Cut Out, Cashed In

On the other end of the line, the supplier laughed it off, his tone breezy and dismissive.

"Lexi, sweetheart, Sandra actually just called me. She prepaid the full order for next quarter and threw in an extra 2% on the rebate.

"We're all just trying to do business here, you know how it is. You're fresh out of school. Going solo is a big risk. My inventory's tight right now, I can't really supply you at the moment."

Three calls. Three polite rejections.

I gripped my phone and took a slow breath.

Aunt Sandra was shrewder than I'd given her credit for. She knew I had the supplier relationships, so she'd moved fast. She threw money at every one of them and cut off my lifeline before I could even get started.

That afternoon, Aunt Sandra posted on social media.

It was a photo of Wade sitting in the streaming setup, surrounded by a pile of products she'd selected. The caption read: [New face, big potential. We let our results do the talking.]

I clicked into the stream.

There were fewer than fifty viewers. The comment section was brutal.

[What happened to that girl who always picked the best stuff? Why is there some creepy guy now?]

[What is this garbage he's selling? Prices are higher than at the supermarket. Does he think we're idiots?]

[I'm out. This stream lost its soul. Unfollowing.]

Wade was sweating through his shirt, practically screaming at the camera, "Don't leave, guys! I'll do a talent show! Place an order, and I'll call you 'Daddy'!"

He started doing some cringeworthy, vaguely suggestive dance moves in front of the lens.

I closed the stream without a second thought.

Stunts like that would only accelerate the account's death, but it still wasn't enough. I wanted them to cough up everything they'd taken from me, with interest.

Sure enough, less than an hour later, Aunt Sandra called again. Her tone had softened considerably this time and was sickeningly warm.

"Lexi, honey, I was just panicking this morning. I said some things I didn't mean. Don't take it to heart.

"Wade really isn't cut out for this. He's hopeless on camera. The channel needs you. You're the only one who can hold it together.

"We can talk about the commission. I'll transfer $2,000 to you right now to tide you over. Just come back and go live, please. I'm begging you."

I laughed, short and cold. "$2,000? Aunt Sandra, save it. Buy Wade some brain supplements. His dancing looked like something was genuinely wrong with him."

"Lexi! Don't push your luck!" Aunt Sandra dropped the act instantly, her voice turning vicious. "You just wait. I'm going to your house right now. I'll let your mom and your grandmother sort this out. We'll see how long you can keep up this attitude."

Sure enough, Aunt Sandra went to my house. When Mum called me, her voice was shaking, close to tears.

"Lexi, come home now. Your aunt is putting on a whole show in front of Grandma, sobbing like she's dying, talking about throwing herself off something. She's saying you stole money from the company and wiped all the stream data.

"Grandma's blood pressure is through the roof. She can't even keep her medication down. She's demanding you come home and apologize on your knees."

I squeezed the phone so hard my knuckles went white. "Mum, don't believe a word she says. Keep Grandma calm. I'm on my way."

By the time I got there, Aunt Sandra was parked in the middle of the sofa, tears streaming, nose running, giving the performance of her life.

"Lynn, look at the daughter you raised! I took her in out of the goodness of my heart, gave her an internship, put food on her plate, and on her way out, she stabs me in the back and deletes every single client contact we had!

"The company's drowning in penalties now. I can't go on like this. I don't want to live anymore!"