Chapter 171
Mackenzie stifled a laugh and walked past him.
It was after she turned around and looked away from him that she could not
help but sneer. He deserves it!
After they took a cab back home, Emmanuel received a call from Roselynn.
“Manny, how is everything? Is it time to strike back?”
Although only two days had passed since the cyberbullying incident and
Roselynn had already changed her phone, she could not bear it any longer.
“Roselynn, yes, it’s time!” Wanting to put an end to his sister’s suffering,
Emmanuel suggested, “Now, it’s time for you to write an article detailing how
Uncle Emerson engaged in gambling, accumulated debts, and borrowed
money from us. Make sure to include all the evidence of the loans as well.”
“No problem,” Roselynn said, “but I don’t know how to spread it. It will be
pointless to post it if no one sees it.”
“Don’t worry. Mackenzie will help us,” Emmanuel replied, stealing a glance at
her.
The dependable Mackenzie nodded. Earlier, she had instructed Lexi to do
some groundwork. Once Emmanuel and Roselynn were ready to retaliate,
she would have those informants overturn their testimonies.
With all the compelling evidence at their disposal, flipping the script would be
a breeze.
“Ms. Quillen is quite impressive, isn’t she? Does she have to pay to boost the
visibility of my article?” the flabbergasted Roselynn asked.
Emmanuel hummed in acknowledgment, feeling an inexplicable sense of
pride. “In any case, Mackenzie is highly capable. Just let me know once
you’ve uploaded the article. At this stage, I can’t yet disclose our strategy in
detail on how we’re going to make it work.”
He had rushed into marriage just to escape the endless blind dates, fearing
he would marry someone disastrous. Little did he know that Mackenzie
turned out to be his lucky star.
Since he married her, she had repeatedly come to his aid, resolving one crisis
after another. Now, he could not help but be in awe of her abilities, feeling
that there was nothing she could not accomplish.
“All right. I’ll upload the article now!” After ending the call, Roselynn swiftly
composed a response article to counter the trending headlines and the
criticisms aimed at her and Emmanuel.
In her article, she meticulously laid out the evidence, exposing the loans they
had extended to the Cadigans.
As soon as Jamison caught wind of Roselynn’s response, he promptly
informed Hermann and sneered, “Grandpa, their efforts are futile. Our
network of keyboard warriors is widespread, and we’ve successfully
brainwashed the people in Yeringham. They won’t believe a single word they
say!”
Although Hermann was not well–versed in the workings of the internet, he
unquestioningly placed his faith in his grandson’s words and commended
him, “Well done, Jamison! You far surpass your father in every way!”
He could not help but swell with immense pride for his accomplished
grandson.
However, amidst the pride and satisfaction, a nagging curiosity lingered in
Hermann’s mind. He could not help but wonder why, despite his exceptional
abilities, no university seemed willing to accept him. There must be
something wrong with the current education system!
Upon seeing Roselynn’s article, Emmanuel swiftly compiled all the insider
information about Emerson’s fraudulent activities in northern Manchernius.
He also revealed that Emerson had been extorted for thirty thousand, but
Hermann and his family had unexpectedly asked for eighty thousand when
seeking assistance. He posted all these on the internet.
He also exposed Jamison’s attempt to bribe his way into a private university
after failing his university entrance exam.
The online war of words escalated, setting the stage for a fierce battle.
Hermann and Jamison sat at home, snacking and eagerly watching
Emmanuel and Roselynn fight back.
They firmly believed Emmanuel and Roselynn’s efforts would be in vain no
matter how hard they tried, as they believed the keyboard warriors they hired
would lead them to victory.
Jamison found his reliance and pride in Yenyl Zerway, a skilled hacker who
operated his own studio and controlled numerous online accounts.
Moreover, Jamison’s associates from the village had already received bribes
from him and were ready to support him by posting favorable comments. He
was confident that the tide would turn in his favor.
However, all of a sudden, his expression froze.
“Jamison, what’s wrong? Netizens are accusing you of lying and even calling
you morally bankrupt. They claim that you resorted to defamation when your
monetary demands were not met!” Henrietta rushed in, her voice filled with
panic.
