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Ivy lügt über eine Nacht mit Mason, um beliebt zu werden, doch er wird ihr Stiefbruder. Sie schließen einen Deal: Ivy gibt Nachhilfe, er täuscht Liebe vor. Unter einem Dach wird aus dem Spiel bald gefährliches Verlangen.
1.Chapter 1 She's Finally Moved On At a private hospital in Irisport, Alicia Delaney lay in bed, her gaze unfocused as she stared out the window. She never expected to travel to the past after dying. Suddenly, a notification rang out, snapping her back to reality. She picked up her phone to check it. It was a link to a trending topic that had blown up a few hours ago, sent by her assistant. She tapped on it. It read: [Nicole Hammond's concert not only had top idol Nicolas Moore as a special guest, but the VIP section was packed with even more big names!] The post started by gushing about how amazing Nicole's two songs were and how insanely popular she was. Then it showed a few photos of Nicolas and Nicole singing together on stage. Finally, it included pictures of the VIP section, where some of the biggest names in the industry were sitting. There was up-and-coming director Caleb Hammond, Hammond Group CEO Kevin Hammond, top investor Austin Hammond, Delaney Group CEO Collin Delaney, and esports superstar Maxwell Delaney. All of them were big shots. Alicia scrolled down and tapped on the comments. As she had expected, besides all the praise for Nicole, there were plenty of negative comments toward her. Alexrow: [I've been saying Nicole is the Hammond family's little princess, and some people didn't believe me. But look at all these VIPs here tonight. This is the best proof.] Matt_hill: [Gotta say, the Hammond family really dotes on Nicole. All three brothers showed up to support her.] Jasonlee77: [Nicolas, Maxwell, and Collin are all super close to Nicole too. They totally spoil her.] Lucas_w: [I wonder if that clout-chasing wannabe is feeling embarrassed right now after seeing this trending topic.] Quietjon: [No idea if she's actually embarrassed, but she's probably burning with jealousy and envy, totally losing it right now.] Latecoffee: [She really had the guts to claim she was the Hammonds's daughter, Nicolas's childhood sweetheart, and Collin and Maxwell's cousin.] Bluewindow: [None of them showed up for her performance yesterday. She got smacked by a stage light, and not one of them visited her in the hospital. But today, they all rushed over from everywhere just to support Nicole's concert. Honestly, the secondhand embarrassment is real.] Oldcam: [Yeah, she's in the same company as Nicolas, but I bet he doesn't even know she exists.] Sundaynoise: [She's totally desperate to be famous.] Softstatic: [Nicole's just too nice. She didn't even make a fuss when Alicia pretended to be the Hammond family's daughter.] Halfawake: [If Nicole wanted, with all these big shots backing her up, she could get that clout-chaser blacklisted in a heartbeat.] Afterten: [Blacklist her? She's already so hated. She'll probably end up getting herself booted from the industry soon enough.] Lowbattery: [She loves the drama and the clout. No way she'd give that up. I just wish she'd leave LUMIA already and stop holding the other girls back.] stillonline [Same question every day. When is Alicia finally leaving the group?] In her previous life, seeing this trending topic and all those comments hit Alicia hard. After she got out of the hospital, she even confronted those people she thought were important to her and caused a stir. But now, she was totally chill. She didn't care about them anymore. She was really a Hammond, also Kevin, Caleb, and Austin's biological younger sister. She was Collin and Maxwell's cousin and Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Nicole was just Alicia's stepmother's daughter, who took the Hammond name, but Nicole wasn't actually related to any of them by blood. Next, Alicia logged into her X account. Aside from a handful of fans asking how she was doing after the accident, the rest were just a flood of hate comments. People were roasting her for going to the hospital and supposedly screwing up LUMIA's upcoming shows. They asked her to quit the group and stop dragging the other girls down. Alicia's entertainment company and her agent didn't give her any support or issue any announcement. They just watched the drama unfold and didn't do a thing. Just then, Alicia's phone lit up with a call from Kevin, her oldest brother. Alicia picked up and said, "Yeah?" Kevin's voice came through. "Nicole told me you got hurt. You alright?" Alicia let out a sarcastic laugh. "It happened yesterday, and you're just asking now? "And you wouldn't have called if Nicole hadn't told you, huh? You're such a great brother." Alicia knew Nicole had told them on purpose, not out of kindness, but just to get under her skin. After all, Alicia had asked them to come to her show, but none of them bothered to show up. She got hurt, and they didn't even notice. It really stung. Kevin was silent for a few seconds, then he spoke up, "Which hospital are you at? We'll come to see you." Alicia replied coolly, "Don't bother. I wouldn't dare trouble you." Kevin frowned, "What are you trying to pull?" He paused, then finally tried to explain, "We really did have things going on yesterday. That was why we couldn't make it to your show. None of us expected you'd get hurt on stage. We..." Alicia cut him off before he could finish. "If you didn't want to come, just tell me. No need to make up excuses." She'd invited every single one of them to her show, but they all had some excuse about being busy and couldn't make it. But the very next day, they all showed up to support Nicole. Now, trying to explain themselves was just making things even more awkward. To Alicia, it was just more infuriating and disgusting. She added, "Listen, I won't bother you guys anymore. If we ever run into each other, I'll just pretend we're strangers." She used to be the one they cherished and spoiled, but after her stepmother showed up with Nicole, everything changed. All the love and attention her family once gave her was now showered on Nicole. Whenever Alicia and Nicole clashed, their family always told Alicia to just let it go, took Nicole's side, and started treating Alicia like she was the problem. Kevin's face darkened. "What do you mean you won't bother us anymore, and you'll just pretend we're strangers?" Alicia said bluntly, "It means I'm cutting ties with all of you." Kevin was stunned for a moment. Then, his voice was full of anger. "Are you out of your mind? How can you even say something like that?" He couldn't believe it and asked, "Just because we missed your show? Is it really that serious?" Alicia scoffed, "Yeah, it is. Hasn't this happened enough over the years? "You guys always have double standards, and I've had enough." All these years, they bailed on Alicia over and over, just to please Nicole. Just like this time, they didn't even try to hide it and just picked Nicole over Alicia. When Alicia first wanted to get into showbiz, her family not only shot her down, but told her that if she were so capable, she should do it without the connections of the Hommond family. Thus, Alicia used her mother's last name instead. But when Nicole jumped into showbiz after Alicia, not only did they not object, they gave her full support, throwing money and resources at her, backing her up like she was the star of the family. Now, the thing Alicia got dragged for the hardest online was supposedly clout-chasing the Hammond family name. But she never went around telling people she was a Hommond. It was Nicole and her mother, working with her agent, who kept pushing that story everywhere behind the scenes. They knew the Hommonds would never step up and admit that Alicia was really one of them. Whenever people started questioning Alicia online, her family just kept quiet and never bothered to set the record straight. It turned out that Nicole and her mother played it just right. The Hommonds didn't say a word about the truth. It basically let everyone believe that Alicia was just chasing clout, so she got dragged through the mud online. Alicia added, "Let's be real. Isn't this exactly what you wanted? You'd rather pretend I don't exist. You guys only want Nicole to be your family, right? Fine. I'll make it easy for you." Kevin took a deep breath, his anger flaring. "You're seriously threatening to cut us off just because of something so petty? "We never said anything like that. You really need to stop acting out. Why can't you be more like Nicole and just behave?" Alicia knew Kevin would never believe her. He'd just think she was throwing a fit, as always. Ever since Nicole and her mother moved in, anything Alicia did was just called her acting out. It was honestly ridiculous. In Alicia's previous life, she valued family so much that she kept putting up with everything, always backing down for their sake. But in the end, she became public enemy number one. This time around, she was completely over it. Family, childhood sweetheart, or whatever, she wanted them as far away from her as possible. Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So having one obedient sister is all you ever needed, huh? "I'm not making a scene, and I'm not threatening you. "Let me make this clear one last time. From today on, I'm cutting ties with every single one of you in the Hammond family. "All my expenses growing up came from my mom, so I don't owe the Hammond family anything. "Just pass it on to the rest of the Hammonds for me. I won't tell the rest of them myself. "Let's not contact or see each other ever again. That's all." She ended the call right after saying that. Then she blocked every single one of the Hammonds, including her father, brothers, plus Collin, Maxwell, and Nicolas. Since she was cutting ties with them, she was going to do it for real. 2.Chapter 2 Is She Serious? Later, Kevin went back to Hammond Manor. Seeing the shock and anger written all over Kevin's face, Austin and Caleb asked, "Kevin, what did she say?" With a stony expression, Kevin gave them a quick rundown of his conversation with Alicia. Hearing this, Austin and Caleb turned gloomy too. Nicole's eyes flickered with uncertainty. She put on an anxious look and said, "Kevin, do you think Alicia got so mad because you all came to see my show? "Which hospital is she staying at? I'll explain everything and apologize to her now. "She must've been so upset with me to say she wants to cut us off." Feeling even more guilty, Nicole added, "I really hope she doesn't get the wrong idea about you guys because of me and cut ties with you." Kevin gave her a reassuring look. "You don't need to explain anything to her. This has nothing to do with you." Kevin thought Alicia always had it out for Nicole. If Nicole showed up at the hospital, he didn't know what kind of scene Alicia would make. Austin frowned, "She's really gone overboard this time. Is cutting ties something she can just say so casually? "Honestly, she's almost certainly using this as a way to threaten us, trying to get us to back down. "Just leave her alone for a few days, and she'll come back on her own." Caleb didn't believe for a second that Alicia would really cut ties with them over something so trivial. He said, "Yeah, she was throwing a fit over the phone. Her injuries are probably nothing serious. There's no need for us to see her at the hospital. "If we keep giving in to her, she'll just get more and more unreasonable. "Let's just leave her alone for now. Once she calms down, she'll come back to us." Austin and Kevin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's just give her some space and let her cool off for a while." After a few more words of comfort, they personally escorted Nicole upstairs to get some rest. ***** Alicia's injuries weren't serious, so she checked herself out of the hospital the very next day. Except when she was out working, she usually stayed at the Hammond family's old mansion. But she'd actually bought a place of her own before, and nobody knew about it. Now that she was leaving the Hammond family, she could finally move in. She called the moving company first, then headed back to Hammond Manor. As she had expected, everyone else was out. Felix looked a little taken aback when Alicia walked in, but quickly he smiled and greeted her, "Ms. Alicia Hammond, you're back." Felix overheard the three Hammond brothers talking last night. He'd always thought Alicia was just in a mood, but he never expected her to come back so soon. Alicia gave Felix a quick look, said nothing, and went straight to her room. Felix had been working for the Hammonds since her grandfather's days, and he'd practically watched Alicia grow up. When she was a kid, he was always gentle and caring. He'd play with her in the yard and used to call her "Madam". But after Nicole moved in, it only took a couple of years before he started calling Alicia "Ms. Alicia Hommond" instead of just "Madam". He and the other servants all started calling Nicole "Madam" now. 'I'm the outsider here now, huh?' Alicia thought to herself. Back in her room, Alicia started boxing up all her things. She wasn't planning to leave a single thing behind. Anything she didn't want, she'd just sell online or simply throw away. Then she opened the safe and took out the jewelry her mother had left her, along with a share transfer document and a few property deeds. Her mother had owned 15% of Hammond Group's shares. Before she passed away, she gave 3% each to Alicia's three brothers, but left Alicia with 6%. She said the extra 3% was meant to be Alicia's wedding gift. At the time, neither her dad nor her brothers had any problem with it. But in her previous life, they tried to make her split half her shares with Nicole, claiming Nicole was her sister too. Of course, Alicia refused. Feeling betrayed, she used her 6% stake to mess with them and throw Hammond Group into chaos, all for revenge. On top of that, she also had a few properties that her maternal grandparents had left her. She ran her fingers over the document pouch, memories of her mom and grandparents' kindness flooding back. Her eyes reddened with emotion. 'At least I had people who truly cared about me. That's all I ever needed,' she told herself. After a moment, Alicia took a deep breath and carefully placed all those valuables into a lock box. After a while, she got a call from the movers. She went downstairs to show them in and led them up to her room to start packing, making sure to carry the lock box herself. Felix rushed in as soon as he saw what was happening. "Ms. Alicia Hammond, what are you doing?" Alicia looked at him with a calm expression. "I'm moving out. I already told Kevin. Since yesterday, I've cut ties with everyone in the Hammond family. "So of course, I won't be living here anymore." Felix was utterly shocked. "Ms. Alicia Hommond, no matter how much fuss you make, cutting ties isn't something to joke about. You..." He clearly hadn't expected Alicia to come back just to pack up and leave, instead of trying to make up. Alicia interrupted him, her voice cold. "You're not in a position to tell me what to do." She didn't bother with him anymore and turned away, calling out to the movers to get started. Felix hadn't expected Alicia to be so cold and forceful with him. He couldn't help but feel stung and a little upset. He wanted to step up and try to persuade her, but Alicia didn't even spare him a glance. Left with no other option, he stepped out of the room and called Kevin. Kevin was in the middle of a meeting, but when he saw it was Felix calling, he picked up anyway. When Kevin heard that Alicia had actually gone back to pack her things, he looked visibly shaken. A wave of unease and panic washed over him. After a moment's thought, he paused the meeting and headed home. At the same time, he called Caleb and Austin. By the time the three of them rushed home, Alicia had already left with the movers. They headed upstairs to Alicia's room. All that was left were the gifts they'd given her over the years and a photo frame and album on the desk. Everything else that belonged to her had completely disappeared. Austin's eyes landed on the photo frame, and he looked genuinely shocked. "She cut out the part with Mom and took them, leaving ours behind." The other two guys exchanged confused glances. They walked over and saw that the family portrait had been cut. The part of their mother and Alicia was missing, leaving only their father and the three sons. Caleb picked up the photo album and flipped through it. Sure enough, there wasn't a single solo shot of their mother or Alicia at all. All that was left were pictures of just their father and the brothers, or group photos where their mother and Alicia had been snipped out. The three brothers just stood there, totally baffled and at a loss. They thought, 'How did it end up like this? Is she actually serious about cutting us off? No way, she can't mean it. 'We only skipped her show. Does she really have to blow things up like this?' Kevin's face darkened as he pulled out his phone. "I'll call her." But when he tried, he realized Alicia had blocked his number. He switched to a messaging app, only to find she'd removed him there too. Seeing this, Caleb and Austin quickly pulled out their phones to try reaching Alicia, but she'd blocked them everywhere as well. The three guys were left feeling both hurt and pissed off. They got Felix to give Alicia a call, but he'd been blocked too. They borrowed a phone from one of the new maids and tried again. This number wasn't blocked, but Alicia just ignored every single call. Caleb turned to Kevin, looking totally lost. "Bro, what now?" Kevin just stared back, feeling completely helpless. He really didn't have a clue what to do. Austin thought for a moment and asked, "Should we tell Dad?" Kevin shook his head. "Let's not tell Dad for now. I'm worried he'll get upset and hurt his health." Over the years, Alicia had given their father plenty of headaches, but this time, things were getting pretty serious. Kevin wasn't sure if he should reassure his brothers or just himself. He said, "I really don't think Alicia would actually cut us off. She's probably just being dramatic again." After a moment, he continued, "Dad's birthday is next month. No matter how mad she is, she'll definitely show up for that. "Give it a month. She'll get over it, and then we can sit down and talk things out." Austin and Caleb relaxed a little after hearing that. "Yeah, even if she's still upset with us, she won't miss Dad's birthday." As far as they knew, Alicia had always been super attached to their father. Every year, she'd start shopping for his birthday gift weeks ahead of time. They were sure she wouldn't skip it this year. When the day came, they'd just sit her down and talk things out. Worst case, they'd put their pride aside and sweet-talk her a bit, and Alicia would forgive them. 3.Chapter 3 I'm Easy To Mess With? After moving into her new home, Alicia tidied up. Then she sat down, deep in thought, trying to remember what had happened at this exact moment in her past life. Right now, she was getting roasted all over the internet, and she was still a member of the girl group LUMIA. Her relationship with the other members was pretty bad. It wasn't like she'd done anything to them. The other girls always ganged up on her for no reason. After those four got a taste of success from dragging Alicia down twice, they just got even worse. Of course, Alicia's company and her agent had a hand in all of this too. Back in her previous life, Alicia brought up quitting LUMIA, but they shot her down. It dragged on until the next year, when a massive scandal exploded. Only then did she finally manage to break free. But this time, Alicia wasn't about to let those bloodsuckers keep draining her. First thing on her list was to quit the group and terminate the contract with her company for good. Thinking of that, Alicia called up her mom's lawyer friend and set up a meeting. ***** That evening, Alicia slipped into a restaurant, wearing a baseball cap and a mask. Even though she was getting dragged all over the internet, she was still pretty famous. She was pulling in a ton of traffic online. After all, being infamous still made many people know her name. After a few minutes, a distinguished and elegant middle-aged man stepped into the private room. Alicia stood up with a smile and greeted that man. "Mr. Wise, it's been so long." The man named Thomas Wise gave her a warm look. "Yeah, it has." He didn't ask how she'd been. He didn't really keep up with the entertainment scene, but after Alicia called to set up this meeting, he figured she probably needed his help, so he did a little digging. After checking things out, he was totally thrown off guard. He never expected Alicia's online reputation to be so trashed. When he saw the reasons people roasted her for, he was just speechless. But from all this, it was clear that Alicia's entertainment company was super unprofessional, and the Hammonds were irresponsible too. After they sat down, they chatted about some past things. Then Alicia said, "Mr. Wise, I want your help to terminate my contract with Starlight Entertainment." She knew it was best to leave this kind of stuff to the professionals. She definitely didn't want to deal with all the drama from those people herself. Thomas wasn't surprised. He replied, "Did you bring your contract with your company? Or do you have an e-copy? Let me take a look." If Starlight Entertainment had done its job and handled her PR properly, Alicia's reputation wouldn't be in the gutter like this. Thomas figured it was probably for the best to cut ties with a company like that. Alicia pulled the contract out of her bag and handed it over. "I brought it." Thomas read through the contract carefully, then started discussing it with Alicia. Alicia's contract with Starlight Entertainment still had a year left, and if she wanted out early, she'd have to pay a 3-million-dollar penalty. But Alicia had some proof that Starlight Entertainment hadn't kept their promises, so Thomas said he'd use that to fight for a lower penalty. After they finished talking about that, Alicia pulled out the equity contract. She continued, "Mr. Wise, this is the equity my mom transferred to me before she passed away. According to the contract, I was supposed to start getting dividends from the company once I turned eighteen. "But I haven't gotten anything since then. "So I want you to help me get back what's mine from Hammond Group through legal channels. "Even if it comes down to a lawsuit, I'm fine with that." Now that she'd cut ties with the Hammonds, she wouldn't let them steal a single cent that was rightfully hers. After her mother passed away, she never used a cent from the Hammond family. Besides the equity, her mother had invested in several funds for her, so she got a nice chunk of cash every year. Her three brothers had the same setup, of course. With all that money coming in, her dad and brothers never gave her any allowance. But when it came to Nicole, they'd give her hundreds of thousands of dollars in allowance every month, and they covered all her living expenses. They always spoiled Nicole with the latest luxury clothes, designer bags, and jewelry. As for Alicia, the only time she ever got a gift from them was on her birthday. Back in her previous life, Alicia treasured those gifts, but now, she couldn't care less. She left them all behind at the old house. As for those funds her mother left her, once Austin started working in finance, Alicia just let him take care of them. But now, she was ready to take them back and hand them over to a professional investment firm. Thomas looked genuinely surprised. He asked, "Have you ever brought this up with your dad or Kevin? They really haven't given you any dividends?" If they had, Alicia wouldn't even consider going the legal route to get her dividends. Alicia gave a wry smile. "I cut ties with the entire Hammond family yesterday. "So from now on, anything to do with them, I'm treating it like business." Thomas frowned, concern etched on his face. "Did they really do something to upset you?" Otherwise, why would things get so bad that you'd have to break off all contact with them? Alicia wasn't about to make excuses for the Hammonds. She let out a helpless sigh. "It's enough for them to have a daughter and a sister. I'm just... the spare." Thomas was her mother's longtime friend. Even though he was just a lawyer by profession, he was born into old money. So aside from genuinely needing his help, Alicia also wanted to let the word get out through him that she'd severed ties with the Hammonds, making sure everyone in their elite circles heard about it. The reason was simple. The Hammonds' favoritism was just off the charts. Back in her previous life, Alicia realized something. If people weren't close to Nicole, they didn't just automatically jump to defend her or blindly take her side. And once Alicia put some distance between herself and Nicole, the folks around her stopped treating her like she was some kind of outcast, unlike Nicole's crowd. Sure enough, Thomas's mind started to wander after hearing that. He thought about all that drama he'd read online. The Hammond family's adopted daughter was called their little princess, while Alicia, the real heiress, was accused of being a fraud. It was just plain absurd. Even if they really loved Nicole, or were just putting on a show, it was way over the top to treat her like royalty and shove Alicia to the sidelines. That alone made Thomas think way less of the Hammonds. He looked at Alicia with a bit of pity in his eyes. "Leave this to me as well." "Thanks for your help, Mr. Wise," Alicia said. Alicia thought for a moment before saying, "You don't have to keep this under wraps, Mr. Wise. I actually want word to get out that I'm done with the Hammonds." Not only did she not want it kept quiet, but she wanted everyone in their circle to feast on the drama. Thomas was sharp. He got it right away and nodded. "Alright, I see." They chatted for a bit longer before heading out. ***** When Thomas got home, he filled his wife in on everything—Alicia asking for help and her breaking things off with the Hammonds. His wife used to be pretty close with Alicia's mother. After hearing the whole story, she went online to dig up the drama herself and couldn't help but roast the Hammonds for being totally brainless. She could instantly tell that the new wife Leo Hammond brought in, and that adopted daughter Nicole, were both pieces of work. After that, she vented to her family and her close circle of society ladies, and soon enough, the whole story was making the rounds. By the time the Hammonds caught wind of it, they'd already been labeled as ridiculously biased and out of their minds. It was way too late to try and explain themselves or do anything about it. ***** Meanwhile, Alicia got home and opened X, only to see the top trending topic right there. Nicole had posted a photo of herself with the Hammond brothers and the rest of the family after last night's party. Her smile was absolutely radiant. She captioned it: [With you guys, I feel like I have the whole world. With all your love and care, I'm honestly the luckiest, happiest girl in the world.] The comments were all raving about how lucky Nicole was and what a picture-perfect family they had. Mixed in were plenty of snarky remarks, throwing shade at Alicia. One of Nicole's actress friends even mentioned Alicia and commented: [This is what a real family looks like. Stop trying to insert yourself into their drama.] It was not like this actress was actually trying to have Nicole's back or anything. She just wanted to ride Nicole's coattails, since Nicole was tight with all those big-shot elites. And with Alicia getting roasted online and her company and agent basically showing no sign of defending her, the actress couldn't care less about offending Alicia. Plus, she could score points with both Nicole's fans and Alicia's haters for being so real. It was a total win-win. Alicia let out a soft laugh when she saw the post tagging her. 'Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon just to get some attention off me?' she thought. 'Do they really think I'm that easy to mess with?' Since people were coming at her for Nicole, Alicia wasn't going to play nice anymore. It was perfect timing. Just when she needed a target, someone served one up. Alicia fired off two posts on X right away, and in one of them, she responded directly by tagging that actress. Just like she expected, her post shot straight to the top of the trending list in no time. After all, she was basically a magnet for haters. Everyone was always watching her. Any little thing she did, people would catch it instantly and start roasting her from all sides. Online, nobody expected Alicia to suddenly go so hard and drop a post like this. Her haters, the paid trolls, and all the gossip crowd were left stunned. 4.Chapter 4 Get The Clout For Herself The actress who came to Nicole's defense was Alexandra Barton, a third-tier celebrity. Her post wasn't just about sucking up to Nicole. She was also trying to get in good with the big shots behind her. Besides, she planned to throw shade at Alicia and ride the wave of drama for some free clout. Every time the other LUMIA members played the victim or put on a pitiful face, Alicia would get dragged online. And every time, they'd get a wave of sympathy and attention. Sure enough, after Alexandra posted it, Nicole's fans flooded her with likes and praise. On top of that, a bunch of people called her genuine and bold for speaking up for her friend. Even some celebs hit like on her post. Alexandra was feeling pretty smug about how well her little stunt was going when her agent walked in, looking seriously pissed. "Alicia just responded. It's a bit of a mess," her agent said. Alexandra immediately opened X. She saw Alicia had posted something and tagged her. AliciaDelaneyOfficial: [I've never, not once, said or even hinted that I'm a Hammond, the Delaney brothers's cousin, or Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Anyone who spreads this crap stays broke forever.] [If you're the one hiring trolls to slander me, I'll track you down and hit you with a lawsuit.] [If you can't be bothered to get your facts straight, you don't get to run your mouth. You're a public figure. Slandering me in public is unacceptable.] [Being a bootlicker isn't as easy as you think. I've already called the cops, and I'm taking you to court. That's illegal. @AlexandraBarton] Alexandra was totally caught off guard. She never expected Alicia to go this hard and actually call the cops and threaten a lawsuit. Alicia even called Alexandra a bootlicker. That was way over the line, and it seriously pissed Alexandra off. Alexandra shot her agent a look and asked, "Has she lost her mind? How did the company even let her post something like that on social media?" Both Nicole and Alicia were signed to Starlight Entertainment, but Starlight was all about hyping up Nicole and deliberately sidelining Alicia. Alexandra was sure that Starlight would never let Alicia do something like this. That was exactly why Alexandra had felt safe enough to tag Alicia on X. Alexandra figured even if Alicia got pissed, she wouldn't be able to do anything about it. After all, without Starlight's backing and PR muscle, Alicia was no threat at all flying solo. Alexandra's agent looked exasperated. "I just got off the phone with her agent. They seriously had no idea she was going to post that on X. "But I've already talked it over. They'll get Alicia to delete the post. "As for the cops and the lawsuit, they said Starlight will shut it all down." The agent herself never thought Alicia would go this far, totally breaking the usual playbook and ignoring all the unspoken industry rules. Going to the police and threatening to sue over a few online comments? Alicia was seriously the first one to ever do this. Hearing that, Alexandra breathed easier, the tension finally melting away. She flashed a sly grin. "Once she deletes that post, the real show begins." Deleting it would make Alicia a total clown, and she would get roasted alive online. The handful of fans she got left probably wouldn't stick around for the embarrassment. So instead of deleting her post, Alexandra fired back, tagging Alicia right back. AlexandraBarton: [I've got nothing to fear. Bring it on!@AliciaDelaneyOfficial.] Everyone watching the drama unfold got another surprise when Alexandra clapped back on X. Nobody expected Alexandra to go this hard, either. The comments under both Alicia and Alexandra's posts started blowing up, racking up thousands in no time. Markd82: [Who are we supposed to believe here?] Tommy94: [Both of them are so savage. Let's see who can outlast the other.] Chris_y: [Come to think of it, Alicia never actually claimed or even hinted she was a Hammond.] Juststeve: [She wouldn't have posted something like that unless she was totally fed up with all the hate.] Nooot: [Reading her post, I really feel like someone set her up.] Idkben: [Yeah, and wishing for the rumor-spreader to stay broke forever? That's brutal. Seriously, who would jinx themselves like that if they were faking it?] Okmatt: [If that's really the case, Alicia's got it tough. She's been roasted nonstop over this.] Randomname: [You guys just buy whatever she says? Come on, this is clearly her way of trying to clear her name.] User472: [Yeah, I still don't buy that she never said or hinted at it. And talking about a lawsuit? Anyone can say that online.] Loggedout: [Alicia's not the only one who's ever posted a lawyer letter. In the end, it's all bark and no bite.] Still_here: [She's just doing this to scare people and make herself look like the victim, so everyone feels sorry for her.] Rabbitie: [Watch it, she'll probably delete that post real soon.] Cloud: [No way she actually called the cops, and I seriously doubt she's taking anyone to court.] Heyitsdan: [For real, she's been roasted online so many times before and always just let it slide. Why is she suddenly acting tough now? Obviously just trying to play the victim and chase some attention.] Alicia just happened to scroll past that comment. She fired back right under it: [Back then, my agent handled my account. Now, I call the shots myself. If you don't buy it, just wait and see if the cops come knocking on Alexandra's door.] Fans couldn't believe Alicia actually replied to the comment herself. They did find out that the way she was acting now was totally different from before. They finally knew why her account only had generic promo posts. Turned out that her agent was running her account all this time After Alicia clapped back, everyone was dying to see if the cops would actually come to Alexandra's place. Now it was all about who'd stay savage till the end. But the haters and Nicole and Alexandra's fans kept dragging Alicia nonstop, flooding her comments with insults. Nicole's fans totally lost it over Alicia calling Alexandra out as a bootlicker. They started speculating. 'What's that supposed to mean? Is she throwing shade at Nicole, saying Nicole put Alexandra up to this?' They started spamming Alicia's comments with angry rants. Imtom: [Alexandra is just sticking up for Nicole. What's wrong with that?] LoveNicole: [You've been leeching off Nicole's name, and she's been chill about it. Instead of saying thanks, you go and throw shade? You really think Nicole's just too nice and easy to push around?] NNNICOLE: [Keep messing with her and see what happens. She'll make sure you get iced out of the whole industry.] BabyNicole: [That's right. Nicole is the Hammond family's princess. She's got serious backup. If you piss her off, don't be surprised if you get shut out.] Alicia saw those comments and clapped back without hesitation. Alicia: [Come on, I surely don't dare to push Bitchy Nicole around. She's so scheming.] Alicia: [Sure, go ahead! Tell Nicole to get her powerful family to shut me down. Let's see if they can really kick me out of the industry.] Alicia: [If she doesn't blacklist me like you want, honestly, I'll laugh at her.] Anyway, Alicia was already public enemy number one online, getting roasted from all sides. She wasn't afraid of more hate at this point. Now that she'd been given a second shot at life, anyone who pissed her off was gonna get it right back. Honestly, everyone enjoyed the drama online. The fake peace and phony friendship act couldn't get people's interest. Nothing could grab attention like a straight-up online fight. Back then, they rode Alicia for clout and attention. Now, Alicia could play the same game right back. Besides, would Nicole really dare to flex her status and try to freeze Alicia out of the industry? No way. She didn't have the nerve, and she sure didn't have the pull. If she did, Alicia wouldn't have been able to stage a comeback and rise up again in her last life. And if Nicole actually ran to the Hammonds and tried to get them to blacklist Alicia, that would just wreck the whole perfect good-girl act she puts on for them. Nicole wouldn't have the nerve to pull something like that. And seriously, who was the real Hammond heiress? The fans might not have a clue, but Nicole definitely knew the truth. After clapping back in the comments, Alicia pulled another ballsy move. She tagged Nicole in a new post: [Bitchy Nicole, why don't you flaunt your Hammond princess status and get your big-shot backers to blacklist me? Come on, wipe out the villain in your story once and for all.] From now on, Alicia would be the loose cannon of the entertainment world, ready to tear into anyone whenever she felt like it. If anyone came for her, she'd come for them even harder. If she was gonna get roasted anyway, she might as well roast them right back and enjoy every second of it. Besides, a lot of people were really into her bold, straight-shooter attitude. Sure, Nicole had her fans, but she wasn't the kind of star everyone loved like cash. Alicia wasn't the only one who didn't vibe with Nicole. There were plenty of folks, both online and offline, who couldn't stand Nicole. Plus, with Starlight Entertainment and the Hammond family supporting Nicole into the spotlight, she'd ruffled a ton of feathers in the industry, stepping on the toes of other rising and established actresses, and messing with the profits of the companies backing them. If Alicia and Nicole started going at it, tons of people would be glued to their screens, eating up every second of the drama. And nothing could go viral like a feud between two celebrities. This time, Alicia was ready to get all that clout for herself. 