The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress-Chapter 1057 Cutting Off Ties 4

After all, it was far better for her to tell the truth herself than risk others twisting it, turning her past into gossip to paint her as someone who became a mistress just to earn money. One false narrative could easily become ’truth’ in the eyes of the public if left unchecked.

"What’s wrong with being a waitress or a delivery person?" Hera asked calmly, her tone almost teasing. "The work was honest, and I didn’t have to rely on anyone to live a better life."

Then she gave Alice a sharp, meaningful glance, one that spoke volumes without words, as if to say, ’Unlike you, I don’t sell myself for money.’

The look struck Alice like a physical blow. Her pride flared, and for a brief, furious moment, she wanted nothing more than to storm forward and slap Hera right across the face.

And Hera did it to taunt Alice. After all, Alice had tried to ruin her image in front of the livestream audience, but Hera could do the same, letting Alice drown in the backlash of netizens with no way to climb back up. Sometimes, being "kind" to an enemy was nothing more than self-inflicted harm: people who looked down on you would never appreciate help; they would only feel humiliated and resentful.

Alice was no different. She thought herself superior to Hera, and the more Hera acted "kind," the more Alice’s loathing would grow. Why extend kindness to someone like that? Better to show care to a dog, at least a dog knew gratitude and loyalty after being fed. Alice, on the other hand, might stab Hera in the back if she didn’t learn a harsh lesson now.

By teaching Alice that lesson, Hera could force her to tone down her hostility, even if only temporarily, giving Hera a crucial breathing space to reorganize her thoughts and prepare for the next attack.

And sure enough, the moment Hera threw the ball into Alice’s court, dropping a controversial topic at the same time, Alice was trapped. If she claimed she didn’t look down on grassroots workers, the netizens would immediately ask why she brought it up at all.

Every word she said would be twisted against her, forcing her to admit, whether truthfully or not, that she did, in fact, look down on people simply for holding low-paying jobs.

The majority of the public, after all, were ordinary people struggling to make ends meet, stressed about their futures, and eager to vent their frustrations. Alice became the perfect punching bag, and anything she said now would only make her seem worse.

Hera didn’t even need to plan what would happen next; the outrage of the crowd would unfold naturally, ensuring Alice was caught in the backlash.

Now, trapped in the current she had tried to control, Alice felt fear prickling at her chest. She had planned to use public opinion to drown Hera, elevating herself while dragging Hera down. Hera was supposed to be her foil, the perfect scapegoat to clear her own name.

But who could have predicted that Hera could so effortlessly turn every accusation back on her? No matter how Alice answered, the netizens would attack. Panic gnawed at her heart as she realized she had no way out, no words that could save her from the storm.

’Hera... you really want to ruin me, don’t you? Not even leaving me a way out.’ Alice ground her teeth as she thought of it, barely keeping her mask of innocence in place. Her shoulders trembled, and her eyes darkened with anger, reddening further with each passing second.

Then, suddenly...

"Miss, why make things hard for another woman?" The man beside Alice stepped forward, positioning himself between them. His gaze locked onto Hera, sharp and unwavering, and there was a strange, unreadable glint in his eyes, something Hera couldn’t decipher, no matter how hard she tried.

But the way he spoke, making it seem as if she were the one putting Alice in a tight spot, tossing the ball into Hera’s court, and throwing yet another controversial topic her way to clear Alice and redirect the netizens’ attention, was strikingly familiar.

It was a method she knew well, either because he was deliberately helping Alice or because he unconsciously mirrored her own tactics. Either way, Hera didn’t flinch. She had always championed women’s strength for the world to see, proving that women could compete on equal footing with men.

Her reputation was built on advocacy, fairness, and an unshakable resolve; while her words could be sharp, her heart was kind. Most women understood that and rarely judged her harshly. Perhaps this man simply didn’t know her well enough, using the wrong rope to try to tie her down.

"Mister, I agree with you, women should support each other. Life hasn’t been easy for us, and as a woman, I know better than anyone that tearing each other down gets us nowhere."

"But unfortunately, there are still some feudal-minded women who think elevating themselves means stepping on others, using them as foils rather than relying on their own skill. They stir up trouble instead of building anything of value. And if such a woman comes to my doorstep... should I just stand by?" Hera said.

Though she never mentioned Alice by name, every word was pointed. Calling her a feudal woman was no accident; it mocked Alice’s lack of real skill, her habit of using other women as stepping stones, and her shallow, unremarkable personality. To Hera, Alice was nothing more than a hollow echo of ambition, devoid of depth or substance.

The man was momentarily stunned; he had just realized he’d walked straight into Hera’s trap. She wasn’t an easy opponent. They hadn’t even fought physically, yet he felt himself losing.

Hera knew exactly how to manipulate the internet’s most volatile topics, the ones that could ignite public outrage in an instant. Since Alice had tried to use them against her, Hera saw no reason not to strike back, using fire with fire. And this time, the flames wouldn’t harm her; they would consume Alice, leaving her scorched for ever attempting to turn public opinion into a weapon against Hera.

Both Alice and her new backer fell silent as the assistant manager seized the moment to kick them out. But she wasn’t about to let them leave quietly; Hera’s anger needed an outlet.

"Oh! And a reminder, Sir Bellard," she said, pausing for effect, "as of today, your membership card is revoked. Why? Simply for the best interest of our establishment. We can’t allow a situation like this to happen again."

"If we have to choose between a top spender and an occasional one... well, the choice is obvious. And as for your companion today," she paused, letting the weight of her words hang, "let’s just say... some lessons are better left unspoken."

That was enough. Humiliating Alice further would only backfire; what mattered was that they, and everyone, knew the Golden Dragon Pavilion stood firmly with Hera. Though only an assistant manager, she often ran the establishment in Gerald’s absence, making her the public face of the Pavilion, and her verdict carried full authority.

"Does Sir Gerald know you’re overstepping your bounds, using your power to drive away customers? Shouldn’t you remain impartial and judge fairly?" the Bellard man demanded, his gaze sharp and sinister.

But he had already lost. He’d lost face in front of Alice, in front of the livestream audience, and on the internet. Alice hadn’t even had the chance to cut the stream, so everyone witnessed the reversal.

Both sides were arguing over the controversial topics, but netizens quickly spotted the imbalance. In short, Alice and Mr. Bellard had become the laughingstocks, mocked and ridiculed for their failed attempt to assert control.

"That’s true... but since Mr. Troy is often occupied with other matters, I hold most of the authority to manage the Golden Dragon Pavilion, including revoking a member’s access. I didn’t do this out of favoritism. I did it to protect the establishment’s interests and prevent future trouble."

"As I said, your companion caused a disruption, holding our guests up in the hall and preventing them from enjoying their meal. Time is one of the most precious things a person has, and I don’t tolerate it being wasted. Since I can’t control her words, the only way to prevent this from happening again is to ensure she never sets foot in this establishment again."

"If you had any respect for Mr. Troy or me, you wouldn’t have let her speak over and disrespect one of our most valued guests. Surely you realize we prioritize this VVIP; otherwise, why would we have cleared the entire restaurant for them? Yet your companion came here to stir trouble, which shows just how little regard you have for us. And as the face of this establishment, I cannot, and will not, accept that."

She said it all with calm authority, never looking down, simply stating the facts. Hera watched her with a crinkle of appreciation in her eyes, impressed by the assistant manager’s candor, poise, and foresight.