Chapter 87

Annie's POV

I closed my office door and sank back into my chair, taking deep breaths to calm myself.

Sarah's online attack was spreading faster than I'd anticipated. When I first noticed those comments, I khew this wouldn't end simply.Looking more carefully through my comic's comment section now, it had indeed transformed into a battlefield.

The comment implying I was the "real homewrecker" had sparked a virtual war. Sarah was attempting to flip the narrative completely,portraying herself as the victim while casting me as the manipulative destroyer of her "true love" with Philip. Absolutely ridiculous.

When facing accusations without evidence, countering them is actually quite straightforward. I told myself, calmly beginning to search for what I needed.

Robert Johnson had been a somewhat notable entrepreneur when he married Sarah, and their wedding had been covered by several local New York media outlets. It took me only a few minutes to find exactly what I needed. I first took screenshots of Sarah and Robert's wedding coverage, then retrieved the digital copy of my marriage certificate with Philip from my cloud storage. These two timelines spoke for themselves-Philip and I had married a full year and a half after Sarah and Robert. Before hitting publish, I carefully considered my response:′′SOyou were still dating your ex-boyfriend a year and a half after marrying your husband? Isn't that the definition of 'two-timing?"After posting, the tide in the comments section shifted immediately.My readers quickly realized I was never the "other woman," and Sarah's entire narrative was pure fiction.

Apologies began flooding the comments section:

TruthSeeker: "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions! She completely misled us!"

ComicLover45: "I can't believe I fell for her lies. Your evidence is irrefutable."

ArtisticSoul: "Timestamps don't lie! You were never the other woman!"

NYCGirl: "I should have been more careful instead of believing random accusations.So sorry,Annie!"

I smiled, graciously accepting their apologies: "If you truly feel guilty,perhaps consider purchasing some merchandise to support my work."

This wasn't a joke. Within minutes, the numbers on my sales dashboard began to skyrocket as if strapped to a rocket. The sting of Sarah's accusations gradually faded, replaced by an odd sense of satisfaction. She had inadvertently helped my business.

She created drama, and I made money. A fair exchange, I'd say.

I wasn't in a rsh for immediate revenge. My plan for dealing with Sarah had already taken shape, but timing was crucial. Her pregnancy temporarily provided her a layer of protection, but once the child was born,I would deliver my specially prepared"gift package," a reminder of the consequences of her actions.

For now, watching readers redirect their anger toward Sarah was satisfaction enough. They flooded her social media, criticizing her for fabricating lies and attempting to manipulate public opinion.

"She tried to ruin Annie's reputation but only ended up boosting her sales!"

"Who tries to shame a comic artist and ends up advertising for her? Talk about shooting yourself in the foot!"

I was staring at the comments on my screen when my office door suddenly opened.

Howard stood in the doorway, his usually composed face etched with concern. He walked directly to my desk. "How are you feeling?" His voice was noticeably gentler than usual.

"I'm fine, why?" I looked up at him, puzzled.

Howard took my hand, his thumb brushing over my knuckles, sending warmth through me. "Susan mentioned there was a situation online.Someone attacking you?"

"Oh, that." I shook my head with a smile. "Just Sarah causing trouble."

"I handled it easily and managed to damage her reputation in the process,"

I added, a satisfied smile playing on my lips. "Actually, there are more people criticizing her now than me."

Howard's worried expression relaxed, though his hand still held mine."

You're not upset?"

"At this point, being upset wouldn't solve anything."Ianswered honestly."Instead, I asked myself how to turn this crisis into an opportunity.""Look..." I handed him my phone, displaying the dramatically rising curve on my sales dashboard. Howard took the phone,his eyebrows lifting slightly as he reviewed the numbers."You managed to increase sales in this situation? How did you do that?" I explained my strategy in detail, recounting how I had exposed Sarah's lies with concrete eviddence, then channeled readers' sympathy and guilt into merchandise purchases.

"People are fascinated by stories of affairs and betrayal," I explained. "Sarah tried to paint me as the villain who destroyed someone else's relationship, then shamelessly played the victim in my comics."

"When they discovered she had manipulated them, they felt foolish and guilty," I said with a smile. "I simply gave them a way to make amends-by supporting my work."

"Considering how many people were following this drama, even if only one percent decided to buy something..." I gestured toward the still-climbing sales figures.

Howard moved beside me, sitting on my office sofa with his arm naturally resting across my shoulders. His usually cold voice carried unmistakable approval. "Annie, with that mindset, you'll succeed at anything you attempt."

I accepted his praise confidently. "People need to evolve,don't they?Getting stuck in emotional reactions doesn't solve problems."

"When emotions eventually subside, the problem is still there waiting to be addressed," I continued. "Better to handle issues as they arise."

I looked directly into Howard's eyes. "Otherwise, how can we enjoy life?" Howard's lips curved into a rare, genuine smile. "Indeed." After Howard left, I continued monitoring the comments section.Sarah was still attempting to stir up negative sentiments,which I found strangely entertaining. Like a child refusing to admit defeat, repeating the same mistake over and over. I decided to respond publicly again: "Is there a problem? I'm human too-I need to make a living. I have to think about earning enough money to support my mother and myself. What will happen to me when I'm old if I don't maximize my earning potential while I'm young?"

As expected, my fans rallied around this pragmatic viewpoint, redirecting criticism back toward Sarah:

MoralHighGround: "What's wrong with her? Isn't it enough that she's the actual affair partner who destroyed someone else's marriage? Now she keeps harassing the victim's comment section!"

BrooklynGirl: "She tried to deceive all ofus, but our eyes are wide open now. And then she uses these ridiculous excuses to make us attack Annie again? Is she mentally stable?"

HonestOpinion: "The evidence is clear-Annie was never the otherwoman.Sarah needs to stop spreading lies."

Reading these supportive comments, my mood lightened. Leaning back in my chair, I contemplated Sarah's motivations.

She was challenging me out of jealousy over my growing fan base and success. Her attempt to turn readers against me was intended to force me to stop creating altogether. But it had only backfired. The more Sarah wanted me to sop drawing, the more determined I became to continue. I wouldn't just continue creating-I would focus on improving the quality of my storytelling and artwork with each update.The larger my fan base grew, the more frustrated Sarah would become. Until she gave birth, this would be my strategy-to provoke her with my own success. Consider it interest accumulating on the debt of pain Sarah had caused me. And when her child was finally born... I would deliver my special surprise. When that moment came, Sarah would truly regret the harm she had caused.

I refocused on my drawing tablet, channeling my determination into creating better work. The feeling of my fingers sliding across the screen gave me a sense of power-this was my world, my creation,and no one could take that away.