Chapter 114

Annie's POV

"So, what's the bad news?" I asked, looking at Susan, curiosity and a touch of uneasiness intertwining in my chest.

Susan's expression turned hesitant. her lips pressed together slightly."

There's a newly released web comic with storylines significantly similar to your work."

I raised an eyebrow, not understanding the problem. This was common in the creative industry, as long as it wasn't direct plagiarism...

"But..." Susan continued, her voice noticeably lowered, "it contains numerous defamatory elements about you and Mr. Thompson."

My heart suddenly accelerated, an ominous feeling washing over me.

"It claims Annie had an affair during her marriage, and that Mr.Thompson was the third party..." Susan's gaze dropped,clearly finding the subject difficult to broach. "The comic insinuates that Philip was completely the deceived party, that he only decided to divorce you after discovering your secret relationship."

I felt my blood freeze instantly, then rapidly heat up. Anger and disbelief surged through me simultaneously-this completely reversed the facts! A painful memory flashed through my mind: the night I found Philip betray me,and the heartbreak and struggle that followed.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my intense emotions, my fingers unconsciously tapping against the edge of the drawing table. I pulled out my phone and quickly searched for the comic Susan had mentioned.

As I quickly scanned the content, it felt like a stone was pressing against my chest. Every frame was a distortion of reality, every dialogue inverting black and white. In this comic. Sarah was portrayed as an innocent victim,while I was a morally bankrupt betrayer.

"Some people have already placed the two comics side by side for comparison," Susan continued, "which has caused many to develop negative opinions about you. Some have even left insulting comments in your comment section."

I felt a sting, but it was followed by a strange calmness. This wasn't the first time, was it? Sarah seemed to possess endless energy to defame me,and I was tired of repeatedly becoming a victim in her games.

"Mr. Thompson," Susan turned to Howard, "do we need to issue a clarifying statement?"

I looked up at Howard, whose expression remained as calm as ever, his deep eyes turning to me. "What do you think?"

I didn't answer immediately, instead asking, "If we don't clarify, will it affect the company's stock price?"

"No," Susan quickly responded, "If such obviously fabricated stories could affect Howard Technologies' stock price, then investors would be too easily deceived."

I relaxed slightly, feeling my shoulders ease a bit. "If there's no impact,then we don't need to clarify," I said, my voice surprisingly calm.

Howard raised an eyebrow slightly. "Aren't you afraid of criticism?"

I met his gaze, feeling a deep wave of fatigue wash over me-not toward Howard, but toward this endless entanglement. "When I was first

suddenly attacked, I did feel wronged," I said honestly. "I thought. 'I haven't done anything wrong, why am I being treated this way?"

I recalled the betrayal by Philip and Brian, the accusations.

"But later I understood," I continued, "these people aren't my friends,they don't know the truth at all. It's normal for them to be influenced by public opinion." I looked directly into Howard's eyes, feeling the strength his concern and understanding gave me. "In this situation, what I need to do is be clear about who I am, what I want, rather than living in others'judgments."

"If what they're saying isn't true," my voice grew more resolute, "then there's no need to take it to heart."

Though I appeared calm on the surface, the anger toward Sarah was quietly burning inside me. She was always like this, constantly trying to destroy the life I had rebuilt, as if seeing me find happiness was unbearable to her. This time, I wouldn't let her succeed.

Susan gave me a thumbs up. "An impressive attitude."

"Thank you," I responded, then began analyzing the current situation."Because this comic attacks me, readers curious about what kind of person I am will comè to follow me, even check out my work..." My thoughts began racing rapidly, a plan forming in my mind. "If they start reading and suddenly discover mycomics are actually valuable?"

My lips curved slightly upward. "Couldn't I use this to guide them to purchase my merchandise? Even if they just want to criticize me, they'll come to my comment section, increasing my traffic."

"Most importantly," I continued, feeling my confidence growing, "I've

already responded to similar issues in the comment section. There are definitely readers who know I'm innocent in this matter. If they defend me,those who criticized me might purchase some merchandise out of guilt."

Susan looked at me in surprise. "You can even turn criticism against you into an advantage-your thinking pattern is really special."

"What happened has happened," I shrugged, "what use is crying and complaining?"

Susan turned to Howard. "So, sir, should I inform the PR department not to respond to this issue?"

"Yes," Howard calmly answered. His surface composure reassured me,knowing I had him as a solid support gave me tremendous strength.

I lowered my head, my thoughts flowing like an undercurrent. Sarah truly will never leave me alone.

But then, a thought flashed in my mind. If I don't respond now, people will think Sarah is truly as kind and sincere as she appears in the comic...People will begin to like her,support her.

But when her true face is finally revealed... I bit my lower lip, how will public opinion reverse? What severe backlash will she face? When people discover they've been deceived, manipulated, how much anger will they direct at Sarah?

At that time, I'll only need to stand at a distance and watch it all unfold.Who told Sarah she could always attack me through public opinion without paying a price? What she doesn't know is that I've already secretly prepared my counterattack.

I wasn't backing down, but waiting for the most appropriate time to strike

back. Since Sarah had chosen this way to confront me, I wouldn't be soft-hearted anymore.

After Susan finished giving instructions to the PR department, she suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Mr. Thompson, Caroline Gluck has applied to produce merchandise for this comic."

Howard raised an eyebrow, his expression subtly changing.

Susan added, "This comic was drawn by Sarah."

Hearing that name, I felt nauseated. Sarah not only wanted to defame me but also profit from it?

Howard's expression became incredulous. "She's clearly in the wrong,yet she spreads rumors about Annie and me in her comic, and now she even wants me to help her produce merchandise?" His voice carried a rare coldness. "Do I look that easy to bully?"

His protective nature warmed my heart. Philip had never defended me like this; no matter what Sarah said or did, he always chose to stand by or worse-blame me for overreacting.

"So should I directly reject Caroline's request?" Susan asked.

Howard analyzed calmly: "When Sarah's true nature is finally exposed,those who originally supported her and purchased merchandise will feel deceived. If we actually produced the merchandise, and later everyone demands refunds, wouldn't we be bearing all the losses?"

Susan nodded. "Indeed. I'll notify Caroline immediately."

Howard's gaze lingered on me for a moment, his expression softening imperceptibly. "Annie, are you sure you're alright with this?"

I nodded, mustering a small smile. "I'm fine. I've dealt with worse from Sarah before."

It was true compared to having my son turned against me, a defamatory comic was almost insignificant. Almost.

"I'd like to see this comic," Howard stated, his tone businesslike but with an undercurrent of concern.

I handed him my phone, the offensive comic still displayed on the screen.As Howard scrolled through it, his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, the only visible sign of his displeasure.

"The artwork is mediocre at best," he commented after a moment, his critical assessment somewhat comforting.

"And the narrative structure is weak. It won't hold interest for long."

"You're right," I agreed, taking back the phone. "People might be drawn in by the scandal initially, but they'll quickly lose interest if the quality isn't there."

"Precisely," Howard nodded. "And when they compare it to your work..."

"They'll see the difference," I finished his thought, feeling a little lighter.

Susan, who had been observing our exchange with interest, cleared her throat. "Mr. Thompson, I have the quarterly reports ready for your review.Would you like me to leave them here?"

Howard nodded. "Yes, thank you, Susan."

As Susan prepared to leave, she paused at the door. "For what it's worth,Ms. Baker, I've read your comics, and I think they're excellent. My niece is

a huge fan of your children's books,too."

Her unexpected support brought a genuine smile to my face. "Thank you.Susan. That means a lot."