Chapter 165: Recording Exposed, Shannon Everett Quits the Industry

Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Recording Exposed, Shannon Everett Quits the Industry

Although they were too far away to hear what Sienna Everett and Shannon Everett were saying, the reporters kept their cameras raised, snapping photos continuously.

Over here.

Sienna Everett looked at Shannon Everett and asked expressionlessly, "You’re publicly apologizing to me?"

Shannon Everett knew the reporters in the distance were taking pictures, so she deliberately maintained a poised smile. "Yes."

Sienna Everett lowered her gaze to her nails and asked nonchalantly, "You just said on camera that you want me to forgive you?"

Shannon Everett clenched her fists and didn’t speak.

’This feeling of being inferior to Sienna Everett really irked her.’

Sienna Everett looked up, a cold smile gracing her stunningly beautiful face. "I can’t hear an apology made to a camera. If you want my forgiveness, fine. Apologize to my face, one more time."

Shannon Everett glanced at the distant reporters, saw they were still taking pictures, and continued to maintain her poised smile, but she said through gritted teeth, "Sienna Everett, I don’t need your forgiveness!"

Sienna Everett’s expression was laced with sarcasm. "Then why put on that hypocritical show for the cameras?"

Shannon Everett’s expression turned cold. But a second later, remembering the reporters filming in the distance, she had to force another smile. The effect was almost comical. Through gritted teeth, she said:

"You think I want to apologize to you? I was forced to! I didn’t do anything wrong, so why should I apologize to you!"

"Sienna Everett, you knew I stole your designs from the very beginning, didn’t you? You didn’t expose me immediately because you wanted to watch me make a fool of myself! Humiliating me like that in public—you deliberately set me up to ruin me! You’re the one who wronged me!"

Sienna Everett had never heard such absurdity. "So it’s my fault that you stole my designs?"

A resentful glint appeared in Shannon Everett’s eyes. "I’m telling you, Sienna Everett, don’t get cocky. Don’t think you’re doing well now. Sooner or later, you’ll be on your knees, begging me for mercy!"

As the two were speaking, Morgan Everett ran over hurriedly. "Shannon, why did you come to the charity gala?" He then looked at Sienna Everett beside them and scolded her harshly, "Don’t you dare bully Shannon!"

Sienna Everett sneered, "Me, bully her?"

"Morgan Everett, it was your precious daughter who came to me with her crocodile tears, wanting a response. Fine, then I’ll respond."

As Sienna Everett spoke, she took out her phone.

Shannon Everett instinctively looked over, curious to see how she would respond, but in the next second, she discovered in horror that Sienna Everett’s phone had been recording the whole time!

Shannon Everett’s face instantly turned deathly pale, drained of all color.

’She had only been paying attention to the reporters in the distance; she hadn’t noticed Sienna Everett was secretly recording!’

’That bitch!’

In a panic, Shannon Everett reached out to snatch Sienna Everett’s phone.

Sienna Everett, already on guard, dodged her with ease and shot her a piercing glare.

A shiver ran down Shannon Everett’s spine as the panic in her heart spread. Sienna Everett’s glare was like an icy blade held to her throat...

Sienna Everett posted the recording to X, adding a bit of text before publishing it.

At that moment, the internet was buzzing with discussion about the video of Shannon Everett bowing to apologize.

[Gotta be honest, I feel like Shannon Everett’s apology was pretty sincere. She cried so hard snot was coming out of her nose. She definitely knows she was wrong.]

[...Can we please not talk about the snot? Every time you mention it, I just end up staring at Shannon Everett’s nose.]

[Did you guys see that shot of Shannon Everett bowing? It looked really sincere. I just wonder if Sienna Everett will accept her apology.]

Just as users were discussing this, they suddenly noticed Sienna Everett had posted on X—

[Sienna Everett V: When I saw Shannon Everett’s apology video, I was truly relieved and moved. But when I found Shannon Everett, just wanting to hear her apologize in person, the result was...

Oh well, never mind. It’s okay, really. If Shannon doesn’t want to apologize, she doesn’t have to. I’m fine, truly. I wouldn’t want to make things difficult for her.]

The online reaction: ???

Why did Sienna Everett’s post sound so passive-aggressive?

It was so unlike her usual style.

Did her account get hacked?

In addition to the post, there was an audio recording. Utterly confused, people online clicked to listen.

The more they listened, the more shocked they became.

Holy shit!

What was Shannon Everett saying?

"You think I want to apologize to you? I was forced to! I didn’t do anything wrong, so why should I apologize to you!"