5.Chapter 5 Out Of Her Mind Alicia didn't just clap back at anyone who trashed her in the comments. She even tagged Nicole on X, straight-up telling her to blacklist and shut her down for good. This whole drama had everyone watching nearly speechless. Everyone watching left comments. LoveU: [Geeze, is Alicia out of her mind?] Crazymind: [Her posts and those comment replies are totally crazy. I'm kinda living for it. Am I too bad?] Jojo: [Haha, you're not alone. I feel the same way.] Footprints: [Alicia's got guts. She's the only one who'd tag and call her Bitchy Nicole.] Sunny:[She's really cool. I give her my respect.] Dunno: [Haha, she's gone totally rogue now. She's even calling herself the villain and telling the big names behind Nicole to just blacklist her.] Mindy7: [Honestly, I've been sick of Nicole for ages. She's such a phony.] CuteAsDucks: [She used her connections to snatch the role from my idol, and then her fans trashed my idol for it. Alicia just said exactly what I've been dying to say.] Casanova : [My fave had her opportunities stolen by Nicole too, but her fans are way too fierce. We can't win against them, so we just keep quiet. Looks like everyone feels the same...] HairyPoppins: [This drama is so satisfying. Keep it coming!] YellowSnowman: [I live for these epic beefs. Don't stop pls!] Something: [You guys think the ones backing Bitchy Nicole are really gonna shut Alicia down for good?] Tinfoilhat: [Bitchy Nicole is Starlight Entertainment's golden girl, and Nicolas is Starlight's heir. If he gets involved, plus the Hammond family and the Delaney family pulling strings for her, Alicia could seriously get iced out of the industry.] Anonymouse: [So is Alicia basically quitting the scene now?] Otherwise, Alicia wouldn't have posted something like that. She didn't just go head-to-head with Nicole, but she made enemies of all the power players behind Nicole too. Then Nicole's fans swooped in, starting a whole new round of roasting Alicia all over the place. They even dropped: [Just waiting for Alicia to get blacklisted and iced out.] Alicia replied: [Same here. I'm waiting.] Nicole's fans were left speechless. They thought, 'Seriously, what exactly are you waiting for? She's out of her mind.' Seeing Alicia's clapback, everyone watching the drama couldn't help but crack up. No one realized Alicia was so hilarious before. Nicole always kept an alt account with notifications on for Alicia, so she could keep tabs on her every move. Whenever Alicia dropped a post on X, Nicole got the alert instantly. Nicole never saw it coming that a single group photo was all it took to send Alicia off the rails. Back in the day, Alicia would just ignore Nicole in private, out of respect for the Hammond family. But now? She dragged Nicole out in public, no holds barred. Nicole couldn't help but wonder if she'd pushed Alicia totally off the deep end. That last post really got under Nicole's skin. Alicia actually had the nerve to straight-up call Nicole a bitch and even dared Nicole to blacklist her for real. Alicia obviously put Nicole on blast, making her look bad in front of everyone. Nicole would love nothing more than to blacklist Alicia and totally ruin her, but she knew she just didn't have that kind of power. After all, ever since she joined the Hammond family, Nicole knew exactly how she'd snatched all the attention and favor that used to go to Alicia. Sure, she played the pitiful victim at first to get their sympathy, but after that, she switched gears. She always acted like the perfect, considerate girl and constantly made it seem like she couldn't do anything without them. Sure enough, it worked. They started favoring her more and more. But that didn't mean the family had stopped caring about Alicia altogether. So now, with Alicia roasting her on social media, Nicole was stuck. Responding would just make things worse, but ignoring it would make her look weak. After thinking it over, Nicole told her agent, "Call Haley and drop her a hint to rein Alicia in before she goes totally off the rails. "Try to convince Alicia to take down all her posts from today right away. "If she won't do it, just log into her account and delete them." Starlight Entertainment was legendary for its PR and marketing game. They had deals with all the top influencers and even kept a whole army of paid trolls on standby. She paused, then added, "Once the posts are gone, get her agent to post an apology from Alicia's account, claiming her account was hacked." Nicole knew Alicia's personality all too well. Alicia would never agree to delete the posts or post an apology herself. Thus, Alicia's agent would have to handle it instead. Not only would this make Alicia get dragged even harder online, but if she ever tried to go off the rails again, no one would believe her. It would also get Nicole out of the impossible spot she was in. If everyone thought Alicia's account got hacked and it wasn't really her posting all that drama, Nicole could just sit back and ignore the whole mess. She could even drop a post, acting all sympathetic toward Alicia, playing the gracious queen for everyone to see. Then she'd unleash her army of influencers and trolls to stir things up. They'd start whispering that it wasn't a hack at all. Alicia probably just totally went crazy after seeing that photo Nicole posted. People would say Alicia was just jealous of how blessed Nicole was, so Alicia totally snapped. But once she cooled off, she freaked out about crossing Nicole and her powerful backers, so she pretended her account got hacked and deleted her posts. That way, Alicia would get roasted all over the internet, lose fans for chickening out and not owning her words, and her reputation would tank completely. If the Hammonds caught wind of this, they'd just think Alicia was being super petty. After all, it was not like Alicia didn't have group photos with them. Posting on social media, then deleting and apologizing? That would just make the Hammond and Delaney families look bad. Thinking about it, Nicole thought that Alicia going off and posting all that drama on X wasn't even a bad thing. Nicole's agent instantly got what she meant. Nicole was totally throwing Alicia under the bus. Her agent gave a sly, knowing grin and replied, "Alright." ***** Meanwhile, Alicia's agent, Haley Waters, looked absolutely grim. She never expected Alicia to cause such a huge mess behind her back. 'Does she even take me seriously?' Haley thought to herself. As soon as Alexandra's agent called her, Haley tried calling Alicia right away. But every single time, the line was busy. After hanging up with Nicole's agent, Haley was practically ready to explode. 'Since Alicia doesn't respect me, don't blame me for playing hardball,' Haley thought. She had the X account logins and passwords for all five members of LUMIA, so she just logged straight into Alicia's account. Her plan was exactly what Nicole's agent had hinted at. She was going to delete all of Alicia's posts from today, then post an apology claiming her account had been hacked. Of course, hardly anyone would actually buy that excuse. But at least it would let Nicole and Alexandra off the hook, pulling them out of the drama. Plus, Nicole would end up owing her a favor. And if Alicia got dragged even harder and roasted by the whole internet, that just played right into Haley's game plan for LUMIA. She was basically making Alicia take the heat to prop up the other four girls. One superstar could never make as much money or rack up the numbers as four superstars. However, every time Haley tried to log in, it just kept telling her the password was wrong. Then she realized that Alicia must've already changed her password. That was absolutely unacceptable to Haley. She kept trying to call Alicia, but the call still couldn't get through. After a moment, she grabbed someone else's phone and dialed Alicia again. This time, the call actually went through. Clearly, Alicia had blocked her number. Haley's expression soured even more. 6.Chapter 6 Dream On It Alicia's phone lit up with an unknown number. She didn't even have to think about it. She knew it had to be Haley. This time, she actually picked up. "Hello?" She hit the record button at the same time. Haley's voice came through, sounding a little frantic. "Alicia, what are you doing?" She demanded, "Why did you suddenly post those updates on X? And now you're getting into fights in the comments. Why didn't you check with me first?" Alicia shot back, "It's my account. Why can't I post what I want?" She added, "I never said any of that, and I wasn't trying to get clout from those big shots. "Alexandra's been pushing me around. Am I just supposed to put up with it?" Haley was stunned for a moment. Then, she siad, "But you can't just go around scaring people with talk of calling the cops or suing them." She added, "And it was Alexandra who tagged you first. Why are you picking a fight with Nicole now? You're just asking for more hate." Alicia scoffed, "Why is Alexandra targeting me? She's just trying to butter up Nicole." She continued, "Why am I getting called a clout chaser all over the internet? Nicole's fans started the whole mess, and they've been after me ever since. "Just because Nicole's hiding behind all these people, does that suddenly make her innocent? I'm not an idiot. Of course I gotta target her." Haley took a deep breath, forcing down her anger. She softened her voice, trying to coax Alicia, "I know you've been treated unfairly, but the company's really hyping Nicole up right now. Going head-to-head with her isn't the smartest move." She added, "I can talk to the higher-ups and get you a better gig. So let's back off for now, okay?" Alicia was baiting Haley for this exact response. She asked, "What do you mean by backing off?" Haley said, "Delete all those posts you made on X, then post an apology. "Just say your account was hacked earlier, and none of those posts were actually from you." Alicia shot back, "You really think anyone's going to buy that excuse? Do you think people are that gullible?" Haley replied, "It doesn't matter if anyone actually believes it. Just put out the statement, so Nicole and Alexandra can have an easy way out." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So you really do think I'm an idiot, huh?" She added, "If I post something like that, forget their fans, even the haters and onlookers would be telling me to get lost from the entertainment scene. Even my own fans would probably want me out. "You already made me take the fall for the other four in LUMIA, and now you want me to take the heat for Nicole and Alexandra too? Just dream on it." Haley hadn't expected Alicia to come back at her like that. She wondered if Alicia had known something. She couldn't help but say, "I'm not just your agent, you know. I'm older than you. Everything I do is for your own good." She pressed, "Don't you even trust me a little anymore?" She'd noticed lately that Alicia was trying to slip out of her grip, but she wasn't about to let that happen. Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, for my own good, huh?" She added, "If it wasn't for you, Nicole, and the company stirring things up, with the other four in LUMIA playing along, do you think the whole internet would be out to get me?" She went on in a meaningful tone, "You were my mom's college friend and roommate, remember? "Back then, your ex-husband set you up. You walked away with nothing and got stuck with a mountain of debt. "You had to keep dodging debt collectors and couldn't land a job anywhere. "It was my mom who lent you the money to pay off those debts and helped you land that agent job at Starlight Entertainment. "And when you asked, she even stepped in and handled your ex's family for you, so they'd finally stop messing with you." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "My mom saved your ass when you were at rock bottom, and now you want to shove me right back down? Is that what you called 'for my own good'? "Sorry, guess I have to let you down." After Alicia's mom helped Haley get into Starlight Entertainment, Haley managed to bring up a second-tier starlet. But before Haley could help her climb any higher, that starlet married a wealthy businessman and dropped out of the spotlight. Right around then, Starlight was gearing up to create a top girl group, and Haley jumped at the chance to take charge of the group. Knowing Alicia wanted in on the entertainment scene, Haley asked her to join LUMIA. After Alicia's mom passed away, Haley didn't pull away. In fact, she always cared about Alicia. Back then, Alicia didn't know the first thing about showbiz, and she trusted Haley. Plus, since Starlight belonged to Nicolas's family, she figured it was safe and agreed to join. But she had never guessed that one choice would land her in a pit that she couldn't climb out of. After all, she never thought that the sweet, gentle woman everyone saw was actually a backstabbing wolf. In her last life, Alicia had already gotten her revenge. She exposed Haley's true colors and brought her crashing down. But when it came to a backstabbing, ungrateful snake like Haley, Alicia wouldn't mind giving her a lesson again. And this time, she'd do it sooner. Haley's eyes widened for a moment. A rare flash of panic flickered across her face. She couldn't help blurting out, "Alicia, has someone talked to you? Trying to stir things up between us?" Haley absolutely hated it when anyone brought up that embarrassing chapter from her past. Haley thought, 'Alicia's mom did help me out, but with her status, it was just a casual favor. Am I really supposed to be forever grateful for that? 'Besides, I've already paid back every cent I borrowed. 'Now, Alicia is actually throwing that in my face. It's really embarrassing. 'This is just one more reason I can't stand Alicia.' Every time Haley saw Alicia, all she could think about was how embarrassing it had been, having to beg Alicia's mom for help back then. When LUMIA first debuted, Alicia was the hottest topic. She had the most fans and all the online attention. Alicia was born with a silver spoon, already living the high life. Yet since she entered the industry, she blew up overnight. Haley was just jealous that Alicia was blessed from the start. Then someone hinted that if she wanted to hype up the other four in LUMIA, all she had to do was drag Alicia through the mud. Haley went for it, and sure enough, it paid off big time. Right now, Alicia was her ace in the traffic game. No way was Haley ever letting go of that. Haley gave a wry smile. "I haven't forgotten what your mom did for me, you know. "After all these years together, I've put in so much effort to help you make it big. I just hope you can see that and trust me." Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "So I'm supposed to be grateful for all your scheming, is that it? "You twisted things around. If I hadn't lived through the hell of being trashed by the whole internet, nearly driven to depression and suicide, I'd almost want to give you a round of applause. "Why not use this little tactic on the other four girls in LUMIA instead? "Just because my mom helped you, just because I once trusted and respected you, I'm supposed to be your sacrificial lamb? "Am I just meant to be the stepping stone for you and Starlight, so you can prop everyone else up at my expense? Isn't that just plain bullying?" Haley was so stunned by Alicia's comeback that she could barely get a word out. She also realized that Alicia had known she used to play both sides. Trying to guilt Alicia into deleting those posts was almost impossible. Haley paused, then tried to warn Alicia, "If your family or Nicolas finds out, they're not going to be happy. No matter what you think, I'm really doing this for your own good." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "I've already cut ties with my family. As for Nicolas, it's not like we're close. Why should I care if he's happy?" When Alicia first set her sights on showbiz, everyone around her figured she was just trying to get close to Nicolas. The truth was, Nicolas was only part of it. She just really wanted to be in the entertainment world for herself. When Nicole first moved in, her body was covered in injuries from her birth father's abuse, and she was in poor health. She deliberately acted extremely dependent on Alicia's family, not only winning their sympathy but also making it seem like she couldn't get by without them. After that, Nicole was constantly in the hospital, pretending she couldn't live without their support. The Hammonds would take turns staying with her at the hospital. Meanwhile, Alicia was left all alone at home, either studying or watching dramas. She'd catch herself copying the actors on TV, wondering how she'd play the part if she were in their shoes. She loved watching people sing and dance, and was totally drawn to the spotlight. So when the chance to join LUMIA came up, she couldn't say no. She was a natural when it came to acting, which was why, in her previous life, she finally made her comeback after quitting the group and going solo as an actress. In her last life, she and Nicolas used to argue and give each other the silent treatment all the time because of Nicole, but she never bothered worrying about whether he was mad or not. Now, Nicolas was just a stranger to her. Alicia of course wouldn't care about his feelings. She added, "If he's really unhappy, then let him bury my career for all I care. I'm done playing nice this time. I won't compromise anymore." With that, she hung up and saved the recording.
After finally cutting ties with my three CEO brothers, they hit full-blown panic mode. They discovered I'd cleared out my room—sliced up every family photo and only took what my mother left me. They thought I was just throwing a tantrum and expected me to crawl back apologizing. Instead, what landed on their doorstep was a lawyer's letter demanding six years of unpaid dividends. My eldest brother blew up my phone, raging about how cold-hearted I was. I fired right back: "When you were all front row cheering for stepsister's concert, did it ever cross your mind that your real sister was alone in a hospital bed?" Dead silence on his end. I hung up and blocked him right after. They scrambled to track me down, but I was already settled into my penthouse. With the funds my mother left me, I invested heavily in their biggest competitor. Now, the family that once saw me as an embarrassment watches me become their worst nightmare.👑 ………………………………………… At a private hospital in Irisport, Alicia Delaney lay in bed, her gaze unfocused as she stared out the window. She never expected to travel to the past after dying. Suddenly, a notification rang out, snapping her back to reality. She picked up her phone to check it. It was a link to a trending topic that had blown up a few hours ago, sent by her assistant. She tapped on it. It read: [Nicole Hammond's concert not only had top idol Nicolas Moore as a special guest, but the VIP section was packed with even more big names!] The post started by gushing about how amazing Nicole's two songs were and how insanely popular she was. Then it showed a few photos of Nicolas and Nicole singing together on stage. Finally, it included pictures of the VIP section, where some of the biggest names in the industry were sitting. There was up-and-coming director Caleb Hammond, Hammond Group CEO Kevin Hammond, top investor Austin Hammond, Delaney Group CEO Collin Delaney, and esports superstar Maxwell Delaney. All of them were big shots. Alicia scrolled down and tapped on the comments. As she had expected, besides all the praise for Nicole, there were plenty of negative comments toward her. Alexrow: [I've been saying Nicole is the Hammond family's little princess, and some people didn't believe me. But look at all these VIPs here tonight. This is the best proof.] Matt_hill: [Gotta say, the Hammond family really dotes on Nicole. All three brothers showed up to support her.] Jasonlee77: [Nicolas, Maxwell, and Collin are all super close to Nicole too. They totally spoil her.] Lucas_w: [I wonder if that clout-chasing wannabe is feeling embarrassed right now after seeing this trending topic.] Quietjon: [No idea if she's actually embarrassed, but she's probably burning with jealousy and envy, totally losing it right now.] Latecoffee: [She really had the guts to claim she was the Hammonds's daughter, Nicolas's childhood sweetheart, and Collin and Maxwell's cousin.] Bluewindow: [None of them showed up for her performance yesterday. She got smacked by a stage light, and not one of them visited her in the hospital. But today, they all rushed over from everywhere just to support Nicole's concert. Honestly, the secondhand embarrassment is real.] Oldcam: [Yeah, she's in the same company as Nicolas, but I bet he doesn't even know she exists.] Sundaynoise: [She's totally desperate to be famous.] Softstatic: [Nicole's just too nice. She didn't even make a fuss when Alicia pretended to be the Hammond family's daughter.] Halfawake: [If Nicole wanted, with all these big shots backing her up, she could get that clout-chaser blacklisted in a heartbeat.] Afterten: [Blacklist her? She's already so hated. She'll probably end up getting herself booted from the industry soon enough.] Lowbattery: [She loves the drama and the clout. No way she'd give that up. I just wish she'd leave LUMIA already and stop holding the other girls back.] stillonline [Same question every day. When is Alicia finally leaving the group?] In her previous life, seeing this trending topic and all those comments hit Alicia hard. After she got out of the hospital, she even confronted those people she thought were important to her and caused a stir. But now, she was totally chill. She didn't care about them anymore. She was really a Hammond, also Kevin, Caleb, and Austin's biological younger sister. She was Collin and Maxwell's cousin and Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Nicole was just Alicia's stepmother's daughter, who took the Hammond name, but Nicole wasn't actually related to any of them by blood. Next, Alicia logged into her X account. Aside from a handful of fans asking how she was doing after the accident, the rest were just a flood of hate comments. People were roasting her for going to the hospital and supposedly screwing up LUMIA's upcoming shows. They asked her to quit the group and stop dragging the other girls down. Alicia's entertainment company and her agent didn't give her any support or issue any announcement. They just watched the drama unfold and didn't do a thing. Just then, Alicia's phone lit up with a call from Kevin, her oldest brother. Alicia picked up and said, "Yeah?" Kevin's voice came through. "Nicole told me you got hurt. You alright?" Alicia let out a sarcastic laugh. "It happened yesterday, and you're just asking now? "And you wouldn't have called if Nicole hadn't told you, huh? You're such a great brother." Alicia knew Nicole had told them on purpose, not out of kindness, but just to get under her skin. After all, Alicia had asked them to come to her show, but none of them bothered to show up. She got hurt, and they didn't even notice. It really stung. Kevin was silent for a few seconds, then he spoke up, "Which hospital are you at? We'll come to see you." Alicia replied coolly, "Don't bother. I wouldn't dare trouble you." Kevin frowned, "What are you trying to pull?" He paused, then finally tried to explain, "We really did have things going on yesterday. That was why we couldn't make it to your show. None of us expected you'd get hurt on stage. We..." Alicia cut him off before he could finish. "If you didn't want to come, just tell me. No need to make up excuses." She'd invited every single one of them to her show, but they all had some excuse about being busy and couldn't make it. But the very next day, they all showed up to support Nicole. Now, trying to explain themselves was just making things even more awkward. To Alicia, it was just more infuriating and disgusting. She added, "Listen, I won't bother you guys anymore. If we ever run into each other, I'll just pretend we're strangers." She used to be the one they cherished and spoiled, but after her stepmother showed up with Nicole, everything changed. All the love and attention her family once gave her was now showered on Nicole. Whenever Alicia and Nicole clashed, their family always told Alicia to just let it go, took Nicole's side, and started treating Alicia like she was the problem. Kevin's face darkened. "What do you mean you won't bother us anymore, and you'll just pretend we're strangers?" Alicia said bluntly, "It means I'm cutting ties with all of you." Kevin was stunned for a moment. Then, his voice was full of anger. "Are you out of your mind? How can you even say something like that?" He couldn't believe it and asked, "Just because we missed your show? Is it really that serious?" Alicia scoffed, "Yeah, it is. Hasn't this happened enough over the years? "You guys always have double standards, and I've had enough." All these years, they bailed on Alicia over and over, just to please Nicole. Just like this time, they didn't even try to hide it and just picked Nicole over Alicia. When Alicia first wanted to get into showbiz, her family not only shot her down, but told her that if she were so capable, she should do it without the connections of the Hommond family. Thus, Alicia used her mother's last name instead. But when Nicole jumped into showbiz after Alicia, not only did they not object, they gave her full support, throwing money and resources at her, backing her up like she was the star of the family. Now, the thing Alicia got dragged for the hardest online was supposedly clout-chasing the Hammond family name. But she never went around telling people she was a Hommond. It was Nicole and her mother, working with her agent, who kept pushing that story everywhere behind the scenes. They knew the Hommonds would never step up and admit that Alicia was really one of them. Whenever people started questioning Alicia online, her family just kept quiet and never bothered to set the record straight. It turned out that Nicole and her mother played it just right. The Hommonds didn't say a word about the truth. It basically let everyone believe that Alicia was just chasing clout, so she got dragged through the mud online. Alicia added, "Let's be real. Isn't this exactly what you wanted? You'd rather pretend I don't exist. You guys only want Nicole to be your family, right? Fine. I'll make it easy for you." Kevin took a deep breath, his anger flaring. "You're seriously threatening to cut us off just because of something so petty? "We never said anything like that. You really need to stop acting out. Why can't you be more like Nicole and just behave?" Alicia knew Kevin would never believe her. He'd just think she was throwing a fit, as always. Ever since Nicole and her mother moved in, anything Alicia did was just called her acting out. It was honestly ridiculous. In Alicia's previous life, she valued family so much that she kept putting up with everything, always backing down for their sake. But in the end, she became public enemy number one. This time around, she was completely over it. Family, childhood sweetheart, or whatever, she wanted them as far away from her as possible. Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So having one obedient sister is all you ever needed, huh? "I'm not making a scene, and I'm not threatening you. "Let me make this clear one last time. From today on, I'm cutting ties with every single one of you in the Hammond family. "All my expenses growing up came from my mom, so I don't owe the Hammond family anything. "Just pass it on to the rest of the Hammonds for me. I won't tell the rest of them myself. "Let's not contact or see each other ever again. That's all." She ended the call right after saying that. Then she blocked every single one of the Hammonds, including her father, brothers, plus Collin, Maxwell, and Nicolas. Since she was cutting ties with them, she was going to do it for real. Chapter 2 Is She Serious? Later, Kevin went back to Hammond Manor. Seeing the shock and anger written all over Kevin's face, Austin and Caleb asked, "Kevin, what did she say?" With a stony expression, Kevin gave them a quick rundown of his conversation with Alicia. Hearing this, Austin and Caleb turned gloomy too. Nicole's eyes flickered with uncertainty. She put on an anxious look and said, "Kevin, do you think Alicia got so mad because you all came to see my show? "Which hospital is she staying at? I'll explain everything and apologize to her now. "She must've been so upset with me to say she wants to cut us off." Feeling even more guilty, Nicole added, "I really hope she doesn't get the wrong idea about you guys because of me and cut ties with you." Kevin gave her a reassuring look. "You don't need to explain anything to her. This has nothing to do with you." Kevin thought Alicia always had it out for Nicole. If Nicole showed up at the hospital, he didn't know what kind of scene Alicia would make. Austin frowned, "She's really gone overboard this time. Is cutting ties something she can just say so casually? "Honestly, she's almost certainly using this as a way to threaten us, trying to get us to back down. "Just leave her alone for a few days, and she'll come back on her own." Caleb didn't believe for a second that Alicia would really cut ties with them over something so trivial. He said, "Yeah, she was throwing a fit over the phone. Her injuries are probably nothing serious. There's no need for us to see her at the hospital. "If we keep giving in to her, she'll just get more and more unreasonable. "Let's just leave her alone for now. Once she calms down, she'll come back to us." Austin and Kevin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's just give her some space and let her cool off for a while." After a few more words of comfort, they personally escorted Nicole upstairs to get some rest. ***** Alicia's injuries weren't serious, so she checked herself out of the hospital the very next day. Except when she was out working, she usually stayed at the Hammond family's old mansion. But she'd actually bought a place of her own before, and nobody knew about it. Now that she was leaving the Hammond family, she could finally move in. She called the moving company first, then headed back to Hammond Manor. As she had expected, everyone else was out. Felix looked a little taken aback when Alicia walked in, but quickly he smiled and greeted her, "Ms. Alicia Hammond, you're back." Felix overheard the three Hammond brothers talking last night. He'd always thought Alicia was just in a mood, but he never expected her to come back so soon. Alicia gave Felix a quick look, said nothing, and went straight to her room. Felix had been working for the Hammonds since her grandfather's days, and he'd practically watched Alicia grow up. When she was a kid, he was always gentle and caring. He'd play with her in the yard and used to call her "Madam". But after Nicole moved in, it only took a couple of years before he started calling Alicia "Ms. Alicia Hommond" instead of just "Madam". He and the other servants all started calling Nicole "Madam" now. 'I'm the outsider here now, huh?' Alicia thought to herself. Back in her room, Alicia started boxing up all her things. She wasn't planning to leave a single thing behind. Anything she didn't want, she'd just sell online or simply throw away. Then she opened the safe and took out the jewelry her mother had left her, along with a share transfer document and a few property deeds. Her mother had owned 15% of Hammond Group's shares. Before she passed away, she gave 3% each to Alicia's three brothers, but left Alicia with 6%. She said the extra 3% was meant to be Alicia's wedding gift. At the time, neither her dad nor her brothers had any problem with it. But in her previous life, they tried to make her split half her shares with Nicole, claiming Nicole was her sister too. Of course, Alicia refused. Feeling betrayed, she used her 6% stake to mess with them and throw Hammond Group into chaos, all for revenge. On top of that, she also had a few properties that her maternal grandparents had left her. She ran her fingers over the document pouch, memories of her mom and grandparents' kindness flooding back. Her eyes reddened with emotion. 'At least I had people who truly cared about me. That's all I ever needed,' she told herself. After a moment, Alicia took a deep breath and carefully placed all those valuables into a lock box. After a while, she got a call from the movers. She went downstairs to show them in and led them up to her room to start packing, making sure to carry the lock box herself. Felix rushed in as soon as he saw what was happening. "Ms. Alicia Hammond, what are you doing?" Alicia looked at him with a calm expression. "I'm moving out. I already told Kevin. Since yesterday, I've cut ties with everyone in the Hammond family. "So of course, I won't be living here anymore." Felix was utterly shocked. "Ms. Alicia Hommond, no matter how much fuss you make, cutting ties isn't something to joke about. You..." He clearly hadn't expected Alicia to come back just to pack up and leave, instead of trying to make up. Alicia interrupted him, her voice cold. "You're not in a position to tell me what to do." She didn't bother with him anymore and turned away, calling out to the movers to get started. Felix hadn't expected Alicia to be so cold and forceful with him. He couldn't help but feel stung and a little upset. He wanted to step up and try to persuade her, but Alicia didn't even spare him a glance. Left with no other option, he stepped out of the room and called Kevin. Kevin was in the middle of a meeting, but when he saw it was Felix calling, he picked up anyway. When Kevin heard that Alicia had actually gone back to pack her things, he looked visibly shaken. A wave of unease and panic washed over him. After a moment's thought, he paused the meeting and headed home. At the same time, he called Caleb and Austin. By the time the three of them rushed home, Alicia had already left with the movers. They headed upstairs to Alicia's room. All that was left were the gifts they'd given her over the years and a photo frame and album on the desk. Everything else that belonged to her had completely disappeared. Austin's eyes landed on the photo frame, and he looked genuinely shocked. "She cut out the part with Mom and took them, leaving ours behind." The other two guys exchanged confused glances. They walked over and saw that the family portrait had been cut. The part of their mother and Alicia was missing, leaving only their father and the three sons. Caleb picked up the photo album and flipped through it. Sure enough, there wasn't a single solo shot of their mother or Alicia at all. All that was left were pictures of just their father and the brothers, or group photos where their mother and Alicia had been snipped out. The three brothers just stood there, totally baffled and at a loss. They thought, 'How did it end up like this? Is she actually serious about cutting us off? No way, she can't mean it. 