Chapter 515: Consultant Jennings Refuses to Settle
Chapter 515: Chapter 515: Consultant Jennings Refuses to Settle
Michelle Fuller was insistent, so Renee Jennings didn’t refuse. "Alright, I’ll shamelessly accept it then."
"Hehe~ That’s more like it~" Michelle beamed. "If I’m giving it to you, you should take it~"
"So, can you guess what gift I’m giving you?" Renee asked.
Michelle tilted her head in thought. "I really can’t guess. Can you give me a hint?"
"Let’s keep it a secret for now." Renee’s lips curved slightly in a mysterious smile.
Her curiosity piqued, Michelle couldn’t stop thinking about the gift she was going to receive.
「A night passed.」
When Renee got up in the morning to use the bathroom, she lifted the curtains to see a violent storm raging outside.
She recorded a video on her phone and sent it to her family group chat: [This weather is perfect for sleeping.]
Renee yawned and lay back down in bed.
It was almost eleven when she woke up again.
They all tidied up a bit and went downstairs for the hotel’s breakfast buffet.
Every dish looked exquisite, but they tasted utterly unremarkable.
By the time they finished breakfast, it was already noon.
"Want to go play badminton?" Michelle asked.
The hotel had its own badminton court, so the suggestion was unanimously approved.
Two hours later, everyone was drenched in sweat. They returned to their rooms to shower, and noticing the storm had calmed, they drove to the nearest mall for afternoon tea.
Renee was sitting in a booth, leisurely sipping her coffee, when she suddenly got a call from Raleigh.
She answered, chuckling lightly. "Raleigh, you’re working even during a typhoon?"
"Nothing stops a wage slave from clocking in," Raleigh joked. "This typhoon has no sense. It didn’t even get us a day off."
"The life of a worker is tough."
"Consultant Jennings, I’m calling to let you know that Ashlyn Gable has posted an apology video on the platform. You can take a look. If you’re not satisfied, I’ll contact her to have her re-upload it."
"Okay, thanks for following up." Renee hung up, searched for Ashlyn Gable’s account on TikTok, and clicked on her latest video.
In the video, Ashlyn Gable was wearing a polka-dot tube top with heavy makeup. While she spoke words of apology, her tone was flippant, completely devoid of sincerity. It was as if she were just going through the motions to complete a task.
After watching it, Michelle’s face darkened. She said angrily, "Unbelievable. What kind of apology is this? She doesn’t even have the guts to say what really happened!"
That’s right. In the video, Ashlyn Gable had only vaguely mentioned, "I made some inappropriate comments online that made Renee Jennings angry," then casually tossed out an "I’m sorry," and ended with, "I hope Renee Jennings won’t hold a grudge against a minor influencer like me."
Not a single sentence in the entire video felt like a genuine apology. Instead, it was passive-aggressively hinting to netizens that Renee Jennings was using her large following and fame to bully a minor influencer by refusing to let the matter drop.
"This girl is really good at making people sick," Hilary couldn’t help but say, her eyes filled with disgust. "She makes it sound like she’s the one who was wronged."
Renee considered this for a moment, then decided to post a video of her own in response.
’It’s not like she’s the only one who recorded a video. I have one too.’
Renee quickly edited and uploaded a video in response.
In her video, she wore a simple, elegant white blouse. Her makeup was light, her features clear and composed, and her tone was steady and calm. Every word she spoke carried a quiet gravity and seriousness.
"Hello everyone, I’m Renee Jennings. I’m here to respond to the incident regarding the orangutan at Lyris Crestview Wildlife Park..."
"Ms. Gable, you have a video, and so do I."
"Is this what you call an apology? If so, I’m afraid I cannot accept this settlement. The police will be contacting you again."
"Thank you all for your attention to this matter, and thank you for your concern for me."
After posting the video, Renee called Raleigh. "I do not accept that apology. Furthermore, I will no longer agree to any form of settlement."
An hour later, netizens who learned the truth about the orangutan incident, and who had initially been misled, flooded Renee’s page with apologies before swarming over to give Ashlyn Gable a piece of their mind.
Ashlyn Gable was going crazy with rage as she watched the accusations continuously pop up in her private messages and comments.
She kicked the sofa and cursed, "Fuck, I just wanted to ride the hype a little! Why does this bullshit influencer have to keep coming after me? Unbelievable! Isn’t she getting a piece of this hype too? Her follower count is growing way faster than mine!"
Ashlyn Gable was still cursing at home when a call came in.
She meant to decline it, but her hand slipped and she answered.
A stern voice came from the receiver. "Ms. Ashlyn Gable, the apology video you posted showed no sincerity. It lacked even the most basic sign of remorse. Consultant Jennings’s side will no longer agree to a settlement."
"What?" Ashlyn Gable shrieked, on the verge of a breakdown. "I already apologized! Why won’t she just let it go?"
Raleigh replied in a businesslike tone, "Ms. Ashlyn Gable, a police car is almost at your building. You should get ready to come downstairs."
"AHHH—" Ashlyn Gable let out a furious scream and slammed her phone onto the ground. The screen instantly fractured into a spiderweb of cracks.
**
That evening, Renee Jennings’s follower count surpassed six million.
Realizing she hadn’t live-streamed in several days, Renee quickly showered after returning to the hotel.
She blow-dried her hair, changed into some day clothes, and sat down in front of her phone to start the stream.
[Whoa, the streamer is finally live]
[Hello Ms. Jennings, I’m a new fan, just followed today]
[Ms. Jennings is in Lyris right now? I heard there’s a typhoon in Lyris]
Watching the scrolling comments, Renee smiled faintly. "Welcome, new fans. Yes, I’m still in Lyris. I was supposed to fly out this afternoon, but I’m stuck here because of the typhoon. It’s my first time experiencing a typhoon as someone from Zenvia."
[Ms. Jennings, you came at the perfect time, it’s typhoon season right now]
[I’m in Lyris too, can I treat you to a meal, streamer? I can show you the local delicacies.]
Renee raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Thank you to the hospitable people of Lyris. Actually, a local guide has already been showing us all the best food in Lyris for the past two days."
[Ah! Who is it? Who’s so lucky?]
In the next room, Hilary watched the live stream with a smug smile.
’It’s me, it’s me, it’s totally me.’
Renee was still reading the comments when the screen suddenly burst with dazzling special effects.
["Swift Success" has sent Romantic Fireworks x3]
["Mandy’s Journey" has sent Romantic Fireworks x3]
[Whoa whoa whoa, a whale has appeared!]
[That’s it, I’m throwing down with you rich folks!]
Her gaze swept over the two nicknames. Renee narrowed her eyes slightly, a flash of understanding in her mind.
She had already guessed who those two accounts belonged to.
Renee pursed her lips and said softly, "Thank you, Mr. Marsh and Ms. Lynn, for the gifts. You really shouldn’t have."
She paused for a moment before continuing, "Alright, enough chit-chat. Let’s start taking calls."