Chapter 79 Online Rumors Spread
I stood by the defense table, took a deep breath to steady my nerves, and pulled out my notebook that was packed with key points, debate strategies, and potential curveballs.
I looked around the courtroom. Eric's legal team was also getting ready, looking just as tense. This was a silent battle, and I had to give it my all, not just for Alice's sake but also to prove myself. I straightened my collar, stood tall, and waited confidently for the trial to begin.
Everything was going smoothly until Eric pulled out a receipt for a tie Alice had bought him, claiming their relationship wasn't over. This threw a wrench in Alice's appeal, and the divorce got denied.
When I brought this news back to the hospital, Alice grabbed my hand and broke down in tears. She had been through so much with her illness and losing Eric, and now she faced a long wait for a second appeal. She didn't know if she'd live to see that day. Overwhelmed by grief, sadness, helplessness, and frustration, tears streamed down her face. Her sobs tore at my heart.
After the trial ended, I didn't expect this divorce saga to be just beginning.
"Look, the internet is saying you defended Alice just for the money. They don't know anything!" In the office, Lila frowned and angrily handed me her phone.
As I scrolled through the phone, more and more negative stuff popped up. I smiled bitterly, "I figured this would happen. Alice and Eric are public figures, so naturally, more people are watching this case, and there are bound to be rumors." At first, I didn't pay much attention to the online chatter.
"But Diana, it doesn't stop there! This one says you were a mistress too, which is why you take cases for cheaters." Lila kept scrolling. "And this one digs into your family background, saying you're not really from a wealthy family but went to a socialite finishing school to climb into high society and mess around with the Howard family's son. This is all nonsense!" Lila angrily tossed the phone aside and came over to hold my hand. "Diana, let's not look at that garbage. Let's get out for coffee."
Lila gently patted my shoulder. "Diana, don't take it to heart. They're just making stuff up."
"How can I not care? They're not only trashing my personal image but also the Howard family's reputation!" In my eyes, the Howard family's reputation was way more important than my personal image.
Before I could respond, Edward called.
"Diana, look at the mess you've made!" Edward's voice was filled with anger, and I could feel his fury through the phone. "I give you half an hour to fix this!"
"We know the truth, and that's enough. You defended Alice based on facts and the law. Those people are just ignorant and slandering you. As for calling you a mistress, that's defamation, and we can sue them," Lila tried to comfort me.
I shook my head and said, "Going after them now will just complicate things and make it look like I'm trying to exploit the situation. Besides," I paused, "Edward only gave me half an hour to fix this mess."
"Edward is such a jerk! Even now, he doesn't care about you and just makes things harder! What a trashy man!" Lila had always despised Edward's spoiled rich kid attitude.
At that moment, Nolan came out of his office. "Diana, I saw the news online. Don't let it affect your work. As lawyers, we inevitably face these situations. As long as we maintain our integrity, we'll be fine."
I nodded, deciding not to tell Nolan about this for now.
I called Theo. "Theo, I'm in some trouble and need your help to sort it out."
Theo was super efficient. Within ten minutes, he had traced the IP address of the person who posted the information.
When this result was presented to me, it felt like I had been struck by lightning, my mind going blank. My hands clenched involuntarily, and a surge of uncontrollable anger rose within me. I couldn't believe that Anne would go so far as to tarnish the Howard family's reputation just to defame me! I sat at my desk, staring intently at the investigation report, which clearly showed Anne's transactions with some shady media and online trolls.
I never imagined I'd discover that the person defaming me online was a member of my family. Anger, disappointment, and sadness surged through me, and my hands trembled uncontrollably. Holding the evidence, I went straight to Anne. "Anne, has your hatred for me reached such an extent?" Tears welled up in my eyes. When she saw me, a flash of panic crossed her face, but she quickly feigned innocence.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, pretending to be clueless.
Holding back my tears, I placed the evidence in front of Anne. "These are the records of your transactions with shady media and online trolls. This is proof that you spread false rumors about me."
She crossed her arms and sneered, "Yeah, it's me, so what? Do you think I'm afraid of you? Do you think Edward will do anything to me? He dotes on me the most."
"Anne, I'm your sister-in-law. Why are you doing this to me?" My voice trembled with anger.
She scoffed, "Do you think you're something special just because you married Edward? He's just been bewitched by you. You don't deserve Edward. I'm helping him see the real you, the hypocritical woman you are. You deserve all of this."
"I deserve this? Do you realize that what you did could ruin the Howard family?" I almost shouted.
"So what? In the end, Edward will blame you for everything. Diana, this time, you're done for!" she said viciously.
Anne's always-smiling face took on a new, chilling meaning as I realized the sinister cunning she hid.
I knew talking to her further was pointless. I had to let Edward know about Anne's actions.
Without delay, I composed myself and called Edward.
As soon as the call connected, my emotions reached their peak, and my voice trembled as I said, "Honey, I found out who's behind this. It's Anne. She hired people to spread those rumors. I can't believe Anne would pull such a stunt."
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