Cut Out, Cashed In

On International Women's Day, I spent twelve hours straight in a live stream, selling $5 million worth of product.

When it came time to settle my commission, my aunt and boss, Sandra Holt, quietly transferred my $400,000 cut into her own account and handed me $500, labeled as a meal stipend.

She took my hand with a warm, motherly smile. "Sweetheart, you're still an intern. Taking that much money at your age would hurt your career development. Let me hold onto it for you. Put it toward a car someday."

I looked at the sharp calculation behind her kind eyes. I didn't argue. I took the money without a word.

That night, I deleted my account and vanished, taking my entire product-sourcing system with me.

The next morning, Aunt Sandra stared at a live stream with ten viewers and finally started blowing up my phone.

I was jolted awake by someone hammering on my door.

"Lexi Harmon, who do you think you are? You had your phone off?" Sandra Holt shoved her way in and got right in my face. "Why didn't you go live last night? Do you have any idea how much money you cost us? 500 pre-orders—all refunded! And now the platform is docking our credibility score and downgrading our ranking!"

I leaned against the doorframe and yawned. "Aunt Sandra, didn't you say I was useless? If I'm so useless, what does it matter whether I go live or not? You're so capable. You do it."

Wade Holt shoved forward and grabbed me by the collar. "Shut up and get back to the office! My mom went on by herself last night for four hours. Screamed herself hoarse and moved $200 worth of stuff. All your followers were asking where you were. Get on and explain yourself."

I knocked his hand away hard, my expression flat. "Explain what? That I busted my ass moving product while Aunt Sandra took my commission to buy you a house and a car?"

Aunt Sandra's face stiffened. Her eyes shifted. "That's nonsense. That was normal cash flow for Vivid Stream Media. I'm telling you as your employer, you're coming with me right now.

"If you can make up last night's losses today, I'll think about giving you $10,000 at the end of the year as a bonus. Out of the forty."

I actually laughed. "$10,000? Aunt Sandra, how generous. What is that, a tip? Doesn't matter though. I already quit."

Aunt Sandra went still. Then she smiled, cold and thin. "Quit? And your internship report, you're just throwing that away? Without my signature and stamp, you won't get your degree. Good luck finding a job after that."

I reached into my bag, pulled out a second document that was already stamped, and threw it at her.

"Sorry. I transferred to a new internship placement. The university already approved it. As for your little company, leave it for your son to run into the ground."

Aunt Sandra tore the document apart. Her jaw was tight, her whole face twisted. "Fine. You've got nerve. We're done. We'll rename the account and find someone else to host. I'd like to see the channel die without you."

After they left, I unlocked my phone.

The Vivid Stream Media group chat had already exploded. Aunt Sandra was tagging me over and over, flooding the thread with venom.

[Lexi Harmon is exactly the kind of ungrateful snake everyone needs to watch out for. Stealing core company assets, going AWOL without notice… I've already called my lawyer.]

I didn't respond. I left the group.

I swapped in a new SIM and started calling my key suppliers, the ones I'd built real relationships with over the past few years.

I figured that history counted for something and that they'd flip to my side without much convincing.

The reality hit me like ice water.

"Hey, it's Lexi, Lexi Harmon. I left Vivid Stream Media. I'm going out on my own, and I still have the full sourcing system—"