'We only skipped her show. Does she really have to blow things up like this?' Kevin's face darkened as he pulled out his phone. "I'll call her." But when he tried, he realized Alicia had blocked his number. He switched to a messaging app, only to find she'd removed him there too. Seeing this, Caleb and Austin quickly pulled out their phones to try reaching Alicia, but she'd blocked them everywhere as well. The three guys were left feeling both hurt and pissed off. They got Felix to give Alicia a call, but he'd been blocked too. They borrowed a phone from one of the new maids and tried again. This number wasn't blocked, but Alicia just ignored every single call. Caleb turned to Kevin, looking totally lost. "Bro, what now?" Kevin just stared back, feeling completely helpless. He really didn't have a clue what to do. Austin thought for a moment and asked, "Should we tell Dad?" Kevin shook his head. "Let's not tell Dad for now. I'm worried he'll get upset and hurt his health." Over the years, Alicia had given their father plenty of headaches, but this time, things were getting pretty serious. Kevin wasn't sure if he should reassure his brothers or just himself. He said, "I really don't think Alicia would actually cut us off. She's probably just being dramatic again." After a moment, he continued, "Dad's birthday is next month. No matter how mad she is, she'll definitely show up for that. "Give it a month. She'll get over it, and then we can sit down and talk things out." Austin and Caleb relaxed a little after hearing that. "Yeah, even if she's still upset with us, she won't miss Dad's birthday." As far as they knew, Alicia had always been super attached to their father. Every year, she'd start shopping for his birthday gift weeks ahead of time. They were sure she wouldn't skip it this year. When the day came, they'd just sit her down and talk things out. Worst case, they'd put their pride aside and sweet-talk her a bit, and Alicia would forgive them. Chapter 3 I'm Easy To Mess With? After moving into her new home, Alicia tidied up. Then she sat down, deep in thought, trying to remember what had happened at this exact moment in her past life. Right now, she was getting roasted all over the internet, and she was still a member of the girl group LUMIA. Her relationship with the other members was pretty bad. It wasn't like she'd done anything to them. The other girls always ganged up on her for no reason. After those four got a taste of success from dragging Alicia down twice, they just got even worse. Of course, Alicia's company and her agent had a hand in all of this too. Back in her previous life, Alicia brought up quitting LUMIA, but they shot her down. It dragged on until the next year, when a massive scandal exploded. Only then did she finally manage to break free. But this time, Alicia wasn't about to let those bloodsuckers keep draining her. First thing on her list was to quit the group and terminate the contract with her company for good. Thinking of that, Alicia called up her mom's lawyer friend and set up a meeting. ***** That evening, Alicia slipped into a restaurant, wearing a baseball cap and a mask. Even though she was getting dragged all over the internet, she was still pretty famous. She was pulling in a ton of traffic online. After all, being infamous still made many people know her name. After a few minutes, a distinguished and elegant middle-aged man stepped into the private room. Alicia stood up with a smile and greeted that man. "Mr. Wise, it's been so long." The man named Thomas Wise gave her a warm look. "Yeah, it has." He didn't ask how she'd been. He didn't really keep up with the entertainment scene, but after Alicia called to set up this meeting, he figured she probably needed his help, so he did a little digging. After checking things out, he was totally thrown off guard. He never expected Alicia's online reputation to be so trashed. When he saw the reasons people roasted her for, he was just speechless. But from all this, it was clear that Alicia's entertainment company was super unprofessional, and the Hammonds were irresponsible too. After they sat down, they chatted about some past things. Then Alicia said, "Mr. Wise, I want your help to terminate my contract with Starlight Entertainment." She knew it was best to leave this kind of stuff to the professionals. She definitely didn't want to deal with all the drama from those people herself. Thomas wasn't surprised. He replied, "Did you bring your contract with your company? Or do you have an e-copy? Let me take a look." If Starlight Entertainment had done its job and handled her PR properly, Alicia's reputation wouldn't be in the gutter like this. Thomas figured it was probably for the best to cut ties with a company like that. Alicia pulled the contract out of her bag and handed it over. "I brought it." Thomas read through the contract carefully, then started discussing it with Alicia. Alicia's contract with Starlight Entertainment still had a year left, and if she wanted out early, she'd have to pay a 3-million-dollar penalty. But Alicia had some proof that Starlight Entertainment hadn't kept their promises, so Thomas said he'd use that to fight for a lower penalty. After they finished talking about that, Alicia pulled out the equity contract. She continued, "Mr. Wise, this is the equity my mom transferred to me before she passed away. According to the contract, I was supposed to start getting dividends from the company once I turned eighteen. "But I haven't gotten anything since then. "So I want you to help me get back what's mine from Hammond Group through legal channels. "Even if it comes down to a lawsuit, I'm fine with that." Now that she'd cut ties with the Hammonds, she wouldn't let them steal a single cent that was rightfully hers. After her mother passed away, she never used a cent from the Hammond family. Besides the equity, her mother had invested in several funds for her, so she got a nice chunk of cash every year. Her three brothers had the same setup, of course. With all that money coming in, her dad and brothers never gave her any allowance. But when it came to Nicole, they'd give her hundreds of thousands of dollars in allowance every month, and they covered all her living expenses. They always spoiled Nicole with the latest luxury clothes, designer bags, and jewelry. As for Alicia, the only time she ever got a gift from them was on her birthday. Back in her previous life, Alicia treasured those gifts, but now, she couldn't care less. She left them all behind at the old house. As for those funds her mother left her, once Austin started working in finance, Alicia just let him take care of them. But now, she was ready to take them back and hand them over to a professional investment firm. Thomas looked genuinely surprised. He asked, "Have you ever brought this up with your dad or Kevin? They really haven't given you any dividends?" If they had, Alicia wouldn't even consider going the legal route to get her dividends. Alicia gave a wry smile. "I cut ties with the entire Hammond family yesterday. "So from now on, anything to do with them, I'm treating it like business." Thomas frowned, concern etched on his face. "Did they really do something to upset you?" Otherwise, why would things get so bad that you'd have to break off all contact with them? Alicia wasn't about to make excuses for the Hammonds. She let out a helpless sigh. "It's enough for them to have a daughter and a sister. I'm just... the spare." Thomas was her mother's longtime friend. Even though he was just a lawyer by profession, he was born into old money. So aside from genuinely needing his help, Alicia also wanted to let the word get out through him that she'd severed ties with the Hammonds, making sure everyone in their elite circles heard about it. The reason was simple. The Hammonds' favoritism was just off the charts. Back in her previous life, Alicia realized something. If people weren't close to Nicole, they didn't just automatically jump to defend her or blindly take her side. And once Alicia put some distance between herself and Nicole, the folks around her stopped treating her like she was some kind of outcast, unlike Nicole's crowd. Sure enough, Thomas's mind started to wander after hearing that. He thought about all that drama he'd read online. The Hammond family's adopted daughter was called their little princess, while Alicia, the real heiress, was accused of being a fraud. It was just plain absurd. Even if they really loved Nicole, or were just putting on a show, it was way over the top to treat her like royalty and shove Alicia to the sidelines. That alone made Thomas think way less of the Hammonds. He looked at Alicia with a bit of pity in his eyes. "Leave this to me as well." "Thanks for your help, Mr. Wise," Alicia said. Alicia thought for a moment before saying, "You don't have to keep this under wraps, Mr. Wise. I actually want word to get out that I'm done with the Hammonds." Not only did she not want it kept quiet, but she wanted everyone in their circle to feast on the drama. Thomas was sharp. He got it right away and nodded. "Alright, I see." They chatted for a bit longer before heading out. ***** When Thomas got home, he filled his wife in on everything—Alicia asking for help and her breaking things off with the Hammonds. His wife used to be pretty close with Alicia's mother. After hearing the whole story, she went online to dig up the drama herself and couldn't help but roast the Hammonds for being totally brainless. She could instantly tell that the new wife Leo Hammond brought in, and that adopted daughter Nicole, were both pieces of work. After that, she vented to her family and her close circle of society ladies, and soon enough, the whole story was making the rounds. By the time the Hammonds caught wind of it, they'd already been labeled as ridiculously biased and out of their minds. It was way too late to try and explain themselves or do anything about it. ***** Meanwhile, Alicia got home and opened X, only to see the top trending topic right there. Nicole had posted a photo of herself with the Hammond brothers and the rest of the family after last night's party. Her smile was absolutely radiant. She captioned it: [With you guys, I feel like I have the whole world. With all your love and care, I'm honestly the luckiest, happiest girl in the world.] The comments were all raving about how lucky Nicole was and what a picture-perfect family they had. Mixed in were plenty of snarky remarks, throwing shade at Alicia. One of Nicole's actress friends even mentioned Alicia and commented: [This is what a real family looks like. Stop trying to insert yourself into their drama.] It was not like this actress was actually trying to have Nicole's back or anything. She just wanted to ride Nicole's coattails, since Nicole was tight with all those big-shot elites. And with Alicia getting roasted online and her company and agent basically showing no sign of defending her, the actress couldn't care less about offending Alicia. Plus, she could score points with both Nicole's fans and Alicia's haters for being so real. It was a total win-win. Alicia let out a soft laugh when she saw the post tagging her. 'Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon just to get some attention off me?' she thought. 'Do they really think I'm that easy to mess with?' Since people were coming at her for Nicole, Alicia wasn't going to play nice anymore. It was perfect timing. Just when she needed a target, someone served one up. Alicia fired off two posts on X right away, and in one of them, she responded directly by tagging that actress. Just like she expected, her post shot straight to the top of the trending list in no time. After all, she was basically a magnet for haters. Everyone was always watching her. Any little thing she did, people would catch it instantly and start roasting her from all sides. Online, nobody expected Alicia to suddenly go so hard and drop a post like this. Her haters, the paid trolls, and all the gossip crowd were left stunned. Chapter 4 Get The Clout For Herself The actress who came to Nicole's defense was Alexandra Barton, a third-tier celebrity. Her post wasn't just about sucking up to Nicole. She was also trying to get in good with the big shots behind her. Besides, she planned to throw shade at Alicia and ride the wave of drama for some free clout. Every time the other LUMIA members played the victim or put on a pitiful face, Alicia would get dragged online. And every time, they'd get a wave of sympathy and attention. Sure enough, after Alexandra posted it, Nicole's fans flooded her with likes and praise. On top of that, a bunch of people called her genuine and bold for speaking up for her friend. Even some celebs hit like on her post. Alexandra was feeling pretty smug about how well her little stunt was going when her agent walked in, looking seriously pissed. "Alicia just responded. It's a bit of a mess," her agent said. Alexandra immediately opened X. She saw Alicia had posted something and tagged her. AliciaDelaneyOfficial: [I've never, not once, said or even hinted that I'm a Hammond, the Delaney brothers's cousin, or Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Anyone who spreads this crap stays broke forever.] [If you're the one hiring trolls to slander me, I'll track you down and hit you with a lawsuit.] [If you can't be bothered to get your facts straight, you don't get to run your mouth. You're a public figure. Slandering me in public is unacceptable.] [Being a bootlicker isn't as easy as you think. I've already called the cops, and I'm taking you to court. That's illegal. @AlexandraBarton] Alexandra was totally caught off guard. She never expected Alicia to go this hard and actually call the cops and threaten a lawsuit. Alicia even called Alexandra a bootlicker. That was way over the line, and it seriously pissed Alexandra off. Alexandra shot her agent a look and asked, "Has she lost her mind? How did the company even let her post something like that on social media?" Both Nicole and Alicia were signed to Starlight Entertainment, but Starlight was all about hyping up Nicole and deliberately sidelining Alicia. Alexandra was sure that Starlight would never let Alicia do something like this. That was exactly why Alexandra had felt safe enough to tag Alicia on X. Alexandra figured even if Alicia got pissed, she wouldn't be able to do anything about it. After all, without Starlight's backing and PR muscle, Alicia was no threat at all flying solo. Alexandra's agent looked exasperated. "I just got off the phone with her agent. They seriously had no idea she was going to post that on X. "But I've already talked it over. They'll get Alicia to delete the post. "As for the cops and the lawsuit, they said Starlight will shut it all down." The agent herself never thought Alicia would go this far, totally breaking the usual playbook and ignoring all the unspoken industry rules. Going to the police and threatening to sue over a few online comments? Alicia was seriously the first one to ever do this. Hearing that, Alexandra breathed easier, the tension finally melting away. She flashed a sly grin. "Once she deletes that post, the real show begins." Deleting it would make Alicia a total clown, and she would get roasted alive online. The handful of fans she got left probably wouldn't stick around for the embarrassment. So instead of deleting her post, Alexandra fired back, tagging Alicia right back. AlexandraBarton: [I've got nothing to fear. Bring it on!@AliciaDelaneyOfficial.] Everyone watching the drama unfold got another surprise when Alexandra clapped back on X. Nobody expected Alexandra to go this hard, either. The comments under both Alicia and Alexandra's posts started blowing up, racking up thousands in no time. Markd82: [Who are we supposed to believe here?] Tommy94: [Both of them are so savage. Let's see who can outlast the other.] Chris_y: [Come to think of it, Alicia never actually claimed or even hinted she was a Hammond.] Juststeve: [She wouldn't have posted something like that unless she was totally fed up with all the hate.] Nooot: [Reading her post, I really feel like someone set her up.] Idkben: [Yeah, and wishing for the rumor-spreader to stay broke forever? That's brutal. Seriously, who would jinx themselves like that if they were faking it?] Okmatt: [If that's really the case, Alicia's got it tough. She's been roasted nonstop over this.] Randomname: [You guys just buy whatever she says? Come on, this is clearly her way of trying to clear her name.] User472: [Yeah, I still don't buy that she never said or hinted at it. And talking about a lawsuit? Anyone can say that online.] Loggedout: [Alicia's not the only one who's ever posted a lawyer letter. In the end, it's all bark and no bite.] Still_here: [She's just doing this to scare people and make herself look like the victim, so everyone feels sorry for her.] Rabbitie: [Watch it, she'll probably delete that post real soon.] Cloud: [No way she actually called the cops, and I seriously doubt she's taking anyone to court.] Heyitsdan: [For real, she's been roasted online so many times before and always just let it slide. Why is she suddenly acting tough now? Obviously just trying to play the victim and chase some attention.] Alicia just happened to scroll past that comment. She fired back right under it: [Back then, my agent handled my account. Now, I call the shots myself. If you don't buy it, just wait and see if the cops come knocking on Alexandra's door.] Fans couldn't believe Alicia actually replied to the comment herself. They did find out that the way she was acting now was totally different from before. They finally knew why her account only had generic promo posts. Turned out that her agent was running her account all this time After Alicia clapped back, everyone was dying to see if the cops would actually come to Alexandra's place. Now it was all about who'd stay savage till the end. But the haters and Nicole and Alexandra's fans kept dragging Alicia nonstop, flooding her comments with insults. Nicole's fans totally lost it over Alicia calling Alexandra out as a bootlicker. They started speculating. 'What's that supposed to mean? Is she throwing shade at Nicole, saying Nicole put Alexandra up to this?' They started spamming Alicia's comments with angry rants. Imtom: [Alexandra is just sticking up for Nicole. What's wrong with that?] LoveNicole: [You've been leeching off Nicole's name, and she's been chill about it. Instead of saying thanks, you go and throw shade? You really think Nicole's just too nice and easy to push around?] NNNICOLE: [Keep messing with her and see what happens. She'll make sure you get iced out of the whole industry.] BabyNicole: [That's right. Nicole is the Hammond family's princess. She's got serious backup. If you piss her off, don't be surprised if you get shut out.] Alicia saw those comments and clapped back without hesitation. Alicia: [Come on, I surely don't dare to push Bitchy Nicole around. She's so scheming.] Alicia: [Sure, go ahead! Tell Nicole to get her powerful family to shut me down. Let's see if they can really kick me out of the industry.] Alicia: [If she doesn't blacklist me like you want, honestly, I'll laugh at her.] Anyway, Alicia was already public enemy number one online, getting roasted from all sides. She wasn't afraid of more hate at this point. Now that she'd been given a second shot at life, anyone who pissed her off was gonna get it right back. Honestly, everyone enjoyed the drama online. The fake peace and phony friendship act couldn't get people's interest. Nothing could grab attention like a straight-up online fight. Back then, they rode Alicia for clout and attention. Now, Alicia could play the same game right back. Besides, would Nicole really dare to flex her status and try to freeze Alicia out of the industry? No way. She didn't have the nerve, and she sure didn't have the pull. If she did, Alicia wouldn't have been able to stage a comeback and rise up again in her last life. And if Nicole actually ran to the Hammonds and tried to get them to blacklist Alicia, that would just wreck the whole perfect good-girl act she puts on for them. Nicole wouldn't have the nerve to pull something like that. And seriously, who was the real Hammond heiress? The fans might not have a clue, but Nicole definitely knew the truth. After clapping back in the comments, Alicia pulled another ballsy move. She tagged Nicole in a new post: [Bitchy Nicole, why don't you flaunt your Hammond princess status and get your big-shot backers to blacklist me? Come on, wipe out the villain in your story once and for all.] From now on, Alicia would be the loose cannon of the entertainment world, ready to tear into anyone whenever she felt like it. If anyone came for her, she'd come for them even harder. If she was gonna get roasted anyway, she might as well roast them right back and enjoy every second of it. Besides, a lot of people were really into her bold, straight-shooter attitude. Sure, Nicole had her fans, but she wasn't the kind of star everyone loved like cash. Alicia wasn't the only one who didn't vibe with Nicole. There were plenty of folks, both online and offline, who couldn't stand Nicole. Plus, with Starlight Entertainment and the Hammond family supporting Nicole into the spotlight, she'd ruffled a ton of feathers in the industry, stepping on the toes of other rising and established actresses, and messing with the profits of the companies backing them. If Alicia and Nicole started going at it, tons of people would be glued to their screens, eating up every second of the drama. And nothing could go viral like a feud between two celebrities. This time, Alicia was ready to get all that clout for herself. Chapter 5 Out Of Her Mind Alicia didn't just clap back at anyone who trashed her in the comments. She even tagged Nicole on X, straight-up telling her to blacklist and shut her down for good. This whole drama had everyone watching nearly speechless. Everyone watching left comments. LoveU: [Geeze, is Alicia out of her mind?] Crazymind: [Her posts and those comment replies are totally crazy. I'm kinda living for it. Am I too bad?] Jojo: [Haha, you're not alone. I feel the same way.] Footprints: [Alicia's got guts. She's the only one who'd tag and call her Bitchy Nicole.] Sunny:[She's really cool. I give her my respect.] Dunno: [Haha, she's gone totally rogue now. She's even calling herself the villain and telling the big names behind Nicole to just blacklist her.] Mindy7: [Honestly, I've been sick of Nicole for ages. She's such a phony.] CuteAsDucks: [She used her connections to snatch the role from my idol, and then her fans trashed my idol for it. Alicia just said exactly what I've been dying to say.] Casanova : [My fave had her opportunities stolen by Nicole too, but her fans are way too fierce. We can't win against them, so we just keep quiet. Looks like everyone feels the same...] HairyPoppins: [This drama is so satisfying. Keep it coming!] YellowSnowman: [I live for these epic beefs. Don't stop pls!] Something: [You guys think the ones backing Bitchy Nicole are really gonna shut Alicia down for good?] Tinfoilhat: [Bitchy Nicole is Starlight Entertainment's golden girl, and Nicolas is Starlight's heir. If he gets involved, plus the Hammond family and the Delaney family pulling strings for her, Alicia could seriously get iced out of the industry.] Anonymouse: [So is Alicia basically quitting the scene now?] Otherwise, Alicia wouldn't have posted something like that. She didn't just go head-to-head with Nicole, but she made enemies of all the power players behind Nicole too. Then Nicole's fans swooped in, starting a whole new round of roasting Alicia all over the place. They even dropped: [Just waiting for Alicia to get blacklisted and iced out.] Alicia replied: [Same here. I'm waiting.] Nicole's fans were left speechless. They thought, 'Seriously, what exactly are you waiting for? She's out of her mind.' Seeing Alicia's clapback, everyone watching the drama couldn't help but crack up. No one realized Alicia was so hilarious before. Nicole always kept an alt account with notifications on for Alicia, so she could keep tabs on her every move. Whenever Alicia dropped a post on X, Nicole got the alert instantly. Nicole never saw it coming that a single group photo was all it took to send Alicia off the rails. Back in the day, Alicia would just ignore Nicole in private, out of respect for the Hammond family. But now? She dragged Nicole out in public, no holds barred. Nicole couldn't help but wonder if she'd pushed Alicia totally off the deep end. That last post really got under Nicole's skin. Alicia actually had the nerve to straight-up call Nicole a bitch and even dared Nicole to blacklist her for real. Alicia obviously put Nicole on blast, making her look bad in front of everyone. Nicole would love nothing more than to blacklist Alicia and totally ruin her, but she knew she just didn't have that kind of power. After all, ever since she joined the Hammond family, Nicole knew exactly how she'd snatched all the attention and favor that used to go to Alicia. Sure, she played the pitiful victim at first to get their sympathy, but after that, she switched gears. She always acted like the perfect, considerate girl and constantly made it seem like she couldn't do anything without them. Sure enough, it worked. They started favoring her more and more. But that didn't mean the family had stopped caring about Alicia altogether. So now, with Alicia roasting her on social media, Nicole was stuck. Responding would just make things worse, but ignoring it would make her look weak. After thinking it over, Nicole told her agent, "Call Haley and drop her a hint to rein Alicia in before she goes totally off the rails. "Try to convince Alicia to take down all her posts from today right away. "If she won't do it, just log into her account and delete them." Starlight Entertainment was legendary for its PR and marketing game. They had deals with all the top influencers and even kept a whole army of paid trolls on standby. She paused, then added, "Once the posts are gone, get her agent to post an apology from Alicia's account, claiming her account was hacked." Nicole knew Alicia's personality all too well. Alicia would never agree to delete the posts or post an apology herself. Thus, Alicia's agent would have to handle it instead. Not only would this make Alicia get dragged even harder online, but if she ever tried to go off the rails again, no one would believe her. It would also get Nicole out of the impossible spot she was in. If everyone thought Alicia's account got hacked and it wasn't really her posting all that drama, Nicole could just sit back and ignore the whole mess. She could even drop a post, acting all sympathetic toward Alicia, playing the gracious queen for everyone to see. Then she'd unleash her army of influencers and trolls to stir things up. They'd start whispering that it wasn't a hack at all. Alicia probably just totally went crazy after seeing that photo Nicole posted. People would say Alicia was just jealous of how blessed Nicole was, so Alicia totally snapped. But once she cooled off, she freaked out about crossing Nicole and her powerful backers, so she pretended her account got hacked and deleted her posts. That way, Alicia would get roasted all over the internet, lose fans for chickening out and not owning her words, and her reputation would tank completely. If the Hammonds caught wind of this, they'd just think Alicia was being super petty. After all, it was not like Alicia didn't have group photos with them. Posting on social media, then deleting and apologizing? That would just make the Hammond and Delaney families look bad. Thinking about it, Nicole thought that Alicia going off and posting all that drama on X wasn't even a bad thing. Nicole's agent instantly got what she meant. Nicole was totally throwing Alicia under the bus. Her agent gave a sly, knowing grin and replied, "Alright." ***** Meanwhile, Alicia's agent, Haley Waters, looked absolutely grim. She never expected Alicia to cause such a huge mess behind her back. 'Does she even take me seriously?' Haley thought to herself. As soon as Alexandra's agent called her, Haley tried calling Alicia right away. But every single time, the line was busy. After hanging up with Nicole's agent, Haley was practically ready to explode. 'Since Alicia doesn't respect me, don't blame me for playing hardball,' Haley thought. She had the X account logins and passwords for all five members of LUMIA, so she just logged straight into Alicia's account. Her plan was exactly what Nicole's agent had hinted at. She was going to delete all of Alicia's posts from today, then post an apology claiming her account had been hacked. Of course, hardly anyone would actually buy that excuse. But at least it would let Nicole and Alexandra off the hook, pulling them out of the drama. Plus, Nicole would end up owing her a favor. And if Alicia got dragged even harder and roasted by the whole internet, that just played right into Haley's game plan for LUMIA. She was basically making Alicia take the heat to prop up the other four girls. One superstar could never make as much money or rack up the numbers as four superstars. However, every time Haley tried to log in, it just kept telling her the password was wrong. Then she realized that Alicia must've already changed her password. That was absolutely unacceptable to Haley. She kept trying to call Alicia, but the call still couldn't get through. After a moment, she grabbed someone else's phone and dialed Alicia again. This time, the call actually went through. Clearly, Alicia had blocked her number. Haley's expression soured even more. Chapter 6 Dream On It Alicia's phone lit up with an unknown number. She didn't even have to think about it. She knew it had to be Haley. This time, she actually picked up. "Hello?" She hit the record button at the same time. Haley's voice came through, sounding a little frantic. "Alicia, what are you doing?" She demanded, "Why did you suddenly post those updates on X? And now you're getting into fights in the comments. Why didn't you check with me first?" Alicia shot back, "It's my account. Why can't I post what I want?" She added, "I never said any of that, and I wasn't trying to get clout from those big shots. "Alexandra's been pushing me around. Am I just supposed to put up with it?" Haley was stunned for a moment. Then, she siad, "But you can't just go around scaring people with talk of calling the cops or suing them." She added, "And it was Alexandra who tagged you first. Why are you picking a fight with Nicole now? You're just asking for more hate." Alicia scoffed, "Why is Alexandra targeting me? She's just trying to butter up Nicole." She continued, "Why am I getting called a clout chaser all over the internet? Nicole's fans started the whole mess, and they've been after me ever since. "Just because Nicole's hiding behind all these people, does that suddenly make her innocent? I'm not an idiot. Of course I gotta target her." Haley took a deep breath, forcing down her anger. She softened her voice, trying to coax Alicia, "I know you've been treated unfairly, but the company's really hyping Nicole up right now. Going head-to-head with her isn't the smartest move." She added, "I can talk to the higher-ups and get you a better gig. So let's back off for now, okay?" Alicia was baiting Haley for this exact response. She asked, "What do you mean by backing off?" Haley said, "Delete all those posts you made on X, then post an apology. "Just say your account was hacked earlier, and none of those posts were actually from you." Alicia shot back, "You really think anyone's going to buy that excuse? Do you think people are that gullible?" Haley replied, "It doesn't matter if anyone actually believes it. Just put out the statement, so Nicole and Alexandra can have an easy way out." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So you really do think I'm an idiot, huh?" She added, "If I post something like that, forget their fans, even the haters and onlookers would be telling me to get lost from the entertainment scene. Even my own fans would probably want me out. "You already made me take the fall for the other four in LUMIA, and now you want me to take the heat for Nicole and Alexandra too? Just dream on it." Haley hadn't expected Alicia to come back at her like that. She wondered if Alicia had known something. She couldn't help but say, "I'm not just your agent, you know. I'm older than you. Everything I do is for your own good." She pressed, "Don't you even trust me a little anymore?" She'd noticed lately that Alicia was trying to slip out of her grip, but she wasn't about to let that happen. Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, for my own good, huh?" She added, "If it wasn't for you, Nicole, and the company stirring things up, with the other four in LUMIA playing along, do you think the whole internet would be out to get me?" She went on in a meaningful tone, "You were my mom's college friend and roommate, remember? "Back then, your ex-husband set you up. You walked away with nothing and got stuck with a mountain of debt. "You had to keep dodging debt collectors and couldn't land a job anywhere. "It was my mom who lent you the money to pay off those debts and helped you land that agent job at Starlight Entertainment. "And when you asked, she even stepped in and handled your ex's family for you, so they'd finally stop messing with you." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "My mom saved your ass when you were at rock bottom, and now you want to shove me right back down? Is that what you called 'for my own good'? "Sorry, guess I have to let you down." After Alicia's mom helped Haley get into Starlight Entertainment, Haley managed to bring up a second-tier starlet. But before Haley could help her climb any higher, that starlet married a wealthy businessman and dropped out of the spotlight. Right around then, Starlight was gearing up to create a top girl group, and Haley jumped at the chance to take charge of the group. Knowing Alicia wanted in on the entertainment scene, Haley asked her to join LUMIA. After Alicia's mom passed away, Haley didn't pull away. In fact, she always cared about Alicia. Back then, Alicia didn't know the first thing about showbiz, and she trusted Haley. Plus, since Starlight belonged to Nicolas's family, she figured it was safe and agreed to join. But she had never guessed that one choice would land her in a pit that she couldn't climb out of. After all, she never thought that the sweet, gentle woman everyone saw was actually a backstabbing wolf. In her last life, Alicia had already gotten her revenge. She exposed Haley's true colors and brought her crashing down. But when it came to a backstabbing, ungrateful snake like Haley, Alicia wouldn't mind giving her a lesson again. And this time, she'd do it sooner. Haley's eyes widened for a moment. A rare flash of panic flickered across her face. She couldn't help blurting out, "Alicia, has someone talked to you? Trying to stir things up between us?" Haley absolutely hated it when anyone brought up that embarrassing chapter from her past. Haley thought, 'Alicia's mom did help me out, but with her status, it was just a casual favor. Am I really supposed to be forever grateful for that? 'Besides, I've already paid back every cent I borrowed. 'Now, Alicia is actually throwing that in my face. It's really embarrassing. 'This is just one more reason I can't stand Alicia.' Every time Haley saw Alicia, all she could think about was how embarrassing it had been, having to beg Alicia's mom for help back then. When LUMIA first debuted, Alicia was the hottest topic. She had the most fans and all the online attention. Alicia was born with a silver spoon, already living the high life. Yet since she entered the industry, she blew up overnight. Haley was just jealous that Alicia was blessed from the start. Then someone hinted that if she wanted to hype up the other four in LUMIA, all she had to do was drag Alicia through the mud. Haley went for it, and sure enough, it paid off big time. Right now, Alicia was her ace in the traffic game. No way was Haley ever letting go of that. Haley gave a wry smile. "I haven't forgotten what your mom did for me, you know. "After all these years together, I've put in so much effort to help you make it big. I just hope you can see that and trust me." Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "So I'm supposed to be grateful for all your scheming, is that it? "You twisted things around. If I hadn't lived through the hell of being trashed by the whole internet, nearly driven to depression and suicide, I'd almost want to give you a round of applause. "Why not use this little tactic on the other four girls in LUMIA instead? "Just because my mom helped you, just because I once trusted and respected you, I'm supposed to be your sacrificial lamb? "Am I just meant to be the stepping stone for you and Starlight, so you can prop everyone else up at my expense? Isn't that just plain bullying?" Haley was so stunned by Alicia's comeback that she could barely get a word out. She also realized that Alicia had known she used to play both sides. Trying to guilt Alicia into deleting those posts was almost impossible. Haley paused, then tried to warn Alicia, "If your family or Nicolas finds out, they're not going to be happy. No matter what you think, I'm really doing this for your own good." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "I've already cut ties with my family. As for Nicolas, it's not like we're close. Why should I care if he's happy?" When Alicia first set her sights on showbiz, everyone around her figured she was just trying to get close to Nicolas. The truth was, Nicolas was only part of it. She just really wanted to be in the entertainment world for herself. When Nicole first moved in, her body was covered in injuries from her birth father's abuse, and she was in poor health. She deliberately acted extremely dependent on Alicia's family, not only winning their sympathy but also making it seem like she couldn't get by without them. After that, Nicole was constantly in the hospital, pretending she couldn't live without their support. The Hammonds would take turns staying with her at the hospital. Meanwhile, Alicia was left all alone at home, either studying or watching dramas. She'd catch herself copying the actors on TV, wondering how she'd play the part if she were in their shoes. She loved watching people sing and dance, and was totally drawn to the spotlight. So when the chance to join LUMIA came up, she couldn't say no. She was a natural when it came to acting, which was why, in her previous life, she finally made her comeback after quitting the group and going solo as an actress. In her last life, she and Nicolas used to argue and give each other the silent treatment all the time because of Nicole, but she never bothered worrying about whether he was mad or not. Now, Nicolas was just a stranger to her. Alicia of course wouldn't care about his feelings. She added, "If he's really unhappy, then let him bury my career for all I care. I'm done playing nice this time. I won't compromise anymore." With that, she hung up and saved the recording. And sure enough, Haley didn't disappoint Alicia.
