Chapter 500: So Frail, It Moves to Tears
Cecilia didn’t want to believe the guess forming in her mind. In her eyes, Zion Prescott was always a refined, outstanding gentleman—if it had been Felix Lockwood, maybe she’d believe such outrageous rumors.
Maybe... it was because Doctor Prescott had a wide network of acquaintances.
Cecilia recalled how Adrian Law had explained the Prescott Family’s background to her last time, and she found this reason convincing enough to reassure herself.
After all... Doctor Prescott really looked like a gentle and elegant man.
...
After Cecilia posted what might have been the biggest joke in history, the comments below instantly turned into a torrent of mockery.
—Heh, trying to whitewash yourself again? Look at your own Weibo gender settings. If you’re not a man, are you a trans person?
—LMAO, though I also think the original author of "There are branches on the mountain" is a cute girl, your vibe on Weibo is totally different. Don’t tell me the original novel was ghostwritten for you?
—And another thing, warning you, stay away from our Goddess Fiona! She followed you first, but you couldn’t even bother to follow her back. One day when your reputation goes down the drain, don’t come crawling to our goddess for forgiveness!
Those were the relatively mild ones—some comments were so nasty they ended up getting censored by Weibo’s official filters.
Cecilia skimmed the comments and saw a ton of asterisks—anyone could guess there was probably national swearing behind them.
...
Cecilia started thinking this couldn’t go on, and wondered if she should reveal her pen name from the ACGN world.
After all, Seven Leaves had been with her for several years. She’d serialized more than just "There are branches on the mountain" under that name, and when she claimed commissions in the past, she’d used her real identity for authentication. Some magazines could prove who she really was.
But... was she really going to do that?
Cecilia hesitated for quite a while, not knowing what the right thing to do was.
She’d never liked exposing both her online identity and her real life together—just the name Cecilia Vaughn already carried too much weight, while the Seven Leaves pseudonym gave her a rare chance to breathe.
Whenever she was hurt or exhausted, she’d use the name Seven Leaves to chat with her little readers—when they comforted her without knowing this was Cecilia Vaughn herself, they actually felt more sincere than most people in her real life.
If her 3D identity was exposed, she probably would never be able to enjoy that kind of simple peace and attachment again.
...
Cecilia pondered for a long time and still found no clear answer. Just as she was about to ask Director Chapman for help with a post, she saw he’d already taken the initiative to support Claire Sinclair.
Arthur Chapman was a big-name director, but he wasn’t a traffic star, so his fan numbers and online influence weren’t as strong as Kane Hale’s.
Most of the comments under Chapman’s post had already been taken over by Fiona Vaughn’s die-hard fans.
—Tch, Director, you’re disgracing your reputation! What kind of spell did that vixen Claire cast on you guys, or is her sugar daddy behind the scenes so powerful that you’d bow to money and make such a Mary Sue show?
There were lots of echoing voices, but the thing that annoyed them most was the imagined story of Fiona being replaced as the lead actress.
—Goddess Fiona clearly did so well in the auditions—her crying scenes were so genuine and moving. How could you not pick her? Are you blind or just heartless!
—Shameless director swapping leads! We’ll boycott to the end!
Director Chapman had a stellar reputation in showbiz, but faced with this internet mob, his voice seemed weak.
He had always been straightforward and blunt, not the type to tolerate nonsense. After reaching his limits, he quickly fired off a rebuttal on Weibo.
—Who says I ever picked Fiona Vaughn? If she can, let her show the evidence!
The public uproar was immediate.
Very soon the marketing media rushed to interview Fiona Vaughn. Facing the camera, her delicate, gorgeous face was full of shock.
"Director Chapman... did he really say that?"
Fiona’s hesitant expression only fueled the media’s imagination.
"Miss Fiona, can you tell us—did Director Chapman ever actually choose you for the lead actress?"
Fiona’s brows knit slightly. She put her hand softly to her chest, her pitiful eyes shining with a helpless light that made people unable to press further.
"I’m sorry... When I first read the comic ’There are branches on the mountain,’ I thought the heroine Blossom Vaughn shares my last name, so I felt a special connection. I really wanted this role and I tried my absolute best."
"But Director Chapman..."
Fiona’s voice caught just a little. With her slender neck raised, she looked even more fragile and delicate.
"I know everyone originally hoped I could play the lead, and I was honestly so happy about that. But since things turned out this way, I... I really don’t want to keep discussing it. I’m sorry, can you let me have a moment alone?"
As she spoke, Fiona’s assistant rushed over to support her, glaring at all the reporters.
"You’re harassing a pregnant woman—don’t you people have any decency? Are you expecting Fiona to hand over an official contract as the appointed lead just to prove something for you?"
The media took one look at her growing baby bump, remembered her six-month pregnancy, and then connected the dots with her falling out of favor with Tyson Law. They all felt faintly sympathetic.
"Sorry, Miss Fiona, we were out of line."
Love life in shambles, the lead role stolen by some nobody—who wouldn’t be upset in her shoes?
The reporters watched as Fiona shuffled into one of Stellerton’s high-end hospitals for her prenatal check-up, and sighed about it live on camera.
"Seems like it’s confirmed—Fiona’s goddess role was stolen, and that Claire Sinclair is seriously backed by some major sugar daddy."
Plenty of viewers saw Fiona’s fragile and pitiable back on the livestream and couldn’t help sighing too.
"The Second Young Master Law is just too heartless—Frank Law, the Law Family head, already confirmed this baby is theirs, and I heard they got the most reliable DNA test in Stellerton! Why is the Second Master still so cold to Miss Fiona, won’t even show up for a prenatal check?"
"Yeah, that Claire Sinclair is pure evil! My poor Fiona goddess..."
...
For a while, Fiona’s delicate and miserable image became so legendary that she managed to gain over 20 million Weibo fans in just one day—it was a feat like no other.
A bunch of people started calling for donations or asking the director to re-hire her...
Just as the situation looked completely one-sided, lead actor Kane Hale suddenly reposted one of Claire Sinclair’s Weibo posts.
—Nice to meet you. Looking forward to a great collaboration.
The moment this Weibo went up, Kane’s female fans blew up instantly.