Their Punching Bag Became The Storm novel Chapter 101

Chapter 101 To Shape My Public Image

Chapter 101 To Shape My Public Image

Emily had expected this question.

As she boarded the boat to leave the island, she took out her phone and sent a message to Eric.

She didn’t say it outright, but her words were full of hints.

He was Emily’s ultimate simp, and he’d never let his precious sister suffer, not a little.

He comforted Emily on WhatsApp, and, picking up on her hints, he brought in reporters who would mention Whitney to make her look bad.

He also told Emily he’d already set up a big surprise for Whitney, and when she was alone, he’d make sure she got it.

Emily put on her best innocent act, though she knew Eric’s so–called “big surprise” for Whitney was anything but nice. She pretended not to get it and, with a tone full of envy, praised, “Eric, you’re so sweet to Whitney.”

Eric, not wanting to mess up Emily’s “kind–hearted” image, didn’t bother to explain. He simply said he’d arrange for reporters to give Emily a real gift.

At this point, mentioning Whitney, especially comparing herself to Whitney, wasn’t a smart idea.

Whitney was more popular than her right now.

Plus, Emily didn’t want anyone to know what was really going on between her and Whitney.

So, it wasn’t easy for her to answer this question.

If she admitted it, everyone would find out she was a fake heiress, and that’d be nothing but trouble for her.

If she denied it, and Whitney’s real identity ever got exposed, she’d be the one everyone would

go

after.

But… Emily had no choice but to badmouth Whitney now.

She had to pull Whitney into this mess and use her to turn the situation in her favor.

Because this was her last chance.

She didn’t want to suffer “that person’s” punishment.

Just thinking about “that person” made Emily’s heart race with terror, and her palms were slick with cold

Chase held her hand, sensing how anxious and scared his sister was.

He frowned as he instantly tightened his grip on Emily’s hand, using his own warmth to comfort her.

Then, he pulled Emily into his arms, holding her close as if to shield her from everything.

He had no clue the reporter was actually sent by Eric.

He assumed the reporter was after Emily.

He thought Emily was trembling and freezing because the reporter had frightened her.

Chase’s expression turned grim, and he was about to snap at the reporter for being so disrespectful.

Emily gently slipped her hand from his grasp.

Then, she poked her head out from his embrace.

sweat.

She curved her lips into a soft, gentle smile. “I’m sure everyone has already figured out that Whitney and I are actually pretty close in private.”

Her eyes crinkled with a smile as she patted Chase’s hand, letting him know she was okay.

Then she leaned toward the reporter’s mic. “Whitney never meant to single me out, so please don’t get the wrong idea about her.”

As she spoke, she flashed another sweet smile.

She was the perfect image of innocence and kindness.

Anyone paying attention could tell Whitney was clearly picking on her.

They thought, ‘Whitney said outright during her livestream that she didn’t like Emily.

‘Yet Emily is still standing up for Whitney?

‘Is she clueless, or is she really that innocent and good–hearted?‘

Most people figured… it had to be the latter.

Chapter 101 To Shape My Public image

Chase’s fans and Emily’s fans jumped at the chance, flooding social media with posts hyping up their Public’s Sweetheart.

They called her a little fairy, gushed about how gorgeous and kind she was, praised her for forgiving those who wronged her, and kept saying she was the polar opposite of the cold–hearted Whitney.

Every compliment came with a little shade thrown at Whitney.

So/people who didn’t know the whole story, seeing all those live chat comments and Emily’s pure, harmless smile, started feeling a bit of dislike toward Whitney without realizing it.

Emily’s smile deepened, her eyes sparkling with an extra dose of sweetness.

She lifted her hand, casually flipped her long hair, and glanced sideways before continuing, “Seriously, don’t misunderstand Whitney. She’s actually super nice.

“I mean, she gets to stand by Mr. Pierce’s side and have him look after her. That alone shows she’s pretty impressive.” Her voice was pure and gentle.

But if listened to closely, every word was laced with sarcasm: Whitney’s so–called “niceness” and how she managed to get Mr. Pierce’s attention were all backhanded compliments.

Those comments were practically inviting everyone to read between the lines and let their imaginations run wild with something shady about Whitney.

But Emily still looked as sweet and innocent as ever.

That was exactly what Emily wanted.

Whitney was clearly picking on her, and that was the truth.

Whitney really didn’t like her, and everyone knew it.

As long as she played up that angle, it was more than enough.

These days, netizens weren’t buying the whole “poor me” routine anymore.

If Emily went along with the reporter and kept harping on how Whitney was picking on her, it wouldn’t get her the results she wanted.

Instead, by acting all forgiving and defending Whitney, she was actually pulling in more followers.

And by sticking up for Whitney, she was making Whitney’s “bad behavior” stand out more.

It also made it way easier for her to play the pitiful, self–sacrificing underdog and cement her persona.

And then… that was what everyone was dying to know: the juicy details about Whitney and her.

Emily’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and the smile on her lips suddenly carried a mysterious, unreadable edge, like she was hiding something only she herself knew.

The next second, a sharp voice cut through the noise nearby. “Emily, you’re still covering for her? Why are you always putting yourself through this for her?”

It was Kayla.

She shoved her way through the crowd and stopped right in front of Emily.

Her perfectly made–up face was full of righteous anger. “Emily, the moment Whitney got off the boat, she couldn’t wait to beg Ryan to take her away.

“Isn’t it obvious she was feeling guilty and scared the reporters would keep bringing up how she bullied you?

“She already dared to push you around, so why are you still making excuses for her?”

Emily took hold of Kayla’s arm, her soft features full of gentle but unmistakable disapproval.

Kayla squared her shoulders, turned to face the reporters, and launched into her performance.

“You all want to know what’s really up between Whitney and Emily, right?” Kayla said. “Yep! You guys totally guessed it: Whitney and Emily already knew each other way before this show started.

“But honestly, from day one, it was always Whitney hanging onto the Anderson family for dear life. It was never the other way around.

“When I was at Anderson Entertainment, I heard about this girl from some remote town who suddenly showed up at the Anderson family. Emily felt bad for her and thought she was pitiful, so she brought her home.

“But Whitney never showed any gratitude. She kept trying to stick to the Anderson family and made Chase bring her on this

show.

Chapter 101 To Shape My Public Image

“If it weren’t for Emily, there’s no way Chase would’ve agreed to bring her on the show.”

Kayla dropped a bombshell right there.

With all those reporters‘ mics and cameras pointed at her, and seeing the thrill of uncovering a secret on their faces, Kayla was secretly laughing to herself.

She’d said before that she was going to make Whitney regret ever refusing to team up with her.

Since Whitney didn’t give a damn about being the real Anderson heiress, Kayla would make sure that secret never saw the light of day.

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Chapter 102 Plot Twist!

Chapter 102 Plot Twist!