After finally cutting ties with my three CEO brothers, they hit full-blown panic mode. They discovered I'd cleared out my room—sliced up every family photo and only took what my mother left me. They thought I was just throwing a tantrum and expected me to crawl back apologizing. Instead, what landed on their doorstep was a lawyer's letter demanding six years of unpaid dividends. My eldest brother blew up my phone, raging about how cold-hearted I was. I fired right back: "When you were all front row cheering for stepsister's concert, did it ever cross your mind that your real sister was alone in a hospital bed?" Dead silence on his end. I hung up and blocked him right after. They scrambled to track me down, but I was already settled into my penthouse. With the funds my mother left me, I invested heavily in their biggest competitor. Now, the family that once saw me as an embarrassment watches me become their worst nightmare.👑 ………………………………………… At a private hospital in Irisport, Alicia Delaney lay in bed, her gaze unfocused as she stared out the window. She never expected to travel to the past after dying. Suddenly, a notification rang out, snapping her back to reality. She picked up her phone to check it. It was a link to a trending topic that had blown up a few hours ago, sent by her assistant. She tapped on it. It read: [Nicole Hammond's concert not only had top idol Nicolas Moore as a special guest, but the VIP section was packed with even more big names!] The post started by gushing about how amazing Nicole's two songs were and how insanely popular she was. Then it showed a few photos of Nicolas and Nicole singing together on stage. Finally, it included pictures of the VIP section, where some of the biggest names in the industry were sitting. There was up-and-coming director Caleb Hammond, Hammond Group CEO Kevin Hammond, top investor Austin Hammond, Delaney Group CEO Collin Delaney, and esports superstar Maxwell Delaney. All of them were big shots. Alicia scrolled down and tapped on the comments. As she had expected, besides all the praise for Nicole, there were plenty of negative comments toward her. Alexrow: [I've been saying Nicole is the Hammond family's little princess, and some people didn't believe me. But look at all these VIPs here tonight. This is the best proof.] Matt_hill: [Gotta say, the Hammond family really dotes on Nicole. All three brothers showed up to support her.] Jasonlee77: [Nicolas, Maxwell, and Collin are all super close to Nicole too. They totally spoil her.] Lucas_w: [I wonder if that clout-chasing wannabe is feeling embarrassed right now after seeing this trending topic.] Quietjon: [No idea if she's actually embarrassed, but she's probably burning with jealousy and envy, totally losing it right now.] Latecoffee: [She really had the guts to claim she was the Hammonds's daughter, Nicolas's childhood sweetheart, and Collin and Maxwell's cousin.] Bluewindow: [None of them showed up for her performance yesterday. She got smacked by a stage light, and not one of them visited her in the hospital. But today, they all rushed over from everywhere just to support Nicole's concert. Honestly, the secondhand embarrassment is real.] Oldcam: [Yeah, she's in the same company as Nicolas, but I bet he doesn't even know she exists.] Sundaynoise: [She's totally desperate to be famous.] Softstatic: [Nicole's just too nice. She didn't even make a fuss when Alicia pretended to be the Hammond family's daughter.] Halfawake: [If Nicole wanted, with all these big shots backing her up, she could get that clout-chaser blacklisted in a heartbeat.] Afterten: [Blacklist her? She's already so hated. She'll probably end up getting herself booted from the industry soon enough.] Lowbattery: [She loves the drama and the clout. No way she'd give that up. I just wish she'd leave LUMIA already and stop holding the other girls back.] stillonline [Same question every day. When is Alicia finally leaving the group?] In her previous life, seeing this trending topic and all those comments hit Alicia hard. After she got out of the hospital, she even confronted those people she thought were important to her and caused a stir. But now, she was totally chill. She didn't care about them anymore. She was really a Hammond, also Kevin, Caleb, and Austin's biological younger sister. She was Collin and Maxwell's cousin and Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Nicole was just Alicia's stepmother's daughter, who took the Hammond name, but Nicole wasn't actually related to any of them by blood. Next, Alicia logged into her X account. Aside from a handful of fans asking how she was doing after the accident, the rest were just a flood of hate comments. People were roasting her for going to the hospital and supposedly screwing up LUMIA's upcoming shows. They asked her to quit the group and stop dragging the other girls down. Alicia's entertainment company and her agent didn't give her any support or issue any announcement. They just watched the drama unfold and didn't do a thing. Just then, Alicia's phone lit up with a call from Kevin, her oldest brother. Alicia picked up and said, "Yeah?" Kevin's voice came through. "Nicole told me you got hurt. You alright?" Alicia let out a sarcastic laugh. "It happened yesterday, and you're just asking now? "And you wouldn't have called if Nicole hadn't told you, huh? You're such a great brother." Alicia knew Nicole had told them on purpose, not out of kindness, but just to get under her skin. After all, Alicia had asked them to come to her show, but none of them bothered to show up. She got hurt, and they didn't even notice. It really stung. Kevin was silent for a few seconds, then he spoke up, "Which hospital are you at? We'll come to see you." Alicia replied coolly, "Don't bother. I wouldn't dare trouble you." Kevin frowned, "What are you trying to pull?" He paused, then finally tried to explain, "We really did have things going on yesterday. That was why we couldn't make it to your show. None of us expected you'd get hurt on stage. We..." Alicia cut him off before he could finish. "If you didn't want to come, just tell me. No need to make up excuses." She'd invited every single one of them to her show, but they all had some excuse about being busy and couldn't make it. But the very next day, they all showed up to support Nicole. Now, trying to explain themselves was just making things even more awkward. To Alicia, it was just more infuriating and disgusting. She added, "Listen, I won't bother you guys anymore. If we ever run into each other, I'll just pretend we're strangers." She used to be the one they cherished and spoiled, but after her stepmother showed up with Nicole, everything changed. All the love and attention her family once gave her was now showered on Nicole. Whenever Alicia and Nicole clashed, their family always told Alicia to just let it go, took Nicole's side, and started treating Alicia like she was the problem. Kevin's face darkened. "What do you mean you won't bother us anymore, and you'll just pretend we're strangers?" Alicia said bluntly, "It means I'm cutting ties with all of you." Kevin was stunned for a moment. Then, his voice was full of anger. "Are you out of your mind? How can you even say something like that?" He couldn't believe it and asked, "Just because we missed your show? Is it really that serious?" Alicia scoffed, "Yeah, it is. Hasn't this happened enough over the years? "You guys always have double standards, and I've had enough." All these years, they bailed on Alicia over and over, just to please Nicole. Just like this time, they didn't even try to hide it and just picked Nicole over Alicia. When Alicia first wanted to get into showbiz, her family not only shot her down, but told her that if she were so capable, she should do it without the connections of the Hommond family. Thus, Alicia used her mother's last name instead. But when Nicole jumped into showbiz after Alicia, not only did they not object, they gave her full support, throwing money and resources at her, backing her up like she was the star of the family. Now, the thing Alicia got dragged for the hardest online was supposedly clout-chasing the Hammond family name. But she never went around telling people she was a Hommond. It was Nicole and her mother, working with her agent, who kept pushing that story everywhere behind the scenes. They knew the Hommonds would never step up and admit that Alicia was really one of them. Whenever people started questioning Alicia online, her family just kept quiet and never bothered to set the record straight. It turned out that Nicole and her mother played it just right. The Hommonds didn't say a word about the truth. It basically let everyone believe that Alicia was just chasing clout, so she got dragged through the mud online. Alicia added, "Let's be real. Isn't this exactly what you wanted? You'd rather pretend I don't exist. You guys only want Nicole to be your family, right? Fine. I'll make it easy for you." Kevin took a deep breath, his anger flaring. "You're seriously threatening to cut us off just because of something so petty? "We never said anything like that. You really need to stop acting out. Why can't you be more like Nicole and just behave?" Alicia knew Kevin would never believe her. He'd just think she was throwing a fit, as always. Ever since Nicole and her mother moved in, anything Alicia did was just called her acting out. It was honestly ridiculous. In Alicia's previous life, she valued family so much that she kept putting up with everything, always backing down for their sake. But in the end, she became public enemy number one. This time around, she was completely over it. Family, childhood sweetheart, or whatever, she wanted them as far away from her as possible. Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So having one obedient sister is all you ever needed, huh? "I'm not making a scene, and I'm not threatening you. "Let me make this clear one last time. From today on, I'm cutting ties with every single one of you in the Hammond family. "All my expenses growing up came from my mom, so I don't owe the Hammond family anything. "Just pass it on to the rest of the Hammonds for me. I won't tell the rest of them myself. "Let's not contact or see each other ever again. That's all." She ended the call right after saying that. Then she blocked every single one of the Hammonds, including her father, brothers, plus Collin, Maxwell, and Nicolas. Since she was cutting ties with them, she was going to do it for real. Chapter 2 Is She Serious? Later, Kevin went back to Hammond Manor. Seeing the shock and anger written all over Kevin's face, Austin and Caleb asked, "Kevin, what did she say?" With a stony expression, Kevin gave them a quick rundown of his conversation with Alicia. Hearing this, Austin and Caleb turned gloomy too. Nicole's eyes flickered with uncertainty. She put on an anxious look and said, "Kevin, do you think Alicia got so mad because you all came to see my show? "Which hospital is she staying at? I'll explain everything and apologize to her now. "She must've been so upset with me to say she wants to cut us off." Feeling even more guilty, Nicole added, "I really hope she doesn't get the wrong idea about you guys because of me and cut ties with you." Kevin gave her a reassuring look. "You don't need to explain anything to her. This has nothing to do with you." Kevin thought Alicia always had it out for Nicole. If Nicole showed up at the hospital, he didn't know what kind of scene Alicia would make. Austin frowned, "She's really gone overboard this time. Is cutting ties something she can just say so casually? "Honestly, she's almost certainly using this as a way to threaten us, trying to get us to back down. "Just leave her alone for a few days, and she'll come back on her own." Caleb didn't believe for a second that Alicia would really cut ties with them over something so trivial. He said, "Yeah, she was throwing a fit over the phone. Her injuries are probably nothing serious. There's no need for us to see her at the hospital. "If we keep giving in to her, she'll just get more and more unreasonable. "Let's just leave her alone for now. Once she calms down, she'll come back to us." Austin and Kevin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's just give her some space and let her cool off for a while." After a few more words of comfort, they personally escorted Nicole upstairs to get some rest. ***** Alicia's injuries weren't serious, so she checked herself out of the hospital the very next day. Except when she was out working, she usually stayed at the Hammond family's old mansion. But she'd actually bought a place of her own before, and nobody knew about it. Now that she was leaving the Hammond family, she could finally move in. She called the moving company first, then headed back to Hammond Manor. As she had expected, everyone else was out. Felix looked a little taken aback when Alicia walked in, but quickly he smiled and greeted her, "Ms. Alicia Hammond, you're back." Felix overheard the three Hammond brothers talking last night. He'd always thought Alicia was just in a mood, but he never expected her to come back so soon. Alicia gave Felix a quick look, said nothing, and went straight to her room. Felix had been working for the Hammonds since her grandfather's days, and he'd practically watched Alicia grow up. When she was a kid, he was always gentle and caring. He'd play with her in the yard and used to call her "Madam". But after Nicole moved in, it only took a couple of years before he started calling Alicia "Ms. Alicia Hommond" instead of just "Madam". He and the other servants all started calling Nicole "Madam" now. 'I'm the outsider here now, huh?' Alicia thought to herself. Back in her room, Alicia started boxing up all her things. She wasn't planning to leave a single thing behind. Anything she didn't want, she'd just sell online or simply throw away. Then she opened the safe and took out the jewelry her mother had left her, along with a share transfer document and a few property deeds. Her mother had owned 15% of Hammond Group's shares. Before she passed away, she gave 3% each to Alicia's three brothers, but left Alicia with 6%. She said the extra 3% was meant to be Alicia's wedding gift. At the time, neither her dad nor her brothers had any problem with it. But in her previous life, they tried to make her split half her shares with Nicole, claiming Nicole was her sister too. Of course, Alicia refused. Feeling betrayed, she used her 6% stake to mess with them and throw Hammond Group into chaos, all for revenge. On top of that, she also had a few properties that her maternal grandparents had left her. She ran her fingers over the document pouch, memories of her mom and grandparents' kindness flooding back. Her eyes reddened with emotion. 'At least I had people who truly cared about me. That's all I ever needed,' she told herself. After a moment, Alicia took a deep breath and carefully placed all those valuables into a lock box. After a while, she got a call from the movers. She went downstairs to show them in and led them up to her room to start packing, making sure to carry the lock box herself. Felix rushed in as soon as he saw what was happening. "Ms. Alicia Hammond, what are you doing?" Alicia looked at him with a calm expression. "I'm moving out. I already told Kevin. Since yesterday, I've cut ties with everyone in the Hammond family. "So of course, I won't be living here anymore." Felix was utterly shocked. "Ms. Alicia Hommond, no matter how much fuss you make, cutting ties isn't something to joke about. You..." He clearly hadn't expected Alicia to come back just to pack up and leave, instead of trying to make up. Alicia interrupted him, her voice cold. "You're not in a position to tell me what to do." She didn't bother with him anymore and turned away, calling out to the movers to get started. Felix hadn't expected Alicia to be so cold and forceful with him. He couldn't help but feel stung and a little upset. He wanted to step up and try to persuade her, but Alicia didn't even spare him a glance. Left with no other option, he stepped out of the room and called Kevin. Kevin was in the middle of a meeting, but when he saw it was Felix calling, he picked up anyway. When Kevin heard that Alicia had actually gone back to pack her things, he looked visibly shaken. A wave of unease and panic washed over him. After a moment's thought, he paused the meeting and headed home. At the same time, he called Caleb and Austin. By the time the three of them rushed home, Alicia had already left with the movers. They headed upstairs to Alicia's room. All that was left were the gifts they'd given her over the years and a photo frame and album on the desk. Everything else that belonged to her had completely disappeared. Austin's eyes landed on the photo frame, and he looked genuinely shocked. "She cut out the part with Mom and took them, leaving ours behind." The other two guys exchanged confused glances. They walked over and saw that the family portrait had been cut. The part of their mother and Alicia was missing, leaving only their father and the three sons. Caleb picked up the photo album and flipped through it. Sure enough, there wasn't a single solo shot of their mother or Alicia at all. All that was left were pictures of just their father and the brothers, or group photos where their mother and Alicia had been snipped out. The three brothers just stood there, totally baffled and at a loss. They thought, 'How did it end up like this? Is she actually serious about cutting us off? No way, she can't mean it. 'We only skipped her show. Does she really have to blow things up like this?' Kevin's face darkened as he pulled out his phone. "I'll call her." But when he tried, he realized Alicia had blocked his number. He switched to a messaging app, only to find she'd removed him there too. Seeing this, Caleb and Austin quickly pulled out their phones to try reaching Alicia, but she'd blocked them everywhere as well. The three guys were left feeling both hurt and pissed off. They got Felix to give Alicia a call, but he'd been blocked too. They borrowed a phone from one of the new maids and tried again. This number wasn't blocked, but Alicia just ignored every single call. Caleb turned to Kevin, looking totally lost. "Bro, what now?" Kevin just stared back, feeling completely helpless. He really didn't have a clue what to do. Austin thought for a moment and asked, "Should we tell Dad?" Kevin shook his head. "Let's not tell Dad for now. I'm worried he'll get upset and hurt his health." Over the years, Alicia had given their father plenty of headaches, but this time, things were getting pretty serious. Kevin wasn't sure if he should reassure his brothers or just himself. He said, "I really don't think Alicia would actually cut us off. She's probably just being dramatic again." After a moment, he continued, "Dad's birthday is next month. No matter how mad she is, she'll definitely show up for that. "Give it a month. She'll get over it, and then we can sit down and talk things out." Austin and Caleb relaxed a little after hearing that. "Yeah, even if she's still upset with us, she won't miss Dad's birthday." As far as they knew, Alicia had always been super attached to their father. Every year, she'd start shopping for his birthday gift weeks ahead of time. They were sure she wouldn't skip it this year. When the day came, they'd just sit her down and talk things out. Worst case, they'd put their pride aside and sweet-talk her a bit, and Alicia would forgive them. Chapter 3 I'm Easy To Mess With? After moving into her new home, Alicia tidied up. Then she sat down, deep in thought, trying to remember what had happened at this exact moment in her past life. Right now, she was getting roasted all over the internet, and she was still a member of the girl group LUMIA. Her relationship with the other members was pretty bad. It wasn't like she'd done anything to them. The other girls always ganged up on her for no reason. After those four got a taste of success from dragging Alicia down twice, they just got even worse. Of course, Alicia's company and her agent had a hand in all of this too. Back in her previous life, Alicia brought up quitting LUMIA, but they shot her down. It dragged on until the next year, when a massive scandal exploded. Only then did she finally manage to break free. But this time, Alicia wasn't about to let those bloodsuckers keep draining her. First thing on her list was to quit the group and terminate the contract with her company for good. Thinking of that, Alicia called up her mom's lawyer friend and set up a meeting. ***** That evening, Alicia slipped into a restaurant, wearing a baseball cap and a mask. Even though she was getting dragged all over the internet, she was still pretty famous. She was pulling in a ton of traffic online. After all, being infamous still made many people know her name. After a few minutes, a distinguished and elegant middle-aged man stepped into the private room. Alicia stood up with a smile and greeted that man. "Mr. Wise, it's been so long." The man named Thomas Wise gave her a warm look. "Yeah, it has." He didn't ask how she'd been. He didn't really keep up with the entertainment scene, but after Alicia called to set up this meeting, he figured she probably needed his help, so he did a little digging. After checking things out, he was totally thrown off guard. He never expected Alicia's online reputation to be so trashed. When he saw the reasons people roasted her for, he was just speechless. But from all this, it was clear that Alicia's entertainment company was super unprofessional, and the Hammonds were irresponsible too. After they sat down, they chatted about some past things. Then Alicia said, "Mr. Wise, I want your help to terminate my contract with Starlight Entertainment." She knew it was best to leave this kind of stuff to the professionals. She definitely didn't want to deal with all the drama from those people herself. Thomas wasn't surprised. He replied, "Did you bring your contract with your company? Or do you have an e-copy? Let me take a look." If Starlight Entertainment had done its job and handled her PR properly, Alicia's reputation wouldn't be in the gutter like this. Thomas figured it was probably for the best to cut ties with a company like that. Alicia pulled the contract out of her bag and handed it over. "I brought it." Thomas read through the contract carefully, then started discussing it with Alicia. Alicia's contract with Starlight Entertainment still had a year left, and if she wanted out early, she'd have to pay a 3-million-dollar penalty. But Alicia had some proof that Starlight Entertainment hadn't kept their promises, so Thomas said he'd use that to fight for a lower penalty. After they finished talking about that, Alicia pulled out the equity contract. She continued, "Mr. Wise, this is the equity my mom transferred to me before she passed away. According to the contract, I was supposed to start getting dividends from the company once I turned eighteen. "But I haven't gotten anything since then. "So I want you to help me get back what's mine from Hammond Group through legal channels. "Even if it comes down to a lawsuit, I'm fine with that." Now that she'd cut ties with the Hammonds, she wouldn't let them steal a single cent that was rightfully hers. After her mother passed away, she never used a cent from the Hammond family. Besides the equity, her mother had invested in several funds for her, so she got a nice chunk of cash every year. Her three brothers had the same setup, of course. With all that money coming in, her dad and brothers never gave her any allowance. But when it came to Nicole, they'd give her hundreds of thousands of dollars in allowance every month, and they covered all her living expenses. They always spoiled Nicole with the latest luxury clothes, designer bags, and jewelry. As for Alicia, the only time she ever got a gift from them was on her birthday. Back in her previous life, Alicia treasured those gifts, but now, she couldn't care less. She left them all behind at the old house. As for those funds her mother left her, once Austin started working in finance, Alicia just let him take care of them. But now, she was ready to take them back and hand them over to a professional investment firm. Thomas looked genuinely surprised. He asked, "Have you ever brought this up with your dad or Kevin? They really haven't given you any dividends?" If they had, Alicia wouldn't even consider going the legal route to get her dividends. Alicia gave a wry smile. "I cut ties with the entire Hammond family yesterday. "So from now on, anything to do with them, I'm treating it like business." Thomas frowned, concern etched on his face. "Did they really do something to upset you?" Otherwise, why would things get so bad that you'd have to break off all contact with them? Alicia wasn't about to make excuses for the Hammonds. She let out a helpless sigh. "It's enough for them to have a daughter and a sister. I'm just... the spare." Thomas was her mother's longtime friend. Even though he was just a lawyer by profession, he was born into old money. So aside from genuinely needing his help, Alicia also wanted to let the word get out through him that she'd severed ties with the Hammonds, making sure everyone in their elite circles heard about it. The reason was simple. The Hammonds' favoritism was just off the charts. Back in her previous life, Alicia realized something. If people weren't close to Nicole, they didn't just automatically jump to defend her or blindly take her side. And once Alicia put some distance between herself and Nicole, the folks around her stopped treating her like she was some kind of outcast, unlike Nicole's crowd. Sure enough, Thomas's mind started to wander after hearing that. He thought about all that drama he'd read online. The Hammond family's adopted daughter was called their little princess, while Alicia, the real heiress, was accused of being a fraud. It was just plain absurd. Even if they really loved Nicole, or were just putting on a show, it was way over the top to treat her like royalty and shove Alicia to the sidelines. That alone made Thomas think way less of the Hammonds. He looked at Alicia with a bit of pity in his eyes. "Leave this to me as well." "Thanks for your help, Mr. Wise," Alicia said. Alicia thought for a moment before saying, "You don't have to keep this under wraps, Mr. Wise. I actually want word to get out that I'm done with the Hammonds." Not only did she not want it kept quiet, but she wanted everyone in their circle to feast on the drama. Thomas was sharp. He got it right away and nodded. "Alright, I see." They chatted for a bit longer before heading out. ***** When Thomas got home, he filled his wife in on everything—Alicia asking for help and her breaking things off with the Hammonds. His wife used to be pretty close with Alicia's mother. After hearing the whole story, she went online to dig up the drama herself and couldn't help but roast the Hammonds for being totally brainless. She could instantly tell that the new wife Leo Hammond brought in, and that adopted daughter Nicole, were both pieces of work. After that, she vented to her family and her close circle of society ladies, and soon enough, the whole story was making the rounds. By the time the Hammonds caught wind of it, they'd already been labeled as ridiculously biased and out of their minds. It was way too late to try and explain themselves or do anything about it. ***** Meanwhile, Alicia got home and opened X, only to see the top trending topic right there. Nicole had posted a photo of herself with the Hammond brothers and the rest of the family after last night's party. Her smile was absolutely radiant. She captioned it: [With you guys, I feel like I have the whole world. With all your love and care, I'm honestly the luckiest, happiest girl in the world.] The comments were all raving about how lucky Nicole was and what a picture-perfect family they had. Mixed in were plenty of snarky remarks, throwing shade at Alicia. One of Nicole's actress friends even mentioned Alicia and commented: [This is what a real family looks like. Stop trying to insert yourself into their drama.] It was not like this actress was actually trying to have Nicole's back or anything. She just wanted to ride Nicole's coattails, since Nicole was tight with all those big-shot elites. And with Alicia getting roasted online and her company and agent basically showing no sign of defending her, the actress couldn't care less about offending Alicia. Plus, she could score points with both Nicole's fans and Alicia's haters for being so real. It was a total win-win. Alicia let out a soft laugh when she saw the post tagging her. 'Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon just to get some attention off me?' she thought. 'Do they really think I'm that easy to mess with?' Since people were coming at her for Nicole, Alicia wasn't going to play nice anymore. It was perfect timing. Just when she needed a target, someone served one up. Alicia fired off two posts on X right away, and in one of them, she responded directly by tagging that actress. Just like she expected, her post shot straight to the top of the trending list in no time. After all, she was basically a magnet for haters. Everyone was always watching her. Any little thing she did, people would catch it instantly and start roasting her from all sides. Online, nobody expected Alicia to suddenly go so hard and drop a post like this. Her haters, the paid trolls, and all the gossip crowd were left stunned. Chapter 4 Get The Clout For Herself The actress who came to Nicole's defense was Alexandra Barton, a third-tier celebrity. Her post wasn't just about sucking up to Nicole. She was also trying to get in good with the big shots behind her. Besides, she planned to throw shade at Alicia and ride the wave of drama for some free clout. Every time the other LUMIA members played the victim or put on a pitiful face, Alicia would get dragged online. And every time, they'd get a wave of sympathy and attention. Sure enough, after Alexandra posted it, Nicole's fans flooded her with likes and praise. On top of that, a bunch of people called her genuine and bold for speaking up for her friend. Even some celebs hit like on her post. Alexandra was feeling pretty smug about how well her little stunt was going when her agent walked in, looking seriously pissed. "Alicia just responded. It's a bit of a mess," her agent said. Alexandra immediately opened X. She saw Alicia had posted something and tagged her. AliciaDelaneyOfficial: [I've never, not once, said or even hinted that I'm a Hammond, the Delaney brothers's cousin, or Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Anyone who spreads this crap stays broke forever.] [If you're the one hiring trolls to slander me, I'll track you down and hit you with a lawsuit.] [If you can't be bothered to get your facts straight, you don't get to run your mouth. You're a public figure. Slandering me in public is unacceptable.] [Being a bootlicker isn't as easy as you think. I've already called the cops, and I'm taking you to court. That's illegal. @AlexandraBarton] Alexandra was totally caught off guard. She never expected Alicia to go this hard and actually call the cops and threaten a lawsuit. Alicia even called Alexandra a bootlicker. That was way over the line, and it seriously pissed Alexandra off. Alexandra shot her agent a look and asked, "Has she lost her mind? How did the company even let her post something like that on social media?" Both Nicole and Alicia were signed to Starlight Entertainment, but Starlight was all about hyping up Nicole and deliberately sidelining Alicia. Alexandra was sure that Starlight would never let Alicia do something like this. That was exactly why Alexandra had felt safe enough to tag Alicia on X. Alexandra figured even if Alicia got pissed, she wouldn't be able to do anything about it. After all, without Starlight's backing and PR muscle, Alicia was no threat at all flying solo. Alexandra's agent looked exasperated. "I just got off the phone with her agent. They seriously had no idea she was going to post that on X. "But I've already talked it over. They'll get Alicia to delete the post. "As for the cops and the lawsuit, they said Starlight will shut it all down." The agent herself never thought Alicia would go this far, totally breaking the usual playbook and ignoring all the unspoken industry rules. Going to the police and threatening to sue over a few online comments? Alicia was seriously the first one to ever do this. Hearing that, Alexandra breathed easier, the tension finally melting away. She flashed a sly grin. "Once she deletes that post, the real show begins." Deleting it would make Alicia a total clown, and she would get roasted alive online. The handful of fans she got left probably wouldn't stick around for the embarrassment. So instead of deleting her post, Alexandra fired back, tagging Alicia right back. AlexandraBarton: [I've got nothing to fear. Bring it on!@AliciaDelaneyOfficial.] Everyone watching the drama unfold got another surprise when Alexandra clapped back on X. Nobody expected Alexandra to go this hard, either. The comments under both Alicia and Alexandra's posts started blowing up, racking up thousands in no time. Markd82: [Who are we supposed to believe here?] Tommy94: [Both of them are so savage. Let's see who can outlast the other.] Chris_y: [Come to think of it, Alicia never actually claimed or even hinted she was a Hammond.] Juststeve: [She wouldn't have posted something like that unless she was totally fed up with all the hate.] Nooot: [Reading her post, I really feel like someone set her up.] Idkben: [Yeah, and wishing for the rumor-spreader to stay broke forever? That's brutal. Seriously, who would jinx themselves like that if they were faking it?] Okmatt: [If that's really the case, Alicia's got it tough. She's been roasted nonstop over this.] Randomname: [You guys just buy whatever she says? Come on, this is clearly her way of trying to clear her name.] User472: [Yeah, I still don't buy that she never said or hinted at it. And talking about a lawsuit? Anyone can say that online.] Loggedout: [Alicia's not the only one who's ever posted a lawyer letter. In the end, it's all bark and no bite.] Still_here: [She's just doing this to scare people and make herself look like the victim, so everyone feels sorry for her.] Rabbitie: [Watch it, she'll probably delete that post real soon.] Cloud: [No way she actually called the cops, and I seriously doubt she's taking anyone to court.] Heyitsdan: [For real, she's been roasted online so many times before and always just let it slide. Why is she suddenly acting tough now? Obviously just trying to play the victim and chase some attention.] Alicia just happened to scroll past that comment. She fired back right under it: [Back then, my agent handled my account. Now, I call the shots myself. If you don't buy it, just wait and see if the cops come knocking on Alexandra's door.] Fans couldn't believe Alicia actually replied to the comment herself. They did find out that the way she was acting now was totally different from before. They finally knew why her account only had generic promo posts. Turned out that her agent was running her account all this time After Alicia clapped back, everyone was dying to see if the cops would actually come to Alexandra's place. Now it was all about who'd stay savage till the end. But the haters and Nicole and Alexandra's fans kept dragging Alicia nonstop, flooding her comments with insults. Nicole's fans totally lost it over Alicia calling Alexandra out as a bootlicker. They started speculating. 