On official brand pages, her face was quietly removed.
Banners changed.
Captions edited.
As if she had never existed.
The message was unmistakable.
This wasn't a scandal that could be weathered. This wasn't something to apologize away with tears and silence. There would be no comeback arc. No redemption interviews. No carefully staged return.
This was the kind of fall that crushed bones.
When the sun rose, Chen Li finally saw the news.
She sat frozen, phone trembling in her hand, eyes scanning headline after headline as if staring hard enough might make the words rearrange themselves into something else. Her breath came shallow. Her chest hurt.
She rushed to Hua Ling's room.
The door slammed open.
Hua Ling was still disoriented, makeup smeared, eyes dull, her body heavy with the remnants of the night before. She barely had time to lift her head.
The slap came sharp and loud.
It echoed through the room.