While she acknowledged her grandfather and brother’s unethical behavior,
Henrietta’s loyalty still leaned toward her family.
She could not help but worry about her brother’s ability to withstand the
repercussions if the situation were to be turned around.
Chapter 172
“What’s going on, Jamison? Didn’t you say victory’s on our side?” Hermann
started getting anxious too.
When everything had unfolded as planned, Hermann had reveled in a sense
of complacency, relishing the heartless notion of witnessing Roselynn and
Emmanuel’s suffering.
However, the tables had turned.
“Grandpa, there’s no need to panic!” Jamison’s expression momentarily froze
before he swiftly regained his smug smile. “Since Roselynn and Emmanuel
are fighting back with their articles, it’s normal for them to gain some
supporters. They might have also paid money to boost the visibility of the
article or employ ghostwriters. The transient dissenting voices won’t have a
significant impact on the overall situation. People have been berating them
for two consecutive days, and these minor disruptions won’t make any
difference.”
Convinced that his analysis was sound, Hermann slowly regained his
composure.
“Grandpa, I’m going to call my friends now and tell them to step up their
game!” Jamison uttered.
“Great! I can’t wait to see the desperate look on Roselynn’s and Emmanuel’s
faces!” Hermann let out a haughty laugh.
Hermann was filled with anticipation as he witnessed Emmanuel and
Roselynn’s struggle. Although their initial resistance had briefly concerned
him, he soon realized he would have been disappointed if they did not put up
a fight.
Hermann became convinced that Emmanuel and Roselynn would eventually
realize the futility of their efforts, and out of desperation, their only option
would be to succumb to the pressure and pay his family to quell the
backlash online. They’ll kneel before us, begging for mercy and pleading for
us to delete the posts and articles. It’ll be a resounding victory for us! It was
the sheer gratification of overpowering his opponents that he truly craved.
You heartless siblings! Your unwillingness to provide the eighty thousand has
caused my grandson’s dreams of attending university to crumble, shattering
his future. It’s time for you to face the consequences and pay the price!
As soon as Jamison posted in the group, his friends, who had received a few
hundred from him, began commenting on the post.
After setting down his phone, he eagerly awaited the unfolding drama, ready
to witness the pendulum of public opinion swing once more.
Yet, seconds later, his expression turned into one of disbelief.
All eight of his friends had abruptly changed their stance on the previously
popular comments they had posted, now accusing Jamison of bribing them
to act as keyboard warriors for him.
“These ungrateful b*stards! How dare they betray me after taking my
money?” Jamison cussed.
He was at a loss for how to react to the sudden betrayal by his eight buddies.
The impact of their comments had always been significant, capturing the
attention of netizens. But now, with their sudden change of allegiance, the
Cadigan family’s carefully crafted reputation was on the verge of collapse.
“How did this happen, Jamison?” Hermann grew increasingly anxious.
He had been counting on Roselynn and Emmanuel to reach their breaking
point and come to him begging to delete the posts. If the Cadigans ended
up losing, it would not only leave them penniless, but it would also result in all
their previous investments going down the drain.
“I-I have no idea! I’ll call those guys and give them a piece of my mind!” That
was the least Jamison could do now.
All this while, Jamison had been under the impression that it was the
individuals he had paid who had caused the story to trend at the top
position.
Unbeknownst to them, the success of their article reaching the top of the
trending topics was not a result of their own efforts.
In fact, there had been people behind the scenes boosting the visibility of his
article.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel borrowed Mackenzie’s laptop and sat at home,
observing the online trends. He could not help but feel a sense of satisfaction
and pride. “Jamison and Hermann must be feeling desperate now, huh? The
truth will prevail, and their deceitful attempts to smear me and my sister are
bound to fail!”
Mackenzie, who had been watching the situation unfold alongside him, had a
completely different perspective. The truth will prevail? Please. It’s all about
money and clever tactics! That’s the ultimate recipe for success!
Of course, she would not seek credit in front of Emmanuel. After all, she just
wanted to help him resolve the matter.