'What's that supposed to mean? Is she throwing shade at Nicole, saying Nicole put Alexandra up to this?' They started spamming Alicia's comments with angry rants. Imtom: [Alexandra is just sticking up for Nicole. What's wrong with that?] LoveNicole: [You've been leeching off Nicole's name, and she's been chill about it. Instead of saying thanks, you go and throw shade? You really think Nicole's just too nice and easy to push around?] NNNICOLE: [Keep messing with her and see what happens. She'll make sure you get iced out of the whole industry.] BabyNicole: [That's right. Nicole is the Hammond family's princess. She's got serious backup. If you piss her off, don't be surprised if you get shut out.] Alicia saw those comments and clapped back without hesitation. Alicia: [Come on, I surely don't dare to push Bitchy Nicole around. She's so scheming.] Alicia: [Sure, go ahead! Tell Nicole to get her powerful family to shut me down. Let's see if they can really kick me out of the industry.] Alicia: [If she doesn't blacklist me like you want, honestly, I'll laugh at her.] Anyway, Alicia was already public enemy number one online, getting roasted from all sides. She wasn't afraid of more hate at this point. Now that she'd been given a second shot at life, anyone who pissed her off was gonna get it right back. Honestly, everyone enjoyed the drama online. The fake peace and phony friendship act couldn't get people's interest. Nothing could grab attention like a straight-up online fight. Back then, they rode Alicia for clout and attention. Now, Alicia could play the same game right back. Besides, would Nicole really dare to flex her status and try to freeze Alicia out of the industry? No way. She didn't have the nerve, and she sure didn't have the pull. If she did, Alicia wouldn't have been able to stage a comeback and rise up again in her last life. And if Nicole actually ran to the Hammonds and tried to get them to blacklist Alicia, that would just wreck the whole perfect good-girl act she puts on for them. Nicole wouldn't have the nerve to pull something like that. And seriously, who was the real Hammond heiress? The fans might not have a clue, but Nicole definitely knew the truth. After clapping back in the comments, Alicia pulled another ballsy move. She tagged Nicole in a new post: [Bitchy Nicole, why don't you flaunt your Hammond princess status and get your big-shot backers to blacklist me? Come on, wipe out the villain in your story once and for all.] From now on, Alicia would be the loose cannon of the entertainment world, ready to tear into anyone whenever she felt like it. If anyone came for her, she'd come for them even harder. If she was gonna get roasted anyway, she might as well roast them right back and enjoy every second of it. Besides, a lot of people were really into her bold, straight-shooter attitude. Sure, Nicole had her fans, but she wasn't the kind of star everyone loved like cash. Alicia wasn't the only one who didn't vibe with Nicole. There were plenty of folks, both online and offline, who couldn't stand Nicole. Plus, with Starlight Entertainment and the Hammond family supporting Nicole into the spotlight, she'd ruffled a ton of feathers in the industry, stepping on the toes of other rising and established actresses, and messing with the profits of the companies backing them. If Alicia and Nicole started going at it, tons of people would be glued to their screens, eating up every second of the drama. And nothing could go viral like a feud between two celebrities. This time, Alicia was ready to get all that clout for herself. Chapter 5 Out Of Her Mind Alicia didn't just clap back at anyone who trashed her in the comments. She even tagged Nicole on X, straight-up telling her to blacklist and shut her down for good. This whole drama had everyone watching nearly speechless. Everyone watching left comments. LoveU: [Geeze, is Alicia out of her mind?] Crazymind: [Her posts and those comment replies are totally crazy. I'm kinda living for it. Am I too bad?] Jojo: [Haha, you're not alone. I feel the same way.] Footprints: [Alicia's got guts. She's the only one who'd tag and call her Bitchy Nicole.] Sunny:[She's really cool. I give her my respect.] Dunno: [Haha, she's gone totally rogue now. She's even calling herself the villain and telling the big names behind Nicole to just blacklist her.] Mindy7: [Honestly, I've been sick of Nicole for ages. She's such a phony.] CuteAsDucks: [She used her connections to snatch the role from my idol, and then her fans trashed my idol for it. Alicia just said exactly what I've been dying to say.] Casanova : [My fave had her opportunities stolen by Nicole too, but her fans are way too fierce. We can't win against them, so we just keep quiet. Looks like everyone feels the same...] HairyPoppins: [This drama is so satisfying. Keep it coming!] YellowSnowman: [I live for these epic beefs. Don't stop pls!] Something: [You guys think the ones backing Bitchy Nicole are really gonna shut Alicia down for good?] Tinfoilhat: [Bitchy Nicole is Starlight Entertainment's golden girl, and Nicolas is Starlight's heir. If he gets involved, plus the Hammond family and the Delaney family pulling strings for her, Alicia could seriously get iced out of the industry.] Anonymouse: [So is Alicia basically quitting the scene now?] Otherwise, Alicia wouldn't have posted something like that. She didn't just go head-to-head with Nicole, but she made enemies of all the power players behind Nicole too. Then Nicole's fans swooped in, starting a whole new round of roasting Alicia all over the place. They even dropped: [Just waiting for Alicia to get blacklisted and iced out.] Alicia replied: [Same here. I'm waiting.] Nicole's fans were left speechless. They thought, 'Seriously, what exactly are you waiting for? She's out of her mind.' Seeing Alicia's clapback, everyone watching the drama couldn't help but crack up. No one realized Alicia was so hilarious before. Nicole always kept an alt account with notifications on for Alicia, so she could keep tabs on her every move. Whenever Alicia dropped a post on X, Nicole got the alert instantly. Nicole never saw it coming that a single group photo was all it took to send Alicia off the rails. Back in the day, Alicia would just ignore Nicole in private, out of respect for the Hammond family. But now? She dragged Nicole out in public, no holds barred. Nicole couldn't help but wonder if she'd pushed Alicia totally off the deep end. That last post really got under Nicole's skin. Alicia actually had the nerve to straight-up call Nicole a bitch and even dared Nicole to blacklist her for real. Alicia obviously put Nicole on blast, making her look bad in front of everyone. Nicole would love nothing more than to blacklist Alicia and totally ruin her, but she knew she just didn't have that kind of power. After all, ever since she joined the Hammond family, Nicole knew exactly how she'd snatched all the attention and favor that used to go to Alicia. Sure, she played the pitiful victim at first to get their sympathy, but after that, she switched gears. She always acted like the perfect, considerate girl and constantly made it seem like she couldn't do anything without them. Sure enough, it worked. They started favoring her more and more. But that didn't mean the family had stopped caring about Alicia altogether. So now, with Alicia roasting her on social media, Nicole was stuck. Responding would just make things worse, but ignoring it would make her look weak. After thinking it over, Nicole told her agent, "Call Haley and drop her a hint to rein Alicia in before she goes totally off the rails. "Try to convince Alicia to take down all her posts from today right away. "If she won't do it, just log into her account and delete them." Starlight Entertainment was legendary for its PR and marketing game. They had deals with all the top influencers and even kept a whole army of paid trolls on standby. She paused, then added, "Once the posts are gone, get her agent to post an apology from Alicia's account, claiming her account was hacked." Nicole knew Alicia's personality all too well. Alicia would never agree to delete the posts or post an apology herself. Thus, Alicia's agent would have to handle it instead. Not only would this make Alicia get dragged even harder online, but if she ever tried to go off the rails again, no one would believe her. It would also get Nicole out of the impossible spot she was in. If everyone thought Alicia's account got hacked and it wasn't really her posting all that drama, Nicole could just sit back and ignore the whole mess. She could even drop a post, acting all sympathetic toward Alicia, playing the gracious queen for everyone to see. Then she'd unleash her army of influencers and trolls to stir things up. They'd start whispering that it wasn't a hack at all. Alicia probably just totally went crazy after seeing that photo Nicole posted. People would say Alicia was just jealous of how blessed Nicole was, so Alicia totally snapped. But once she cooled off, she freaked out about crossing Nicole and her powerful backers, so she pretended her account got hacked and deleted her posts. That way, Alicia would get roasted all over the internet, lose fans for chickening out and not owning her words, and her reputation would tank completely. If the Hammonds caught wind of this, they'd just think Alicia was being super petty. After all, it was not like Alicia didn't have group photos with them. Posting on social media, then deleting and apologizing? That would just make the Hammond and Delaney families look bad. Thinking about it, Nicole thought that Alicia going off and posting all that drama on X wasn't even a bad thing. Nicole's agent instantly got what she meant. Nicole was totally throwing Alicia under the bus. Her agent gave a sly, knowing grin and replied, "Alright." ***** Meanwhile, Alicia's agent, Haley Waters, looked absolutely grim. She never expected Alicia to cause such a huge mess behind her back. 'Does she even take me seriously?' Haley thought to herself. As soon as Alexandra's agent called her, Haley tried calling Alicia right away. But every single time, the line was busy. After hanging up with Nicole's agent, Haley was practically ready to explode. 'Since Alicia doesn't respect me, don't blame me for playing hardball,' Haley thought. She had the X account logins and passwords for all five members of LUMIA, so she just logged straight into Alicia's account. Her plan was exactly what Nicole's agent had hinted at. She was going to delete all of Alicia's posts from today, then post an apology claiming her account had been hacked. Of course, hardly anyone would actually buy that excuse. But at least it would let Nicole and Alexandra off the hook, pulling them out of the drama. Plus, Nicole would end up owing her a favor. And if Alicia got dragged even harder and roasted by the whole internet, that just played right into Haley's game plan for LUMIA. She was basically making Alicia take the heat to prop up the other four girls. One superstar could never make as much money or rack up the numbers as four superstars. However, every time Haley tried to log in, it just kept telling her the password was wrong. Then she realized that Alicia must've already changed her password. That was absolutely unacceptable to Haley. She kept trying to call Alicia, but the call still couldn't get through. After a moment, she grabbed someone else's phone and dialed Alicia again. This time, the call actually went through. Clearly, Alicia had blocked her number. Haley's expression soured even more. Chapter 6 Dream On It Alicia's phone lit up with an unknown number. She didn't even have to think about it. She knew it had to be Haley. This time, she actually picked up. "Hello?" She hit the record button at the same time. Haley's voice came through, sounding a little frantic. "Alicia, what are you doing?" She demanded, "Why did you suddenly post those updates on X? And now you're getting into fights in the comments. Why didn't you check with me first?" Alicia shot back, "It's my account. Why can't I post what I want?" She added, "I never said any of that, and I wasn't trying to get clout from those big shots. "Alexandra's been pushing me around. Am I just supposed to put up with it?" Haley was stunned for a moment. Then, she siad, "But you can't just go around scaring people with talk of calling the cops or suing them." She added, "And it was Alexandra who tagged you first. Why are you picking a fight with Nicole now? You're just asking for more hate." Alicia scoffed, "Why is Alexandra targeting me? She's just trying to butter up Nicole." She continued, "Why am I getting called a clout chaser all over the internet? Nicole's fans started the whole mess, and they've been after me ever since. "Just because Nicole's hiding behind all these people, does that suddenly make her innocent? I'm not an idiot. Of course I gotta target her." Haley took a deep breath, forcing down her anger. She softened her voice, trying to coax Alicia, "I know you've been treated unfairly, but the company's really hyping Nicole up right now. Going head-to-head with her isn't the smartest move." She added, "I can talk to the higher-ups and get you a better gig. So let's back off for now, okay?" Alicia was baiting Haley for this exact response. She asked, "What do you mean by backing off?" Haley said, "Delete all those posts you made on X, then post an apology. "Just say your account was hacked earlier, and none of those posts were actually from you." Alicia shot back, "You really think anyone's going to buy that excuse? Do you think people are that gullible?" Haley replied, "It doesn't matter if anyone actually believes it. Just put out the statement, so Nicole and Alexandra can have an easy way out." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So you really do think I'm an idiot, huh?" She added, "If I post something like that, forget their fans, even the haters and onlookers would be telling me to get lost from the entertainment scene. Even my own fans would probably want me out. "You already made me take the fall for the other four in LUMIA, and now you want me to take the heat for Nicole and Alexandra too? Just dream on it." Haley hadn't expected Alicia to come back at her like that. She wondered if Alicia had known something. She couldn't help but say, "I'm not just your agent, you know. I'm older than you. Everything I do is for your own good." She pressed, "Don't you even trust me a little anymore?" She'd noticed lately that Alicia was trying to slip out of her grip, but she wasn't about to let that happen. Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, for my own good, huh?" She added, "If it wasn't for you, Nicole, and the company stirring things up, with the other four in LUMIA playing along, do you think the whole internet would be out to get me?" She went on in a meaningful tone, "You were my mom's college friend and roommate, remember? "Back then, your ex-husband set you up. You walked away with nothing and got stuck with a mountain of debt. "You had to keep dodging debt collectors and couldn't land a job anywhere. "It was my mom who lent you the money to pay off those debts and helped you land that agent job at Starlight Entertainment. "And when you asked, she even stepped in and handled your ex's family for you, so they'd finally stop messing with you." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "My mom saved your ass when you were at rock bottom, and now you want to shove me right back down? Is that what you called 'for my own good'? "Sorry, guess I have to let you down." After Alicia's mom helped Haley get into Starlight Entertainment, Haley managed to bring up a second-tier starlet. But before Haley could help her climb any higher, that starlet married a wealthy businessman and dropped out of the spotlight. Right around then, Starlight was gearing up to create a top girl group, and Haley jumped at the chance to take charge of the group. Knowing Alicia wanted in on the entertainment scene, Haley asked her to join LUMIA. After Alicia's mom passed away, Haley didn't pull away. In fact, she always cared about Alicia. Back then, Alicia didn't know the first thing about showbiz, and she trusted Haley. Plus, since Starlight belonged to Nicolas's family, she figured it was safe and agreed to join. But she had never guessed that one choice would land her in a pit that she couldn't climb out of. After all, she never thought that the sweet, gentle woman everyone saw was actually a backstabbing wolf. In her last life, Alicia had already gotten her revenge. She exposed Haley's true colors and brought her crashing down. But when it came to a backstabbing, ungrateful snake like Haley, Alicia wouldn't mind giving her a lesson again. And this time, she'd do it sooner. Haley's eyes widened for a moment. A rare flash of panic flickered across her face. She couldn't help blurting out, "Alicia, has someone talked to you? Trying to stir things up between us?" Haley absolutely hated it when anyone brought up that embarrassing chapter from her past. Haley thought, 'Alicia's mom did help me out, but with her status, it was just a casual favor. Am I really supposed to be forever grateful for that? 'Besides, I've already paid back every cent I borrowed. 'Now, Alicia is actually throwing that in my face. It's really embarrassing. 'This is just one more reason I can't stand Alicia.' Every time Haley saw Alicia, all she could think about was how embarrassing it had been, having to beg Alicia's mom for help back then. When LUMIA first debuted, Alicia was the hottest topic. She had the most fans and all the online attention. Alicia was born with a silver spoon, already living the high life. Yet since she entered the industry, she blew up overnight. Haley was just jealous that Alicia was blessed from the start. Then someone hinted that if she wanted to hype up the other four in LUMIA, all she had to do was drag Alicia through the mud. Haley went for it, and sure enough, it paid off big time. Right now, Alicia was her ace in the traffic game. No way was Haley ever letting go of that. Haley gave a wry smile. "I haven't forgotten what your mom did for me, you know. "After all these years together, I've put in so much effort to help you make it big. I just hope you can see that and trust me." Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "So I'm supposed to be grateful for all your scheming, is that it? "You twisted things around. If I hadn't lived through the hell of being trashed by the whole internet, nearly driven to depression and suicide, I'd almost want to give you a round of applause. "Why not use this little tactic on the other four girls in LUMIA instead? "Just because my mom helped you, just because I once trusted and respected you, I'm supposed to be your sacrificial lamb? "Am I just meant to be the stepping stone for you and Starlight, so you can prop everyone else up at my expense? Isn't that just plain bullying?" Haley was so stunned by Alicia's comeback that she could barely get a word out. She also realized that Alicia had known she used to play both sides. Trying to guilt Alicia into deleting those posts was almost impossible. Haley paused, then tried to warn Alicia, "If your family or Nicolas finds out, they're not going to be happy. No matter what you think, I'm really doing this for your own good." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "I've already cut ties with my family. As for Nicolas, it's not like we're close. Why should I care if he's happy?" When Alicia first set her sights on showbiz, everyone around her figured she was just trying to get close to Nicolas. The truth was, Nicolas was only part of it. She just really wanted to be in the entertainment world for herself. When Nicole first moved in, her body was covered in injuries from her birth father's abuse, and she was in poor health. She deliberately acted extremely dependent on Alicia's family, not only winning their sympathy but also making it seem like she couldn't get by without them. After that, Nicole was constantly in the hospital, pretending she couldn't live without their support. The Hammonds would take turns staying with her at the hospital. Meanwhile, Alicia was left all alone at home, either studying or watching dramas. She'd catch herself copying the actors on TV, wondering how she'd play the part if she were in their shoes. She loved watching people sing and dance, and was totally drawn to the spotlight. So when the chance to join LUMIA came up, she couldn't say no. She was a natural when it came to acting, which was why, in her previous life, she finally made her comeback after quitting the group and going solo as an actress. In her last life, she and Nicolas used to argue and give each other the silent treatment all the time because of Nicole, but she never bothered worrying about whether he was mad or not. Now, Nicolas was just a stranger to her. Alicia of course wouldn't care about his feelings. She added, "If he's really unhappy, then let him bury my career for all I care. I'm done playing nice this time. I won't compromise anymore." With that, she hung up and saved the recording. And sure enough, Haley didn't disappoint Alicia.
After finally cutting ties with my three CEO brothers, they hit full-blown panic mode. They discovered I'd cleared out my room—sliced up every family photo and only took what my mother left me. They thought I was just throwing a tantrum and expected me to crawl back apologizing. Instead, what landed on their doorstep was a lawyer's letter demanding six years of unpaid dividends. My eldest brother blew up my phone, raging about how cold-hearted I was. I fired right back: "When you were all front row cheering for stepsister's concert, did it ever cross your mind that your real sister was alone in a hospital bed?" Dead silence on his end. I hung up and blocked him right after. They scrambled to track me down, but I was already settled into my penthouse. With the funds my mother left me, I invested heavily in their biggest competitor. Now, the family that once saw me as an embarrassment watches me become their worst nightmare.👑 ………………………………………… At a private hospital in Irisport, Alicia Delaney lay in bed, her gaze unfocused as she stared out the window. She never expected to travel to the past after dying. Suddenly, a notification rang out, snapping her back to reality. She picked up her phone to check it. It was a link to a trending topic that had blown up a few hours ago, sent by her assistant. She tapped on it. It read: [Nicole Hammond's concert not only had top idol Nicolas Moore as a special guest, but the VIP section was packed with even more big names!] The post started by gushing about how amazing Nicole's two songs were and how insanely popular she was. Then it showed a few photos of Nicolas and Nicole singing together on stage. Finally, it included pictures of the VIP section, where some of the biggest names in the industry were sitting. There was up-and-coming director Caleb Hammond, Hammond Group CEO Kevin Hammond, top investor Austin Hammond, Delaney Group CEO Collin Delaney, and esports superstar Maxwell Delaney. All of them were big shots. Alicia scrolled down and tapped on the comments. As she had expected, besides all the praise for Nicole, there were plenty of negative comments toward her. Alexrow: [I've been saying Nicole is the Hammond family's little princess, and some people didn't believe me. But look at all these VIPs here tonight. This is the best proof.] Matt_hill: [Gotta say, the Hammond family really dotes on Nicole. All three brothers showed up to support her.] Jasonlee77: [Nicolas, Maxwell, and Collin are all super close to Nicole too. They totally spoil her.] Lucas_w: [I wonder if that clout-chasing wannabe is feeling embarrassed right now after seeing this trending topic.] Quietjon: [No idea if she's actually embarrassed, but she's probably burning with jealousy and envy, totally losing it right now.] Latecoffee: [She really had the guts to claim she was the Hammonds's daughter, Nicolas's childhood sweetheart, and Collin and Maxwell's cousin.] Bluewindow: [None of them showed up for her performance yesterday. She got smacked by a stage light, and not one of them visited her in the hospital. But today, they all rushed over from everywhere just to support Nicole's concert. Honestly, the secondhand embarrassment is real.] Oldcam: [Yeah, she's in the same company as Nicolas, but I bet he doesn't even know she exists.] Sundaynoise: [She's totally desperate to be famous.] Softstatic: [Nicole's just too nice. She didn't even make a fuss when Alicia pretended to be the Hammond family's daughter.] Halfawake: [If Nicole wanted, with all these big shots backing her up, she could get that clout-chaser blacklisted in a heartbeat.] Afterten: [Blacklist her? She's already so hated. She'll probably end up getting herself booted from the industry soon enough.] Lowbattery: [She loves the drama and the clout. No way she'd give that up. I just wish she'd leave LUMIA already and stop holding the other girls back.] stillonline [Same question every day. When is Alicia finally leaving the group?] In her previous life, seeing this trending topic and all those comments hit Alicia hard. After she got out of the hospital, she even confronted those people she thought were important to her and caused a stir. But now, she was totally chill. She didn't care about them anymore. She was really a Hammond, also Kevin, Caleb, and Austin's biological younger sister. She was Collin and Maxwell's cousin and Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Nicole was just Alicia's stepmother's daughter, who took the Hammond name, but Nicole wasn't actually related to any of them by blood. Next, Alicia logged into her X account. Aside from a handful of fans asking how she was doing after the accident, the rest were just a flood of hate comments. People were roasting her for going to the hospital and supposedly screwing up LUMIA's upcoming shows. They asked her to quit the group and stop dragging the other girls down. Alicia's entertainment company and her agent didn't give her any support or issue any announcement. They just watched the drama unfold and didn't do a thing. Just then, Alicia's phone lit up with a call from Kevin, her oldest brother. Alicia picked up and said, "Yeah?" Kevin's voice came through. "Nicole told me you got hurt. You alright?" Alicia let out a sarcastic laugh. "It happened yesterday, and you're just asking now? "And you wouldn't have called if Nicole hadn't told you, huh? You're such a great brother." Alicia knew Nicole had told them on purpose, not out of kindness, but just to get under her skin. After all, Alicia had asked them to come to her show, but none of them bothered to show up. She got hurt, and they didn't even notice. It really stung. Kevin was silent for a few seconds, then he spoke up, "Which hospital are you at? We'll come to see you." Alicia replied coolly, "Don't bother. I wouldn't dare trouble you." Kevin frowned, "What are you trying to pull?" He paused, then finally tried to explain, "We really did have things going on yesterday. That was why we couldn't make it to your show. None of us expected you'd get hurt on stage. We..." Alicia cut him off before he could finish. "If you didn't want to come, just tell me. No need to make up excuses." She'd invited every single one of them to her show, but they all had some excuse about being busy and couldn't make it. But the very next day, they all showed up to support Nicole. Now, trying to explain themselves was just making things even more awkward. To Alicia, it was just more infuriating and disgusting. She added, "Listen, I won't bother you guys anymore. If we ever run into each other, I'll just pretend we're strangers." She used to be the one they cherished and spoiled, but after her stepmother showed up with Nicole, everything changed. All the love and attention her family once gave her was now showered on Nicole. Whenever Alicia and Nicole clashed, their family always told Alicia to just let it go, took Nicole's side, and started treating Alicia like she was the problem. Kevin's face darkened. "What do you mean you won't bother us anymore, and you'll just pretend we're strangers?" Alicia said bluntly, "It means I'm cutting ties with all of you." Kevin was stunned for a moment. Then, his voice was full of anger. "Are you out of your mind? How can you even say something like that?" He couldn't believe it and asked, "Just because we missed your show? Is it really that serious?" Alicia scoffed, "Yeah, it is. Hasn't this happened enough over the years? "You guys always have double standards, and I've had enough." All these years, they bailed on Alicia over and over, just to please Nicole. Just like this time, they didn't even try to hide it and just picked Nicole over Alicia. When Alicia first wanted to get into showbiz, her family not only shot her down, but told her that if she were so capable, she should do it without the connections of the Hommond family. Thus, Alicia used her mother's last name instead. But when Nicole jumped into showbiz after Alicia, not only did they not object, they gave her full support, throwing money and resources at her, backing her up like she was the star of the family. Now, the thing Alicia got dragged for the hardest online was supposedly clout-chasing the Hammond family name. But she never went around telling people she was a Hommond. It was Nicole and her mother, working with her agent, who kept pushing that story everywhere behind the scenes. They knew the Hommonds would never step up and admit that Alicia was really one of them. Whenever people started questioning Alicia online, her family just kept quiet and never bothered to set the record straight. It turned out that Nicole and her mother played it just right. The Hommonds didn't say a word about the truth. It basically let everyone believe that Alicia was just chasing clout, so she got dragged through the mud online. Alicia added, "Let's be real. Isn't this exactly what you wanted? You'd rather pretend I don't exist. You guys only want Nicole to be your family, right? Fine. I'll make it easy for you." Kevin took a deep breath, his anger flaring. "You're seriously threatening to cut us off just because of something so petty? "We never said anything like that. You really need to stop acting out. Why can't you be more like Nicole and just behave?" Alicia knew Kevin would never believe her. He'd just think she was throwing a fit, as always. Ever since Nicole and her mother moved in, anything Alicia did was just called her acting out. It was honestly ridiculous. In Alicia's previous life, she valued family so much that she kept putting up with everything, always backing down for their sake. But in the end, she became public enemy number one. This time around, she was completely over it. Family, childhood sweetheart, or whatever, she wanted them as far away from her as possible. Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So having one obedient sister is all you ever needed, huh? "I'm not making a scene, and I'm not threatening you. "Let me make this clear one last time. From today on, I'm cutting ties with every single one of you in the Hammond family. "All my expenses growing up came from my mom, so I don't owe the Hammond family anything. "Just pass it on to the rest of the Hammonds for me. I won't tell the rest of them myself. "Let's not contact or see each other ever again. That's all." She ended the call right after saying that. Then she blocked every single one of the Hammonds, including her father, brothers, plus Collin, Maxwell, and Nicolas. Since she was cutting ties with them, she was going to do it for real. Chapter 2 Is She Serious? Later, Kevin went back to Hammond Manor. Seeing the shock and anger written all over Kevin's face, Austin and Caleb asked, "Kevin, what did she say?" With a stony expression, Kevin gave them a quick rundown of his conversation with Alicia. Hearing this, Austin and Caleb turned gloomy too. Nicole's eyes flickered with uncertainty. She put on an anxious look and said, "Kevin, do you think Alicia got so mad because you all came to see my show? "Which hospital is she staying at? I'll explain everything and apologize to her now. "She must've been so upset with me to say she wants to cut us off." Feeling even more guilty, Nicole added, "I really hope she doesn't get the wrong idea about you guys because of me and cut ties with you." Kevin gave her a reassuring look. "You don't need to explain anything to her. This has nothing to do with you." Kevin thought Alicia always had it out for Nicole. If Nicole showed up at the hospital, he didn't know what kind of scene Alicia would make. Austin frowned, "She's really gone overboard this time. Is cutting ties something she can just say so casually? "Honestly, she's almost certainly using this as a way to threaten us, trying to get us to back down. "Just leave her alone for a few days, and she'll come back on her own." Caleb didn't believe for a second that Alicia would really cut ties with them over something so trivial. He said, "Yeah, she was throwing a fit over the phone. Her injuries are probably nothing serious. There's no need for us to see her at the hospital. "If we keep giving in to her, she'll just get more and more unreasonable. "Let's just leave her alone for now. Once she calms down, she'll come back to us." Austin and Kevin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's just give her some space and let her cool off for a while." After a few more words of comfort, they personally escorted Nicole upstairs to get some rest. ***** Alicia's injuries weren't serious, so she checked herself out of the hospital the very next day. Except when she was out working, she usually stayed at the Hammond family's old mansion. But she'd actually bought a place of her own before, and nobody knew about it. Now that she was leaving the Hammond family, she could finally move in. She called the moving company first, then headed back to Hammond Manor. As she had expected, everyone else was out. Felix looked a little taken aback when Alicia walked in, but quickly he smiled and greeted her, "Ms. Alicia Hammond, you're back." Felix overheard the three Hammond brothers talking last night. He'd always thought Alicia was just in a mood, but he never expected her to come back so soon. Alicia gave Felix a quick look, said nothing, and went straight to her room. Felix had been working for the Hammonds since her grandfather's days, and he'd practically watched Alicia grow up. When she was a kid, he was always gentle and caring. He'd play with her in the yard and used to call her "Madam". But after Nicole moved in, it only took a couple of years before he started calling Alicia "Ms. Alicia Hommond" instead of just "Madam". He and the other servants all started calling Nicole "Madam" now. 'I'm the outsider here now, huh?' Alicia thought to herself. Back in her room, Alicia started boxing up all her things. She wasn't planning to leave a single thing behind. Anything she didn't want, she'd just sell online or simply throw away. Then she opened the safe and took out the jewelry her mother had left her, along with a share transfer document and a few property deeds. Her mother had owned 15% of Hammond Group's shares. Before she passed away, she gave 3% each to Alicia's three brothers, but left Alicia with 6%. She said the extra 3% was meant to be Alicia's wedding gift. At the time, neither her dad nor her brothers had any problem with it. But in her previous life, they tried to make her split half her shares with Nicole, claiming Nicole was her sister too. Of course, Alicia refused. Feeling betrayed, she used her 6% stake to mess with them and throw Hammond Group into chaos, all for revenge. On top of that, she also had a few properties that her maternal grandparents had left her. She ran her fingers over the document pouch, memories of her mom and grandparents' kindness flooding back. Her eyes reddened with emotion. 'At least I had people who truly cared about me. That's all I ever needed,' she told herself. After a moment, Alicia took a deep breath and carefully placed all those valuables into a lock box. After a while, she got a call from the movers. She went downstairs to show them in and led them up to her room to start packing, making sure to carry the lock box herself. Felix rushed in as soon as he saw what was happening. "Ms. Alicia Hammond, what are you doing?" Alicia looked at him with a calm expression. "I'm moving out. I already told Kevin. Since yesterday, I've cut ties with everyone in the Hammond family. "So of course, I won't be living here anymore." Felix was utterly shocked. "Ms. Alicia Hommond, no matter how much fuss you make, cutting ties isn't something to joke about. You..." He clearly hadn't expected Alicia to come back just to pack up and leave, instead of trying to make up. Alicia interrupted him, her voice cold. "You're not in a position to tell me what to do." She didn't bother with him anymore and turned away, calling out to the movers to get started. Felix hadn't expected Alicia to be so cold and forceful with him. He couldn't help but feel stung and a little upset. He wanted to step up and try to persuade her, but Alicia didn't even spare him a glance. Left with no other option, he stepped out of the room and called Kevin. Kevin was in the middle of a meeting, but when he saw it was Felix calling, he picked up anyway. When Kevin heard that Alicia had actually gone back to pack her things, he looked visibly shaken. A wave of unease and panic washed over him. After a moment's thought, he paused the meeting and headed home. At the same time, he called Caleb and Austin. By the time the three of them rushed home, Alicia had already left with the movers. They headed upstairs to Alicia's room. All that was left were the gifts they'd given her over the years and a photo frame and album on the desk. Everything else that belonged to her had completely disappeared. Austin's eyes landed on the photo frame, and he looked genuinely shocked. "She cut out the part with Mom and took them, leaving ours behind." The other two guys exchanged confused glances. They walked over and saw that the family portrait had been cut. The part of their mother and Alicia was missing, leaving only their father and the three sons. Caleb picked up the photo album and flipped through it. Sure enough, there wasn't a single solo shot of their mother or Alicia at all. All that was left were pictures of just their father and the brothers, or group photos where their mother and Alicia had been snipped out. The three brothers just stood there, totally baffled and at a loss. They thought, 'How did it end up like this? Is she actually serious about cutting us off? No way, she can't mean it. 