Chapter 3

3

During my third week of silence, Lindsay Miller posted again.

This time, she didn't hide behind hints. The title was "The Truth About Nora Sinclair." Her thumbnail even used my face.

She acted like she was being "objective," but she spent the whole video implying I was a fraud.

The comment section was a circus.

"Lindsay is right. Nora is just a shell."

"I always knew her work looked too good to be true. She finally got caught."

"Everyone is betting against her. She's officially over."

"I bet a hundred bucks she won't post again for six months."

The biggest surprise was the newcomer I had helped, Kaleb Reed.

He did a livestream "analyzing" my downfall. He used a condescending tone, acting like he was a wise veteran.

"The most important thing in content is being real. Don't take shortcuts. Some people fall because they rely too much on corporate packing."

He had less than 200,000 followers. Six months ago, he knew nothing. I was the one who fixed his scripts and adjusted his lighting.

Now, he was using me as a "cautionary tale" to gain followers.

I took screenshots of everything. I felt no anger and no sadness.

I just wrote a single line in my notebook: "When the work comes out, none of these people will escape."

But for now, I was patient.

My data was still bleeding. I was down to 1.2 million followers. The comments were full of trolls.

Every brand had stopped working with me. Three deals I had lined up were canceled.

My income was zero.

I was living off my savings to pay for rent, food, and equipment maintenance.

My dad called me. "Nora, if things are too hard, just come home. We have enough money for you."

"Dad, give me six months. In six months, I'll make everyone shut up."

My dad was silent for a while before saying, "Okay."