Chapter 25: Everyone’s Alarmed
Manu
Being treated like a zoo animal wherever they went had completely ruined the tour…
Back in the CEO’s office, John feigned surprise.“You finished the tour so quickly?” Lily glared at him.“All thanks to your stupid card!” She’d intended a low–key tour, but it turned into a grand parade.
‘She explained the past half–hour’s “VIP treatment” to John. Andy, as one of the “VIPs,” didn’t find it particularly amusing at the time, but hearing Lily recount it and revisiting the experience made him chuckle.
John interjected occasionally, his gaze tender and adoring, as if Lily were his entire world. As Andy chuckled, a flicker of recognition crossed his face. He realized this was the scene he’d longed for as a child: a family sharing stories and laughter, warmth and harmony. It was so simple to achieve. As long as his mother was there.
The fifteen–year gap still felt surreal; he’d always been a science–minded person. But apart from a supernatural explanation, nothing else seemed plausible. He decided not to dwell on it; it didn’t matter. His mother was back, and that was all that mattered.
Feeling lighter, Andy realized he’d missed a few messages. He frowned, checking his phone. He was halfway through replying when his phone rang.
Lily stopped talking, noticing her son standing up.“Something came up. I need to go.” Lily nodded, and Andy answered the call, heading for the door. His father’s opinion was inconsequential.
Wait!”
Lily called out, quickly grabbing a bag of dried fruit from the snack cabinet and thrusting it into his arms.“For the road.” She smiled and gestured towards the door.“Go
–
on.”
Andy clutched the mango slices, his childhood favorite, slipping them into his jacket pocket. He paused, briefly hugging Lily – less than a second before turning and leaving swiftly. Lily stood there, a wide smile spreading across her face. He’d hugged her! This meeting, she felt at distinct shift in his attitude; he was truly accepting her!
“John, did prospect
you see that?!” she exclaimed, sharing her joy. She’d been slightly disappointed at the of losing dinner with her son, but now her mood was buoyant.
“I saw,” John said, slightly miffed. Lily hadn’t been as happy when he’d* hugged her. Lily bounced onto the sofa, feeling exhilarated. A few swipes through her phone brought a look of utter bewilderment to her face.
“Bella is insane!”
A trending topic, “North Star Clarification,” caught her attention. North Star announced a full refund for its problematic eighth batch of cosmetics. Customers could easily apply for a refund through the purchase channel. The response was overwhelmingly positive. That wasn’t unusual. The issue was Bella’s sudden attempt to leverage the situation. Her clearly orchestrated marketing campaign focused on their supposed friendship. Previously, the public didn’t know the identity of North Star’s other partner. Now, they knew Lily’s name and her role in founding the company. Bella feigned sadness at the online criticism of
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Chapter 25: Everyone’s Alarmed
Lily, claiming it was her fault for mishandling the situation.
North Star adopted a very humble stance. Bella took full responsibility. The online backlash was much milder than before. Netizens were impressed with Bella’s straightforward apology, a stark contrast to the usual denials and blame–shifting.
The anger towards North Star subsided, replaced by comments praising their amazing friendship.
‘Lily was silent. In the fifteen years she’d been gone, Bella had mastered the art of online
manipulation.
“She came to the house this morning. The butler didn’t let her in,” John said, frowning. Bella was like a clown.“I’ll have someone remove this from trending topics.” He was already thinking of ways to make Bella disappear – legally, of course to prevent future trouble. A good lesson learned.
–
Lily waved her hand dismissively.“No need to waste money on that.”
“Keep working; I’ll handle this,” she said, not to report Bella, but to
to report Bella, but to vent to John.
John smiled, watching Lily lounging on the sofa, munching on dried fruit while diligently typing on her phone. He’d handle it; let her enjoy herself.
Lily’s approach was simple and brutal. She posted on her own Facebook account (the one Bella commented on annually):
[Not familiar. Thanks.]
She’d originally drafted a lengthy response but decided that saying more would give Bella too much attention.
Netizens initially suspected a fake account impersonating Lily. Then they realized it was the real deal!
They’d already accepted that Lily’s online return was orchestrated by her family, making this response another family statement! Bella had shot herself in
in the foot again!___ Anticipating a media frenzy, she’d tried to shape public opinion. This post, however, sparked even more speculation!
Netizens, with their detective skills, wondered about the motive behind the “amazing friendship marketing campaign. It had to be profitable…
“Pull the trending topic! Pull it now!” Bella ordered her staff to remove the trending topic and silence the marketing campaign. She’d hoped to pressure John’s new girlfriend and improve her standing with John. But it backfired spectacularly!
For fifteen years, Bella had leveraged Lily to benefit from John. Even after the previous incident, she’d continued using Lily as a pawn. But this was proving much tougher than expected! Who posted that Facebook? Definitely not John; that wasn’t his style.
Bella finally considered her last resort–Lily’s look–alike. Had she logged into Lily’s account? Had John mistaken her for Lily?
Bella gritted her teeth. It was time to play her trump card.
Back in the office, Lily saw the trending topic removed. She snapped her fingers.“Done!” After hearing Lily’s plan, John’s expression darkened. This post would likely cause a significant
stir.
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Chapter 25: Everyone’s Alarmed
Are you ready to see those old friends?” he asked.
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Lily smiled.“We’ll see.” Her return wasn’t something to hide, aside from keeping it from her children. Most importantly, she would get even with those who wronged her children!
Her careless husband had failed them; as their mother, she would make sure they had her support. Recalling her findings, Lily felt her breath quicken.
