Chapter 5

Yasmin basically lived in the living room now, livestreaming every second.

"Bella, I don't even have money for food. My parents are gone, and the only way I can survive is by livestreaming. You don't mind, right?"

She then turned to her audience, giving them that pitiful look. "Guys, I know I'm not a big influencer like Bella, making tens of thousands from a single post. But if I work hard enough, I believe I can make a living. Hard work is all I've got to make up for my losses."

The comments rolled in fast:

[We've got your back! Hard work beats fame any day. Bella totally forgot where she came from.]

[You're so pitiful. Just unfollowed Bella—supporting you now, Yasmin!]

[Bella's living it up while the real victim has to grind just to get by. What kind of world is this?]

Off-camera, Yasmin flashed me a smug, taunting glance. "Bella, wasn't your whole brand built on the 'hardworking girl' thing? Funny how tables turn. Now I'm the one grinding."

I lazily flipped through a magazine without bothering to look up. "Good luck with that."

A few days later, news of my $10,000 donation to Yasmin leaked online—"accidentally," of course.

She was livestreaming when she found out, and her face went stiff. For days, she'd been milking her sob story—playing the victim card, soaking up sympathy, and boosting her follower count.

But the second her audience learned she'd already pocketed ten grand without saying a word? They lost it.

The fragile little victim image she'd crafted? Gone.

I couldn't resist. "Yasmin, hope you've got that ten grand stashed somewhere safe," I said with a sweet smile. "Wouldn't want you to get scammed again."

She clenched her jaw. "If you didn't scam me, why'd you give me money?"

Zack, who'd been brooding quietly, finally blew up. "Only ten grand? Yasmin lost fifty grand! Bella, you're not broke—just pay her the rest! Quit being so stingy!"

I snorted. "Let me spell it out for you one last time: it's a donation. Not compensation."

After the donation story spread, people clung to one question: 'If Bella didn't scam Yasmin, why did she pay her?'

That narrative snowballed—until someone dropped a scathing comment online:

[Y'all dragged Bella for not paying, now you're dragging her for donating? Mad she only gave $10K? Why don't you donate? There's a fundraiser in Yasmin's comments—go ahead, pitch in!]

Yep, a fundraiser had popped up for Yasmin. And the organizer? They weren't holding back. They went around calling out every hater who had trashed me, straight up asking them how much they'd donated.

It was hilarious. The loudest keyboard warriors? Poof. Vanished.

I shot the fundraiser organizer a DM:

[Thank you.]

Didn't expect an answer so fast.

Turns out, I knew who he was—a content creator with a solid following. His reputation, though? Messy. Dude was infamous for having a temper and acting like he was too good for everyone. It's why I'd never considered working with him.

His reply came quick:

[I'm not doing it for you. I just can't stand those self-righteous trolls trying to guilt-trip you. Honestly? You're way too soft. It pisses me off.]

This wasn't the first time someone called me too soft.

Every time I opened my DMs, there it was — fans telling me to toughen up, to stop playing nice.

But timing was everything. I wasn't about to blow my brand on a random clapback. I needed the perfect moment to flip the script.

After news broke about my $10K donation to Yasmin, my name shot back into the trending charts. The narrative was shifting. More people were realizing I didn't owe Yasmin a thing. My traffic? Skyrocketing.

Meanwhile, Yasmin's dramatic "kneeling in the square" video made a comeback — but this time, people weren't buying it. Her whole victim act? Exposed. Her sob story fell apart, and before she even got her influencer start, her career went down in flames.

Honestly? That $10K was the best money I'd ever spent.

Then there was Zack. His clueless comments didn't go unnoticed, either. My fans were pissed:

[Zack's out of line! How could he treat his own sister like that?]

Still, his fangirls were loyal to the grave:

[Zack's right. Bella's the problem!]

[She should be helping him, not holding him back! We'll protect Zack no matter what!]

Zack's looks and that cocky, devil-may-care vibe? Catnip for a certain type of naive fan. The ride-or-die kind who'd defend him no matter what.

Even on my account, the second Zack popped up in a post, the comments would spiral into chaos.

Cutting ties with Zack had been on my to-do list for a while. I just needed a way to spin it so that when I dropped him, his fans would stick around — or better yet, switch over to me.

But timing was everything. I needed the right moment to drop the hammer. Something big enough to reveal his little backroom deal with Yasmin.

The drama wasn't juicy enough yet. I wanted a real plot twist for my grand comeback.

And then Yasmin handed me exactly what I needed.

Out of nowhere, she dropped a bombshell: she claimed she had proof that I was the scammer all along.