Chapter
Merry a loss, her mind a whirlwind. How on earth could she calm the situation? She had already made it clear, geeks rule the school, and those who couldnât match simply refused to believe anyone could. What was she supposed to do, wave a magic wand and force them to believe?
Frustrated, she didnât want to bother Cordelia with this mess, so she responded with firm resolve, âThen just disqualify me
She knew when she entered the competition that she lacked popularity of rival and the odds were stacked against her.
Upon sending her message, the manager promptly replied âFine, but you need to issue an apology to your fans admitting you deceived them.â
Merryâs jaw clenched at the absurdity. She retorted, âI havenât lied to my fans. Why should I apologize?â
The manager shot back, âIf you continue with this attitude and remain uncooperative, weâll have no choice but to shut down your stream.â
That hit a nerve. After leaving the Jordan family, Merry had been relying on her streaming income.
Latham had encouraged her to apply to the Onitoky City Film and Animation Academy, which meant shelling out for expensive lessons in performance and presence, each costing more than a grand.
Streaming was crucial for her; she was determined to make a name for herself.
But the manager was being downright bullying.
She typed back, each letter heavy with defiance, âOn what grounds can you shut down my stream?â
The reply was swift, âYour channel has received multiple reports. We need to verify if youâve deceived your fans and during this investigation, you cannot continue streaming.â
â
In the grand scheme of things, a streamer with a few thousand fans even if that number had recently jumped to several tens of thousands â was insignificant to the platform.
Enraged, Merry asked, âHow long will your âinvestigationâ take?â
The manager was vague, âWe canât give you an exact timeframe. Wait for our decision.â
After that, the manager went offline, ignoring all further messages from Merry.
Taking a deep breath, Merry tried to reassure herself that the would likely last only a day; thatâs how it usually went with other streamers on the app.
However, later that afternoon, she logged in to the platform hoping to find her channel reinstated, she was greeted instead by an official statement on the homepage. âIn light of the recent deceit by our streamer âWhiteLight, weâve concluded our investigation and apologize to the fans. We have taken action by permanently closing the âWhiteLightâ channel.
Her heart skipped a beat. WhiteLight â the name her fans knew her by and the one she used for streaming.
Hadnât they said they would investigate? Had they actually done so?
She frantically messaged the manager, but it was like screaming into the void; there was no response. It was then that she truly felt the weight of her powerlessness.
Meanwhile, Cordelia was on her way to the art exhibit with Lorna.
At noon, Larry had picked up Lorna in his car, and after lunch, they headed to the exhibit.
On the way there, Lorna took Cordeliaâs hand, offering words of comfort, âThe internet is full of scams, darling People even scam others out of love and money. So, if youâre conned, remember, itâs not the end of the world as long as youâre safe. And if itâs just money lost, itâs not the end either.â
Cordelia nodded, her phone vibrating with a message from Painter, âYou there yet?â
âFive minutes out,â she replied.
âGreat, just scan the eâticket to get in,â Painter messaged back.
âOkle dokle,â Cordelia responded, just as she noticed Lornaâs skeptical gaze. Lorna asked in a tone laced with incredulity. âThis is B. Aster?â
Cordelia confirmed with a nod, and Lorna sighed. This âPainterâ person had chosen such a name? It was clear to Lorna that her daughter had been duped.
As they
approached the entrance to the exhibit, they noticed a queue forming. Just as they were about to join the line, a familiar voice called out, âHey, Lorna, Lia, you made it!â
It was Rachel.
Lorna frowned at the sight of her, âWhy are you here?â
Rachel grinned, âI was worried about you holding a fake ticket, so I came to give you a real one.â
She flaunted the ticket in front of Lorna, then added, âI just saw Fanny, you know her, right? President of the Greenmeadow Art Association. She said not to sell you a ticket. It took some doing, but I managed to get this one. Donât you want to see the exhibit? I heard itâs filled with masterpieces and selected works, and many international guests are attending!â
Lornaâs frown deepened, âDonât trouble yourself on my account.â
Rachelâs smile wavered, âLorna, Lia, you always take things too seriously. Sometimes itâs easier to play along a little â
Ignoring Rachel, Lorna and Cordelia joined the queue.
Those who attended international art exhibits were either renowned figures in the art world or wealthy patrons looking to bask in cultural elegance.
Seeing they werenât paying her any mind, Rachel scoffed, then called out, âMrs. Brown!â
Mrs. Brown, society lady from the prestigious Lewis family, turned at the sound of her name. Rachel greeted her warmly before pointing at Lorna, âMrs. Brown, have you met Lorna? Let me introduce you.â
Mrs. Brown smiled, âSo this is Mr. Delaneyâs wife. He keeps you quite hidden, weâve never had the pleasure.â
Lornaâs lips twitched in annoyance as she glared at Rachel. She had brought Cordelia to try the ticket, wanting to give her daughter a life lesson and some experience.
Since she rarely socialized with Sanderson, she didnât know many people. Even if the ticket was declared fake at the door and they were turned away, it wouldnât be a public embarrassment.
Now, Rachel had made such a with her introduction that if her ticket turned out to be a dud, it would be the Sandersonsâ reputation on the line!
Imagine the scandal spreading through Greenmeadow like wildfire, Mrs. Sanderson, turned away at the door of the art exhibit with counterfeit ticketâ
a hoot that would be!
Rachel was clearly pushing Lorna into corner, strongâarming her into begging for a ticket. It was a low blow, no doubt about it.
Mrs. Brown had already gotten in, her ticket validated, and was now queuing up inside. She paused politely at the entrance, giving Lorna a chance to catch up.
Rachel up to Lorna, her voice conspiratorial whisper, âLorna, you know Mrs. Brownâs got the biggest mouth in town. If you get busted with a fake ticket, by tomorrow, itâll be the talk of Greenmeadow. Are you sure you donât want to take the ticket?â
Lornaâs jaw was set tight as she moved with the crowd, and now, it was their turn.
Chapter 129
The security guard spoke up, âTicket, please. Thank you.â
Rachel held her ticket out, a smug look on her face, waiting for Lorna to swallow her pride. But just at that moment-[beep!]
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Chapter 130