“Thank you so much, Ms. Quillen!” Emmanuel was someone who would
always be grateful to people who had lent him a hand. Although he did not
know the extent of Mackenzie’s efforts behind the scenes, he sincerely
expressed his gratitude. “You’re truly my lucky star. Whenever I face
difficulties, you always manage to help me solve them!”
Mackenzie feigned indifference and snorted. “You don’t have to thank me! I
told you as long as we’re not divorced, we’re still husband and wife. I certainly
can’t let anyone bully you!”
Her remark rendered Emmanuel speechless for a moment.
Chapter 173
FL
Emmanuel felt a little awkward. Why do I feel like a kept man, being protected
by my beautiful wife? Fine, I’ll admit it. This feels great!
Meanwhile, Hubert also sensed something was off and hastily went to
Gautier.
At that moment, Gautier had already returned home from work. When he
heard from Hubert that someone was defending Emmanuel online, he
immediately checked using his phone.
He found that the internet was awash with vindications supporting
Emmanuel. He curled his thin lips into a smirk. “Ha! It seems like Mackenzie is
helping him.”
“What? Mackenzie is helping him?” Hubert became even more disgruntled.
Why is my goddess helping him?
“What exactly is his relationship with Mackenzie?” Hubert exclaimed.
Gautier was also very curious. However, he never thought that Emmanuel
was actually Mackenzie’s husband. Otherwise, he could’ve easily figured out
the truth by carrying out an investigation at City Hall.
“Calm down. Even Mackenzie can’t save the Verkade family’s enemy. I give
you my word!”
With that, Gautier immediately gave the instruction using his phone to pay
the internet water army to smear Emmanuel.
The next instant, the internet was flooded with users slandering Emmanuel.
They mindlessly insulted Emmanuel, spreading baseless rumors and
directing vulgar remarks at him.
Seeing those comments, Emmanuel furrowed his brows. These are obviously
bot responses. Their words are nonsensical.
Unfortunately, those netizens, having low IQs and eager for drama, were
easily swayed by those comments.
“Don’t panic. Bots will never be able to defeat real people.” Mackenzie
sneered, knowing it was Gautier playing tricks behind the scenes.
Not backing down, she immediately texted Lexi, ordering her to start
countering.
At the same time, Jamison thought the comment he posted and his call to
chide others were taking effect. “Haha. It seems like the public’s eyes are still
sharp!”
Just as the grandfather–and–grandson duo was about to gloat again, they
suddenly discovered that those scornfully abusive comments against
Emmanuel were being rebutted, stating they were bot responses.
“D*mn it! When did Emmanuel become so capable? How did he manage
this?” Jamison, an ignorant dropout, knew nothing about those technical
aspects related matters.
What baffled him even more, was how Emmanuel, a guy earning an annual
Salary of eighty thousand, had the money to hire ghostwriters.
“Jamison, your trending topic has dropped to third place,” Henrietta piped up.
“How is that possible?” Jamison was taken aback and puzzled.
Many people were still following and commenting on his article, so how could
the popularity decrease?
As soon as he refreshed the homepage, he saw that the top two trending
topics were two clarification posts published by Roselynn and Emmanuel.
While some people in Yeringham merely followed the news mindlessly, most
were not fools. With the solid evidence now, how could they not know who
was telling the truth?
All of them went to support Roselynn and Emmanuel. Coupled with
Mackenzie’s frenzied subscription to internet water army services, Jamison’s
article, which relied solely on machines to boost its popularity, simply couldn’t
compete.
Upon refreshing again, the article had fallen out of the top three trending
topics.
Jamison’s grand plan was starting to turn south.
“Haha! The news about my confession made it to the top three!”
Hubert, having noticed the change, quickly forgot about dealing with
Emmanuel. Being a simple–minded scion, Hubert desired to let everyone
know about his romantic confession to Mackenzie was above anything else.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
While Hermann and his grandson were at a loss and staring blankly at the
computer screen, powerless to turn things around, a group of agitated
villagers pounded on their front door.
“Hermann, Jamison! Stop distorting the truth online and bringing shame to
Greendale Village!”
“That’s right. Come out here and face our criticism!”