'We only skipped her show. Does she really have to blow things up like this?' Kevin's face darkened as he pulled out his phone. "I'll call her." But when he tried, he realized Alicia had blocked his number. He switched to a messaging app, only to find she'd removed him there too. Seeing this, Caleb and Austin quickly pulled out their phones to try reaching Alicia, but she'd blocked them everywhere as well. The three guys were left feeling both hurt and pissed off. They got Felix to give Alicia a call, but he'd been blocked too. They borrowed a phone from one of the new maids and tried again. This number wasn't blocked, but Alicia just ignored every single call. Caleb turned to Kevin, looking totally lost. "Bro, what now?" Kevin just stared back, feeling completely helpless. He really didn't have a clue what to do. Austin thought for a moment and asked, "Should we tell Dad?" Kevin shook his head. "Let's not tell Dad for now. I'm worried he'll get upset and hurt his health." Over the years, Alicia had given their father plenty of headaches, but this time, things were getting pretty serious. Kevin wasn't sure if he should reassure his brothers or just himself. He said, "I really don't think Alicia would actually cut us off. She's probably just being dramatic again." After a moment, he continued, "Dad's birthday is next month. No matter how mad she is, she'll definitely show up for that. "Give it a month. She'll get over it, and then we can sit down and talk things out." Austin and Caleb relaxed a little after hearing that. "Yeah, even if she's still upset with us, she won't miss Dad's birthday." As far as they knew, Alicia had always been super attached to their father. Every year, she'd start shopping for his birthday gift weeks ahead of time. They were sure she wouldn't skip it this year. When the day came, they'd just sit her down and talk things out. Worst case, they'd put their pride aside and sweet-talk her a bit, and Alicia would forgive them. Chapter 3 I'm Easy To Mess With? After moving into her new home, Alicia tidied up. Then she sat down, deep in thought, trying to remember what had happened at this exact moment in her past life. Right now, she was getting roasted all over the internet, and she was still a member of the girl group LUMIA. Her relationship with the other members was pretty bad. It wasn't like she'd done anything to them. The other girls always ganged up on her for no reason. After those four got a taste of success from dragging Alicia down twice, they just got even worse. Of course, Alicia's company and her agent had a hand in all of this too. Back in her previous life, Alicia brought up quitting LUMIA, but they shot her down. It dragged on until the next year, when a massive scandal exploded. Only then did she finally manage to break free. But this time, Alicia wasn't about to let those bloodsuckers keep draining her. First thing on her list was to quit the group and terminate the contract with her company for good. Thinking of that, Alicia called up her mom's lawyer friend and set up a meeting. ***** That evening, Alicia slipped into a restaurant, wearing a baseball cap and a mask. Even though she was getting dragged all over the internet, she was still pretty famous. She was pulling in a ton of traffic online. After all, being infamous still made many people know her name. After a few minutes, a distinguished and elegant middle-aged man stepped into the private room. Alicia stood up with a smile and greeted that man. "Mr. Wise, it's been so long." The man named Thomas Wise gave her a warm look. "Yeah, it has." He didn't ask how she'd been. He didn't really keep up with the entertainment scene, but after Alicia called to set up this meeting, he figured she probably needed his help, so he did a little digging. After checking things out, he was totally thrown off guard. He never expected Alicia's online reputation to be so trashed. When he saw the reasons people roasted her for, he was just speechless. But from all this, it was clear that Alicia's entertainment company was super unprofessional, and the Hammonds were irresponsible too. After they sat down, they chatted about some past things. Then Alicia said, "Mr. Wise, I want your help to terminate my contract with Starlight Entertainment." She knew it was best to leave this kind of stuff to the professionals. She definitely didn't want to deal with all the drama from those people herself. Thomas wasn't surprised. He replied, "Did you bring your contract with your company? Or do you have an e-copy? Let me take a look." If Starlight Entertainment had done its job and handled her PR properly, Alicia's reputation wouldn't be in the gutter like this. Thomas figured it was probably for the best to cut ties with a company like that. Alicia pulled the contract out of her bag and handed it over. "I brought it." Thomas read through the contract carefully, then started discussing it with Alicia. Alicia's contract with Starlight Entertainment still had a year left, and if she wanted out early, she'd have to pay a 3-million-dollar penalty. But Alicia had some proof that Starlight Entertainment hadn't kept their promises, so Thomas said he'd use that to fight for a lower penalty. After they finished talking about that, Alicia pulled out the equity contract. She continued, "Mr. Wise, this is the equity my mom transferred to me before she passed away. According to the contract, I was supposed to start getting dividends from the company once I turned eighteen. "But I haven't gotten anything since then. "So I want you to help me get back what's mine from Hammond Group through legal channels. "Even if it comes down to a lawsuit, I'm fine with that." Now that she'd cut ties with the Hammonds, she wouldn't let them steal a single cent that was rightfully hers. After her mother passed away, she never used a cent from the Hammond family. Besides the equity, her mother had invested in several funds for her, so she got a nice chunk of cash every year. Her three brothers had the same setup, of course. With all that money coming in, her dad and brothers never gave her any allowance. But when it came to Nicole, they'd give her hundreds of thousands of dollars in allowance every month, and they covered all her living expenses. They always spoiled Nicole with the latest luxury clothes, designer bags, and jewelry. As for Alicia, the only time she ever got a gift from them was on her birthday. Back in her previous life, Alicia treasured those gifts, but now, she couldn't care less. She left them all behind at the old house. As for those funds her mother left her, once Austin started working in finance, Alicia just let him take care of them. But now, she was ready to take them back and hand them over to a professional investment firm. Thomas looked genuinely surprised. He asked, "Have you ever brought this up with your dad or Kevin? They really haven't given you any dividends?" If they had, Alicia wouldn't even consider going the legal route to get her dividends. Alicia gave a wry smile. "I cut ties with the entire Hammond family yesterday. "So from now on, anything to do with them, I'm treating it like business." Thomas frowned, concern etched on his face. "Did they really do something to upset you?" Otherwise, why would things get so bad that you'd have to break off all contact with them? Alicia wasn't about to make excuses for the Hammonds. She let out a helpless sigh. "It's enough for them to have a daughter and a sister. I'm just... the spare." Thomas was her mother's longtime friend. Even though he was just a lawyer by profession, he was born into old money. So aside from genuinely needing his help, Alicia also wanted to let the word get out through him that she'd severed ties with the Hammonds, making sure everyone in their elite circles heard about it. The reason was simple. The Hammonds' favoritism was just off the charts. Back in her previous life, Alicia realized something. If people weren't close to Nicole, they didn't just automatically jump to defend her or blindly take her side. And once Alicia put some distance between herself and Nicole, the folks around her stopped treating her like she was some kind of outcast, unlike Nicole's crowd. Sure enough, Thomas's mind started to wander after hearing that. He thought about all that drama he'd read online. The Hammond family's adopted daughter was called their little princess, while Alicia, the real heiress, was accused of being a fraud. It was just plain absurd. Even if they really loved Nicole, or were just putting on a show, it was way over the top to treat her like royalty and shove Alicia to the sidelines. That alone made Thomas think way less of the Hammonds. He looked at Alicia with a bit of pity in his eyes. "Leave this to me as well." "Thanks for your help, Mr. Wise," Alicia said. Alicia thought for a moment before saying, "You don't have to keep this under wraps, Mr. Wise. I actually want word to get out that I'm done with the Hammonds." Not only did she not want it kept quiet, but she wanted everyone in their circle to feast on the drama. Thomas was sharp. He got it right away and nodded. "Alright, I see." They chatted for a bit longer before heading out. ***** When Thomas got home, he filled his wife in on everything—Alicia asking for help and her breaking things off with the Hammonds. His wife used to be pretty close with Alicia's mother. After hearing the whole story, she went online to dig up the drama herself and couldn't help but roast the Hammonds for being totally brainless. She could instantly tell that the new wife Leo Hammond brought in, and that adopted daughter Nicole, were both pieces of work. After that, she vented to her family and her close circle of society ladies, and soon enough, the whole story was making the rounds. By the time the Hammonds caught wind of it, they'd already been labeled as ridiculously biased and out of their minds. It was way too late to try and explain themselves or do anything about it. ***** Meanwhile, Alicia got home and opened X, only to see the top trending topic right there. Nicole had posted a photo of herself with the Hammond brothers and the rest of the family after last night's party. Her smile was absolutely radiant. She captioned it: [With you guys, I feel like I have the whole world. With all your love and care, I'm honestly the luckiest, happiest girl in the world.] The comments were all raving about how lucky Nicole was and what a picture-perfect family they had. Mixed in were plenty of snarky remarks, throwing shade at Alicia. One of Nicole's actress friends even mentioned Alicia and commented: [This is what a real family looks like. Stop trying to insert yourself into their drama.] It was not like this actress was actually trying to have Nicole's back or anything. She just wanted to ride Nicole's coattails, since Nicole was tight with all those big-shot elites. And with Alicia getting roasted online and her company and agent basically showing no sign of defending her, the actress couldn't care less about offending Alicia. Plus, she could score points with both Nicole's fans and Alicia's haters for being so real. It was a total win-win. Alicia let out a soft laugh when she saw the post tagging her. 'Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon just to get some attention off me?' she thought. 'Do they really think I'm that easy to mess with?' Since people were coming at her for Nicole, Alicia wasn't going to play nice anymore. It was perfect timing. Just when she needed a target, someone served one up. Alicia fired off two posts on X right away, and in one of them, she responded directly by tagging that actress. Just like she expected, her post shot straight to the top of the trending list in no time. After all, she was basically a magnet for haters. Everyone was always watching her. Any little thing she did, people would catch it instantly and start roasting her from all sides. Online, nobody expected Alicia to suddenly go so hard and drop a post like this. Her haters, the paid trolls, and all the gossip crowd were left stunned. Chapter 4 Get The Clout For Herself The actress who came to Nicole's defense was Alexandra Barton, a third-tier celebrity. Her post wasn't just about sucking up to Nicole. She was also trying to get in good with the big shots behind her. Besides, she planned to throw shade at Alicia and ride the wave of drama for some free clout. Every time the other LUMIA members played the victim or put on a pitiful face, Alicia would get dragged online. And every time, they'd get a wave of sympathy and attention. Sure enough, after Alexandra posted it, Nicole's fans flooded her with likes and praise. On top of that, a bunch of people called her genuine and bold for speaking up for her friend. Even some celebs hit like on her post. Alexandra was feeling pretty smug about how well her little stunt was going when her agent walked in, looking seriously pissed. "Alicia just responded. It's a bit of a mess," her agent said. Alexandra immediately opened X. She saw Alicia had posted something and tagged her. AliciaDelaneyOfficial: [I've never, not once, said or even hinted that I'm a Hammond, the Delaney brothers's cousin, or Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Anyone who spreads this crap stays broke forever.] [If you're the one hiring trolls to slander me, I'll track you down and hit you with a lawsuit.] [If you can't be bothered to get your facts straight, you don't get to run your mouth. You're a public figure. Slandering me in public is unacceptable.] [Being a bootlicker isn't as easy as you think. I've already called the cops, and I'm taking you to court. That's illegal. @AlexandraBarton] Alexandra was totally caught off guard. She never expected Alicia to go this hard and actually call the cops and threaten a lawsuit. Alicia even called Alexandra a bootlicker. That was way over the line, and it seriously pissed Alexandra off. Alexandra shot her agent a look and asked, "Has she lost her mind? How did the company even let her post something like that on social media?" Both Nicole and Alicia were signed to Starlight Entertainment, but Starlight was all about hyping up Nicole and deliberately sidelining Alicia. Alexandra was sure that Starlight would never let Alicia do something like this. That was exactly why Alexandra had felt safe enough to tag Alicia on X. Alexandra figured even if Alicia got pissed, she wouldn't be able to do anything about it. After all, without Starlight's backing and PR muscle, Alicia was no threat at all flying solo. Alexandra's agent looked exasperated. "I just got off the phone with her agent. They seriously had no idea she was going to post that on X. "But I've already talked it over. They'll get Alicia to delete the post. "As for the cops and the lawsuit, they said Starlight will shut it all down." The agent herself never thought Alicia would go this far, totally breaking the usual playbook and ignoring all the unspoken industry rules. Going to the police and threatening to sue over a few online comments? Alicia was seriously the first one to ever do this. Hearing that, Alexandra breathed easier, the tension finally melting away. She flashed a sly grin. "Once she deletes that post, the real show begins." Deleting it would make Alicia a total clown, and she would get roasted alive online. The handful of fans she got left probably wouldn't stick around for the embarrassment. So instead of deleting her post, Alexandra fired back, tagging Alicia right back. AlexandraBarton: [I've got nothing to fear. Bring it on!@AliciaDelaneyOfficial.] Everyone watching the drama unfold got another surprise when Alexandra clapped back on X. Nobody expected Alexandra to go this hard, either. The comments under both Alicia and Alexandra's posts started blowing up, racking up thousands in no time. Markd82: [Who are we supposed to believe here?] Tommy94: [Both of them are so savage. Let's see who can outlast the other.] Chris_y: [Come to think of it, Alicia never actually claimed or even hinted she was a Hammond.] Juststeve: [She wouldn't have posted something like that unless she was totally fed up with all the hate.] Nooot: [Reading her post, I really feel like someone set her up.] Idkben: [Yeah, and wishing for the rumor-spreader to stay broke forever? That's brutal. Seriously, who would jinx themselves like that if they were faking it?] Okmatt: [If that's really the case, Alicia's got it tough. She's been roasted nonstop over this.] Randomname: [You guys just buy whatever she says? Come on, this is clearly her way of trying to clear her name.] User472: [Yeah, I still don't buy that she never said or hinted at it. And talking about a lawsuit? Anyone can say that online.] Loggedout: [Alicia's not the only one who's ever posted a lawyer letter. In the end, it's all bark and no bite.] Still_here: [She's just doing this to scare people and make herself look like the victim, so everyone feels sorry for her.] Rabbitie: [Watch it, she'll probably delete that post real soon.] Cloud: [No way she actually called the cops, and I seriously doubt she's taking anyone to court.] Heyitsdan: [For real, she's been roasted online so many times before and always just let it slide. Why is she suddenly acting tough now? Obviously just trying to play the victim and chase some attention.] Alicia just happened to scroll past that comment. She fired back right under it: [Back then, my agent handled my account. Now, I call the shots myself. If you don't buy it, just wait and see if the cops come knocking on Alexandra's door.] Fans couldn't believe Alicia actually replied to the comment herself. They did find out that the way she was acting now was totally different from before. They finally knew why her account only had generic promo posts. Turned out that her agent was running her account all this time After Alicia clapped back, everyone was dying to see if the cops would actually come to Alexandra's place. Now it was all about who'd stay savage till the end. But the haters and Nicole and Alexandra's fans kept dragging Alicia nonstop, flooding her comments with insults. Nicole's fans totally lost it over Alicia calling Alexandra out as a bootlicker. They started speculating. 'What's that supposed to mean? Is she throwing shade at Nicole, saying Nicole put Alexandra up to this?' They started spamming Alicia's comments with angry rants. Imtom: [Alexandra is just sticking up for Nicole. What's wrong with that?] LoveNicole: [You've been leeching off Nicole's name, and she's been chill about it. Instead of saying thanks, you go and throw shade? You really think Nicole's just too nice and easy to push around?] NNNICOLE: [Keep messing with her and see what happens. She'll make sure you get iced out of the whole industry.] BabyNicole: [That's right. Nicole is the Hammond family's princess. She's got serious backup. If you piss her off, don't be surprised if you get shut out.] Alicia saw those comments and clapped back without hesitation. Alicia: [Come on, I surely don't dare to push Bitchy Nicole around. She's so scheming.] Alicia: [Sure, go ahead! Tell Nicole to get her powerful family to shut me down. Let's see if they can really kick me out of the industry.] Alicia: [If she doesn't blacklist me like you want, honestly, I'll laugh at her.] Anyway, Alicia was already public enemy number one online, getting roasted from all sides. She wasn't afraid of more hate at this point. Now that she'd been given a second shot at life, anyone who pissed her off was gonna get it right back. Honestly, everyone enjoyed the drama online. The fake peace and phony friendship act couldn't get people's interest. Nothing could grab attention like a straight-up online fight. Back then, they rode Alicia for clout and attention. Now, Alicia could play the same game right back. Besides, would Nicole really dare to flex her status and try to freeze Alicia out of the industry? No way. She didn't have the nerve, and she sure didn't have the pull. If she did, Alicia wouldn't have been able to stage a comeback and rise up again in her last life. And if Nicole actually ran to the Hammonds and tried to get them to blacklist Alicia, that would just wreck the whole perfect good-girl act she puts on for them. Nicole wouldn't have the nerve to pull something like that. And seriously, who was the real Hammond heiress? The fans might not have a clue, but Nicole definitely knew the truth. After clapping back in the comments, Alicia pulled another ballsy move. She tagged Nicole in a new post: [Bitchy Nicole, why don't you flaunt your Hammond princess status and get your big-shot backers to blacklist me? Come on, wipe out the villain in your story once and for all.] From now on, Alicia would be the loose cannon of the entertainment world, ready to tear into anyone whenever she felt like it. If anyone came for her, she'd come for them even harder. If she was gonna get roasted anyway, she might as well roast them right back and enjoy every second of it. Besides, a lot of people were really into her bold, straight-shooter attitude. Sure, Nicole had her fans, but she wasn't the kind of star everyone loved like cash. Alicia wasn't the only one who didn't vibe with Nicole. There were plenty of folks, both online and offline, who couldn't stand Nicole. Plus, with Starlight Entertainment and the Hammond family supporting Nicole into the spotlight, she'd ruffled a ton of feathers in the industry, stepping on the toes of other rising and established actresses, and messing with the profits of the companies backing them. If Alicia and Nicole started going at it, tons of people would be glued to their screens, eating up every second of the drama. And nothing could go viral like a feud between two celebrities. This time, Alicia was ready to get all that clout for herself. Chapter 5 Out Of Her Mind Alicia didn't just clap back at anyone who trashed her in the comments. She even tagged Nicole on X, straight-up telling her to blacklist and shut her down for good. This whole drama had everyone watching nearly speechless. Everyone watching left comments. LoveU: [Geeze, is Alicia out of her mind?] Crazymind: [Her posts and those comment replies are totally crazy. I'm kinda living for it. Am I too bad?] Jojo: [Haha, you're not alone. I feel the same way.] Footprints: [Alicia's got guts. She's the only one who'd tag and call her Bitchy Nicole.] Sunny:[She's really cool. I give her my respect.] Dunno: [Haha, she's gone totally rogue now. She's even calling herself the villain and telling the big names behind Nicole to just blacklist her.] Mindy7: [Honestly, I've been sick of Nicole for ages. She's such a phony.] CuteAsDucks: [She used her connections to snatch the role from my idol, and then her fans trashed my idol for it. Alicia just said exactly what I've been dying to say.] Casanova : [My fave had her opportunities stolen by Nicole too, but her fans are way too fierce. We can't win against them, so we just keep quiet. Looks like everyone feels the same...] HairyPoppins: [This drama is so satisfying. Keep it coming!] YellowSnowman: [I live for these epic beefs. Don't stop pls!] Something: [You guys think the ones backing Bitchy Nicole are really gonna shut Alicia down for good?] Tinfoilhat: [Bitchy Nicole is Starlight Entertainment's golden girl, and Nicolas is Starlight's heir. If he gets involved, plus the Hammond family and the Delaney family pulling strings for her, Alicia could seriously get iced out of the industry.] Anonymouse: [So is Alicia basically quitting the scene now?] Otherwise, Alicia wouldn't have posted something like that. She didn't just go head-to-head with Nicole, but she made enemies of all the power players behind Nicole too. Then Nicole's fans swooped in, starting a whole new round of roasting Alicia all over the place. They even dropped: [Just waiting for Alicia to get blacklisted and iced out.] Alicia replied: [Same here. I'm waiting.] Nicole's fans were left speechless. They thought, 'Seriously, what exactly are you waiting for? She's out of her mind.' Seeing Alicia's clapback, everyone watching the drama couldn't help but crack up. No one realized Alicia was so hilarious before. Nicole always kept an alt account with notifications on for Alicia, so she could keep tabs on her every move. Whenever Alicia dropped a post on X, Nicole got the alert instantly. Nicole never saw it coming that a single group photo was all it took to send Alicia off the rails. Back in the day, Alicia would just ignore Nicole in private, out of respect for the Hammond family. But now? She dragged Nicole out in public, no holds barred. Nicole couldn't help but wonder if she'd pushed Alicia totally off the deep end. That last post really got under Nicole's skin. Alicia actually had the nerve to straight-up call Nicole a bitch and even dared Nicole to blacklist her for real. Alicia obviously put Nicole on blast, making her look bad in front of everyone. Nicole would love nothing more than to blacklist Alicia and totally ruin her, but she knew she just didn't have that kind of power. After all, ever since she joined the Hammond family, Nicole knew exactly how she'd snatched all the attention and favor that used to go to Alicia. Sure, she played the pitiful victim at first to get their sympathy, but after that, she switched gears. She always acted like the perfect, considerate girl and constantly made it seem like she couldn't do anything without them. Sure enough, it worked. They started favoring her more and more. But that didn't mean the family had stopped caring about Alicia altogether. So now, with Alicia roasting her on social media, Nicole was stuck. Responding would just make things worse, but ignoring it would make her look weak. After thinking it over, Nicole told her agent, "Call Haley and drop her a hint to rein Alicia in before she goes totally off the rails. "Try to convince Alicia to take down all her posts from today right away. "If she won't do it, just log into her account and delete them." Starlight Entertainment was legendary for its PR and marketing game. They had deals with all the top influencers and even kept a whole army of paid trolls on standby. She paused, then added, "Once the posts are gone, get her agent to post an apology from Alicia's account, claiming her account was hacked." Nicole knew Alicia's personality all too well. Alicia would never agree to delete the posts or post an apology herself. Thus, Alicia's agent would have to handle it instead. Not only would this make Alicia get dragged even harder online, but if she ever tried to go off the rails again, no one would believe her. It would also get Nicole out of the impossible spot she was in. If everyone thought Alicia's account got hacked and it wasn't really her posting all that drama, Nicole could just sit back and ignore the whole mess. She could even drop a post, acting all sympathetic toward Alicia, playing the gracious queen for everyone to see. Then she'd unleash her army of influencers and trolls to stir things up. They'd start whispering that it wasn't a hack at all. Alicia probably just totally went crazy after seeing that photo Nicole posted. People would say Alicia was just jealous of how blessed Nicole was, so Alicia totally snapped. But once she cooled off, she freaked out about crossing Nicole and her powerful backers, so she pretended her account got hacked and deleted her posts. That way, Alicia would get roasted all over the internet, lose fans for chickening out and not owning her words, and her reputation would tank completely. If the Hammonds caught wind of this, they'd just think Alicia was being super petty. After all, it was not like Alicia didn't have group photos with them. Posting on social media, then deleting and apologizing? That would just make the Hammond and Delaney families look bad. Thinking about it, Nicole thought that Alicia going off and posting all that drama on X wasn't even a bad thing. Nicole's agent instantly got what she meant. Nicole was totally throwing Alicia under the bus. Her agent gave a sly, knowing grin and replied, "Alright." ***** Meanwhile, Alicia's agent, Haley Waters, looked absolutely grim. She never expected Alicia to cause such a huge mess behind her back. 'Does she even take me seriously?' Haley thought to herself. As soon as Alexandra's agent called her, Haley tried calling Alicia right away. But every single time, the line was busy. After hanging up with Nicole's agent, Haley was practically ready to explode. 'Since Alicia doesn't respect me, don't blame me for playing hardball,' Haley thought. She had the X account logins and passwords for all five members of LUMIA, so she just logged straight into Alicia's account. Her plan was exactly what Nicole's agent had hinted at. She was going to delete all of Alicia's posts from today, then post an apology claiming her account had been hacked. Of course, hardly anyone would actually buy that excuse. But at least it would let Nicole and Alexandra off the hook, pulling them out of the drama. Plus, Nicole would end up owing her a favor. And if Alicia got dragged even harder and roasted by the whole internet, that just played right into Haley's game plan for LUMIA. She was basically making Alicia take the heat to prop up the other four girls. One superstar could never make as much money or rack up the numbers as four superstars. However, every time Haley tried to log in, it just kept telling her the password was wrong. Then she realized that Alicia must've already changed her password. That was absolutely unacceptable to Haley. She kept trying to call Alicia, but the call still couldn't get through. After a moment, she grabbed someone else's phone and dialed Alicia again. This time, the call actually went through. Clearly, Alicia had blocked her number. Haley's expression soured even more. Chapter 6 Dream On It Alicia's phone lit up with an unknown number. She didn't even have to think about it. She knew it had to be Haley. This time, she actually picked up. "Hello?" She hit the record button at the same time. Haley's voice came through, sounding a little frantic. "Alicia, what are you doing?" She demanded, "Why did you suddenly post those updates on X? And now you're getting into fights in the comments. Why didn't you check with me first?" Alicia shot back, "It's my account. Why can't I post what I want?" She added, "I never said any of that, and I wasn't trying to get clout from those big shots. "Alexandra's been pushing me around. Am I just supposed to put up with it?" Haley was stunned for a moment. Then, she siad, "But you can't just go around scaring people with talk of calling the cops or suing them." She added, "And it was Alexandra who tagged you first. Why are you picking a fight with Nicole now? You're just asking for more hate." Alicia scoffed, "Why is Alexandra targeting me? She's just trying to butter up Nicole." She continued, "Why am I getting called a clout chaser all over the internet? Nicole's fans started the whole mess, and they've been after me ever since. "Just because Nicole's hiding behind all these people, does that suddenly make her innocent? I'm not an idiot. Of course I gotta target her." Haley took a deep breath, forcing down her anger. She softened her voice, trying to coax Alicia, "I know you've been treated unfairly, but the company's really hyping Nicole up right now. Going head-to-head with her isn't the smartest move." She added, "I can talk to the higher-ups and get you a better gig. So let's back off for now, okay?" Alicia was baiting Haley for this exact response. She asked, "What do you mean by backing off?" Haley said, "Delete all those posts you made on X, then post an apology. "Just say your account was hacked earlier, and none of those posts were actually from you." Alicia shot back, "You really think anyone's going to buy that excuse? Do you think people are that gullible?" Haley replied, "It doesn't matter if anyone actually believes it. Just put out the statement, so Nicole and Alexandra can have an easy way out." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So you really do think I'm an idiot, huh?" She added, "If I post something like that, forget their fans, even the haters and onlookers would be telling me to get lost from the entertainment scene. Even my own fans would probably want me out. "You already made me take the fall for the other four in LUMIA, and now you want me to take the heat for Nicole and Alexandra too? Just dream on it." Haley hadn't expected Alicia to come back at her like that. She wondered if Alicia had known something. She couldn't help but say, "I'm not just your agent, you know. I'm older than you. Everything I do is for your own good." She pressed, "Don't you even trust me a little anymore?" She'd noticed lately that Alicia was trying to slip out of her grip, but she wasn't about to let that happen. Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, for my own good, huh?" She added, "If it wasn't for you, Nicole, and the company stirring things up, with the other four in LUMIA playing along, do you think the whole internet would be out to get me?" She went on in a meaningful tone, "You were my mom's college friend and roommate, remember? "Back then, your ex-husband set you up. You walked away with nothing and got stuck with a mountain of debt. "You had to keep dodging debt collectors and couldn't land a job anywhere. "It was my mom who lent you the money to pay off those debts and helped you land that agent job at Starlight Entertainment. "And when you asked, she even stepped in and handled your ex's family for you, so they'd finally stop messing with you." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "My mom saved your ass when you were at rock bottom, and now you want to shove me right back down? Is that what you called 'for my own good'? "Sorry, guess I have to let you down." After Alicia's mom helped Haley get into Starlight Entertainment, Haley managed to bring up a second-tier starlet. But before Haley could help her climb any higher, that starlet married a wealthy businessman and dropped out of the spotlight. Right around then, Starlight was gearing up to create a top girl group, and Haley jumped at the chance to take charge of the group. Knowing Alicia wanted in on the entertainment scene, Haley asked her to join LUMIA. After Alicia's mom passed away, Haley didn't pull away. In fact, she always cared about Alicia. Back then, Alicia didn't know the first thing about showbiz, and she trusted Haley. Plus, since Starlight belonged to Nicolas's family, she figured it was safe and agreed to join. But she had never guessed that one choice would land her in a pit that she couldn't climb out of. After all, she never thought that the sweet, gentle woman everyone saw was actually a backstabbing wolf. In her last life, Alicia had already gotten her revenge. She exposed Haley's true colors and brought her crashing down. But when it came to a backstabbing, ungrateful snake like Haley, Alicia wouldn't mind giving her a lesson again. And this time, she'd do it sooner. Haley's eyes widened for a moment. A rare flash of panic flickered across her face. She couldn't help blurting out, "Alicia, has someone talked to you? Trying to stir things up between us?" Haley absolutely hated it when anyone brought up that embarrassing chapter from her past. Haley thought, 'Alicia's mom did help me out, but with her status, it was just a casual favor. Am I really supposed to be forever grateful for that? 'Besides, I've already paid back every cent I borrowed. 'Now, Alicia is actually throwing that in my face. It's really embarrassing. 'This is just one more reason I can't stand Alicia.' Every time Haley saw Alicia, all she could think about was how embarrassing it had been, having to beg Alicia's mom for help back then. When LUMIA first debuted, Alicia was the hottest topic. She had the most fans and all the online attention. Alicia was born with a silver spoon, already living the high life. Yet since she entered the industry, she blew up overnight. Haley was just jealous that Alicia was blessed from the start. Then someone hinted that if she wanted to hype up the other four in LUMIA, all she had to do was drag Alicia through the mud. Haley went for it, and sure enough, it paid off big time. Right now, Alicia was her ace in the traffic game. No way was Haley ever letting go of that. Haley gave a wry smile. "I haven't forgotten what your mom did for me, you know. "After all these years together, I've put in so much effort to help you make it big. I just hope you can see that and trust me." Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "So I'm supposed to be grateful for all your scheming, is that it? "You twisted things around. If I hadn't lived through the hell of being trashed by the whole internet, nearly driven to depression and suicide, I'd almost want to give you a round of applause. "Why not use this little tactic on the other four girls in LUMIA instead? "Just because my mom helped you, just because I once trusted and respected you, I'm supposed to be your sacrificial lamb? "Am I just meant to be the stepping stone for you and Starlight, so you can prop everyone else up at my expense? Isn't that just plain bullying?" Haley was so stunned by Alicia's comeback that she could barely get a word out. She also realized that Alicia had known she used to play both sides. Trying to guilt Alicia into deleting those posts was almost impossible. Haley paused, then tried to warn Alicia, "If your family or Nicolas finds out, they're not going to be happy. No matter what you think, I'm really doing this for your own good." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "I've already cut ties with my family. As for Nicolas, it's not like we're close. Why should I care if he's happy?" When Alicia first set her sights on showbiz, everyone around her figured she was just trying to get close to Nicolas. The truth was, Nicolas was only part of it. She just really wanted to be in the entertainment world for herself. When Nicole first moved in, her body was covered in injuries from her birth father's abuse, and she was in poor health. She deliberately acted extremely dependent on Alicia's family, not only winning their sympathy but also making it seem like she couldn't get by without them. After that, Nicole was constantly in the hospital, pretending she couldn't live without their support. The Hammonds would take turns staying with her at the hospital. Meanwhile, Alicia was left all alone at home, either studying or watching dramas. She'd catch herself copying the actors on TV, wondering how she'd play the part if she were in their shoes. She loved watching people sing and dance, and was totally drawn to the spotlight. So when the chance to join LUMIA came up, she couldn't say no. She was a natural when it came to acting, which was why, in her previous life, she finally made her comeback after quitting the group and going solo as an actress. In her last life, she and Nicolas used to argue and give each other the silent treatment all the time because of Nicole, but she never bothered worrying about whether he was mad or not. Now, Nicolas was just a stranger to her. Alicia of course wouldn't care about his feelings. She added, "If he's really unhappy, then let him bury my career for all I care. I'm done playing nice this time. I won't compromise anymore." With that, she hung up and saved the recording. And sure enough, Haley didn't disappoint Alicia.
