Sasha didn't expect any thanks; she just wanted her phone back. It was new, and she treasured it.

"Vanessa, I'll be going now!" Sasha quickly made her exit. From the tone of their argument, she could tell that Laverne and Vanessa had burned their bridges completely.

Once Sasha was gone, Vanessa swayed on her feet, her chest heaving violently. Laverne's words echoed in her mind "Without lan, you're nothing."

She had never been willing to admit it, but Laverne's words were the truth. There were plenty of pianists better than her, but very few as famous. Everything she once had—the fame, the status, the public adoration—had all been a result of lan's influence.

After all, whenever Laverne secured resources or ad deals for her, she would discreetly mention lan's name. Combined with Vanessa's own marketing over the years, the public had been led to believe her relationship with lan was incredibly close, even assuming she was the future Mrs. Goodwin.

Vanessa bit her lip, still refusing to accept Laverne's other claim. Was she a has- been?

The truth was, her career was in a steep decline. She had been so focused on Walden Wells recently that she had practically abandoned her work.

Now, she had no one to rely on and no manager. It was as if everyone in her life had walked away.

Ten minutes later, just as Vanessa was about to sit down and rest, she received a call.

It was from a former subordinate.

"Vanessa, what's going on with you and Laverne? She's posting online saying you're refusing to pay her salary!"

Vanessa's eyes widened. "I'll go look," she said quickly.

When she opened the app, she found a pinned post on Laverne's personal social

media page: "Vanessa Shannon refuses to pay manager's salary."

Vanessa's face turned pale as she read the long post underneath. Although it didn't use her full name every detail pointed directly ather. It described her as glamorous on the surface but duplicitous and morally bankrupt underneath, someone who burned bridges after getting what she wanted.

The comments section had already exploded, with Vanessa's own fans watching the drama unfold.

"Miss Shannon? A pianist? Isn't it obvious this is about Vanessa Shannon?"

"I used to think she was talented, but I had no idea she was this awful behind the scenes."

"Refusing to pay a salary? And making her manager front the money? Is she that broke? What a thick skin!"

"She doesn't even have that much talent. She used to rely on lan, and now I hear she's latched onto Walden Wells. She's abandoned her career to chase after men."

Many people expressed sympathy for Laverne. With Laverne's

connections, the post quickly started trending. Another hashtag appeared: Vanessa Shannon Reputation In Ruin".

Vanessa sat on the sofa, scrolling through the comments, her face alternating between ashen and flushed. She saw a few familiar far accounts that had now turned against her, siding with Lavere. The screen was filled with words like

"has-been," "terrible person," and

"ungrateful bitch."

The words were a total slap in the face, sending her into a blind rage.

Vanessa hadn't expected Laverne to attack her online so quickly and so viciously. Was she trying to ruin her?

Suddenly, her mind went blank. In the past, whenever someone attacked her,

Laverne would handle it. All she had to do was say the word.

But now, Laverne herself was leading the charge, and Vanessa suddenly realized

she had no idea how to manage this crisis.

Without Laverne, she had no one to turn to for help.