at Natural Beauty, and later, I discovered their products were excellent too. Many were skeptical at the time. I thought perhaps Denali’s allergy was due to her own sensitivities, but I never imagined it was all a lie. The actress I’ve adored for years turned out to be a fraud. I’m really disappointed. I am no longer a fan of Denali.”

Talia’s disenchantment had a ripple effect, leading many fans to turn their backs on Denali. The number of Denali’s social media followers plummeted rapidly. Simultaneously, Migge Skincare suffered significant repercussions.

What was Migge Skincare thinking when they chose Denali to endorse their products? Was Migge Skincare trying to humiliate Natural Beauty?

Meanwhile, Natural Beauty’s fan base grew. They criticized Migge Skincare’s services and products, swiftly tarnishing its reputation.

Carly was visibly shaken. The situation had spiraled beyond her control. They had just scoffed at Madisyn, claiming she couldn’t measure up to Josie. But moments later, the tables had turned.

What was more, Madisyn remained composed all the time. Everything appeared to be under her control. Were they merely jokes in this scenario?

Carly’s expression grew stern. Josie gazed at Madisyn intently for a long stretch, then, with clenched teeth, turned and walked away.

Kristine was still trying to smooth things over with Elaine, saying, “Mom, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to get into an argument. There are a lot of people around. If they saw us arguing, it could reflect poorly on our company.”

Elaine responded directly, “So, you chose to side with Carly and stayed silent while they insulted Madisyn, is that it?”

Kristine didn’t know what to say.

“You believe Carly was right, don’t you?” Elaine continued, cutting to the heart of the matter. “Do you think Josie is better than Madisyn?”

Kristine bit her lip, feeling agitated by the question. Wasn’t that obvious?

Despite Elaine’s preference for Madisyn, she couldn’t overlook the fact that Madisyn seemed useless.

“I didn’t mean that. I just think Madisyn shouldn’t be so presumptuous. She claimed Josie would regret her actions, but why would she?”

Elaine couldn’t help but cover her chest. “Kristine, you…”

“Mom, please calm down. Everything is clear on the internet now,” Madisyn said gently.

Elaine was surprised. Kristine initially found it ironic, but then she saw a news update on her phone. She opened it, and her expression shifted dramatically.

She suddenly realized why Josie had looked so disturbed just moments earlier.

.

.

.