Chapter Three
Sloane’s POV
“Shut up.” I cut Chloe off. “This twenty thousand dollars isn’t compensation for your inventory. It’s payment in full for the warehouse space you supposedly provided over the past three months, and...”
“It also buys out the last pathetic shred of loyalty I had to this family.”
Martha and Dale went rigid.
“Sloane, what is that supposed to mean?” Dale frowned, sensing that something was wrong.
“Exactly what it sounds like.” I closed my checkbook and straightened my blazer. “Since the day I took over this account, Mia has kept detailed financial records of every sale, every refund, and every dollar I paid out of my own pocket. I’ve put far more than twenty thousand dollars into this business.”
“But I’m not asking for any of it back. I’ll consider it the price I paid to learn my lesson and see all of you for who you really are.”
“Tomorrow will be my last presale stream for this store. I made a promise to my followers, and I intend to keep it. Once the livestream is over and we’ve handed over all the account data, my team and I are walking away for good.”
“After that, whatever happens to you is none of my concern.”
Martha immediately panicked. “You wouldn’t dare! What’s going to happen to Chloe’s store if you stop streaming? Those followers only show up because of you!”
“That’s your problem.” I looked at her coldly. “You think I’ve been taking advantage of you, don’t you? You think anyone can sell this stuff. Fine. The stage is all yours.”
I turned to Dale.
“And stop claiming that you paid for my college. Chloe was the only child either of you ever cared about. That little bit of living-expense money you keep bringing up? I paid back every cent by working three jobs in college. You didn’t put me through school. I paid for all four years with student loans.”
“After I started working, I sent you money every month. I paid Chloe’s community college tuition. I bought her first car. When her business failed, I was the one who covered the losses.”
“I don’t owe any of you a thing. Starting tomorrow, you can clean up your own messes.”
I turned to Mia. “Tell the team to pack up all our equipment. As soon as tomorrow’s livestream ends, we’re out.”
“Good for you, Sloane!” Mia looked ready to cry with relief as she glared at the three of them.
They kept shouting insults behind me, but I didn’t look back.
I pushed open the warehouse’s heavy steel door. Cold air hit my face, and I had never felt so relieved.
At eight o’clock the next evening, I took my seat in front of the livestream camera right on time.
The tension in the warehouse was unbearable.
Chloe, Martha, and Dale sat in a corner outside the camera’s frame like three stone-faced supervisors, watching my every move. They looked as if they were afraid I might walk off with so much as a cable.
I ignored them, steadied my breathing, and gave the camera my signature smile.
“Good evening, besties. Tonight is my final presale livestream on Chloe’s store. To thank you for supporting us over the past three months, I’m adding an extra ten percent off on top of the platform discount!”
The comments immediately poured in.
“Sloane is so generous!”
“What do you mean, your final livestream? Are you leaving?”
“Whatever, I’m buying first and asking questions later! If Sloane recommends it, I trust it!”
I spoke at a steady pace and explained every product clearly, including its best features, who it was suited for, and even its minor drawbacks.
Even if it was my last livestream, I wasn’t going to do a halfhearted job. That was the bare minimum I expected of myself as a professional.
“This sheet mask doesn’t contain much serum, so I wouldn’t recommend it for my dry-skin besties. If you have oily skin, though, this one is a safe bet...”
I didn’t drink a drop of water for four hours.
At midnight, the final number appeared on the dashboard. The livestream had generated more than two million dollars in sales.
“Thank you for staying with me. I’ll see you around.” I bowed deeply to the camera and ended the livestream.
As soon as the camera was off, Mia unplugged our microphones, HD cameras, and studio lights and began packing everything into boxes.
Chloe walked over in her high heels, staring at the two-million-dollar sales total on the dashboard with greed in her eyes.
She folded her arms. “Well, at least you had the decency to make me some money before you left. But don’t think I can’t keep this store running without you.”
I took the tissue Mia handed me and wiped the sweat from my face without even looking at Chloe.
“Mia organized the login credentials, admin access, and supplier contacts. The USB drive is on the table. The platform will deposit the money into your account tomorrow.”
“Stop acting like you’re better than us!” Martha scoffed. “Do you really think those followers like you? They like the products Chloe picked out! Good products sell themselves. It doesn’t matter who’s on camera. All you do is sit there and read from a script.”