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After finally cutting ties with my three CEO brothers, they hit full-blown panic mode. They discovered I'd cleared out my room—sliced up every family photo and only took what my mother left me. They thought I was just throwing a tantrum and expected me to crawl back apologizing. Instead, what landed on their doorstep was a lawyer's letter demanding six years of unpaid dividends. My eldest brother blew up my phone, raging about how cold-hearted I was. I fired right back: "When you were all front row cheering for stepsister's concert, did it ever cross your mind that your real sister was alone in a hospital bed?" Dead silence on his end. I hung up and blocked him right after. They scrambled to track me down, but I was already settled into my penthouse. With the funds my mother left me, I invested heavily in their biggest competitor. Now, the family that once saw me as an embarrassment watches me become their worst nightmare.👑 ………………………………………… At a private hospital in Irisport, Alicia Delaney lay in bed, her gaze unfocused as she stared out the window. She never expected to travel to the past after dying. Suddenly, a notification rang out, snapping her back to reality. She picked up her phone to check it. It was a link to a trending topic that had blown up a few hours ago, sent by her assistant. She tapped on it. It read: [Nicole Hammond's concert not only had top idol Nicolas Moore as a special guest, but the VIP section was packed with even more big names!] The post started by gushing about how amazing Nicole's two songs were and how insanely popular she was. Then it showed a few photos of Nicolas and Nicole singing together on stage. Finally, it included pictures of the VIP section, where some of the biggest names in the industry were sitting. There was up-and-coming director Caleb Hammond, Hammond Group CEO Kevin Hammond, top investor Austin Hammond, Delaney Group CEO Collin Delaney, and esports superstar Maxwell Delaney. All of them were big shots. Alicia scrolled down and tapped on the comments. As she had expected, besides all the praise for Nicole, there were plenty of negative comments toward her. Alexrow: [I've been saying Nicole is the Hammond family's little princess, and some people didn't believe me. But look at all these VIPs here tonight. This is the best proof.] Matt_hill: [Gotta say, the Hammond family really dotes on Nicole. All three brothers showed up to support her.] Jasonlee77: [Nicolas, Maxwell, and Collin are all super close to Nicole too. They totally spoil her.] Lucas_w: [I wonder if that clout-chasing wannabe is feeling embarrassed right now after seeing this trending topic.] Quietjon: [No idea if she's actually embarrassed, but she's probably burning with jealousy and envy, totally losing it right now.] Latecoffee: [She really had the guts to claim she was the Hammonds's daughter, Nicolas's childhood sweetheart, and Collin and Maxwell's cousin.] Bluewindow: [None of them showed up for her performance yesterday. She got smacked by a stage light, and not one of them visited her in the hospital. But today, they all rushed over from everywhere just to support Nicole's concert. Honestly, the secondhand embarrassment is real.] Oldcam: [Yeah, she's in the same company as Nicolas, but I bet he doesn't even know she exists.] Sundaynoise: [She's totally desperate to be famous.] Softstatic: [Nicole's just too nice. She didn't even make a fuss when Alicia pretended to be the Hammond family's daughter.] Halfawake: [If Nicole wanted, with all these big shots backing her up, she could get that clout-chaser blacklisted in a heartbeat.] Afterten: [Blacklist her? She's already so hated. She'll probably end up getting herself booted from the industry soon enough.] Lowbattery: [She loves the drama and the clout. No way she'd give that up. I just wish she'd leave LUMIA already and stop holding the other girls back.] stillonline [Same question every day. When is Alicia finally leaving the group?] In her previous life, seeing this trending topic and all those comments hit Alicia hard. After she got out of the hospital, she even confronted those people she thought were important to her and caused a stir. But now, she was totally chill. She didn't care about them anymore. She was really a Hammond, also Kevin, Caleb, and Austin's biological younger sister. She was Collin and Maxwell's cousin and Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Nicole was just Alicia's stepmother's daughter, who took the Hammond name, but Nicole wasn't actually related to any of them by blood. Next, Alicia logged into her X account. Aside from a handful of fans asking how she was doing after the accident, the rest were just a flood of hate comments. People were roasting her for going to the hospital and supposedly screwing up LUMIA's upcoming shows. They asked her to quit the group and stop dragging the other girls down. Alicia's entertainment company and her agent didn't give her any support or issue any announcement. They just watched the drama unfold and didn't do a thing. Just then, Alicia's phone lit up with a call from Kevin, her oldest brother. Alicia picked up and said, "Yeah?" Kevin's voice came through. "Nicole told me you got hurt. You alright?" Alicia let out a sarcastic laugh. "It happened yesterday, and you're just asking now? "And you wouldn't have called if Nicole hadn't told you, huh? You're such a great brother." Alicia knew Nicole had told them on purpose, not out of kindness, but just to get under her skin. After all, Alicia had asked them to come to her show, but none of them bothered to show up. She got hurt, and they didn't even notice. It really stung. Kevin was silent for a few seconds, then he spoke up, "Which hospital are you at? We'll come to see you." Alicia replied coolly, "Don't bother. I wouldn't dare trouble you." Kevin frowned, "What are you trying to pull?" He paused, then finally tried to explain, "We really did have things going on yesterday. That was why we couldn't make it to your show. None of us expected you'd get hurt on stage. We..." Alicia cut him off before he could finish. "If you didn't want to come, just tell me. No need to make up excuses." She'd invited every single one of them to her show, but they all had some excuse about being busy and couldn't make it. But the very next day, they all showed up to support Nicole. Now, trying to explain themselves was just making things even more awkward. To Alicia, it was just more infuriating and disgusting. She added, "Listen, I won't bother you guys anymore. If we ever run into each other, I'll just pretend we're strangers." She used to be the one they cherished and spoiled, but after her stepmother showed up with Nicole, everything changed. All the love and attention her family once gave her was now showered on Nicole. Whenever Alicia and Nicole clashed, their family always told Alicia to just let it go, took Nicole's side, and started treating Alicia like she was the problem. Kevin's face darkened. "What do you mean you won't bother us anymore, and you'll just pretend we're strangers?" Alicia said bluntly, "It means I'm cutting ties with all of you." Kevin was stunned for a moment. Then, his voice was full of anger. "Are you out of your mind? How can you even say something like that?" He couldn't believe it and asked, "Just because we missed your show? Is it really that serious?" Alicia scoffed, "Yeah, it is. Hasn't this happened enough over the years? "You guys always have double standards, and I've had enough." All these years, they bailed on Alicia over and over, just to please Nicole. Just like this time, they didn't even try to hide it and just picked Nicole over Alicia. When Alicia first wanted to get into showbiz, her family not only shot her down, but told her that if she were so capable, she should do it without the connections of the Hommond family. Thus, Alicia used her mother's last name instead. But when Nicole jumped into showbiz after Alicia, not only did they not object, they gave her full support, throwing money and resources at her, backing her up like she was the star of the family. Now, the thing Alicia got dragged for the hardest online was supposedly clout-chasing the Hammond family name. But she never went around telling people she was a Hommond. It was Nicole and her mother, working with her agent, who kept pushing that story everywhere behind the scenes. They knew the Hommonds would never step up and admit that Alicia was really one of them. Whenever people started questioning Alicia online, her family just kept quiet and never bothered to set the record straight. It turned out that Nicole and her mother played it just right. The Hommonds didn't say a word about the truth. It basically let everyone believe that Alicia was just chasing clout, so she got dragged through the mud online. Alicia added, "Let's be real. Isn't this exactly what you wanted? You'd rather pretend I don't exist. You guys only want Nicole to be your family, right? Fine. I'll make it easy for you." Kevin took a deep breath, his anger flaring. "You're seriously threatening to cut us off just because of something so petty? "We never said anything like that. You really need to stop acting out. Why can't you be more like Nicole and just behave?" Alicia knew Kevin would never believe her. He'd just think she was throwing a fit, as always. Ever since Nicole and her mother moved in, anything Alicia did was just called her acting out. It was honestly ridiculous. In Alicia's previous life, she valued family so much that she kept putting up with everything, always backing down for their sake. But in the end, she became public enemy number one. This time around, she was completely over it. Family, childhood sweetheart, or whatever, she wanted them as far away from her as possible. Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So having one obedient sister is all you ever needed, huh? "I'm not making a scene, and I'm not threatening you. "Let me make this clear one last time. From today on, I'm cutting ties with every single one of you in the Hammond family. "All my expenses growing up came from my mom, so I don't owe the Hammond family anything. "Just pass it on to the rest of the Hammonds for me. I won't tell the rest of them myself. "Let's not contact or see each other ever again. That's all." She ended the call right after saying that. Then she blocked every single one of the Hammonds, including her father, brothers, plus Collin, Maxwell, and Nicolas. Since she was cutting ties with them, she was going to do it for real. Chapter 2 Is She Serious? Later, Kevin went back to Hammond Manor. Seeing the shock and anger written all over Kevin's face, Austin and Caleb asked, "Kevin, what did she say?" With a stony expression, Kevin gave them a quick rundown of his conversation with Alicia. Hearing this, Austin and Caleb turned gloomy too. Nicole's eyes flickered with uncertainty. She put on an anxious look and said, "Kevin, do you think Alicia got so mad because you all came to see my show? "Which hospital is she staying at? I'll explain everything and apologize to her now. "She must've been so upset with me to say she wants to cut us off." Feeling even more guilty, Nicole added, "I really hope she doesn't get the wrong idea about you guys because of me and cut ties with you." Kevin gave her a reassuring look. "You don't need to explain anything to her. This has nothing to do with you." Kevin thought Alicia always had it out for Nicole. If Nicole showed up at the hospital, he didn't know what kind of scene Alicia would make. Austin frowned, "She's really gone overboard this time. Is cutting ties something she can just say so casually? "Honestly, she's almost certainly using this as a way to threaten us, trying to get us to back down. "Just leave her alone for a few days, and she'll come back on her own." Caleb didn't believe for a second that Alicia would really cut ties with them over something so trivial. He said, "Yeah, she was throwing a fit over the phone. Her injuries are probably nothing serious. There's no need for us to see her at the hospital. "If we keep giving in to her, she'll just get more and more unreasonable. "Let's just leave her alone for now. Once she calms down, she'll come back to us." Austin and Kevin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's just give her some space and let her cool off for a while." After a few more words of comfort, they personally escorted Nicole upstairs to get some rest. ***** Alicia's injuries weren't serious, so she checked herself out of the hospital the very next day. Except when she was out working, she usually stayed at the Hammond family's old mansion. But she'd actually bought a place of her own before, and nobody knew about it. Now that she was leaving the Hammond family, she could finally move in. She called the moving company first, then headed back to Hammond Manor. As she had expected, everyone else was out. Felix looked a little taken aback when Alicia walked in, but quickly he smiled and greeted her, "Ms. Alicia Hammond, you're back." Felix overheard the three Hammond brothers talking last night. He'd always thought Alicia was just in a mood, but he never expected her to come back so soon. Alicia gave Felix a quick look, said nothing, and went straight to her room. Felix had been working for the Hammonds since her grandfather's days, and he'd practically watched Alicia grow up. When she was a kid, he was always gentle and caring. He'd play with her in the yard and used to call her "Madam". But after Nicole moved in, it only took a couple of years before he started calling Alicia "Ms. Alicia Hommond" instead of just "Madam". He and the other servants all started calling Nicole "Madam" now. 'I'm the outsider here now, huh?' Alicia thought to herself. Back in her room, Alicia started boxing up all her things. She wasn't planning to leave a single thing behind. Anything she didn't want, she'd just sell online or simply throw away. Then she opened the safe and took out the jewelry her mother had left her, along with a share transfer document and a few property deeds. Her mother had owned 15% of Hammond Group's shares. Before she passed away, she gave 3% each to Alicia's three brothers, but left Alicia with 6%. She said the extra 3% was meant to be Alicia's wedding gift. At the time, neither her dad nor her brothers had any problem with it. But in her previous life, they tried to make her split half her shares with Nicole, claiming Nicole was her sister too. Of course, Alicia refused. Feeling betrayed, she used her 6% stake to mess with them and throw Hammond Group into chaos, all for revenge. On top of that, she also had a few properties that her maternal grandparents had left her. She ran her fingers over the document pouch, memories of her mom and grandparents' kindness flooding back. Her eyes reddened with emotion. 'At least I had people who truly cared about me. That's all I ever needed,' she told herself. After a moment, Alicia took a deep breath and carefully placed all those valuables into a lock box. After a while, she got a call from the movers. She went downstairs to show them in and led them up to her room to start packing, making sure to carry the lock box herself. Felix rushed in as soon as he saw what was happening. "Ms. Alicia Hammond, what are you doing?" Alicia looked at him with a calm expression. "I'm moving out. I already told Kevin. Since yesterday, I've cut ties with everyone in the Hammond family. "So of course, I won't be living here anymore." Felix was utterly shocked. "Ms. Alicia Hommond, no matter how much fuss you make, cutting ties isn't something to joke about. You..." He clearly hadn't expected Alicia to come back just to pack up and leave, instead of trying to make up. Alicia interrupted him, her voice cold. "You're not in a position to tell me what to do." She didn't bother with him anymore and turned away, calling out to the movers to get started. Felix hadn't expected Alicia to be so cold and forceful with him. He couldn't help but feel stung and a little upset. He wanted to step up and try to persuade her, but Alicia didn't even spare him a glance. Left with no other option, he stepped out of the room and called Kevin. Kevin was in the middle of a meeting, but when he saw it was Felix calling, he picked up anyway. When Kevin heard that Alicia had actually gone back to pack her things, he looked visibly shaken. A wave of unease and panic washed over him. After a moment's thought, he paused the meeting and headed home. At the same time, he called Caleb and Austin. By the time the three of them rushed home, Alicia had already left with the movers. They headed upstairs to Alicia's room. All that was left were the gifts they'd given her over the years and a photo frame and album on the desk. Everything else that belonged to her had completely disappeared. Austin's eyes landed on the photo frame, and he looked genuinely shocked. "She cut out the part with Mom and took them, leaving ours behind." The other two guys exchanged confused glances. They walked over and saw that the family portrait had been cut. The part of their mother and Alicia was missing, leaving only their father and the three sons. Caleb picked up the photo album and flipped through it. Sure enough, there wasn't a single solo shot of their mother or Alicia at all. All that was left were pictures of just their father and the brothers, or group photos where their mother and Alicia had been snipped out. The three brothers just stood there, totally baffled and at a loss. They thought, 'How did it end up like this? Is she actually serious about cutting us off? No way, she can't mean it. 'We only skipped her show. Does she really have to blow things up like this?' Kevin's face darkened as he pulled out his phone. "I'll call her." But when he tried, he realized Alicia had blocked his number. He switched to a messaging app, only to find she'd removed him there too. Seeing this, Caleb and Austin quickly pulled out their phones to try reaching Alicia, but she'd blocked them everywhere as well. The three guys were left feeling both hurt and pissed off. They got Felix to give Alicia a call, but he'd been blocked too. They borrowed a phone from one of the new maids and tried again. This number wasn't blocked, but Alicia just ignored every single call. Caleb turned to Kevin, looking totally lost. "Bro, what now?" Kevin just stared back, feeling completely helpless. He really didn't have a clue what to do. Austin thought for a moment and asked, "Should we tell Dad?" Kevin shook his head. "Let's not tell Dad for now. I'm worried he'll get upset and hurt his health." Over the years, Alicia had given their father plenty of headaches, but this time, things were getting pretty serious. Kevin wasn't sure if he should reassure his brothers or just himself. He said, "I really don't think Alicia would actually cut us off. She's probably just being dramatic again." After a moment, he continued, "Dad's birthday is next month. No matter how mad she is, she'll definitely show up for that. "Give it a month. She'll get over it, and then we can sit down and talk things out." Austin and Caleb relaxed a little after hearing that. "Yeah, even if she's still upset with us, she won't miss Dad's birthday." As far as they knew, Alicia had always been super attached to their father. Every year, she'd start shopping for his birthday gift weeks ahead of time. They were sure she wouldn't skip it this year. When the day came, they'd just sit her down and talk things out. Worst case, they'd put their pride aside and sweet-talk her a bit, and Alicia would forgive them. Chapter 3 I'm Easy To Mess With? After moving into her new home, Alicia tidied up. Then she sat down, deep in thought, trying to remember what had happened at this exact moment in her past life. Right now, she was getting roasted all over the internet, and she was still a member of the girl group LUMIA. Her relationship with the other members was pretty bad. It wasn't like she'd done anything to them. The other girls always ganged up on her for no reason. After those four got a taste of success from dragging Alicia down twice, they just got even worse. Of course, Alicia's company and her agent had a hand in all of this too. Back in her previous life, Alicia brought up quitting LUMIA, but they shot her down. It dragged on until the next year, when a massive scandal exploded. Only then did she finally manage to break free. But this time, Alicia wasn't about to let those bloodsuckers keep draining her. First thing on her list was to quit the group and terminate the contract with her company for good. Thinking of that, Alicia called up her mom's lawyer friend and set up a meeting. ***** That evening, Alicia slipped into a restaurant, wearing a baseball cap and a mask. Even though she was getting dragged all over the internet, she was still pretty famous. She was pulling in a ton of traffic online. After all, being infamous still made many people know her name. After a few minutes, a distinguished and elegant middle-aged man stepped into the private room. Alicia stood up with a smile and greeted that man. "Mr. Wise, it's been so long." The man named Thomas Wise gave her a warm look. "Yeah, it has." He didn't ask how she'd been. He didn't really keep up with the entertainment scene, but after Alicia called to set up this meeting, he figured she probably needed his help, so he did a little digging. After checking things out, he was totally thrown off guard. He never expected Alicia's online reputation to be so trashed. When he saw the reasons people roasted her for, he was just speechless. But from all this, it was clear that Alicia's entertainment company was super unprofessional, and the Hammonds were irresponsible too. After they sat down, they chatted about some past things. Then Alicia said, "Mr. Wise, I want your help to terminate my contract with Starlight Entertainment." She knew it was best to leave this kind of stuff to the professionals. She definitely didn't want to deal with all the drama from those people herself. Thomas wasn't surprised. He replied, "Did you bring your contract with your company? Or do you have an e-copy? Let me take a look." If Starlight Entertainment had done its job and handled her PR properly, Alicia's reputation wouldn't be in the gutter like this. Thomas figured it was probably for the best to cut ties with a company like that. Alicia pulled the contract out of her bag and handed it over. "I brought it." Thomas read through the contract carefully, then started discussing it with Alicia. Alicia's contract with Starlight Entertainment still had a year left, and if she wanted out early, she'd have to pay a 3-million-dollar penalty. But Alicia had some proof that Starlight Entertainment hadn't kept their promises, so Thomas said he'd use that to fight for a lower penalty. After they finished talking about that, Alicia pulled out the equity contract. She continued, "Mr. Wise, this is the equity my mom transferred to me before she passed away. According to the contract, I was supposed to start getting dividends from the company once I turned eighteen. "But I haven't gotten anything since then. "So I want you to help me get back what's mine from Hammond Group through legal channels. "Even if it comes down to a lawsuit, I'm fine with that." Now that she'd cut ties with the Hammonds, she wouldn't let them steal a single cent that was rightfully hers. After her mother passed away, she never used a cent from the Hammond family. Besides the equity, her mother had invested in several funds for her, so she got a nice chunk of cash every year. Her three brothers had the same setup, of course. With all that money coming in, her dad and brothers never gave her any allowance. But when it came to Nicole, they'd give her hundreds of thousands of dollars in allowance every month, and they covered all her living expenses. They always spoiled Nicole with the latest luxury clothes, designer bags, and jewelry. As for Alicia, the only time she ever got a gift from them was on her birthday. Back in her previous life, Alicia treasured those gifts, but now, she couldn't care less. She left them all behind at the old house. As for those funds her mother left her, once Austin started working in finance, Alicia just let him take care of them. But now, she was ready to take them back and hand them over to a professional investment firm. Thomas looked genuinely surprised. He asked, "Have you ever brought this up with your dad or Kevin? They really haven't given you any dividends?" If they had, Alicia wouldn't even consider going the legal route to get her dividends. Alicia gave a wry smile. "I cut ties with the entire Hammond family yesterday. "So from now on, anything to do with them, I'm treating it like business." Thomas frowned, concern etched on his face. "Did they really do something to upset you?" Otherwise, why would things get so bad that you'd have to break off all contact with them? Alicia wasn't about to make excuses for the Hammonds. She let out a helpless sigh. "It's enough for them to have a daughter and a sister. I'm just... the spare." Thomas was her mother's longtime friend. Even though he was just a lawyer by profession, he was born into old money. So aside from genuinely needing his help, Alicia also wanted to let the word get out through him that she'd severed ties with the Hammonds, making sure everyone in their elite circles heard about it. The reason was simple. The Hammonds' favoritism was just off the charts. Back in her previous life, Alicia realized something. If people weren't close to Nicole, they didn't just automatically jump to defend her or blindly take her side. And once Alicia put some distance between herself and Nicole, the folks around her stopped treating her like she was some kind of outcast, unlike Nicole's crowd. Sure enough, Thomas's mind started to wander after hearing that. He thought about all that drama he'd read online. The Hammond family's adopted daughter was called their little princess, while Alicia, the real heiress, was accused of being a fraud. It was just plain absurd. Even if they really loved Nicole, or were just putting on a show, it was way over the top to treat her like royalty and shove Alicia to the sidelines. That alone made Thomas think way less of the Hammonds. He looked at Alicia with a bit of pity in his eyes. "Leave this to me as well." "Thanks for your help, Mr. Wise," Alicia said. Alicia thought for a moment before saying, "You don't have to keep this under wraps, Mr. Wise. I actually want word to get out that I'm done with the Hammonds." Not only did she not want it kept quiet, but she wanted everyone in their circle to feast on the drama. Thomas was sharp. He got it right away and nodded. "Alright, I see." They chatted for a bit longer before heading out. ***** When Thomas got home, he filled his wife in on everything—Alicia asking for help and her breaking things off with the Hammonds. His wife used to be pretty close with Alicia's mother. After hearing the whole story, she went online to dig up the drama herself and couldn't help but roast the Hammonds for being totally brainless. She could instantly tell that the new wife Leo Hammond brought in, and that adopted daughter Nicole, were both pieces of work. After that, she vented to her family and her close circle of society ladies, and soon enough, the whole story was making the rounds. By the time the Hammonds caught wind of it, they'd already been labeled as ridiculously biased and out of their minds. It was way too late to try and explain themselves or do anything about it. ***** Meanwhile, Alicia got home and opened X, only to see the top trending topic right there. Nicole had posted a photo of herself with the Hammond brothers and the rest of the family after last night's party. Her smile was absolutely radiant. She captioned it: [With you guys, I feel like I have the whole world. With all your love and care, I'm honestly the luckiest, happiest girl in the world.] The comments were all raving about how lucky Nicole was and what a picture-perfect family they had. Mixed in were plenty of snarky remarks, throwing shade at Alicia. One of Nicole's actress friends even mentioned Alicia and commented: [This is what a real family looks like. Stop trying to insert yourself into their drama.] It was not like this actress was actually trying to have Nicole's back or anything. She just wanted to ride Nicole's coattails, since Nicole was tight with all those big-shot elites. And with Alicia getting roasted online and her company and agent basically showing no sign of defending her, the actress couldn't care less about offending Alicia. Plus, she could score points with both Nicole's fans and Alicia's haters for being so real. It was a total win-win. Alicia let out a soft laugh when she saw the post tagging her. 'Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon just to get some attention off me?' she thought. 'Do they really think I'm that easy to mess with?' Since people were coming at her for Nicole, Alicia wasn't going to play nice anymore. It was perfect timing. Just when she needed a target, someone served one up. Alicia fired off two posts on X right away, and in one of them, she responded directly by tagging that actress. Just like she expected, her post shot straight to the top of the trending list in no time. After all, she was basically a magnet for haters. Everyone was always watching her. Any little thing she did, people would catch it instantly and start roasting her from all sides. Online, nobody expected Alicia to suddenly go so hard and drop a post like this. Her haters, the paid trolls, and all the gossip crowd were left stunned. Chapter 4 Get The Clout For Herself The actress who came to Nicole's defense was Alexandra Barton, a third-tier celebrity. Her post wasn't just about sucking up to Nicole. She was also trying to get in good with the big shots behind her. Besides, she planned to throw shade at Alicia and ride the wave of drama for some free clout. Every time the other LUMIA members played the victim or put on a pitiful face, Alicia would get dragged online. And every time, they'd get a wave of sympathy and attention. Sure enough, after Alexandra posted it, Nicole's fans flooded her with likes and praise. On top of that, a bunch of people called her genuine and bold for speaking up for her friend. Even some celebs hit like on her post. Alexandra was feeling pretty smug about how well her little stunt was going when her agent walked in, looking seriously pissed. "Alicia just responded. It's a bit of a mess," her agent said. Alexandra immediately opened X. She saw Alicia had posted something and tagged her. AliciaDelaneyOfficial: [I've never, not once, said or even hinted that I'm a Hammond, the Delaney brothers's cousin, or Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Anyone who spreads this crap stays broke forever.] [If you're the one hiring trolls to slander me, I'll track you down and hit you with a lawsuit.] [If you can't be bothered to get your facts straight, you don't get to run your mouth. You're a public figure. Slandering me in public is unacceptable.] [Being a bootlicker isn't as easy as you think. I've already called the cops, and I'm taking you to court. That's illegal. @AlexandraBarton] Alexandra was totally caught off guard. She never expected Alicia to go this hard and actually call the cops and threaten a lawsuit. Alicia even called Alexandra a bootlicker. That was way over the line, and it seriously pissed Alexandra off. Alexandra shot her agent a look and asked, "Has she lost her mind? How did the company even let her post something like that on social media?" Both Nicole and Alicia were signed to Starlight Entertainment, but Starlight was all about hyping up Nicole and deliberately sidelining Alicia. Alexandra was sure that Starlight would never let Alicia do something like this. That was exactly why Alexandra had felt safe enough to tag Alicia on X. Alexandra figured even if Alicia got pissed, she wouldn't be able to do anything about it. After all, without Starlight's backing and PR muscle, Alicia was no threat at all flying solo. Alexandra's agent looked exasperated. "I just got off the phone with her agent. They seriously had no idea she was going to post that on X. "But I've already talked it over. They'll get Alicia to delete the post. "As for the cops and the lawsuit, they said Starlight will shut it all down." The agent herself never thought Alicia would go this far, totally breaking the usual playbook and ignoring all the unspoken industry rules. Going to the police and threatening to sue over a few online comments? Alicia was seriously the first one to ever do this. Hearing that, Alexandra breathed easier, the tension finally melting away. She flashed a sly grin. "Once she deletes that post, the real show begins." Deleting it would make Alicia a total clown, and she would get roasted alive online. The handful of fans she got left probably wouldn't stick around for the embarrassment. So instead of deleting her post, Alexandra fired back, tagging Alicia right back. AlexandraBarton: [I've got nothing to fear. Bring it on!@AliciaDelaneyOfficial.] Everyone watching the drama unfold got another surprise when Alexandra clapped back on X. Nobody expected Alexandra to go this hard, either. The comments under both Alicia and Alexandra's posts started blowing up, racking up thousands in no time. Markd82: [Who are we supposed to believe here?] Tommy94: [Both of them are so savage. Let's see who can outlast the other.] Chris_y: [Come to think of it, Alicia never actually claimed or even hinted she was a Hammond.] Juststeve: [She wouldn't have posted something like that unless she was totally fed up with all the hate.] Nooot: [Reading her post, I really feel like someone set her up.] Idkben: [Yeah, and wishing for the rumor-spreader to stay broke forever? That's brutal. Seriously, who would jinx themselves like that if they were faking it?] Okmatt: [If that's really the case, Alicia's got it tough. She's been roasted nonstop over this.] Randomname: [You guys just buy whatever she says? Come on, this is clearly her way of trying to clear her name.] User472: [Yeah, I still don't buy that she never said or hinted at it. And talking about a lawsuit? Anyone can say that online.] Loggedout: [Alicia's not the only one who's ever posted a lawyer letter. In the end, it's all bark and no bite.] Still_here: [She's just doing this to scare people and make herself look like the victim, so everyone feels sorry for her.] Rabbitie: [Watch it, she'll probably delete that post real soon.] Cloud: [No way she actually called the cops, and I seriously doubt she's taking anyone to court.] Heyitsdan: [For real, she's been roasted online so many times before and always just let it slide. Why is she suddenly acting tough now? Obviously just trying to play the victim and chase some attention.] Alicia just happened to scroll past that comment. She fired back right under it: [Back then, my agent handled my account. Now, I call the shots myself. If you don't buy it, just wait and see if the cops come knocking on Alexandra's door.] Fans couldn't believe Alicia actually replied to the comment herself. They did find out that the way she was acting now was totally different from before. They finally knew why her account only had generic promo posts. Turned out that her agent was running her account all this time After Alicia clapped back, everyone was dying to see if the cops would actually come to Alexandra's place. Now it was all about who'd stay savage till the end. But the haters and Nicole and Alexandra's fans kept dragging Alicia nonstop, flooding her comments with insults. Nicole's fans totally lost it over Alicia calling Alexandra out as a bootlicker. They started speculating. 