Chapter 511 Cyberbullying
Celeste's questions hit Sophia like a punch to the gut.
Jennifer's lips moved, but she couldn't find the words to defend Sophia this time.
She and Celeste had seen Sophia push Patricia.
'Why would Sophia do that?' Jennifer wondered.
Sophia spoke up, "I didn't push her."
Celeste stared at her, eyes sharp.
Sophia continued, "Celeste, Jennifer, check the restaurant's surveillance footage. I didn't push Patricia; she fell on her own."
Sophia wasn't sure. To outsiders, it might've looked like she pushed Patricia.
But she had to defend herself.
Being misunderstood by her favorite family hurt Sophia deeply.
Her relationship with the Blackwoods had changed since they came back.
Patricia must've had a hand in it.
As long as Patricia was around, things would only get worse.
Sophia felt exhausted.
Seeing Celeste's suspicious eyes and Jennifer's doubtful look, Sophia's heart sank.
Her eyes reddened. She truly saw the Blackwoods as family. "Celeste, Jennifer, even though Patricia and I don't get along, I've always tolerated her because she's your family. If you think I pushed her, I have nothing more to say."
Sophia's resigned look made Celeste feel a pang of guilt.
"Grandma," Patricia's weak voice interrupted.
Celeste's guilt vanished. "Patricia, how are you feeling?"
Patricia replied, "I feel dizzy and nauseous, and my hand hurts a lot."
"Patricia, don't move. You have a concussion and a slight fracture in your hand. Just rest."
Patricia also had a wound on her forehead. It wasn't bandaged, making it look worse.
While Celeste and Jennifer fussed over Patricia, Sophia quietly left the ward.
She walked out of the hospital, looking at the dark sky. A cold wind blew, and despite being warmly dressed, she felt a bone-chilling cold.
A car stopped in front of her, and Gabriel got out, taking her hand. "Let's go home."
Warmth filled Sophia's cold heart, spreading through her body.
She got into the car with Gabriel holding her hand. Up front, Alex saw them and smiled gently.
Gabriel didn't know what had happened, but he had watched the competition's live broadcast. When he asked Sophia where she was in the evening, she said she was at the hospital.
So he rushed over.
When Gabriel arrived, he saw Sophia standing at the entrance, looking lonely and sad.
Despite winning the championship, Sophia didn't seem happy.
Gabriel didn't ask anything. He just held her hand, sat beside her, and silently stayed with her.
Ever since Sophia started at Fusion Dynamics Corporation, she often seemed unhappy.
Could she be getting bullied there?
He thought of Patricia. 'Is Patricia bullying Sophia?'
A cold look flashed in Gabriel's eyes.
When Sophia got home, the kids were already asleep. She took a shower and lay in bed, unable to sleep.
A trending topic quietly emerged online.
The classical fashion show competition was usually only popular within the industry, but that night, it blew up. Sophia's name was everywhere.
The next day, Sophia discovered a group of designers online were trashing her.
Her identity as Jennifer's goddaughter from Fusion Dynamics Corporation was exposed. People accused her of using connections and dirty tactics. They even dug into her past involvement with Fusion Dynamics Corporation from the last national fashion competition.
Back then, Sophia wasn't selected to study at Fusion Dynamics Corporation because she had bigger plans—to become Jennifer's goddaughter.
When Fusion Dynamics Corporation relocated and selected students again, Sophia got in without an exam.
Designers who relied on connections and schemes—did they have the right to question Sophia's championship in the classical fashion show?
It seemed like everyone in the design world was criticizing Sophia, saying she didn't deserve to be the champion and relied on connections, not talent.
Some netizens who hated such behavior joined in, insulting and denouncing Sophia.
The organizers of the classical fashion show couldn't handle the pressure and issued a statement saying they would investigate and re-evaluate the champion.
But people didn't stop. They found her social media accounts and bombarded her with abuse.
No matter how strong Sophia was, these insults hit hard.
She felt like something inside her had collapsed.
Her past achievements abroad were dismissed with a single phrase: "She has connections."
All her efforts seemed to vanish like smoke.
Sophia was stunned.
'Sophia, get out of the design world. I used to like her in the national fashion competition, but I didn't expect Sophia to rely on connections to get her rankings. If you don't focus on honing your skills and instead play tricks, you won't last long. Sophia should just get out of the design world. The clothes Sophia designs are so trashy, yet people still buy them.' These malicious slanders and insults echoed in Sophia's mind.
Her eyes turned red. Despite trying to calm down and telling herself not to look at the comments, she couldn't help it.
This was her career.
If this couldn't be resolved perfectly, all her future designs would be labeled as "trash" and "achieved through underhanded means," and her career would be ruined.
"Mr. Lancaster, it's obvious these are paid commenters. Only a few netizens have been misled, and a few reputable designers have spoken out, which is why more and more people believe this," Alex reported with a frown.
Gabriel's expression was stern. He stared at the online insults directed at Sophia, and his anger burned fiercely. "Contact a few top fashion designers and ask them to speak out."
Alex replied, "Yes!"
After Alex left, Gabriel took out his phone and called Sophia.
It took a long time for her to answer.
Gabriel's voice was gentle but filled with concern. "Where are you?"
"I just arrived at Fusion Dynamics Corporation."
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