“Effie always seemed like trouble. Now she's trying to break up Flora and Winston?"

“Effie's behavior is disgraceful. She hugged Winston like he was her boyfriend, misleading everyone."

“People Like her don't belong in show business. She's ruining it for others."

“Effie, apologize!"

"Effie, you should leave showbiz."

Flora's and Winston's supporters were vilifying Effie, and even neutral observers felt she had crossed a line.

The Phillips Mall, endorsed by Effie, felt the impact. Usually bustling in the morning, it was eerily quiet that day. Someone even threw eggs at Effie's promotional poster.

In contrast, the Dillon Mall was twice as crowded as usual.

Emma approached Lilah with concern. "Miss Phillips, should we consider changing our spokesperson? Given Effie's negative impact, we could even sue for damages."

The harsh realities of business were evident; public perception and profit were paramount.

"Not yet," Lilah decided.

Emma was puzzled but didn't question further, trusting Lilah's judgment.

Lilah continued with her work, but the situation around Effie escalated by midday.

Effie, never one to stay silent under criticism, shared her chat logs with Winston online, attempting to defend herself. However, Winston countered this by showing that the chat logs Effie posted were not from his account. This revelation shifted public opinion even further against Effie.

Netizens began speculating wildly.

"Is Effie delusional? She might be talking to herself."

"This is just sad. Effie's caught in her own web of lies."

"Winston would never be interested in someone like Effie."

“Effie's behavior is embarrassing to all women."

The entertainment industry's cutthroat nature was laid bare, with even the men playing dirty.

Public sentiment overwhelmingly favored Winston, and other companies associated with Effie began to sever ties, some demanding compensation.

Meanwhile, Winston, basking in his apparent victory, was blindsided by bad news.

“What? Central Railway Engineering pulled out of our deal?"

He couldn't believe they'd withdraw from an almost finalized agreement.