Chapter One
Sloane’s POV
My sister’s TikTok Shop was on the verge of being shut down. As a top livestream creator with three million followers, I stepped in and turned a warehouse full of dead inventory into bestsellers.
That night, my sister shipped the wrong items for three hundred orders. I apologized on camera, then paid ten thousand dollars out of my own pocket to issue refunds and send replacements.
After the livestream, I went to the warehouse to pick up samples for tomorrow. The second I grabbed two insulated tumblers, my sister snatched them out of my hands.
“I knew it! You’ve been stealing from me again!”
I told her they were samples and that every item had been logged.
She refused to listen and smacked the shelf with her palm.
“My inventory has been off for months because you’ve been stealing from me! Pay me twenty thousand dollars, or I’m calling the cops!”
For three months, I hadn’t charged a flat fee or taken a dime in commission. I had even covered the customer service costs myself.
And now she was calling me a thief.
Our parents rushed in when they heard the shouting. Mom wrapped an arm around my sister and glared at me.
“You’re her older sister. You’re supposed to help her. But stealing says everything about what kind of person you are.”
Dad looked at me with disappointment. “Do you have any idea how hard your sister has worked to build this business? How could you take advantage of her?”
I looked at the three of them, each one convinced they were in the right, and laughed.
Fine. If they thought anyone could sell this stuff, they could go live and sell it themselves.
“Hey, besties! The packaging on these handmade scented candles may be simple, but the scent throw is better than anything else you’ll find at this price. If there’s anything wrong with your order, just send us a message. I promise we’ll make it right!”
I gave the camera my practiced, flawless smile. After four straight hours of nonstop talking, my voice had started to go hoarse.
The order count on the screen kept climbing. Ten thousand units sold out in less than ten minutes.
“Sloane, you’re amazing!”
“I’m buying because I trust Sloane!”
“The tumbler I ordered last time had a small defect, and Sloane sent me a replacement right away. Her customer service is seriously the best!”
As the praise flooded the comments, I finally relaxed a little.
This was my younger sister Chloe’s TikTok Shop.
Three months ago, her terrible product selection and constant quality issues had nearly gotten the store shut down. More than a hundred thousand dollars’ worth of unsold inventory had been sitting in the warehouse.
Mom had cried and begged me to help. That was the only reason I brought in my team and took over the mess for free.
By taking care of every customer and paying for refunds and replacements out of my own pocket, I had turned the failing account around.
Then my assistant, Mia, stepped out of the camera’s view and handed me a note. Her expression was tense.
“Sloane, we have a problem with one of the shipments.”
I glanced at the note and frowned.
The batch Chloe had handled was supposed to contain the premium Set A, but she had shipped the trial-size Set B instead. Three hundred orders were affected.
Chloe had messed up again.
This wasn’t the first time. She was an absolute disaster at handling fulfillment.
I didn’t hesitate. I bowed to the camera.
“I’m so sorry, everyone. Three hundred orders shipped from our 3PL warehouse in Vernon contained the wrong items. This was an internal mistake, and we take full responsibility. All three hundred customers will get a full refund, and we’ll send out the correct Set A for free. I’ll personally cover every dollar of the loss.”
The comments exploded, with viewers praising me for owning the mistake and making it right.
By the time the livestream ended, I was so exhausted I nearly collapsed into my chair.
Mia handed me a cup of warm water, her face tight with concern. “Sloane, you’re paying to clean up another one of Chloe’s messes. Refunding and replacing three hundred orders will cost at least ten thousand dollars. She made the mistake. Why should you have to pay for it?”
“Forget it. This is the last time I’m cleaning up a mess for my family.” I rubbed my temples and stood. “Come on. We need to pick up the products we’re featuring tomorrow.”
When I pushed open the warehouse’s heavy door, the smell of cheap artificial fragrance hit me.
I had just reached the shelves and picked up two insulated tumblers for the next day’s livestream when a sharp voice cut in behind me.
“I knew it! You’ve been stealing from me again!”
Chloe rushed over and snatched the tumblers out of my hands. Her eyes were filled with suspicion and disgust.
“Chloe, those are samples for tomorrow’s livestream.” I tried to contain my disbelief. “Everything I take is for the next day’s livestream. It’s all recorded in Mia’s spreadsheet. If you don’t know how to check an Excel spreadsheet, I can show you.”
“Don’t give me that crap.” She sneered and jabbed a finger in my face. “You come into the warehouse after every livestream and take whatever you want. Who knows how much you’ve stolen? My inventory has been off for months, and now I know why. You’ve been stealing from your own family this whole time!”
