Once the first person spoke up, more followed—second, third, fourth…
Soon, a flood of people came forward accusing Ann Reed of being a diva.
Some even tearfully revealed they’d ended up with depression because of her, their words raw and heartbreaking.
Just like that, Ann Reed was thrown into the eye of the storm.
She dominated the trending topics—all the top searches were about her.
At first, her team tried to control the damage, scrambling to defend her, but when they realized they had no solid proof to refute the claims, they just went completely silent.
Throughout it all, Ann Reed didn’t post a single word on Twitter.
Her public image had always been that of a gentle, sophisticated woman—gorgeous and graceful on-screen.
That contrast was what drew fans to her.
But now that her “act” had been exposed, all the years of building up her goddess-like image crumbled overnight.
Fans turned their backs on her, and the top comments under her posts were all hate.
She lost two million followers in just one night.
Truth be told, Maria hadn’t done much—she only bought a few marketing posts and trending tags.
How things spiraled from there had gone way beyond what she expected.
Watching Ann Reed fall this hard, Isabella laughed so hard it nearly gave her cramps.
She showed up at Maria’s place that night, beaming from ear to ear.
“Damn Maria, seriously?
No one else could touch her before, and now look—you come back and boom, she’s toast.” Isabella elbowed Maria’s arm, her tone half-joking yet completely impressed, like she was in the presence of someone legendary.
“No one dared mess with her ‘cause she had James backing her.
But I’m not scared of him.” Maria handed Isabella a glass of water, looking totally chill.
“Actually, the madder he is, the better.”
Just imagining James’s face when he found out made her a little smug inside.
But Isabella paused mid-sip, her smile suddenly stiff.
“Wait a sec… What if he comes for you after this?”
Maria didn’t even blink.
“Let him.
If he fires me, great.”
She usually couldn’t be bothered with any of this Ann Reed drama, but the thought of making James angry—maybe even getting herself off the hook—was tempting enough for her to light the match.
Besides, she hadn’t done anything wrong.
If anyone came at her, she could strike right back, fair and square.
Isabella gave her a big thumbs-up, filled with admiration.
While Ann Reed kept quiet online, she couldn’t hold back in real life.
She immediately called James.
She demanded he fire Maria and also asked for compensation.
James sounded like he’d just heard a bad joke.
He pressed his lips into a tight line.
“You brought this on yourself.”
He’d known about her behavior, but as long as the money kept coming, he turned a blind eye.
But this time, the person in question was Maria.
His tone completely shifted—cold, detached.
On the other end, Ann Reed froze for a long second, then exploded in anger.
“I’ve made so much money for this company!
What’s Maria done?
You have to give me an answer—either fire her or, at the very least, chew her out in front of me!”
For someone like Ann Reed, that was already her bottom line.
She’d only made such a concession because of James.
Honestly, if she had it her way, Maria wouldn’t be alive, or she’d be in the ICU if she was.
James’s voice grew colder with every word she said.
“If Bennett Corp can make you a star, we can make someone else one.
Who do you think you are to boss me around?”
“Your reputation’s already down the drain.
Don’t expect us to back you anymore.
You should start thinking about your exit plan.”
“You’re really dumping me for Maria?
What’s going on between you and her, huh?” Ann Reed’s voice was sharp, but when she heard how indifferent James sounded, reality finally sank in.
She was in no position to negotiate now, and that realization hit her hard.
James’s expression darkened.
“She can’t stand being associated with me.”
And just like that, he hung up.
Ann Reed sat there clutching her phone, the chill creeping from her fingertips to her bones.
That didn’t sound like James at all…
There had to be something going on between them.
Amelia thought this was her shot.
The very next day, she stormed into James’s office, eyebrows furrowed.
“James, did you see last night’s trending news?
What is Maria playing at?
Going after Ann Reed like that?
She’s been with the company for years and brings in serious money.
Does Maria even know what she’s risking?”
James, already annoyed by everyone getting in his face about the drama—especially when the one actually involved hadn’t said a word to him—just stared out the window, irritated.
He found himself wondering, why hadn’t Maria talked to him yet?
Didn’t she have something to say?
Then he turned his head—and saw who he least wanted to see.
“Did Maria force Ann Reed to throw tantrums on set too?” His voice dropped, laced with sarcasm.
After a long silence, she leaned over his desk, hands planted firmly, her voice low: “James… do you still have feelings for her?”
“This is business.
Ann Reed brought this on herself.” James didn’t even glance up.
Amelia went quiet again.
She knew if anyone else had done something like this, James wouldn’t have just brushed it off.
Maria meant something to him, clearly.
“You stay out of this.
She’s my responsibility now.”
Amelia forced a smile, nodding as if she understood, but her nails almost dug into her palms.
She was fuming on the inside, hiding it under that sweet facade.
Meanwhile, Maria hadn’t been affected at all by the whole Ann Reed fiasco.
James didn’t even question her about it.
Everyone at the company looked at her differently now—Tina included—there was a subtle shift in the way they treated her.
Even Grace showed a newfound respect.
New luxury pieces had just arrived, and Maria had a day off.
She headed to the mall, seeing if she could come up with some fresh looks.
But fate had other plans—she ran smack into two people she definitely wasn’t hoping to see.
“Maria?” The familiar voice made her stop in her tracks.
The moment she turned, her expression iced over.
She had zero interest in dealing with this and quickly turned to walk away.
“Why’re you running?” Amelia mocked, stepping forward.
“Back at the company, you sure weren’t shy.”
Maria stopped, turned slowly, arms crossed, eyes cold.
“Ugh.
You’re really ruining my day.”
“Maria!” Amelia’s voice rose as she pointed at her, furious.
Maria scanned the people around them, unbothered.
“You sure you want to start a scene here?
Did you forget what happened to Ann Reed?”
Amelia flinched, clearly rattled.
She quickly composed herself and linked arms with the woman beside her.
“Mrs.
Bennett, she’s threatening me.”
Maria’s gaze shifted.
That beautiful, well-kept woman next to Amelia…
that was her ex-mother-in-law—James’s mom.
Her chest went cold, and the look on her face turned even darker.