Chapter 174
The internet feud had brought Greendale Village into the limelight.
Everyone knew the truth now. Moreover, most of the villagers had long known
about Hermann’s character and despised him.
However, no matter how horrible Hermann was as a person, that was a
personal matter, but now that scandal was exposed, it was embarrassing the
entire Cadigan family.
When they were out elsewhere in the future, everyone there would feel
ashamed to admit they were from Greendale Village.
“Grandpa, w–what should we do now?” Jamison panicked and looked at his
grandfather helplessly.
Hermann didn’t know what to do either. He had no experience in dealing with
such matters.
“Henrietta, hurry up and go out there to tell those villagers to leave!”
“That’s right! If you can’t do it alone, ask Grandma to tag along!”
Whenever trouble arose, Jamison’s first thought would be to ask his sister
and grandmother for help. In the Cadigan family, women had very low status.
“This…”
A reluctant look spread across Henrietta’s countenance. It was clearly
Jamison and Grandpa who caused the mess, so why am I the one who
needs to face the villager’s wrath?
“Hurry up! If you don’t go, I’ll beat you to death!” Hermann immediately raised
the broom to hit her.
Since she was little, Henrietta had been beaten countless times by Hermann,
even bearing permanent scars on her thighs and back.
In contrast, Jamison had never been beaten even once.
Her status was as lowly as a dog in the household.
Under duress, Henrietta eventually went to answer the door.
Still, no matter how much she persuaded the villagers, even lying to them
that her grandfather and younger brother weren’t there, they refused to
leave and barged into their house.
Standing behind the crowd, Beatrix also came to watch the drama with her
two bodyguards.
Taking in that scene, the playful young lady clapped in excitement and
muttered, “Hmph! I can’t believe this grandfather–and–grandson duo tried to
play such tricks on Manuel. Mackenzie will definitely make them suffer!”
Those villagers had undoubtedly gone to confront Hermann and his
grandson because of Lexi’s instigation.
For Lexi, someone with strong planning and execution skills, inciting the
villagers‘ emotions to deal with Hermann and Jamison was as easy as ABC.
Initially, Hermann and Jamison wanted to escape through the back door, but
before they could get out, they were surrounded by those incensed villagers.
The duo became overwrought. They never dreamed that they would end up
as the cyberbullying victims and be besieged in real life instead of Roselynn
and Emmanuel.
“Hermann, one should not be so shameless! Others might not know, but do
you think we from Greendale Village don’t know the truth?” The village chief
was the first to speak up and chided Hermann, “The money Alessandra’s
family took was what they deserved, and you only returned a fraction to
them. On the other hand, your family borrowed fifty to sixty thousand from
them to repay Emerson’s debt. Afterward, they even gave you another
twenty thousand. How can you be so ungrateful as to repay their kindness
with animosity? You’re indeed more despicable than animals!”
Following the village chief’s lead, the rest of the villagers also chimed in with
righteous indignation.
“That’s right. Are you heartless? How can you frame your own grandson like
this?”
”
“Get out of Greendale Village and quit bringing shame to our village!”
“I suggest we remove the two of them from Greendale Village’s census
records and chase them out of here!”
“I agree! In the future, when Greendale Village shares profits, we shouldn’t
give a penny to people like them!”
Hearing those angry voices and seeing the villagers‘ furious demeanors,
Jamison curled up on the ground, not daring to move.
Hermann didn’t have the courage to resist either. Their family was weak and
couldn’t win against so many villagers.
The village chief declared, “Hermann, if you don’t want to be expelled from
the village, quickly apologize and beg your granddaughter and grandson to
delete their posts to minimize the consequences of this incident! Otherwise,
we’ll handle this matter according to the village rules. Any villager who
tarnishes the village’s reputation and brings serious negative impact will
have their names removed from the census records and be driven out of
Greendale Village!”
“Ah? A–All right!”
Chapter 175
Hermann was aware of the rule. He had even signed his name in support of it
at the time, never dreaming that the rule would eventually apply to him.
Following a day-long online battle, Roselynn and Emmanuel managed to
decisively defeat Hermann and his grandson.
