Chapter 36: The Backlash of Accusations

Chapter 36: The Backlash of Accusations

Emily had always been in the public eye, and the subject of plagiarism was especially sensitive. The two photos being compared were strikingly similar, and the accusations seemed almost irrefutable. As expected, it wasn't long before the "deceived public" began to strongly condemn this "shameless and reprehensible behavior."

"I was blown away by that poster when it first came out. I even praised Alisa for making Lucas look so ethereal. Now I feel like such a fool," one comment read.

"The highlight of that poster was the flowing tassel dress and the ethereal lighting. But it turns out it was all copied. Disgusting…," another chimed in.

"I'm not an expert in photography, just a fan of her aesthetic. But plagiarism is a moral failing. I'm done supporting her," yet another added.

"Why would Alisa even need to plagiarize? This underwater shoot didn't seem necessary. Some of her previous covers had such unique concepts—there's no way a photographer with her skills would need to copy something like this, right?"

"Naïve much? Those covers allowed for more post-production work. Now that she's doing something else, she's exposed," someone replied.

"I've always thought her work was overrated—good post-production can make anyone look like a genius. No idea how she got so famous. Guess being pretty helps," another user commented with a mocking smiley.

"Yeah, and she's been leveraging her looks to fuel romance rumors with celebrities and then issuing lawyer's letters to cash in on the drama. Such a scam," someone else added.

As the allegations of plagiarism swirled, Emily's studio received a message from Lucas's team—Ms. Lucas now believed she was unfairly dragged into the controversy and demanded a public apology from the photographer, along with compensation.

Emily couldn't help but scoff at the absurdity, but she wasn't entirely surprised by this opportunistic behavior. She assured Lucas that she hadn't plagiarized, and that the studio would clear up the issue, providing a satisfactory explanation to both the network and the model.

But Lucas wasn't willing to wait. Eager to distance herself from the scandal, she quickly released a series of press statements:

"Lucas Caught in Plagiarism Scandal? Why Should an Actress Take the Fall for a Photographer's Mistake?" one headline read.

"Poor Lucas: The Victim of a Photographer's Plagiarism, Yet She's the One Being Criticized," said another.

In these articles, Lucas was portrayed as an innocent scapegoat, and it was even emphasized that "Lucas had reservations about the costume, but the photographer had insisted on it."

As soon as this narrative hit the public, Lucas's fans erupted in anger, flooding Emily and her studio's social media accounts with demands for justice for their beloved star:

"Your audacity is something else! Not only did you plagiarize, but now you're making someone else take the fall. Poor Lucas."

"Plagiarist! Where's your apology??"

"Silent treatment? You can't hide forever [smiley]."

"May your entire family face the consequences!"

The situation quickly spiraled beyond the photography community, bleeding into the entertainment industry, where the conversation took an even stranger turn. Discussions about Emily's supposed plagiarism soon shifted to her personal life, looks, and background, with people dissecting every aspect of her existence.

Since Emily had grown up abroad, little was known about her life beyond her public photography career. The less people knew, the more they speculated, often twisting facts into grotesque distortions.

Just three hours after the plagiarism accusations broke, a post on a popular gossip forum became a trending topic:

**"Alisa's Background Exposed! The Myth of the Rich Girl Persona is Shattered"**

"This so-called high-society photographer has been feeding us lies for too long. Yes, she's of Chinese descent, but she wasn't born and raised in Paris like she claims. Her dad is just a nouveau riche who sent her abroad after he struck it rich. The stories about her being part of the Parisian elite are all fabricated.

"And let's not forget about her shady connections. Her 'sponsor' is someone she met in university—this wealthy old man has been funding her career back home, giving her the resources to build this fake 'wealthy socialite photographer' persona.

"But let's be real—she's not fooling anyone. We even found an old photo of her with this 'sponsor.' Just look at that bald, fat, middle-aged creep. It takes a special kind of person to sleep with someone like that…"

When Emily saw the photo, she couldn't help but laugh in disbelief—it was a picture from her university days with one of her Chinese professors.

This wasn't the first time she had been subjected to such "creative" interpretations, and despite knowing that these so-called revelations were baseless, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of pain as she scrolled through the malicious comments and speculations.

She couldn't understand how a groundless accusation of plagiarism had snowballed into something so out of control.

She couldn't fathom why so many people were so quick to condemn her without even verifying the facts.

And what puzzled her the most was why a conversation that was supposed to be about plagiarism had devolved into a character assassination about her entire life.

They said she was a plagiarist, so suddenly her entire career was a sham; they said she was a fraud, so now her background was being questioned too. It seemed that as soon as a rumor emerged, people were ready to believe it without a second thought.

Emily sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, her fingers coming away wet.

Her phone rang, and she glanced at the screen before answering, her voice heavy with emotion. "Hello?"

On the other end, Jessica was furiously ranting about the baseless accusations and the people who spread them. After venting, she took a sip of water and said, "I've seen that post accusing you of plagiarism, and it's full of lies. I bet it's a deliberate hit job. Remember when my designs were accused of being copies? I had a lawyer friend who helped clear it up, and I've already contacted him for you. He'll draft a statement soon. Don't let the online chatter get to you—those people know nothing."

Emily mumbled a quiet "thank you" before ending the call.

No sooner had she put down the phone than a message from Ryan appeared:

**[Patting your head.emoji]**

**Don't listen, don't think, don't worry. The people who trust you will keep trusting you.**

**I believe in you!**

Emily smiled faintly and typed a quick "Thank you."

Before exiting the app, she noticed an avatar in the second row—a new one that had been updated the day before, featuring the portrait of her in a white slip dress.

No new messages from him. The last one was from last night:

**[I'm boarding now]**

Emily frowned slightly, feeling a mix of frustration and unexpected hurt.

She remembered how quickly Creston Media had issued a statement and a lawyer's letter when she and Ryan were rumored to be involved.

Now, with this scandal blowing up, she hadn't expected Ethan to swoop in and save the day, but she was still surprised that he hadn't done anything yet.

Who had promised to handle her PR crises?

Who had said she could focus on her work and leave the rest to him?

Who had vowed to pursue her again and treat her right?

Emily had thought she didn't care much about his promises, but now she realized she did, just a little.

If you say you're going to do something, then do it!

She pouted, tossing her phone onto the table. It buzzed twice before dying as the battery ran out.

She muttered under her breath, "Ethan's words are just lies!"

**

As soon as the plane landed, Ethan pulled out his phone, dialing several times but only getting a "phone is off" message in return.

"Chairman Harrison, we've identified the media outlet and the person who posted that article." Jason handed him a tablet. "Shall I contact the lawyer?"

Ethan took the tablet, scanned the information, then unexpectedly shook his head.

"What about that magazine photo? Did you find it?"

Jason nodded, relief washing over him. "We've located it. It was taken by this photographer."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "An American?"

"Yes. He's not a professional photographer, which made it hard to trace. That photo was published in a travel magazine over a decade ago. He probably doesn't even remember it."

Ethan flipped through the information, his expression unreadable.

"Book a flight to the U.S.," he ordered suddenly.

Jason was taken aback. "Now? But you have an early meeting with—"

"We're leaving now."