Chapter 144

Maybe because it was late at night, or maybe the post just wasn't eye-catching enough, ten minutes after it went up, there were only a couple hundred comments, and most people weren’t buying it. "If you’ve got no proof, stop spreading trash. Hope you’re ready for a defamation lawsuit." "If it’s real, why not post it during the day? Posting at night just means you’re hoping her team’s asleep and won’t hit you with a legal notice right away. Coward." "Some folks need to chill. Always coming after Maria. Can’t she just live without someone throwing random crap out there?" Maria hadn’t been in the spotlight for long, but the rumors had already piled up like crazy. People were numb to it. It’s like that 'boy who cried wolf' story—no evidence, no one's gonna believe it. Cody got shaken awake all of a sudden. He was still half-asleep when he heard James say, "Maria’s name is out there!" Cody rubbed his eyes, still groggy. "Wait, what?" James, looking foggy and a bit dazed himself, smacked his