"Sienna Everett, you knew I stole your designs from the very beginning, didn’t you? You didn’t expose me immediately because you wanted to watch me make a fool of myself! Humiliating me like that in public—you deliberately set me up to ruin me! You’re the one who wronged me!"

"I’m telling you, Sienna Everett, don’t get cocky. Don’t think you’re doing well now. Sooner or later, you’ll be on your knees, begging me for mercy!"

The internet immediately erupted.

[Fuck, sincere my ass! Shannon Everett’s apology was all an act!]

[??? She stole Sienna Everett’s designs and she’s blaming Sienna Everett? Shannon Everett, are you insane? How do you have the gall to say something like that?!]

[Damn it, I almost fell for Shannon Everett’s act! All that bowing and apologizing... she was just trying to save face and repair her reputation?]

[Holy crap, this Shannon Everett is rotten to the core. I bet she’s completely incapable of feeling remorse! Someone like her needs to get the hell out of showbiz! Just the sight of her is disgusting!]

[Putting on one face for the camera and showing another in private. What a two-faced, manipulative snake!]

[Hold on, I think I get why Sienna Everett’s X post had that passive-aggressive vibe now. She was mocking Shannon Everett! Hahahaha, I’m dead. She’s beating the ’green tea’ at her own game!]

Meanwhile, the charity gala concluded.

When Keith Sterling went online and saw Sienna Everett’s response, only one thought came to mind.

’Sierra’s passive-aggressive X post was absolute genius.’

’Fighting tea with tea!’

With that, Shannon Everett’s fake apology was exposed. The public backlash against her reached a fever pitch, and the internet was flooded with comments demanding she get out of the entertainment industry.

「In a hospital room.」

Sheila Whitaker was propped up in her hospital bed, watching the situation online. Her face, already pale from illness, turned even uglier.

Shannon Everett wept, her tears like rain on a blossom. "Mom, do you also think I was wrong?"

Her heart aching, Sheila Whitaker wiped her daughter’s tears. "Of course not. It’s all that damn girl Sienna Everett’s fault! She’s so vicious, recording you just to trap you!"

Miles Everett glanced at his mother and frowned, but didn’t say anything.

Morgan Everett watched the online fallout, his head throbbing. "Shannon, you... you should announce that you’re leaving the entertainment industry."

Shannon Everett’s eyes widened. "Dad!"

’How could I be hounded out of showbiz so disgracefully?’

’Sienna Everett gets to be glamorous and adored by the masses.’

’While I end up like this? How could I possibly accept that?’

’I haven’t even finished taking everything that belongs to Sienna Everett!’

It pained Morgan Everett to say it, but he had to. "Shannon, the fallout from this is too great. The public is against you. Even if you don’t leave the industry, you’ll be harassed wherever you go."

Lucas Everett chimed in, trying to persuade her. "Shannon, listen to Dad. There’s no coming back from this. Announcing your retirement is the only way to calm the public’s anger. Don’t be afraid, Shannon. I’ll work hard and earn enough money to take care of you for the rest of your life!"

As unwilling as Shannon Everett was, she had no better solution.

Crying, she posted a retirement message on X.

Sheila Whitaker hugged her tightly, her heart aching. "Don’t cry, Shannon. From now on, you can just stay home and be the treasured daughter of the Everett family. Your mom, dad, and your second and fourth brothers will love you just as much as ever, all right?"

Shannon Everett buried her face in Sheila Whitaker’s arms, her own face stained with tears, but her gaze turned dark and sinister.

’The Everett Family has fallen this far. What’s the point of being its ’treasured daughter’?’

’I’m too good for this broken-down Everett family now...’

The online frenzy over Shannon Everett’s retirement from the entertainment industry raged for three whole days before finally dying down.

People online celebrated and spread the news: that revolting piece of human garbage was finally gone! At last, she would no longer be polluting their screens!

...

Recently, Stella Shaw had landed Sienna Everett and Orion Hawthorne a high-end perfume endorsement. The brand featured both men’s and women’s fragrances; Sienna would be the face of the women’s line, while Orion would represent the men’s.

The ad campaign had to be shot abroad.

When Sienna Everett saw the shooting location—"Meridia, Yesteria"—her eye twitched violently.

’Meridia... it reminded her of someone...’

’His surname was Shen, and he had a pair of devastatingly beautiful, almond-shaped eyes...’

’His background was anything but ordinary, and he had pursued her once...’

As memories of the past flooded her mind, Sienna Everett suddenly lost her desire to go to Meridia. However, the endorsement deal was already signed, and the ad had to be filmed. She had no choice but to board a plane to Meridia, Yesteria, with Orion Hawthorne.

The moment she stepped off the plane, a text message popped up on Sienna Everett’s phone:

[Darling, it’s been a while.]