Hannah slipped her phone into her pocket, only to be met by Cornelia's worried gaze. She offered Cornelia a reassuring smile. "Nelly, I'm fine. Don't worry."
Cornelia proposed, "Should we go back to the store to ask about it?"
They had both recognized the background in the photo as the boutique where they had just purchased handbags. At that moment, they had been the only customers, so the person who took the photo and posted it online must be an employee of the store.
A photo taken without consent, posted online. This situation could be trivial or serious. It depended on how far Hannah wanted to push it.
Hannah said, "I'm about to go back and check. I need to figure out who took this unflattering photo and called me ugly. I can tolerate being photographed secretly, but being called ugly is absolutely not acceptable."
Cornelia chimed in, "I'll go with you."d2
And so, the two of them returned to the boutique where they had just shopped.
Noticing their return, the store clerk feigned calm, her guilt apparent, "Ladies, do you need any more assistance?"
Hannah cut to the chase, "Was it you who took my photo without my consent and posted it online?"
The online controversy had not escaped the store clerk's attention, and she knew she couldn't handle the consequences. Even if she had taken the photo, she didn't have the courage to admit it. So she answered, "It wasn't me, I swear."
Her hands trembled with guilt, and Hannah saw right through her lie. "Really? If you admit it now, I might let it go."
The store clerk vehemently shook her head.
Hannah had given her a chance, but since she wouldn't admit it, there was no choice but to take a hard line to protect her rights, "I need to see your manager."
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