Chapter 2

Blanche stammered out a few vague sounds.

Then she blinked hard and squeezed out a few tears.

She put on the most wounded face she could manage.

"I'm the owner's sister, Blanche."

"Delilah wanted my brother to sign over ninety percent of the grill house to her. He said no, so she got angry and walked out."

"Now she's gone to some other grill house, and she's swearing she'll drive our place into the ground."

The moment she said it, the livestream channel boiled over.

"Wow, Delilah's greed is ugly."

"Isn't the owner her own cousin? How could she pull something this disgusting?"

"She looks so pretty, and her heart's this greedy?"

"You never really know a person. I was blind."

A lot of people got worked up and started posting that they were unfollowing me.

"I'm done supporting Delilah. I will never watch her perform again."

"Don't worry, Blanche, we'll keep supporting your grill house for sure!"

"I wasn't even planning to go out for grill today, but now I'm heading over to show my support!"

"Everybody go eat at their place today. We can't let that Delilah's threat work!"

Now and then someone would remind the room not to take just one side's word.

But every one of those comments got buried under the flood, and none of them caught on.

A satisfied smile crossed Blanche's face.

Then she put on a touched expression and bowed her head to the camera over and over.

"Thank you all for supporting us. You're the ones who gave my family the courage to keep going."

"But please, don't blame Delilah either. She is my cousin, after all."

She forced out a few more tears, the picture of pitiful innocence.

The viewers in the channel got even more fired up.

"Don't cry, Blanche, I'll support you guys forever."

"Sweet Blanche, still this kind-hearted. That Delilah's character is way worse than yours!"

"Blanche, don't stick up for that one. Just tell us which shop she's at and I'll go wreck the place!"

"I'm in! People like that can't be allowed to keep running wild!"

Watching it get to this point, even Jonathan couldn't help frowning hard.

He turned and looked at me, and something in his eyes had gone strange.

He clearly had his doubts about me now too.

"Delilah, this deal of ours, maybe we should talk it over again?"

"You can see how much everyone's got against you right now. I'm worried you'll bring a bad name to my shop..."

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I pulled up a video on my phone.

"Jonathan, take a look at this first."

Jonathan looked at my phone, puzzled.

"Delilah, here's the year-end bonus my brother's giving you!"

"Is this a joke?"

"It's not a joke. And starting today, you don't work here anymore..."

I've got a habit of recording video on my phone every time I go on and off stream, as extra material for clipping livestream highlights.

So I'd happened to capture the whole thing, Walter and his family ganging up to force me out.

When Jonathan finished watching, his expression turned to something spectacular.

He pumped his fist hard, eyes lighting up.

"Well, well. That cousin of yours can really act. She almost had me fooled."

"With this, there's no way they don't go under!"

"They brought this on themselves, no saving them!"

Right then, my phone rang.

It was my number one fan, Jade Sinclair.

"Delilah, what's going on over there?"

"You're not actually greedy enough to try to swallow up your cousin's shop, are you?"

"How could you do something like this..."