Finally, the torrent of messages berating Emmanuel had ceased, replaced
instead by apologies.
Emmanuel paid them no mind and ignored all incoming calls from unknown
numbers.
It wasn’t long before Roselynn called.
“Hooray! United we stand, divided we fall. We’ve achieved a complete
victory!” she exclaimed.
The frustration that had been building up inside of her was finally released.
“Indeed, we gave the two scoundrels of the Cadigan family quite the lesson
this time,” Emmanuel agreed.
Hermann had always favored sons over daughters and never considered his
daughter’s children as his family. Naturally, Emmanuel had no reason to show
the old man any sympathy, much less, Jamison, who was much more
despicable.
Emmanuel and his family had given the Cadigans so much money, yet he
showed no gratitude and even used their money to hire people to harm
them. The man was the epitome of ingratitude.
“Roselynn, our victory this time is all thanks to Mackenzie!” Emmanuel
quipped.
After sharing a moment of excitement with his sister, Emmanuel didn’t forget
his wife’s contributions.
While he was unclear about how much Mackenzie had done behind the
scenes, he understood that much of the impact was due to her help,
especially when it came to swaying public opinion.
“Indeed, I’ve always known how capable my sister–in–law is! You should bring
her home soon. I want to give her a big kiss!” Roselynn exclaimed, caught up
in her enthusiasm.
Emmanuel chuckled, deciding not to relay this to Mackenzie, knowing it would
only make her more reluctant to return home with him.
“By the way, Manny, that old coot Hermann just called me asking me to
remove the post. He even apologized, though it didn’t seem sincere. But it
was still a rare move for him,” Roselynn added.
“Remove the post? Did you agree to it then, Roselynn?”
“Not yet. That’s why I called to ask your opinion. Should we delete the post?
After all, I noticed that their posts have been deleted,” Roselynn replied.
Her words made Emmanuel hesitate for a moment.
1
However, Mackenzie immediately chimed in with a cold snort, “Delete it? After
all the effort we’ve put in? Do they think we were just playing games? I don’t
have time for such nonsense!”
Emmanuel immediately turned to his sister and jokingly said, “Roselynn, my
wife has decreed that we cannot delete the post.”
“Haha, you are already henpecked? All right, then. Let’s leave it as is and let
Hermann and his grandson stew,” Roselynn agreed.
As a matter of fact, Roselynn didn’t want to delete the post either, and now
with her younger brother’s support, she was even more firm in her decision.
“What do you mean by ‘my wife has decreed‘? It sounds so unpleasant!”
Mackenzie feigned indifference, returning to her room while struggling to
suppress a smile.
That Dummy clearly understands his standing in the family, doesn’t he? If he
dares to display any male chauvinism like his granddad, I will kick him out
without a second thought.
However, Emmanuel mistakenly believed Mackenzie disliked his way of
addressing her. He had only used that phrase to create a façade of marital
harmony in front of his sister.
Now, Emmanuel was growing more anxious by the minute. How was he to
face the aftermath if Mackenzie truly intended to divorce him in half a year?
How will I be able to face Mom and Roselynn then?
Shaking his head in silent despair, Emmanuel resolved to take one step at a
time.
As he was about to place his phone down, another call came in. This time, it
was from Ryder.
Chapter 176
“Hey, Manny, I see things have taken a turn for the better. The cyberbullying
against you has settled, hasn’t it?” Ryder asked with genuine concern.
He had just returned home from work after picking up Tommy and glanced
at the news on his phone before making dinner.
Seeing the public opinion now unanimously in support of Roselynn and
Emmanuel and scolding Hermann, Ryder’s heart was finally at ease.
Just as he was engrossed in the conversation, Abellyn returned home, a
storm brewing inside her. She had had an unlucky day playing poker, losing
all her money, and even skipping lunch. Naturally, her mood was nothing
short of foul.
Her anger was further kindled when she heard Ryder’s voice wafting from the
kitchen, full of concern for his cousin without even sparing her a glance.
“Ah, did Ms. Quillen help you out again? She’s pretty and capable, huh? You’ve
truly found a treasure, Manny,” Ryder remarked sincerely.
