radicalducati Chapter 294
Chapter 294
That evening, when Avery got home, Ryan immediately noticed her tense demeanor.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, setting baby Elliot down in his crib.
Avery hesitated, not wanting to add to his stress. “It’s nothing. Just a bad day at work.”
Ryan narrowed his eyes, clearly not buying it. “Aves, talk to me. What’s going on?”
She sighed and pulled out her phone, handing it to him. “Lily wrote an article about me. It’s bad, Ryan. People are eating it up.”
Ryan’s jaw tightened as he read the post. “Are you kidding me? This is a complete hit job. None of this is true!”
“I know that,” Avery said softly. “But not everyone else does.”
Ryan set the phone down and pulled her into a hug. “We’ll handle this together. You don’t have to face it alone.”
The next day, Ryan called a meeting with their PR consultant, Emily, to discuss damage control.
“This kind of smear campaign is serious,” Emily said, her tone professional. “Do you want to issue a public statement?”
“No,” Avery said firmly. “I don’t want to feed into the drama. I just want this to blow over.”
“That’s fair,” Emily replied. “But we should at least have a plan in case the media picks it up. And if you want to pursue legal action, I can connect you with a lawyer.”
Ryan leaned forward. “We’re not letting her get away with this, Aves. She crossed a line.”
Avery nodded slowly. “Let me think about it. I just… need time.”
That evening, Avery and Janice sat on the couch, scrolling through their phones.
“Look at this,” Janice said, showing Avery a post from one of their mutual friends. “It’s a story defending you. People are already pushing back against Lily’s nonsense.”
The caption read: “I’ve known Avery for years, and she’s one of the kindest, most genuine people I’ve ever met. Don’t believe everything you read.”
Avery’s eyes filled with tears. “I didn’t expect that.”
“Of course people are standing up for you,” Janice said, squeezing her hand. “You’re not the person she’s trying to make you out to be.”
The next morning, Avery decided to post a brief, heartfelt message on her social media accounts.
“Planning a wedding is stressful, but it should never turn into a public spectacle. I’ve always believed in treating people with kindness and respect, and I’ll continue to focus on what truly matters: my family, my friends, and the future I’m building with Ryan. Thank you to everyone who has shown love and support during this time.”
The response was overwhelmingly positive, with friends, colleagues, and even strangers flooding her comments with encouragement.
• “Classy response!”
• “You’re handling this so well, Avery. Don’t let the haters bring you down!”
• “Team Avery all the way!”
Avery felt a weight lift off her shoulders as she read the comments. It wasn’t about winning or proving Lily wrong; it was about focusing on the people who truly cared about her and her family.
A few days later, Ryan walked into the living room with a triumphant smirk on his face. “You’re going to want to see this,” he said, handing Avery his phone.
On the screen was a new post from Lily, but this time, it wasn’t about Avery.
“I regret how I handled my departure from working with Ms. Deveraux. My recent post was written in frustration and does not accurately reflect our interactions. I apologize for any harm caused and will be taking a break from social media.”
Avery blinked, reading it twice to make sure she wasn’t imagining things.
“She apologized?” Avery said, her voice filled with disbelief.
“More like damage control,” Janice chimed in from the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee. “Probably realized she could get sued for defamation. Or maybe she didn’t like that people were calling her out.”
“Whatever the reason, it’s over,” Ryan said, sitting beside Avery. “You handled this with grace, and now the truth is coming out.”