Chapter 4

My silence contrasted sharply with Justin’s emotional accusations.

Some different voices began to emerge online.

“Honestly, the sister’s job is a bit… unlucky, so it’s normal for her to be mentally twisted.”

“It’s not impossible to be jealous of her brother’s success, especially since he’s a billionaire now.”

“Soul Whisperer used to be amazing, but this time it involves family, so it’s hard to say.”

Justin’s PR team immediately seized the opportunity, buying a massive wave of bots to manipulate the narrative.

“Poor Justin, being hurt by his own family like this.”

“The sister is too malicious, she can’t stand to see her brother do well.”

My DMs were flooded with thousands of hateful messages.

Some called me malicious, some cursed my whole family, and some even photoshopped my picture onto a memorial portrait.

Justin seemed to think victory was within his grasp.

He grandly announced that at 8 PM, he would publicly respond to the defamation incident in his live stream, alongside the company’s legal team, and would present conclusive evidence to prove my lies.

At the same time, he sent me a final ultimatum.

“Alice, you still have a chance before 8 PM. Delete the post, apologize. Otherwise, prepare to receive my lawyer’s letter and be doxxed and cursed by everyone online.”

“I made you ‘Soul Whisperer,’ and I can just as easily make you a social outcast, hounded by everyone. I have all your clients’ information right here.”

It was a blatant threat.

He actually wanted to use the pain of those who had lost their beloved pets to threaten me.

I looked at that message, and my last shred of hope completely shattered.

I didn’t reply to him.

Instead, I used the Soul Whisperer account to post a second message.

“The truth will speak for itself. No further words needed. Tonight at 8 PM, on my live stream, see you there.”

Below it was an image.

It was a corner of my desk, with a document clearly visible on top, its cover emblazoned with large characters:

*“Preliminary Evidence Summary Regarding Eminent Pet Co., Ltd. CEO Justin Reid’s Alleged Commercial Fraud and Animal Cruelty.”*

Below it, a corner of a lawyer’s practicing certificate was visible.

The post went live, and the entire internet erupted.

Justin’s phone rang immediately, and he said frantically,

“Sis! Sis! What exactly are you trying to do?! We’re family! You can’t do this to me!”

I listened coldly.

“What did you call me?”

He froze.

“Sis…”

“Justin, from the moment you pushed me away at that celebration and called me a jinx, I stopped having you as a brother.”

“As for family,” I paused, remembering my mom’s vicious curses, “you all don’t deserve it.”

After hanging up, my mom’s relentless calls started again.

I didn’t answer, just muted my phone.

Unable to reach me, she stormed to my apartment door.

“Alice! Open the door! You monster! Open the door for me!”

She pounded frantically on the door, cursing me with every hateful word imaginable.

I stood behind the door, watching her face, distorted by anger, through the peephole.

That face, once so familiar, now chilled me with its strangeness.

When she tired of yelling, she started to cry.

“Alice, Mom was wrong, Mom will get down on her knees for you, okay? Please don’t ruin Justin, this is his only business. If he falls, it will be the death of your mom!”

She really slowly knelt, her forehead pressed against the cold security door, sobbing uncontrollably.

I closed my eyes. The contrast between everything in the past and now made it impossible to breathe.

I used every ounce of my strength to keep myself from collapsing to the floor.

I don’t know how long it was before the suffocating cries and curses from outside finally stopped.

Leaning against the cold door, I slowly slid to the floor.

My phone screen glowed faintly, displaying the time: 7:50 PM.

Ten minutes until the live stream.

Just then, a strange number abruptly called.

I hesitated before answering, not speaking.

A low, steady male voice came from the other end. “Ms. Alice, this is Mr. Davies.”

Justin’s biggest investor, Mr. Davies, known in capital circles for his ruthless tactics.

He seemed to know I was listening and chuckled softly.

“My people are downstairs at your building. I’m giving you ten final minutes to cancel the live stream. Otherwise… I won’t just make sure you can’t survive in this city, I’ll also make you understand that some things are far worse than being publicly disgraced and utterly ruined.”

“For example, letting your clients’ data be spread across the entire internet overnight.”

“What do you think those people, who have just lost their beloved pets and saw you as their last hope, will do to you when they discover their privacy and grief have been leaked by you?”

The call was abruptly disconnected, leaving only a dial tone in my ear.

I stiffly looked up at the window, the night was deep, as if countless eyes were lurking in the darkness.