However, these words triggered Abellyn’s simmering anger into a full–blown
tempest.
“What is the meaning of this? Spending your time worrying about your
cousin’s wife while your own wife and son starve?” Abellyn yelled, her voice
laced with venom.
Ryder paused, setting his phone down, matching her ire with his own steely
“Did you ask me to go make dinner for someone like you? You don’t deserve
it!” she berated righteously.
I work tirelessly like a dog all day, and I’m also in charge of fetching the kids.
She does nothing all day. How dare she yell at me when all I ask is for her to
make dinner? What have I truly done, marrying this impudent woman to be
Despite it all, Ryder found it hard to vent his frustration on Abellyn. Hence, he
He had decided not to make dinner for the insolent woman today, and he
couldn’t care less if she would go hungry.
Meanwhile, Abellyn was seething in the living room.
Ryder’s refusal to include Robby in their family registry had already made her
feel guilty toward Chloe and put a strain on their relationship as a result. And
When Abellyn burst into the room, she planned to simply intimidate Ryder.
However, seeing him still on the phone with Emmanuel, laughing and fawning
Although Abellyn had never attacked anyone in her life in her younger days
but spent long hours working in places where brawls and violence were not
uncommon. Consequently, her current fury erased any traces of timidity.
attractive, more beautiful, and more graceful than me? If so, go be with her!”
However, despite Ryder’s humble demeanor, he was no pushover. Swiftly
sidestepping the cleaver, he grabbed hold of the woman’s wrist and
immobilized her with his legs, effectively halting her frenzied attack.
While Abellyn was consumed by rage, Ryder’s heart was aflame with a fury
If she hasn’t gone crazy, it just means she’s just an ungrateful, evil wr*tch!
Even though Ryder was worried he could hurt her and bring shame to the
“Ahh!”
to stab you to death once you’re asleep, you worthless man! You’re just a
pauper who coveted my beauty!”
It was only at that moment that she began regretting her choices. I shouldn’t
had joined hands with Chloe and the others.
“Mom! Dad! What are you doing?”
The commotion alerted the boy, and Tommy cried in shock when he entered
and saw the scene before him.
His mother was trying to cut his father with a knife, while the latter was hitting
husband right in front of her son.
instead gave her a slap across her face.
walking closer to her when she turned to look, a vicious look on his face.
Frightened by the sight of this, she got onto her feet and began running
took the child in his arms and patted his cheeks. “Tommy! Wake up, Tommy!”
Fortunately, Tommy had only fainted from crying. The boy soon opened his
eyes slowly.
How could she do this?
“Oh, my! What happened to you, Abellyn? How did you end up like this?”
“How did I end up like this? That b*stard Ryder tried to kill me! He wanted to
“What? He actually dared to do that?”
“What did you mean by that? Just look at me! Look at what he’s done to me!”
Abellyn didn’t try to be discreet even though Robby was around. She lifted her
to these things.
to you?”
been caring for Abellyn since she was young.
“Take off your clothes, Abellyn. I’ll apply some ointment for you. I’ll make sure
an angry tone.
Abellyn obediently took off her coat and dress, wearing only her underwear
as she stood in the middle of the living room.
“All right, Abellyn. This might hurt a lot.”
revenge for her when I have the chance.
Meanwhile, Ryder had actually lost his wife while he was chasing after her.
her after calming down a little and thinking of his poor son.
He didn’t want to scare his child any further, and to prevent his wound from
To his knowledge, Ryder had never beaten a woman in the thirty years he
“I don’t know what happened either!”
Ryder couldn’t help but become agitated again. “That woman was crazy! I
was talking to you on the phone when I told her to make us something to eat.
Then, she went into the kitchen and came out with a knife trying to stab me! If
I hadn’t reacted quickly enough, I would have died right then and there!”
could avoid just by leaving the area. This was his wife. He wouldn’t be able to
previously, but the latter never listened. It was also why he had never brought
it up.
outsider like him had a say in. They would have had to bear the responsibility
However, Emmanuel had to say something now that things had come to this.
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