Getting Smeared on the Trending List
Avery couldn't quite get a read on Dexter Reed and the others when it came to those three companies, so after turning it over in her mind for a bit, she decided to let it go.
That evening, she went downstairs to check on Wyatt. He seemed to be doing okay, so she grabbed some dinner and went to bed. Just as she was about to fall asleep, a message pinged on her phone. It was from Analysis Master, asking how she wanted to get the food inspection report.
Avery thought for a moment before typing back. She suggested they meet at the bakery near the University of Finance and Economics campus, around twelve-thirty, right after the second part of her exam.
This year's exam format was different from what she remembered. The essay portion, which used to take a full day, was now crammed into a four-hour block from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Meeting Analysis Master didn't bother her. With his kind of skill set, there was no way he didn't already know who was hiring him. A resume for one "Dr. Avery Hayes" was probably sitting on his desk right now.
She'd known him in her past life, and back then, the guy had been unbelievably aloof.
Whether they were messaging or meeting in person, he'd barely give her a second glance.
He'd just take the money with a stone-cold expression, radiate an air of superiority, and walk away.
He certainly never tried to upsell her on a "full-service package" every time they talked, like he did now.
After mentally preparing herself, Avery headed to the exam center with Shane Croft.
The crowd for the second part of the Bar Exam was nearly seventy percent smaller than the first. The initial exam was out of three hundred points, with a brutal one-hundred-eighty-point cutoff that had already wiped out the majority of candidates.
By now, Avery was basically internet famous.
Most of the students who'd taken the first exam at this testing center recognized her from online, and seeing her there confirmed she must have passed.
The Bar Exam was a big deal, but you can't stop young people from getting excited over something new.
A few of them, spotting the online celebrity in their midst, sneakily pulled out their phones.
They tried to be subtle, but with Shane standing right next to her, there was no way those little movements were getting past his sharp eyes.
His lips tightened, and he started to step forward to shut it down.
Before they left, Wyatt had specifically told him to watch out for anyone trying to take candid pictures of Avery.
Seeing him move, Avery reached out and put a hand on his arm. "Don't worry about it," she whispered. "They're just curious."
She knew this was something she'd have to get used to. It was better to let them take their pictures openly than to try and stop them. As long as they weren't getting in her way, it was fine.
Shane paused, glanced at her, and when he saw she genuinely didn't mind, he stepped back.
Just like last time, security was tight. After they checked her ID and both her admission tickets, Avery was finally allowed into the testing center. The second part of the exam was also on a computer, consisting of five major case-analysis questions.
This time, Avery didn't finish early. She chose her words for each case with extreme care, combining the experience from her past life with legal theory to craft rock-solid answers.
She was so focused that she had no idea the news of her taking the second part of the Bar Exam was already blowing up on X.
It started when one of the students posted their photo with the caption: "#Spotted Dr. Avery Hayes in New York City after a month, just as I thought she'd disappeared for good #"
It was a pretty standard post, but it was all the opening her critics needed. The first reply set the tone, and the entire comment section quickly went south.
"For real? If she passed the first round, why isn't she showing her ticket this time?"
"Seems fake. Any law student knows how brutal the Bar is. Someone who just switched from medicine, even if she crammed a few textbooks, has no shot at out-scoring people who actually studied law for years."
"Yeah, I didn't pass. Got cut. This feels like a slap in the face."
"Isn't this all just for show?"
"Did she sign with an influencer agency? Is she trying to build a 'perfect student' persona before she starts selling stuff?"
"I bet that's it. She's got almost six million followers and has been way too quiet lately. Definitely planning something."
"Quiet? What about those pictures of Felicia Moss's injuries? That was her."
"Breaking: I saw her in Hollywood a while back auditioning for *The Gilded Spoon*. They rejected her."
"That's not even news. I saw her at North Star Studios the other day. Heard she's in *Bones of Mountains and Rivers*."
"Holy shit, is she actually trying to be an actress?"
"You people are so weird. So what if she's switching careers? Why are you obsessed with her?"
"She hasn't even debuted and she's already manufacturing a fake persona. Guess she's not afraid of it all blowing up in her face."
"Why is everyone so salty? Open your eyes and look at this. (Image: 1580 SAT score). You think someone with a score like that needs to fake anything? Go ahead, you try faking that."
But the doubters were getting louder. Even with some people defending her, the online conversation was not looking good for Avery.
Dexter Reed had been monitoring the online chatter about Daybreak Media when he stumbled upon the trending topic about Avery. His brow furrowed. He immediately called Diana Marks and even had a sick Wyatt Riggs come into the office.
In the cool, blue-gray office, Dexter stared at his phone, his face grim.
"This is spiraling," he said, his voice tight. "Someone's pulling the strings. This is a targeted attack on Avery." He slapped his phone down on the desk. "Di, get in touch with X. I want that post taken down. Now."
"I'm on it," Diana said, her own expression icy.
She didn't even look up, her fingers already flying across her keyboard.
"You find out who's behind this." The topic was trending way too fast to be organic.
Someone had paid for this. If she ever found out who was trying to smear Avery, she would make them regret it.
On the sofa, Wyatt, his lips a little pale, finished reading through the thread and looked up at them. He calmly picked up his glass of water, took a small sip, and said, "Don't do anything just yet. On the last exam, Avery scored two hundred and eighty-two points."
"Two eighty-two?" Dexter shot back, completely missing the point. His expression soured. "Is that all? Are the other test-takers that bad this year that she still gets to move on?"
At his words, Diana's hands froze over her keyboard.
"How much?" she asked, looking up slowly, as if she'd misheard him.
Wyatt repeated calmly, "Two hundred and eighty-two."
Diana blinked, her face a mask of disbelief. Then, very slowly, she closed her laptop. She sat down next to Wyatt, still looking dazed. After a long, stunned silence, she looked at him. "We're going to the University of Finance and Economics to pick her up."
Then she turned to Dexter. "Get the PR department ready. The second Avery walks out of that exam and sets the record straight, we're announcing that she's signed with Stellar Media."