Chapter 253 Chapter 253
“Um… Well!” The host raised her voice, trying to hide her panic and force a professional smile. “It looks like our open comments section has gotten a little out of hand! Let’s move right on to our official Q&A session with the fans! Do Claire’s true fans have any special questions?” Claire will answer you all with great affection.
She shot a subtle but sharp glance at the camera. — And, of course, we ask that you send only constructive and appropriate questions. Otherwise, it’ll be hard for Claire to interact with you, right? — She added that line on purpose, mentally begging the moderators to block the haters.
With that, the host turned the tablet toward the actress, a frozen smile on her face. “Claire, dear, please choose a user yourself from the list of selected fans to respond to. Are you ready?”
Claire didn’t have the slightest courage to remain seated in that chair. Her stomach was in knots. But she was cornered. She would have to finish this horror show, whether she liked it or not.
Taking a deep breath and blinking to force her gentle gaze back, she clenched her fists under her skirt, her nails digging into her palms. — Um. I’m ready.
— Very well, then. — The host handed her the tablet.
Despite the crew’s filters, the screen was still swarming with comments. Claire could catch glimpses of remarks like “Kick that scum out of the industry”, “Boycott that snake”, “Shameless mistress”. She turned pale as blood boiled with rage.
She bit the inside of her cheek to suppress the hatred. Desperate for a lifeline, she scrolled down and quickly clicked on the name of a user called “ClairesLittleWife”.
The extremely affectionate and devoted nickname made it clear that this was a super fan, a loyal follower. Here, Claire thought, she wouldn’t have to worry about attacks.
After making her choice with a trembling finger, Claire handed the tablet back to the host, sighing with relief.
The host looked at the screen and smiled, regaining her confidence. — Excellent! Claire has chosen a lovely fan named ClairesLittleWife. Are you online right now, dear? You have the golden opportunity to ask your idol a question directly. Send your question in the chat right now!
The production team projected the fan’s account directly onto the studio’s giant screen so everyone could read it.
A few agonizing seconds passed.
And then, everyone watching the live stream saw the text appear on the screen in huge letters.
\[ClairesLittleWife\]: Sister Claire... the rumors backed by IP evidence that just leaked—that you’re the mistress who stole your own sister’s fiancé, that you slandered your sister with lies online, and that you’re using the agency president to steal opportunities from other artists... are they all true? I’ve been president of your fan club for many years, but if this evidence is real, I’m truly disgusted by you. I’m leaving the fandom right now.
Claire’s smile shattered into a thousand pieces.
She thought she’d be protected under the wings of a true fan. Who would’ve thought the most lethal and humiliating stab would come from right there? A wave of blind rage hit her so hard she thought she was going to faint or vomit blood in front of the cameras.
Her mind short-circuited. She seriously suspected that this ClairesLittleWife wasn’t a disappointed fan. It had to be a spy! A sick infiltrator that Caroline had planted to destroy her live on air!
Beside her, the host looked at the fatal question flashing on the screen and froze in horror. Her mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.
Claire’s career was officially crumbling on national television.
It’s like the old saying goes: what you try hardest to hide is exactly what will destroy you in the public square.
Live chat moderation had already been reactivated in ultra-restricted mode, but that didn’t stop the atomic disaster from happening.
Two catastrophic situations unfolding in quick succession, within the span of mere minutes, on a national broadcast... Even the network’s most experienced host struggled not to panic and regain control of the situation.
The technical crew backstage hurried to remove the fan’s question from the screen, while the host maintained a stiff, desperate smile on her face.
“Well! As I just mentioned, let’s avoid such delicate questions focused on internet rumors, okay?” The host laughed in a shrill voice. “My dear fan, you’ve broken our little rules of positivity! So, obviously, this question won’t be answered by our little fairy Claire. Now, let’s move on to the next one! Claire is going to...”
The host was about to hand the tablet back to try to salvage what was left of the show.
But Claire’s patience had run out, along with her sanity.
The “White Lotus” mask cracked irreparably. Under the wide-eyed, surprised stares of all the cameramen and producers in the studio, Claire abruptly stood up from her chair, flinging the lapel mic onto the armrest.
“Today’s broadcast ends here,” she said in a cold, trembling voice, her face contorted with fury. “I’m sorry.” A very serious emergency has come up at my agency, and I need to handle it right now.
And as soon as she finished her lame excuse, she turned her back and marched out of the broadcast room, not giving a damn about the blackout she was causing in the program schedule or what the crew would think of her obvious panic attack.
The host and the rest of the crew stood frozen in their places, watching the biggest PR disaster of the decade unfold before their eyes.