My Secret Billionaire Husband Chapter 2804 - 2813: Unknowingly Offending a Group of People

She fully understands that a woman’s tears and fragility make for the ultimate weapons.

Regardless of whatever misdeeds she’s committed.

Whenever she sheds tears and plays the pitiful card, issues tend to get smoothed over.

Men prove particularly susceptible to this tactic.

Earlier, as her tears fell, Edward Cooper and Kelvin Norman adopted far gentler tones.

She sensed it plainly.

Furthermore, Annie Lawrence this time deliberately pulled Joanna Lawrence into the fray.

Her remarks subtly implied that Porter and Kelvin’s hostility toward her stemmed from Joanna.

At its core, the message suggested Joanna was preventing them from associating with her.

She overlooked some of the veiled intent in those statements.

Yet industry veterans like Porter, Kelvin, and Edward, with years of experience and razor-sharp instincts, caught it without effort.

Annie had no clue.

Her woe-is-me declaration, "It seems like everyone dislikes me," didn’t just miss the pity she craved—it accidentally rubbed a bunch of people the wrong way.

Previously, Kelvin and Edward had vouched for her.

Now, though, traces of irritation marred their expressions.

Annie’s phrasing lent itself to the view that the group was shunning her.

Despite her never intending such a slant.

To outsiders, it sounded like she was pointing fingers at the crowd.

"I don’t know if you care about earning everyone’s favor. But since you refer to Joanna as a senior, you ought to recall her tough early days in the entertainment world. Thus, there’s no cause to envy her—today’s accomplishments for her came from far more than minor gestures or clever talk."

"She’s hardly alone; tons of people in this industry, myself and Mr. Norman included—who had an easy debut and cozy ties with all? Who among us hasn’t endured highs and lows to arrive here?"

"If the mental strain proves too much, this field isn’t for you."

Porter’s sharp retort drained the color from Annie’s face.

Though she strained to rein in her feelings and mask her real emotions, keeping calm grew nearly impossible.

Seconds earlier, she’d worn a heartbreakingly vulnerable look.

Porter’s rebuke caused her features to harden noticeably.

His statements hit her like stinging face slaps.

She’d voiced envy for Joanna, prompting Porter to highlight Joanna’s past struggles.

Annie knew full well the ordeals Joanna faced at her debut.

Even once Joanna began seeing Ashton Heath, scandals still rocked her daily, dominating Blog’s hot searches.

Porter meant that Joanna hadn’t always enjoyed universal goodwill either.

Like everyone else, Joanna had battled through turbulent times to claim her current spot.

He slyly jabbed at her notion of replicating Joanna’s success via simple words and deeds.

His closing line barely veiled the idea that she had no place in showbiz.

Put simply, Porter’s every phrase smacked Annie across the cheek.

And right in front of everyone.

He stripped away any shred of her pride.

Suddenly, Annie’s complexion shifted from ashen to ghostly white, her look downright ugly.

Teeth gritted, her face flickered between shades of green and pale as she fought to bottle up her fury.