Chapter 568 Reap What You Sow
The unexpected news left Anthea and Natalia dumbfounded.
An hour ago, Anthea and her team were warmly welcomed by the staff of Hadley Corporation as they entered the manager’s office to finalize the contract. Every clause and provision in the agreement had been meticulously customized to meet Anthea’s specific requirements.
How could things take such a sudden turn?
Hadley Corporation had extremely stringent criteria for selecting its brand amba*sadors. To successfully navigate through their rigorous selection process and secure a contract was a clear indication of a bright and promising future in the entertainment industry.
Anthea’s endorsement deal with Hadley Corporation wasn’t solely due to her talent. It was mainly due to the influential forces working behind the scenes.
A significant portion of the entertainment industry was under the control of the Hadley family, and any artist terminated by them would face the grim fate of being blacklisted from the industry.
In short, Anthea was doomed! D
Natália’s heart raced, her anxiousness soaring. “Mr. Taggart, didn’t we have a fruitful discussion with Ms. Farlin from the advertising department a while ago? Why this sudden breach of contract? It’s so unfair.
In the past, Sebastian would issue his commands and silently retreat without providing any explanations. However, Nathaniel’s text message explicitly stated that he should make Anthea understand who she could and couldn’t provoke. D
Since it was a death sentence, he didn’t mind making it clear to the other party.
Sebastian explained with a solemn expression, “Ms. Farlin from the advertising department was dismissed by the company ten minutes ago on the grounds of abuse of power. A new department manager will officially take over tomorrow, and the company will reselect its spokesperson. We strive to be fair and impartial.”
His gaze fell upon Anthea and Natalia, who were overwhelmed with guilt and could not defend themselves.
The message had been delivered, and the rest was no longer Sebastian’s concern. “We won’t delay any more of Ms. Campbell’s time. Goodbye.”
With that, he turned around and entered the lift.
Meanwhile, Anthea and Natalia caught wind of the whispers circulating among the onlookers.
“Oh my! Oh my! Anthea hasn’t been in the spotlight for just a few days, and her face has changed so much. No wonder I didn’t immediately recognize her. She looks much worse in person than on TV. I can’t believe I have been her fan for years. Not only does her appearance not match her acting skills, but she also has a terrible personality.”
“In her previous live broadcast, she mentioned having a major endorsement deal lined up. Turns out it was supposed to be a collaboration with our company’s product. Looks like that deal is completely out of the picture now.”
“Anthea is unbelievably foolish. Why would she provoke the boss’s wife? Isn’t she just asking for trouble?”
“Haha! She doesn’t even know the important people around Mr. Hadley. Can we really expect someone with such low intelligence to identify the boss’s wife? It’s time to unfollow her. There’s no place for her in the entertainment industry anymore.”
As the comments grew increasingly offensive, Anthea’s face contorted with anger.
Worried that Anthea might stir up trouble, Natalia hastily pulled her away. “Don’t pay attention to those gossipers. Let’s leave this place quickly. It will be even more troublesome if we get caught by the reporters. We’ll figure out a solution later. The Hadley Corporation will need to show some respect to the Campbell family. They won’t destroy you.”
Anthea suppressed her anger and got into the company’s minivan.
Once Christina returned to Scenic Garden Manor, she received a barrage of calls from Rayne.
She pressed the answer button and settled on the sofa. Soon, Rayne’s enthusiastic voice filled the spacious living room through the phone’s receiver.
“I have great news, Christina!” Rayne chuckled before continuing, “Anthea is paying for her actions. She provoked someone influential and is being blacklisted. All the brand partners are busy terminating contracts with her to steer clear. Once she terminates her contract with our studio, she’ll have to pay a hefty penalty fee.”
Christina let out a half–hearted “Ah,” her mind sluggish for a moment before realizing who Rayne was referring to. She was on the verge of falling asleep.
“Anthea Campbell, right?” She yawned, her lack of surprise evident. “Oh, then let’s quickly arrange the termination procedures. It’s better to avoid unnecessary complications.”
Rayne’s enthusiasm dwindled. “Christina, tell me honestly, are you the influential person Anthea provoked?”
Christina tilted her head, glanced at the clock on the wall, and sank further into the soft sofa. Her eyes were teary and hazy.
“It wasn’t me. I don’t have the ability to blacklist an artist with a strong background.”
“If it’s not you, then it must be your significant other. I should have realized this earlier. Anthea’s downfall came after the official statement from Hadley Corporation. Thank god you and I are friends, not enemies.. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know where to hide.” D
“Rayne, I’m going to sleep for a while. Let’s talk later if there’s something important.”
Christina’s eyelids were too heavy to keep up. Clutching her phone, she quickly drifted into a deep
slumber.
After waiting a while, Rayne could only hear the sound of long and steady breathing. She couldn’t help but feel both amused and frustrated. Hanging up the phone, she walked out of the office and made an announcement to prioritize the orders of other clients and to ignore any trouble from Anthea’s side.
The entire studio became exhilarated as they no longer had to worry about doing well on Anthea’s projects to avoid her nitpicking.
Meanwhile, Anthea was called back to the company and reprimanded fiercely. Not only were all the
2/3
resources previously a*signed to her given to other artists, but she was also ordered to take an extended leave. It was a covert strategy aimed at sidelining her from the entertainment industry and pressuring her into terminating her contract willingly.
Of course, Anthea refused to do so. She showed her tantrums in front of many high–level executives, berating them to her heart’s content. As a result, she undoubtedly offended everyone in the process.
As Anthea exited the company premises, she was subjected to ongoing ridicule and mockery from
onlookers.
She was always arrogant and full of herself when she was famous. Hence, in her downfall, she encountered no shortage of people eager to ridicule her.
When Anthea learned of Elizabeth’s whereabouts, she went straight to her after leaving the company.
Soon, she found Elizabeth resting in the dressing room.
“Why didn’t you inform me that Christina is Nathaniel’s wife, Elizabeth?” Anthea seethed with anger as she firmly gripped the woman’s collar, her eyes piercing into her. “You conspired against me, intending to steal my resources, didn’t you?”
Elizabeth feigned ignorance and pleaded, “This must be a misunderstanding, Anthea. Please let go so that we can talk calmly. This is a workplace, and there’s no need for irrational behavior.”
Irrational behavior?
Anthea sneered and released her grip on Elizabeth’s collar. Next, she raised her hand and delivered a resounding slap to the latter’s cheek.
The slap sent Elizabeth flying to the ground. The searing pain on her cheek was a clear indication of the humiliating truth–she had been slapped, and this was not a dream!
The person who slapped her was none other than the very person she had sent out as her loyal henchman!
“Elizabeth, I considered you a friend, but you treated me as a pawn. I’ll not forgive myself if I don’t tear you apart.”
