Chapter 1

I was the "guest performer" at my cousin Walter Butler's grill house.

With my looks and figure.

With professional singing and dancing, and a handful of other talents.

Single-handedly, I'd taken Walter's failing grill house and made it a hit.

Walter had promised me a hundred thousand as a year-end bonus.

But a few days ago, after his sister Blanche Butler showed up, Walter and his wife turned cold toward me fast.

That day, near evening, I was getting ready for the night's show.

Blanche came up smiling and handed me a fifty-dollar bill.

"Delilah Pruitt, this is your year-end bonus from my brother."

I couldn't quite process it. "Is this a joke?"

"It's not a joke." Walter and Marlene Abbott walked out from the back kitchen, faces stern.

"And starting today, you're done here."

"From now on, Blanche will do your performances at the shop."

For a moment I was too angry to speak.

Back then Walter had been out of options, begging me for help.

Even Grandpa and Grandma Marsh had put in a word for him.

So I'd quit a good job at the dance school to become the "guest performer" at his shop.

And started a livestream to drive traffic.

Plenty of customers from the other grill houses nearby got pulled over.

More people, after watching my livestream online, made the trip just to see me perform live.

Business at the grill house got hotter and hotter.

And now, with the work done, they were throwing me out.

"Walter, you said you'd give me a hundred thousand bonus."

I pressed him.

He only frowned and gave a cold snort.

"I never said any such thing. You've got some nerve making things up!"

Blanche joined in, sneering. "You sing a little and dance a little for a day, and you dare ask for a hundred thousand?"

"The grill house's livestream account has over a million followers. Anyone would blow up on that."

Marlene let out a cold laugh too.

"Delilah, for the past half a year and more we've paid your wages, plus room and board."

"And you're still not satisfied, trying to shake us down. You're just an ungrateful wretch!"

Their words had me shaking all over with anger.

But when I saw the smug look on Blanche's face, I quickly calmed down.

So this was Blanche stirring the pot behind my back.

No wonder Walter and Marlene had turned on me so fast after she'd been here only a few days.

She wanted to take my place, and Walter and Marlene wanted to save that hundred thousand.

Except it never occurred to them that the million followers on that grill house livestream account were all built by me, and me alone.

My top supporter had even put together a devoted fan club, tens of thousands strong, just for me.

All of them regulars who kept coming to the grill house to spend money just to watch me perform.

Since they wanted to be this heartless, they couldn't blame me for showing no loyalty in return.

I didn't argue anymore. I packed up my things fast and walked out of the grill house.

"Bye-bye, Delilah. Come cheer me on in my livestream sometime!"

Blanche called out behind me, smug all over her face.

I didn't bother to look back.

Blanche had just graduated high school, never studied dance, couldn't hold a tune, and had no other talent to speak of.

She didn't even come close to me on the most basic count of looks, and she really thought she could replace me?

I walked straight across the street to Ellison's Grill House.

Ellison's Grill House had always been the number one draw on this street.

Walter's Butler's Grill House had been the least popular.

Now Butler's ranked first, and Ellison's had slipped to second.

The owner, Jonathan Ellison, was surprised to see me.

"Well now, the big star's here. What can I get you?"

He said it half-joking.

"Jonathan, I'm here to talk about a partnership."

I said it seriously.

"Delilah, what kind of partnership?" Jonathan's eyes lit up.

...

Half an hour later, we'd settled the details of the deal.

And signed a written agreement.

Just as I was discussing the night's performance with Jonathan.

Walter and Marlene came charging in.

Marlene lunged at my face like a fury.

"Delilah, you shameless thing!"

"So this is where you ran off to!"

Jonathan shoved her back.

"You've got the nerve to make trouble in my shop?"

Walter and Marlene didn't dare try anything more.

Just then Blanche walked in.

"Jonathan, don't go thinking you've scored a bargain."

"Delilah only blew up because my brother's grill house account has a million followers!"

"Off my brother's grill house, she's nothing!"

With that she led Walter and Marlene out, smug as ever.

Jonathan's face went hard with anger, and he spat after their backs. "Petty people the moment they get ahead."

I couldn't help but smile.

The more smug Blanche and the rest were now, the harder they'd fall later.

After a while, Jonathan told me Blanche's side had gone live first.

I went in to look and found the livestream already had several thousand viewers.

But once a lot of them realized it was Blanche streaming, they kept asking.

"Who are you? Where's Delilah?"

"Where did Delilah go? We want to see Delilah!"

The bright, pleased look on Blanche's face turned ugly in an instant.

And a little panicked, too.