Chapter 177

Sarah's POV

News about Annie Baker's ridiculous children's book being published and "bestselling" had flooded every major platform, occupying positions on several charts. Photos circulated online showing her sitting in the printing factory, diligently signing copies, pretending to be a successful author.

Looking at that photo. I nearly laughed out loud-that expression of relief on her face, like an elementary school student who had just published their first essay. Utterly ridiculous.

I had been basking in my own victory-my merchandise pre-orders had far exceeded the sales of Annie's pathetic little picture book. Though the actual products hadn't been manufactured yet, orders were pouring in steadily. What satisfied me most was that all this money was mine alone,with not a penny to be shared with anyone else.

I had thought that aside from men, I had already crushed that housewife Annie Baker in every possible way. But when I saw her picture book appearing out of nowhere with such impressive sales, an uncontrollable rage ignited from deep within me. I clenched my jaw, my nails digging into my palms.

Why? Why was it that every time I thought I had left her in the dust,she would suddenly emerge with some"good news"?It was nothing short of mockery!

Like a detective, I scrutinized every piece of information repeatedly,trying to find evidence that this was just Annie's pitiful self-promotion. But the deeper I investigated, the more I had to admit-this damned news was real. Suddenly. I remembered the call from this afternoon.My surveillance person had informed me that Annie had spent several hours at the printing factory. She must have been busy signing her laughable picture book then! At this thoughit. my fingers unconsciously tightened around my phone.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down, and dialed the publishing house manager.

"Hello?" I tried to make my voice sound calm and elegant.

"Ms. Johnson," came the enthusiastic greeting from the other end, "how was the marketing we did for you last time? Were you satisfied?"

"Of course I was satisfied," I replied with a light laugh, certainly not telling him the truth-that marketing campaign had earned me a fortune, and even after deducting the million-dollar marketing fee,my pockets were still filled with more than satisfactory figures.

I got straight to the point: "I want to publish my picture book.Can you help me with that?"

The person on the other end immediately perked up, his voice rising by several octaves: "Of course we can! Ms. Johnson, you may have forgotten,we're a professional publishing company with abundant publishing resources. We've been looking for quality work like yours!".

"If you're interested. I can immediately send you the contact information for Melissa, who's in charge of our publishing business. You can discuss the details with her directly."

When I confirmed that my picture book could also be published, a sense of triumph surged through me. Annie Baker instantly became small and Can't Give Up Any of Them

laughable in my eyes-whatever she could do. I could naturally do too!And I would do it better!

"No problem, send it to me right away." I said. my voice filled with barely concealed joy.

A few seconds later, my phone vibrated once, and a string of numbers appeared on the screen. I saved it immediately and eagerly dialed this number.

"Hello, is this Melissa?" I tried to make my voice sound friendly yet professional.

"Yes. who am I speaking with?" came a crisp female voice from the other end.

"This is Sarah Johnson," I introduced myself concisely. "I want to publish a children's picture book. Would your company be willing to give me this opportunity?"

Melissa responded pleasantly: "Of course, Ms. Johnson. Please add me as a contact, and I'll send you a publishing plan table right away. You can see what scale of publishing service you'd like."

"Wonderful." I quickly added her as a contact.

Melissa's efficiency was satisfactory-in less than half a minute, she sent a detailed form. After carefully reviewing it, I had a better idea in mind.

"Melissa," I pretended to be contemplative, "I believe my picture book will be quite popular. How about this..."

"Oh?" Melissa's voice carried obvious curiosity. -Give Up Any of Them

I said confidently: "Whay don't you first take a look at the pre-order numbers for merchandise on my social media page? This might help you better assess the market potential of my work." Instead of directly stating how many copies I wanted to publish, I cleverly let her see my influence first.

I sent her the link to my Instagram, secretly delighted-those numbers were enough to impress any publisher.

Sure enough. Melissa was clearly stunned after looking,her voice changing pitch: "This is most impressive! Your fan base is very strong! How about this: you grant us the publishing rights to your picture book, and we'll help you publish a batch to test the market response?"

I was secretly elated. Originally, I just wanted to print more copies,as a few tens of thousands wouldn't be enough for my fans to snatch up. But hearing Melissa's suggestion, I immediately realized that I might be able to fulfill my publishing dream without fronting any costs. My smile grew even brighter: "That's an excellent idea!"

Melissa, being a seasoned publisher, naturally didn't want to take too big a risk: "However, I suggest you first put up a pre-sale link on social media to test the market response."

"Of course. no problem!" I immediately agreed, thinking this was exactly what I wanted.

"You know," Melissa sighed, "the publishing industry is fiercely competitive these days. We all need to proceed with caution."

I responded with complete confidence: "With me involved,you needn't worry about sales at all." Melissa sounded satisfied: "Very well. I'll arrange for a designer to create a beautiful cover for you. You can post it on social media to build anticipation and see your fans' reactions."

"Perfect!" I almost danced at my end of the phone.

After hanging up. I felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. The problem that had been troubling mefor days had finally found a solution!I was so excited I could barely sit still, my mind already beginning to construct promotional plans for when I received the cover design tomorrow.

I would find the best marketingteam and conduct bombardment-style promotions across all major platforms. No matter the cost. I was determined to make my sales exceed Annie's! Only then could I hold my head high in front of Philip and Howard, proving to them that I was more talented, more deserving of their favor than Annie.

Thinking about Annie seeing my success, that placid face of hers finally showing cracks, I felt an indescribable pleasure coursing through my veins.For me now, my career was my biggest bargaining chip. Only when my picture book gained market recognition could I earn genuine appreciation and respect from those men.

My lips unconsciously curved upward as my fingers lightly swept across my phone screen. I thought about how incredibly busy I'd been lately. I had to be versatile-stabilizing my nascent career while simultaneously placating Robert and Howard, not to mention keeping Philip, that walking "ATM," willingly spending money on me.

I sighed, wiping the smile from my face. Honestly, I sometimes wondered if I should give up one of these three men. After all, being pregnant and juggling three men simultaneously was truly exhausting. Every day involved calculating time, considering my words,paying attention to details.afraid of showing my hand... It was more tiring than work!

But on second thought: who should I give up?

Howard represented the golden key to high society, the best choice for me to soar to greater heights.

Philip, though no longer a star in the financial world,could still ensure my current lifestyle remained comfortable and worry-free.

And Robert... he was my insurance, my last resort if all other plans failed.

As for my career, it was my greatest support-even if all men left me,as long as my career flourished, I could still live the life I wanted.

So the answer was obvious: I couldn't give up any of them.

Although life might be a bit harder now, in the future, when I finally won this game, all the hardship would be worth it. The corners of my mouth turned up again, my eyes gleaming with calculation.

I opened my phone and pulled up my chat with Robert, hesitating about what to send. Earlier today, I had apologized to him over the phone,mentioning how pregnancy hormones had made me emotional and irrational, saying many things I didn't mean. I even had Max talk to him,using my child's emotions to move him.

That performance seemed to work-he agreed to give our relationship another chance, especially considering the child I was carrying.But I needed to confirm whether he had truly forgiven me, whether he had secured investment from Howard. After all, a Robert with Howard Thompson's backing would be much more valuable to me. I needed to test his attitude. Biting my lower lip, after careful consideration.

I finally typed a seemingly casual greeting:"How have you been lately?"