Chapter 4 - The Court of Public Opinion
By the next afternoon, the storm had officially broken.
Julian had brought Elena to a highly secure, private penthouse apartment downtown, away from the prying eyes of the media. He had already arranged for her father to be transferred to a top-tier private hospital under an assumed name, securing his medical care for the next year.
However, the Sterlings' counterattack was swift and brutal.
Elena turned on the television in the living room only to see her own face flashing on the news screen.
"BREAKING NEWS: DOMESTIC MAID WANTED FOR GRAND THEFT OF $500,000 STERLING FAMILY HEIRLOOMS. SUSPECT BELIEVED TO BE ACCOMPLICED BY TECH BILLIONAIRE JULIAN VANCE."
The news anchor read a statement from Victoria Sterling, who painted herself as a heartbroken victim who had only ever tried to help a "troubled, unstable young woman."
Elena collapsed onto the sofa, her hands covering her face. "It's over. She’s going to win. Everyone believes her."
"No, they won't," Julian said, walking into the room with a laptop. His expression was fierce and triumphant. "They only believe her because they haven't seen the truth yet. I just finished editing the raw footage from last night. I’ve bypassed the mainstream media networks—since Victoria owns shares in most of them—and uploaded it directly to social media."
He clicked a button, showing her a post that was rapidly gaining traction. It was titled: "THE REAL FACE OF THE STERLING FAMILY: THE DINING ROOM INCIDENT."
The video began with the luxurious dining room, the golden chandeliers, and then—the sudden, violent throwing of the hot soup. It captured every second of Elena’s humiliation, the mother's cruel words, and the absolute lack of empathy from the guests.
Within two hours, the video went viral.
The internet exploded with outrage. The contrast between the lavish, perfect dinner and the horrific abuse of power struck a deep chord with millions of working-class families. The hashtag #JusticeForElena began trending worldwide.
"This is sickening! She threw hot soup on a human being!"
"Look at her face—this isn't the first time she's done this."
"Boycott Sterling Imports! Boycott all their brands!"
May you like
By evening, hundreds of protestors had gathered outside the gates of the Sterling mansion, holding bowls of yellow soup and chanting Elena's name. Victoria's stock prices began to plummet in real-time.
But the battle was far from over. Victoria, feeling the walls closing in, decided to play her final, most desperate card. She called a live press conference at her corporate headquarters, claiming she had "undeniable evidence" that the video was a deepfake generated by Julian Vance to hostilely take over her company.
