In an instant, several trending search terms about her dominated the top spots on social media.
Fueled by her agency's PR machine, hashtags like #HeartbreakForJoey and #JoeyPushedIntoTheWater flooded the timelines within seconds.
After changing into dry clothes, she leaned lazily against the backseat of her luxury van, refreshing the public social apps on her phone.
Her fans were delivering exactly as she expected, aggressively tagging Stellaris Corp and demanding a satisfactory explanation.
"No way. I just saw the photos of Joey being pulled out soaking wet. The water temperature this time of year is no joke."
"I'm crying. Joey is still trying to comfort us, saying she's fine. Can she please stop being so ridiculously kind?"
"That staff member hasn't even issued an apology yet. Are they just playing dead?"
"Who did our Joey even cross? Boycott Stellaris."
Some gossip accounts even published articles claiming she was secretly dating the heir of the Vaughn Group, Jorrod Vaughn.
"He didn't hesitate for a second to jump into that freezing water to save her. True love really can't be hidden."
"No wonder Joey has had zero scandals since her debut. Turns out she's got someone incredible backing her."
"His woman gets bullied at his own company, and he still hasn't stepped up to seek justice for her?"
Reading the comments, a smug smile played on Joey's lips. Of course, a boycott wasn't the actual goal. The exposure from this commercial was massive, and she had only secured it thanks to Madeline Vaughn's influence.
As for this incident, she would play the victim while her fans drummed up sympathy. Once Sienna Quinn was fired, Joey would step back into the public eye, graciously forgive everyone, and wrap the whole ordeal up perfectly.
The winter water had been bone-chilling, but the words on the screen carried a warmth that heated her from the inside out. Suffering a little plunge into the pool had been a highly profitable trade.
Joey swiped down on the screen to refresh the feed again.
The next second, the interface abruptly went blank. A line of text popped up: "Search term does not exist."
Joey froze, quickly sitting upright.
The hashtag about Sienna pushing her was gone. The one about Jorrod saving her was gone. Even searching her own name yielded a blank page, as if she had been scrubbed from existence without a single trace left behind.
On the trending list, only one statement from Stellaris Corp sat at the very top.
Joey's heart skipped a heavy beat. Before she could click on it, her agent called.

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