"Hmph! I'd like to see how long they can keep this act up! I firmly believe that I will be the ultimate winner! Look now, how many people pity me!"
Cassandra stared intently at the court summons in her hand, her eyes filled with ferocity, growling menacingly.
She was convinced that as long as public opinion firmly stood on her side, everything would be fine and under her control.
Just a moment ago, she had finished recording a show.
At the show, sympathetic gazes from the audience were cast upon her, and some even clasped their hands together, praying devoutly for her.
This feeling of being the center of attention was like a drug, making her crazyly in love with it, even if this attention was gained through lies, she savored it.
Besides, she knew in her heart that she indeed had no evidence, but didn't Kazir also lack strong counter-evidence?
In her opinion, with both sides pulling back and forth like this, she clearly had the upper hand.
"If he apologizes and kneels to me in public, I might be merciful and forgive him, and perhaps we could even rekindle our relationship—as long as he still has value."
Cassandra actually had some designs on the current Kazir.
But that day at the suit shop, Kazir didn't even lift an eyelid, as if she didn't exist at all, which she saw as a great humiliation!
She secretly vowed to prove how precious she was, to let everyone know that no one could refuse her.
"But first, let's get a hush money." She grinned, her eyes full of calculation, as if she had already seen the substantial hush money waving at her.
This scandal, meticulously stirred up by her, swept through Hollywood like a storm, causing chaos.
Countless TV stations, like sharks smelling blood, frantically reported on her "tragic ordeal." Even she hadn't expected the matter to escalate so much.
She had initially thought it would be a quick and easy affair, but it had spiraled out of control, far exceeding her expectations.
In reality, the media didn't care about the truth; they simply catered to the audience's preferences.
A "weak woman subjected to domestic violence" against a genius director whose movie broke a hundred million at the North America box office—this drama was explosive enough to attract countless viewers.
In this storm of public opinion, the most active were the ABC channels under Disney.
They went all out to tarnish Kazir's reputation for a simple reason—the hangover was set to be released on June 28th, while Disney's Basic Instinct was opening on July 5th. The two films were very likely to clash.
Disney naturally hoped to use this scandal to suppress Kazir's movie and seize market share for its own film.
Not only Disney, but Universal Pictures also got involved, constantly stepping on Kazir, just to make more money for its own the nutty professor.
Also released at the same time was independence day. 20th Century Fox was relatively wise and didn't get involved in this messy business; they were busy promoting their own blockbuster and didn't mention the scandal at all.
However, Tom Rothman was an exception.
He was determined to cooperate with Kazir, and even with the fierce public opinion, he remained unshaken.
He had seen Kazir when he was polishing the script for napoleon dynamite 2, completely calm as if nothing was happening. In his opinion, how could such a person be brought down by a mere scandal?
"If Kazir wants to play, then I'll play along to the end... he will definitely be the one to lose in the end." Cassandra smiled triumphantly, as if she had already foreseen Kazir's miserable defeat.
Just now, she had received a call from a feminist organization inviting her to be a spokesperson!
This undoubtedly added to her confidence and self-assurance.
But what she didn't know was that the real orchestrators of this farce were Karl Morlin and WMA.
Kazir became increasingly popular after leaving, which they couldn't stomach, so they secretly planned this scandal, attempting to ruin him.
On the day of the press conference, everyone from Warner Bros. was present.
In the venue, hundreds of reporters were poised, their cameras and microphones aimed at Kazir, as if to see through him.
However, Kazir appeared calm, as if completely unaffected by the scandal, his eyes revealing a sense of determination and confidence.
"Before answering questions, everyone, please watch something."
Kazir didn't bother with pleasantries and went straight to the point.
He knew in his heart that only by presenting strong evidence could he completely dismantle Cassandra's lies.
The press conference was broadcast live, with countless onlookers glued to their screens, their eyes fixed on the display, afraid to miss any detail.
On the screen, Cassandra was being intimate with a chubby old man in a restaurant; both their faces were clearly visible.
Everyone held their breath, their eyes unblinking, waiting for what would come next.
"What about your husband?" the chubby old man asked.
"Kazir? He's doing fine, just a useless good-for-nothing. He works himself to death but gets nowhere. Even his agent, Karl Morlin, thinks he won't amount to anything. I'm planning to divorce him," Cassandra said casually, as if discussing an unimportant matter.
"That might not be easy, right?" the chubby old man asked again.
"It's very easy. I can accuse him of domestic violence and rape," she sneered, her eyes full of disdain.
"The court wouldn't just believe that, would it?" the chubby old man was somewhat skeptical.
"Doesn't the judicial system always favor the weak? In a marriage, women are always the weaker party, especially those with children—how difficult is it for a mother after divorce, how much money does it cost to raise children? I'll use this identity to gain sympathy and ensure I get a larger share of the property. If that doesn't work, I'll just pin a charge of rape and domestic violence on him; he won't be able to escape," Cassandra took a sip of red wine, smiling triumphantly, as if victory was already in her grasp.
"But did he really lay a hand on you?" the chubby old man still didn't quite believe her.
"Kazir? He barely even comes home... Never mind that, shall we have some fun tonight?" Cassandra said lightly, then changed the subject.
The recording abruptly ended there.
"This video is absolutely authentic; it was filmed at the Terry Bacho restaurant, and we have their reservation records as proof."
Kazir turned to face the reporters below, speaking with a firm tone.
The reporters were initially stunned, then erupted like a boiling pot, asking questions chaotically, the noise so overwhelming it caused a headache.
The noise made Kazir frown, and he said loudly, "One at a time, I can't hear you!"
As the reporters frantically pressed their questions like sharks smelling blood, the viewers watching the live broadcast completely exploded.
They felt they had been played for fools; it was an absolute disgrace!
So, Cassandra's crying and wailing about domestic violence were all made up? She was lying?!
"Does this woman think we're idiots?"
"Damn it! I almost believed her nonsense!"
"Just because she's pretty?"
"Damn it! I was even defending her before!"
No one likes to be played for a fool; everyone has a brain and can distinguish right from wrong.
For a moment, everyone's anger burned fiercely.
"That bitch Cassandra, she's full of lies!"
Kazir began to answer questions, specifically choosing media outlets from the Time Warner group.
He knew in his heart that these people would speak for him and stand on his side.
"Disney and Universal Pictures, blacklist them from now on! Doesn't everyone have a bottom line? They tripped me up last time, do they really think I'm easy to bully?"
His eyes revealed a kind of wisdom and calmness. While dealing with reporters' questions, he was calculating in his mind how to handle the situation that was to come.