Chapter 1

As soon as I finished speaking, my mom, Rhonda Lynch, collapsed to the ground. While the furious influencer berated me, I remained unbothered as I called the police to have them removed from the premises.

My team members all stared at me. I just shrugged, acting like it was nothing. "Don't mind the interruption, everyone. Let's continue."

Wendy Wilcox, my assistant, quickly said, "I won't comment since I don't know the full story, but I have full faith in Diana as a person."

I smiled faintly and went back to enjoying my celebration dinner with my colleagues. It wasn't until I got home that I saw funeral wreaths stacked at my door and paint splashed everywhere.

Scrawled across the walls were the words, "Ungrateful scum! Give her the money! Go to hell!"

I called the police again. My front door and surveillance cameras had been vandalized, totaling 60 thousand dollars in damages.

The one who threw the paint was some guy in his 20s. When he saw the itemized bill presented by my attorney, his expression turned ugly.

"I was only standing up for what's right! You're ungrateful scum for refusing to support your own mother! You deserve to be condemned by everyone!"

Clicking my tongue, I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "You want to stand up for what's right with a brain like yours? That's rich. You don't even know when you're being used as a pawn.

"Did you ever wonder why she didn't just sue me and is instead using public opinion to attack me online?"

"I-Isn't it because she's your mother and still cares about you?"

His naivety cracked me up. "You're Alan Cooley, right? Would you be interested in making some money? Well, this is your lucky day, so you shouldn't let this opportunity slip through your fingers.

"You should go find out why she isn't taking me to court. This matter could've been settled with a simple court hearing. And yet, she chose to involve an influencer and blow it up. Don't you think there's a hidden agenda behind all this?"

Hearing that, Alan froze. He stared at me, seemingly confused. "What do you mean by that?"

I smiled faintly. "Either pay the 60 thousand dollars you owe me, or go dig up the truth. Your choice. You've got three minutes to decide."

Between paying 60 thousand dollars and becoming an online personality, he chose the latter.

Happy with his choice, I went back home after sorting things out. That was when I got a call from Mom.

"Diana, I haven't eaten all day. I'm starving. Could you please—"

"No!"

As I bent down to fill my cat's and my dog's bowls, the sound triggered her, and she snapped, "Diana Erickson, have you no conscience?"

I couldn't help but scoff. "You're just realizing that now? You have an influencer recording right beside you, so shouldn't you at least make it more convincing? You're supposed to act like you haven't eaten all day. So how could you have the energy to scream at me?"

She hung up immediately. I shook my head before posting a video of my pets on social media. "They're having raw meat today. The cat really likes it."

When the people online saw the video of my cat eating raw meat and eggs while my dog gnawed on a bone, they absolutely lost it.

"She has money to feed animals but not her own mother?"

"I can tell just by looking at her face that she's a selfish person!"

"Your mom should've abandoned you when you were born!"

I replied to that comment, "She definitely should have. It's too bad she couldn't bring herself to do it since I was still useful to her."

"What use could you possibly have? You're nothing but a filthy animal!"

I shook my head. These people had such a limited vocabulary when it came to insults.

Seeing how foolish they were, I couldn't help typing, "You do know the 'value' of a woman, right? Especially one raised in a remote town? Surely you do."

After replying, I tossed my phone aside, took a bath, and went to sleep. Little did I know that my response would take the internet by storm.

I woke up to my phone blowing up with missed calls and messages. When I opened them, it was just a flood of messages cursing me out.

All sorts of vile words filled my screen. I just scoffed. Was this all they had?