Chapter 150 Reversal, and Another Reversal
Emily's first patient at her clinic left a heartfelt comment online: "Those people trashing Ms. Johnson, I don't get their deal. Ms. Johnson is an amazing doctor. I had just been treated by her when that video was shot. She's incredible! I was basically a goner, but now I've got hope."
As soon as he posted it, the trolls went on the attack.
"You're probably someone Emily paid off. Terminal illness, really? The treatment just started, and you already know it's working? You're obviously a plant."
"If the person above hadn't pointed it out, we might've missed it. Terminal illness? That's clearly fake. You just saw the doctor and now you're cured? Do you think we're stupid?"
Because of these instigators, the online abuse towards Emily intensified.
Daniel saw the news online too.
York asked, "Mr. Smith, should we take down all the news about Ms. Johnson?"
"First, gather all the evidence."
Daniel knew that such widespread defamation of Emily, who wasn't even a celebrity, had to be orchestrated by someone. The first step was to find out who was behind it.
York was efficient, but the people Bianca hired kept their promise. They didn't let York trace it back to Bianca. They only mentioned that they didn't know the mastermind's identity; they just picked up money from a designated spot. So, they still didn't know who was behind it.
But there weren't many people who knew so much about Emily and had a grudge against her, so suspicion quickly fell on Bianca.
Bianca was aware of this, but she thought that without evidence, they couldn't pin it on her.
Meanwhile, Emily's friends started to fight back online.
Byron was arguing with those smearing Emily, and he got his company employees, his followers, and even the staff at his villa to help. Despite his tough exterior, Byron was a bit naive and didn't think to hire people to help.
Sophia, on the other hand, heard from Byron about the defamation. Her first reaction was, "It must be Bianca. Only she could be this nasty and know those old rumors about Emily. It's too despicable. Once this is over, I'm going to confront her and clear Emily's name."
After venting to Byron, Sophia started hiring people to counter the smears. She was also worried about Emily, so she called her.
"Ms. Johnson, don't worry. Even if someone is paying to smear you, I've got money too. I'll make sure to fight back."
"I don't mind. Since we know someone's paying to defame me, it must be someone with a grudge. Why should I get upset over such people? Aren't you about to have an art exhibition? How do you have time for online drama?"
Emily's tone was light.
Sophia could tell that Emily wasn't affected and felt relieved.
"I'll have someone investigate the most active ones and find out who hired them. If it's Bianca, we'll deal with her the same way she dealt with you."
Sophia was sure it was Bianca and started planning.
Emily chuckled. "There are many ways to deal with her. One way is for you to excel at your exhibition. Embarrassing her would be the best revenge."
Sophia agreed with Emily's reasoning and nodded.
"Ms. Johnson, I'll do my best at the exhibition. By the way, Byron knows about this too. He's been so worried about you that his fingers cramped from arguing with those trolls online. He's a pretty decent supporter, huh?"
Sophia reluctantly defended Byron, considering they were both Emily's supporters.
Emily could picture Byron furiously typing and cursing, and it warmed her heart.
"You all are amazing, but tell him not to worry. If I wanted to handle it, it'd be a piece of cake."
Emily wasn't exaggerating.
If she wanted to, she could use her skills to make all the negative articles about her disappear. She could even trace the accounts attacking her and find out their IP addresses, proving it was organized.
After hanging up, Emily considered whether to take action.
But the tide online began to turn.
First, the terminal patient who praised Emily's skills posted again. This time, he shared his medical records and diagnosis.
"Everyone can see, I really am terminally ill, not a plant. The reason I felt better was because Ms. Johnson gave me acupuncture. My illness is so severe that I'm in constant pain, like being pricked with needles. But after Ms. Johnson's treatment, I felt unprecedented relief. The pain significantly decreased.
Anyone who's been seriously ill knows that when a doctor's treatment works, the relief is obvious. Plus, Ms. Johnson knew my family was financially drained from my treatment, so she prescribed only four cheap herbs.
Such a doctor is a treasure. Don't let malicious people smear and hurt Ms. Johnson. If she gets disheartened, those truly in need will lose hope. Who can guarantee they'll never get sick?"
His heartfelt message resonated with many.
In today's world, with exhausting jobs, late nights, and stress, few can claim to be completely healthy. Naturally, they hope to find good doctors.
So, many started defending Emily.
"Exactly. Those attacking Ms. Johnson haven't even been treated by her. No experience, no right to speak."
"My relative was given a death sentence by the hospital. Which clinic is Ms. Johnson at? I want to take my relative there. If anyone smears her, cutting off my relative's hope, they'll regret it!"
Of course, some were still skeptical.
"How do we know this person isn't lying to leave some money for his family, since he's terminally ill? Isn't Emily James's girlfriend? Maybe he's paying for this."
But more and more people began to support Emily.
Soon, several similar comments appeared.
"Thank you, Ms. Johnson. If it weren't for your free clinic, our elderly and children would still be suffering."
After this comment, the local village's official account reposted it and shared a video of Emily's free clinic, diagnosing and treating the villagers' illnesses caused by the local environment. Emily found the cause and treated them, relieving their suffering.
With the official account's endorsement, the doubts quickly ceased.
Then, a user pointed out, "Everyone, look! A medical expert has also spoken up in support of Emily!"