Celestine’s Instagram had become a battlefield.
Hate flooded her feed, with strangers gleefully waiting for her to stumble, eager to see her fall.
But Celestine had never felt calmer.
She called Pete. “Keep an eye on Grandpa. Don’t let him get online.”
“Celly, I’ll call in some favors, see if we can get these trending posts buried,” Pete said, his voice tight with worry.
Celestine scrolled through the comments, screenshotting the worst of the lies and insults directed at her.
“No need,” she replied. “They’re coming for me–there’s no way to stop it now.”
Meanwhile, Joanna updated her own Instagram.
Joanna Sinclair: “A new bag cures all woes–bad moods, begone~”
The post featured a photo of a brand–new, limited–edition designer bag that cost more than most people’s houses. In the corner of the picture, you could just make out a pair of bespoke men’s dress shoes–pressed flirtatiously against Joanna’s
stiletto.
Her fans pounced.
[Joanna&Chester]: OMG! So it’s really you and Chester together! Glad everything’s cleared up!
[Pink Bubblegum]: That other woman can’t even compare to Joanna–how dare she try to compete with the real deal? Funniest joke of the year.
[Joanna&Chester Sweetest]: So sweet! I’m so happy for you two! Are you and Chester finally about to make it official?
In the sea of comments, Joanna did something rare–she replied to [Joanna&Chester Sweetest] with a crying–face emoji.
That single emoji sent her fans spiraling, their hearts aching for her.
Then, whipped into a frenzy, they returned to Celestine’s page, firing off another barrage of hateful comments.
Within hours, Celestine’s Instagram was buried under hundreds of thousands of
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Chapter 68
scathing remarks. The drama shot to the top of the trending topics, with gossip swirling everywhere.
Chester, meanwhile, was at the office late into the night, handling a crisis with the shipping division.
When he finally saw the rumors online–his name tangled up with Celestine’s–the absurdity of it all struck him first.
“Who let this trend? Has Fordham Group’s PR department gone brain–dead?”
His secretary, startled by the outburst, fidgeted nervously.
“Mr. Fordham, you were in meetings all afternoon about the shipping contracts. We didn’t want to trouble you with something so trivial. I’m sorry–it was my oversight.”
Chester’s frown deepened as he read the venomous comments, some targeting Celestine’s parents.
She really didn’t know how to let things slide.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, voice low and hard. “Release a statement. Make our relationship public.”
The secretary hesitated, speaking quietly. “Mr. Fordham, you and your wife have always kept your marriage private. If word gets out now, given her background, it could impact the company’s stock. Please reconsider.”
The room turned icy.
Chester’s gaze snapped up, cold and sharp. “Stein, since when did you start running Fordham Group?”
“N–no, sir!” The secretary’s head dropped instantly, voice trembling.
Just then, a soft knock broke the tension.
Joanna entered, eyes shimmering with tears. She covered her mouth with a trembling hand as she walked to Chester’s side, barely holding back a sob.
“Chester, I’m so sorry. I had no idea the fans would react like this. If I’d known, I would have stopped them–I never wanted them to attack Celly.”
Chester watched the tears spill from her eyes. Joanna’s gaze was wide and glassy, and for a fleeting moment, her expression reminded him a little of Celestine.
A pang twisted in his chest. His tone softened, the edge fading. “It’s not your fault. The tabloids are stirring things up.”
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Chapter 68
“Chester…” Joanna slipped into the seat beside him, tugging at his sleeve. “Most of them are just kids, students even. They saw those rumors and thought I was the victim–so they lashed out. I’ll try to guide them better next time, but… could you
please not hold it against them?”