'What's that supposed to mean? Is she throwing shade at Nicole, saying Nicole put Alexandra up to this?' They started spamming Alicia's comments with angry rants. Imtom: [Alexandra is just sticking up for Nicole. What's wrong with that?] LoveNicole: [You've been leeching off Nicole's name, and she's been chill about it. Instead of saying thanks, you go and throw shade? You really think Nicole's just too nice and easy to push around?] NNNICOLE: [Keep messing with her and see what happens. She'll make sure you get iced out of the whole industry.] BabyNicole: [That's right. Nicole is the Hammond family's princess. She's got serious backup. If you piss her off, don't be surprised if you get shut out.] Alicia saw those comments and clapped back without hesitation. Alicia: [Come on, I surely don't dare to push Bitchy Nicole around. She's so scheming.] Alicia: [Sure, go ahead! Tell Nicole to get her powerful family to shut me down. Let's see if they can really kick me out of the industry.] Alicia: [If she doesn't blacklist me like you want, honestly, I'll laugh at her.] Anyway, Alicia was already public enemy number one online, getting roasted from all sides. She wasn't afraid of more hate at this point. Now that she'd been given a second shot at life, anyone who pissed her off was gonna get it right back. Honestly, everyone enjoyed the drama online. The fake peace and phony friendship act couldn't get people's interest. Nothing could grab attention like a straight-up online fight. Back then, they rode Alicia for clout and attention. Now, Alicia could play the same game right back. Besides, would Nicole really dare to flex her status and try to freeze Alicia out of the industry? No way. She didn't have the nerve, and she sure didn't have the pull. If she did, Alicia wouldn't have been able to stage a comeback and rise up again in her last life. And if Nicole actually ran to the Hammonds and tried to get them to blacklist Alicia, that would just wreck the whole perfect good-girl act she puts on for them. Nicole wouldn't have the nerve to pull something like that. And seriously, who was the real Hammond heiress? The fans might not have a clue, but Nicole definitely knew the truth. After clapping back in the comments, Alicia pulled another ballsy move. She tagged Nicole in a new post: [Bitchy Nicole, why don't you flaunt your Hammond princess status and get your big-shot backers to blacklist me? Come on, wipe out the villain in your story once and for all.] From now on, Alicia would be the loose cannon of the entertainment world, ready to tear into anyone whenever she felt like it. If anyone came for her, she'd come for them even harder. If she was gonna get roasted anyway, she might as well roast them right back and enjoy every second of it. Besides, a lot of people were really into her bold, straight-shooter attitude. Sure, Nicole had her fans, but she wasn't the kind of star everyone loved like cash. Alicia wasn't the only one who didn't vibe with Nicole. There were plenty of folks, both online and offline, who couldn't stand Nicole. Plus, with Starlight Entertainment and the Hammond family supporting Nicole into the spotlight, she'd ruffled a ton of feathers in the industry, stepping on the toes of other rising and established actresses, and messing with the profits of the companies backing them. If Alicia and Nicole started going at it, tons of people would be glued to their screens, eating up every second of the drama. And nothing could go viral like a feud between two celebrities. This time, Alicia was ready to get all that clout for herself. Chapter 5 Out Of Her Mind Alicia didn't just clap back at anyone who trashed her in the comments. She even tagged Nicole on X, straight-up telling her to blacklist and shut her down for good. This whole drama had everyone watching nearly speechless. Everyone watching left comments. LoveU: [Geeze, is Alicia out of her mind?] Crazymind: [Her posts and those comment replies are totally crazy. I'm kinda living for it. Am I too bad?] Jojo: [Haha, you're not alone. I feel the same way.] Footprints: [Alicia's got guts. She's the only one who'd tag and call her Bitchy Nicole.] Sunny:[She's really cool. I give her my respect.] Dunno: [Haha, she's gone totally rogue now. She's even calling herself the villain and telling the big names behind Nicole to just blacklist her.] Mindy7: [Honestly, I've been sick of Nicole for ages. She's such a phony.] CuteAsDucks: [She used her connections to snatch the role from my idol, and then her fans trashed my idol for it. Alicia just said exactly what I've been dying to say.] Casanova : [My fave had her opportunities stolen by Nicole too, but her fans are way too fierce. We can't win against them, so we just keep quiet. Looks like everyone feels the same...] HairyPoppins: [This drama is so satisfying. Keep it coming!] YellowSnowman: [I live for these epic beefs. Don't stop pls!] Something: [You guys think the ones backing Bitchy Nicole are really gonna shut Alicia down for good?] Tinfoilhat: [Bitchy Nicole is Starlight Entertainment's golden girl, and Nicolas is Starlight's heir. If he gets involved, plus the Hammond family and the Delaney family pulling strings for her, Alicia could seriously get iced out of the industry.] Anonymouse: [So is Alicia basically quitting the scene now?] Otherwise, Alicia wouldn't have posted something like that. She didn't just go head-to-head with Nicole, but she made enemies of all the power players behind Nicole too. Then Nicole's fans swooped in, starting a whole new round of roasting Alicia all over the place. They even dropped: [Just waiting for Alicia to get blacklisted and iced out.] Alicia replied: [Same here. I'm waiting.] Nicole's fans were left speechless. They thought, 'Seriously, what exactly are you waiting for? She's out of her mind.' Seeing Alicia's clapback, everyone watching the drama couldn't help but crack up. No one realized Alicia was so hilarious before. Nicole always kept an alt account with notifications on for Alicia, so she could keep tabs on her every move. Whenever Alicia dropped a post on X, Nicole got the alert instantly. Nicole never saw it coming that a single group photo was all it took to send Alicia off the rails. Back in the day, Alicia would just ignore Nicole in private, out of respect for the Hammond family. But now? She dragged Nicole out in public, no holds barred. Nicole couldn't help but wonder if she'd pushed Alicia totally off the deep end. That last post really got under Nicole's skin. Alicia actually had the nerve to straight-up call Nicole a bitch and even dared Nicole to blacklist her for real. Alicia obviously put Nicole on blast, making her look bad in front of everyone. Nicole would love nothing more than to blacklist Alicia and totally ruin her, but she knew she just didn't have that kind of power. After all, ever since she joined the Hammond family, Nicole knew exactly how she'd snatched all the attention and favor that used to go to Alicia. Sure, she played the pitiful victim at first to get their sympathy, but after that, she switched gears. She always acted like the perfect, considerate girl and constantly made it seem like she couldn't do anything without them. Sure enough, it worked. They started favoring her more and more. But that didn't mean the family had stopped caring about Alicia altogether. So now, with Alicia roasting her on social media, Nicole was stuck. Responding would just make things worse, but ignoring it would make her look weak. After thinking it over, Nicole told her agent, "Call Haley and drop her a hint to rein Alicia in before she goes totally off the rails. "Try to convince Alicia to take down all her posts from today right away. "If she won't do it, just log into her account and delete them." Starlight Entertainment was legendary for its PR and marketing game. They had deals with all the top influencers and even kept a whole army of paid trolls on standby. She paused, then added, "Once the posts are gone, get her agent to post an apology from Alicia's account, claiming her account was hacked." Nicole knew Alicia's personality all too well. Alicia would never agree to delete the posts or post an apology herself. Thus, Alicia's agent would have to handle it instead. Not only would this make Alicia get dragged even harder online, but if she ever tried to go off the rails again, no one would believe her. It would also get Nicole out of the impossible spot she was in. If everyone thought Alicia's account got hacked and it wasn't really her posting all that drama, Nicole could just sit back and ignore the whole mess. She could even drop a post, acting all sympathetic toward Alicia, playing the gracious queen for everyone to see. Then she'd unleash her army of influencers and trolls to stir things up. They'd start whispering that it wasn't a hack at all. Alicia probably just totally went crazy after seeing that photo Nicole posted. People would say Alicia was just jealous of how blessed Nicole was, so Alicia totally snapped. But once she cooled off, she freaked out about crossing Nicole and her powerful backers, so she pretended her account got hacked and deleted her posts. That way, Alicia would get roasted all over the internet, lose fans for chickening out and not owning her words, and her reputation would tank completely. If the Hammonds caught wind of this, they'd just think Alicia was being super petty. After all, it was not like Alicia didn't have group photos with them. Posting on social media, then deleting and apologizing? That would just make the Hammond and Delaney families look bad. Thinking about it, Nicole thought that Alicia going off and posting all that drama on X wasn't even a bad thing. Nicole's agent instantly got what she meant. Nicole was totally throwing Alicia under the bus. Her agent gave a sly, knowing grin and replied, "Alright." ***** Meanwhile, Alicia's agent, Haley Waters, looked absolutely grim. She never expected Alicia to cause such a huge mess behind her back. 'Does she even take me seriously?' Haley thought to herself. As soon as Alexandra's agent called her, Haley tried calling Alicia right away. But every single time, the line was busy. After hanging up with Nicole's agent, Haley was practically ready to explode. 'Since Alicia doesn't respect me, don't blame me for playing hardball,' Haley thought. She had the X account logins and passwords for all five members of LUMIA, so she just logged straight into Alicia's account. Her plan was exactly what Nicole's agent had hinted at. She was going to delete all of Alicia's posts from today, then post an apology claiming her account had been hacked. Of course, hardly anyone would actually buy that excuse. But at least it would let Nicole and Alexandra off the hook, pulling them out of the drama. Plus, Nicole would end up owing her a favor. And if Alicia got dragged even harder and roasted by the whole internet, that just played right into Haley's game plan for LUMIA. She was basically making Alicia take the heat to prop up the other four girls. One superstar could never make as much money or rack up the numbers as four superstars. However, every time Haley tried to log in, it just kept telling her the password was wrong. Then she realized that Alicia must've already changed her password. That was absolutely unacceptable to Haley. She kept trying to call Alicia, but the call still couldn't get through. After a moment, she grabbed someone else's phone and dialed Alicia again. This time, the call actually went through. Clearly, Alicia had blocked her number. Haley's expression soured even more. Chapter 6 Dream On It Alicia's phone lit up with an unknown number. She didn't even have to think about it. She knew it had to be Haley. This time, she actually picked up. "Hello?" She hit the record button at the same time. Haley's voice came through, sounding a little frantic. "Alicia, what are you doing?" She demanded, "Why did you suddenly post those updates on X? And now you're getting into fights in the comments. Why didn't you check with me first?" Alicia shot back, "It's my account. Why can't I post what I want?" She added, "I never said any of that, and I wasn't trying to get clout from those big shots. "Alexandra's been pushing me around. Am I just supposed to put up with it?" Haley was stunned for a moment. Then, she siad, "But you can't just go around scaring people with talk of calling the cops or suing them." She added, "And it was Alexandra who tagged you first. Why are you picking a fight with Nicole now? You're just asking for more hate." Alicia scoffed, "Why is Alexandra targeting me? She's just trying to butter up Nicole." She continued, "Why am I getting called a clout chaser all over the internet? Nicole's fans started the whole mess, and they've been after me ever since. "Just because Nicole's hiding behind all these people, does that suddenly make her innocent? I'm not an idiot. Of course I gotta target her." Haley took a deep breath, forcing down her anger. She softened her voice, trying to coax Alicia, "I know you've been treated unfairly, but the company's really hyping Nicole up right now. Going head-to-head with her isn't the smartest move." She added, "I can talk to the higher-ups and get you a better gig. So let's back off for now, okay?" Alicia was baiting Haley for this exact response. She asked, "What do you mean by backing off?" Haley said, "Delete all those posts you made on X, then post an apology. "Just say your account was hacked earlier, and none of those posts were actually from you." Alicia shot back, "You really think anyone's going to buy that excuse? Do you think people are that gullible?" Haley replied, "It doesn't matter if anyone actually believes it. Just put out the statement, so Nicole and Alexandra can have an easy way out." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So you really do think I'm an idiot, huh?" She added, "If I post something like that, forget their fans, even the haters and onlookers would be telling me to get lost from the entertainment scene. Even my own fans would probably want me out. "You already made me take the fall for the other four in LUMIA, and now you want me to take the heat for Nicole and Alexandra too? Just dream on it." Haley hadn't expected Alicia to come back at her like that. She wondered if Alicia had known something. She couldn't help but say, "I'm not just your agent, you know. I'm older than you. Everything I do is for your own good." She pressed, "Don't you even trust me a little anymore?" She'd noticed lately that Alicia was trying to slip out of her grip, but she wasn't about to let that happen. Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, for my own good, huh?" She added, "If it wasn't for you, Nicole, and the company stirring things up, with the other four in LUMIA playing along, do you think the whole internet would be out to get me?" She went on in a meaningful tone, "You were my mom's college friend and roommate, remember? "Back then, your ex-husband set you up. You walked away with nothing and got stuck with a mountain of debt. "You had to keep dodging debt collectors and couldn't land a job anywhere. "It was my mom who lent you the money to pay off those debts and helped you land that agent job at Starlight Entertainment. "And when you asked, she even stepped in and handled your ex's family for you, so they'd finally stop messing with you." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "My mom saved your ass when you were at rock bottom, and now you want to shove me right back down? Is that what you called 'for my own good'? "Sorry, guess I have to let you down." After Alicia's mom helped Haley get into Starlight Entertainment, Haley managed to bring up a second-tier starlet. But before Haley could help her climb any higher, that starlet married a wealthy businessman and dropped out of the spotlight. Right around then, Starlight was gearing up to create a top girl group, and Haley jumped at the chance to take charge of the group. Knowing Alicia wanted in on the entertainment scene, Haley asked her to join LUMIA. After Alicia's mom passed away, Haley didn't pull away. In fact, she always cared about Alicia. Back then, Alicia didn't know the first thing about showbiz, and she trusted Haley. Plus, since Starlight belonged to Nicolas's family, she figured it was safe and agreed to join. But she had never guessed that one choice would land her in a pit that she couldn't climb out of. After all, she never thought that the sweet, gentle woman everyone saw was actually a backstabbing wolf. In her last life, Alicia had already gotten her revenge. She exposed Haley's true colors and brought her crashing down. But when it came to a backstabbing, ungrateful snake like Haley, Alicia wouldn't mind giving her a lesson again. And this time, she'd do it sooner. Haley's eyes widened for a moment. A rare flash of panic flickered across her face. She couldn't help blurting out, "Alicia, has someone talked to you? Trying to stir things up between us?" Haley absolutely hated it when anyone brought up that embarrassing chapter from her past. Haley thought, 'Alicia's mom did help me out, but with her status, it was just a casual favor. Am I really supposed to be forever grateful for that? 'Besides, I've already paid back every cent I borrowed. 'Now, Alicia is actually throwing that in my face. It's really embarrassing. 'This is just one more reason I can't stand Alicia.' Every time Haley saw Alicia, all she could think about was how embarrassing it had been, having to beg Alicia's mom for help back then. When LUMIA first debuted, Alicia was the hottest topic. She had the most fans and all the online attention. Alicia was born with a silver spoon, already living the high life. Yet since she entered the industry, she blew up overnight. Haley was just jealous that Alicia was blessed from the start. Then someone hinted that if she wanted to hype up the other four in LUMIA, all she had to do was drag Alicia through the mud. Haley went for it, and sure enough, it paid off big time. Right now, Alicia was her ace in the traffic game. No way was Haley ever letting go of that. Haley gave a wry smile. "I haven't forgotten what your mom did for me, you know. "After all these years together, I've put in so much effort to help you make it big. I just hope you can see that and trust me." Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "So I'm supposed to be grateful for all your scheming, is that it? "You twisted things around. If I hadn't lived through the hell of being trashed by the whole internet, nearly driven to depression and suicide, I'd almost want to give you a round of applause. "Why not use this little tactic on the other four girls in LUMIA instead? "Just because my mom helped you, just because I once trusted and respected you, I'm supposed to be your sacrificial lamb? "Am I just meant to be the stepping stone for you and Starlight, so you can prop everyone else up at my expense? Isn't that just plain bullying?" Haley was so stunned by Alicia's comeback that she could barely get a word out. She also realized that Alicia had known she used to play both sides. Trying to guilt Alicia into deleting those posts was almost impossible. Haley paused, then tried to warn Alicia, "If your family or Nicolas finds out, they're not going to be happy. No matter what you think, I'm really doing this for your own good." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "I've already cut ties with my family. As for Nicolas, it's not like we're close. Why should I care if he's happy?" When Alicia first set her sights on showbiz, everyone around her figured she was just trying to get close to Nicolas. The truth was, Nicolas was only part of it. She just really wanted to be in the entertainment world for herself. When Nicole first moved in, her body was covered in injuries from her birth father's abuse, and she was in poor health. She deliberately acted extremely dependent on Alicia's family, not only winning their sympathy but also making it seem like she couldn't get by without them. After that, Nicole was constantly in the hospital, pretending she couldn't live without their support. The Hammonds would take turns staying with her at the hospital. Meanwhile, Alicia was left all alone at home, either studying or watching dramas. She'd catch herself copying the actors on TV, wondering how she'd play the part if she were in their shoes. She loved watching people sing and dance, and was totally drawn to the spotlight. So when the chance to join LUMIA came up, she couldn't say no. She was a natural when it came to acting, which was why, in her previous life, she finally made her comeback after quitting the group and going solo as an actress. In her last life, she and Nicolas used to argue and give each other the silent treatment all the time because of Nicole, but she never bothered worrying about whether he was mad or not. Now, Nicolas was just a stranger to her. Alicia of course wouldn't care about his feelings. She added, "If he's really unhappy, then let him bury my career for all I care. I'm done playing nice this time. I won't compromise anymore." With that, she hung up and saved the recording. And sure enough, Haley didn't disappoint Alicia.
After finally cutting ties with my three CEO brothers, they hit full-blown panic mode. They discovered I'd cleared out my room—sliced up every family photo and only took what my mother left me. They thought I was just throwing a tantrum and expected me to crawl back apologizing. Instead, what landed on their doorstep was a lawyer's letter demanding six years of unpaid dividends. My eldest brother blew up my phone, raging about how cold-hearted I was. I fired right back: "When you were all front row cheering for stepsister's concert, did it ever cross your mind that your real sister was alone in a hospital bed?" Dead silence on his end. I hung up and blocked him right after. They scrambled to track me down, but I was already settled into my penthouse. With the funds my mother left me, I invested heavily in their biggest competitor. Now, the family that once saw me as an embarrassment watches me become their worst nightmare.👑 ………………………………………… At a private hospital in Irisport, Alicia Delaney lay in bed, her gaze unfocused as she stared out the window. She never expected to travel to the past after dying. Suddenly, a notification rang out, snapping her back to reality. She picked up her phone to check it. It was a link to a trending topic that had blown up a few hours ago, sent by her assistant. She tapped on it. It read: [Nicole Hammond's concert not only had top idol Nicolas Moore as a special guest, but the VIP section was packed with even more big names!] The post started by gushing about how amazing Nicole's two songs were and how insanely popular she was. Then it showed a few photos of Nicolas and Nicole singing together on stage. Finally, it included pictures of the VIP section, where some of the biggest names in the industry were sitting. There was up-and-coming director Caleb Hammond, Hammond Group CEO Kevin Hammond, top investor Austin Hammond, Delaney Group CEO Collin Delaney, and esports superstar Maxwell Delaney. All of them were big shots. Alicia scrolled down and tapped on the comments. As she had expected, besides all the praise for Nicole, there were plenty of negative comments toward her. Alexrow: [I've been saying Nicole is the Hammond family's little princess, and some people didn't believe me. But look at all these VIPs here tonight. This is the best proof.] Matt_hill: [Gotta say, the Hammond family really dotes on Nicole. All three brothers showed up to support her.] Jasonlee77: [Nicolas, Maxwell, and Collin are all super close to Nicole too. They totally spoil her.] Lucas_w: [I wonder if that clout-chasing wannabe is feeling embarrassed right now after seeing this trending topic.] Quietjon: [No idea if she's actually embarrassed, but she's probably burning with jealousy and envy, totally losing it right now.] Latecoffee: [She really had the guts to claim she was the Hammonds's daughter, Nicolas's childhood sweetheart, and Collin and Maxwell's cousin.] Bluewindow: [None of them showed up for her performance yesterday. She got smacked by a stage light, and not one of them visited her in the hospital. But today, they all rushed over from everywhere just to support Nicole's concert. Honestly, the secondhand embarrassment is real.] Oldcam: [Yeah, she's in the same company as Nicolas, but I bet he doesn't even know she exists.] Sundaynoise: [She's totally desperate to be famous.] Softstatic: [Nicole's just too nice. She didn't even make a fuss when Alicia pretended to be the Hammond family's daughter.] Halfawake: [If Nicole wanted, with all these big shots backing her up, she could get that clout-chaser blacklisted in a heartbeat.] Afterten: [Blacklist her? She's already so hated. She'll probably end up getting herself booted from the industry soon enough.] Lowbattery: [She loves the drama and the clout. No way she'd give that up. I just wish she'd leave LUMIA already and stop holding the other girls back.] stillonline [Same question every day. When is Alicia finally leaving the group?] In her previous life, seeing this trending topic and all those comments hit Alicia hard. After she got out of the hospital, she even confronted those people she thought were important to her and caused a stir. But now, she was totally chill. She didn't care about them anymore. She was really a Hammond, also Kevin, Caleb, and Austin's biological younger sister. She was Collin and Maxwell's cousin and Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Nicole was just Alicia's stepmother's daughter, who took the Hammond name, but Nicole wasn't actually related to any of them by blood. Next, Alicia logged into her X account. Aside from a handful of fans asking how she was doing after the accident, the rest were just a flood of hate comments. People were roasting her for going to the hospital and supposedly screwing up LUMIA's upcoming shows. They asked her to quit the group and stop dragging the other girls down. Alicia's entertainment company and her agent didn't give her any support or issue any announcement. They just watched the drama unfold and didn't do a thing. Just then, Alicia's phone lit up with a call from Kevin, her oldest brother. Alicia picked up and said, "Yeah?" Kevin's voice came through. "Nicole told me you got hurt. You alright?" Alicia let out a sarcastic laugh. "It happened yesterday, and you're just asking now? "And you wouldn't have called if Nicole hadn't told you, huh? You're such a great brother." Alicia knew Nicole had told them on purpose, not out of kindness, but just to get under her skin. After all, Alicia had asked them to come to her show, but none of them bothered to show up. She got hurt, and they didn't even notice. It really stung. Kevin was silent for a few seconds, then he spoke up, "Which hospital are you at? We'll come to see you." Alicia replied coolly, "Don't bother. I wouldn't dare trouble you." Kevin frowned, "What are you trying to pull?" He paused, then finally tried to explain, "We really did have things going on yesterday. That was why we couldn't make it to your show. None of us expected you'd get hurt on stage. We..." Alicia cut him off before he could finish. "If you didn't want to come, just tell me. No need to make up excuses." She'd invited every single one of them to her show, but they all had some excuse about being busy and couldn't make it. But the very next day, they all showed up to support Nicole. Now, trying to explain themselves was just making things even more awkward. To Alicia, it was just more infuriating and disgusting. She added, "Listen, I won't bother you guys anymore. If we ever run into each other, I'll just pretend we're strangers." She used to be the one they cherished and spoiled, but after her stepmother showed up with Nicole, everything changed. All the love and attention her family once gave her was now showered on Nicole. Whenever Alicia and Nicole clashed, their family always told Alicia to just let it go, took Nicole's side, and started treating Alicia like she was the problem. Kevin's face darkened. "What do you mean you won't bother us anymore, and you'll just pretend we're strangers?" Alicia said bluntly, "It means I'm cutting ties with all of you." Kevin was stunned for a moment. Then, his voice was full of anger. "Are you out of your mind? How can you even say something like that?" He couldn't believe it and asked, "Just because we missed your show? Is it really that serious?" Alicia scoffed, "Yeah, it is. Hasn't this happened enough over the years? "You guys always have double standards, and I've had enough." All these years, they bailed on Alicia over and over, just to please Nicole. Just like this time, they didn't even try to hide it and just picked Nicole over Alicia. When Alicia first wanted to get into showbiz, her family not only shot her down, but told her that if she were so capable, she should do it without the connections of the Hommond family. Thus, Alicia used her mother's last name instead. But when Nicole jumped into showbiz after Alicia, not only did they not object, they gave her full support, throwing money and resources at her, backing her up like she was the star of the family. Now, the thing Alicia got dragged for the hardest online was supposedly clout-chasing the Hammond family name. But she never went around telling people she was a Hommond. It was Nicole and her mother, working with her agent, who kept pushing that story everywhere behind the scenes. They knew the Hommonds would never step up and admit that Alicia was really one of them. Whenever people started questioning Alicia online, her family just kept quiet and never bothered to set the record straight. It turned out that Nicole and her mother played it just right. The Hommonds didn't say a word about the truth. It basically let everyone believe that Alicia was just chasing clout, so she got dragged through the mud online. Alicia added, "Let's be real. Isn't this exactly what you wanted? You'd rather pretend I don't exist. You guys only want Nicole to be your family, right? Fine. I'll make it easy for you." Kevin took a deep breath, his anger flaring. "You're seriously threatening to cut us off just because of something so petty? "We never said anything like that. You really need to stop acting out. Why can't you be more like Nicole and just behave?" Alicia knew Kevin would never believe her. He'd just think she was throwing a fit, as always. Ever since Nicole and her mother moved in, anything Alicia did was just called her acting out. It was honestly ridiculous. In Alicia's previous life, she valued family so much that she kept putting up with everything, always backing down for their sake. But in the end, she became public enemy number one. This time around, she was completely over it. Family, childhood sweetheart, or whatever, she wanted them as far away from her as possible. Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So having one obedient sister is all you ever needed, huh? "I'm not making a scene, and I'm not threatening you. "Let me make this clear one last time. From today on, I'm cutting ties with every single one of you in the Hammond family. "All my expenses growing up came from my mom, so I don't owe the Hammond family anything. "Just pass it on to the rest of the Hammonds for me. I won't tell the rest of them myself. "Let's not contact or see each other ever again. That's all." She ended the call right after saying that. Then she blocked every single one of the Hammonds, including her father, brothers, plus Collin, Maxwell, and Nicolas. Since she was cutting ties with them, she was going to do it for real. Chapter 2 Is She Serious? Later, Kevin went back to Hammond Manor. Seeing the shock and anger written all over Kevin's face, Austin and Caleb asked, "Kevin, what did she say?" With a stony expression, Kevin gave them a quick rundown of his conversation with Alicia. Hearing this, Austin and Caleb turned gloomy too. Nicole's eyes flickered with uncertainty. She put on an anxious look and said, "Kevin, do you think Alicia got so mad because you all came to see my show? "Which hospital is she staying at? I'll explain everything and apologize to her now. "She must've been so upset with me to say she wants to cut us off." Feeling even more guilty, Nicole added, "I really hope she doesn't get the wrong idea about you guys because of me and cut ties with you." Kevin gave her a reassuring look. "You don't need to explain anything to her. This has nothing to do with you." Kevin thought Alicia always had it out for Nicole. If Nicole showed up at the hospital, he didn't know what kind of scene Alicia would make. Austin frowned, "She's really gone overboard this time. Is cutting ties something she can just say so casually? "Honestly, she's almost certainly using this as a way to threaten us, trying to get us to back down. "Just leave her alone for a few days, and she'll come back on her own." Caleb didn't believe for a second that Alicia would really cut ties with them over something so trivial. He said, "Yeah, she was throwing a fit over the phone. Her injuries are probably nothing serious. There's no need for us to see her at the hospital. "If we keep giving in to her, she'll just get more and more unreasonable. "Let's just leave her alone for now. Once she calms down, she'll come back to us." Austin and Kevin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's just give her some space and let her cool off for a while." After a few more words of comfort, they personally escorted Nicole upstairs to get some rest. ***** Alicia's injuries weren't serious, so she checked herself out of the hospital the very next day. Except when she was out working, she usually stayed at the Hammond family's old mansion. But she'd actually bought a place of her own before, and nobody knew about it. Now that she was leaving the Hammond family, she could finally move in. She called the moving company first, then headed back to Hammond Manor. As she had expected, everyone else was out. Felix looked a little taken aback when Alicia walked in, but quickly he smiled and greeted her, "Ms. Alicia Hammond, you're back." Felix overheard the three Hammond brothers talking last night. He'd always thought Alicia was just in a mood, but he never expected her to come back so soon. Alicia gave Felix a quick look, said nothing, and went straight to her room. Felix had been working for the Hammonds since her grandfather's days, and he'd practically watched Alicia grow up. When she was a kid, he was always gentle and caring. He'd play with her in the yard and used to call her "Madam". But after Nicole moved in, it only took a couple of years before he started calling Alicia "Ms. Alicia Hommond" instead of just "Madam". He and the other servants all started calling Nicole "Madam" now. 'I'm the outsider here now, huh?' Alicia thought to herself. Back in her room, Alicia started boxing up all her things. She wasn't planning to leave a single thing behind. Anything she didn't want, she'd just sell online or simply throw away. Then she opened the safe and took out the jewelry her mother had left her, along with a share transfer document and a few property deeds. Her mother had owned 15% of Hammond Group's shares. Before she passed away, she gave 3% each to Alicia's three brothers, but left Alicia with 6%. She said the extra 3% was meant to be Alicia's wedding gift. At the time, neither her dad nor her brothers had any problem with it. But in her previous life, they tried to make her split half her shares with Nicole, claiming Nicole was her sister too. Of course, Alicia refused. Feeling betrayed, she used her 6% stake to mess with them and throw Hammond Group into chaos, all for revenge. On top of that, she also had a few properties that her maternal grandparents had left her. She ran her fingers over the document pouch, memories of her mom and grandparents' kindness flooding back. Her eyes reddened with emotion. 'At least I had people who truly cared about me. That's all I ever needed,' she told herself. After a moment, Alicia took a deep breath and carefully placed all those valuables into a lock box. After a while, she got a call from the movers. She went downstairs to show them in and led them up to her room to start packing, making sure to carry the lock box herself. Felix rushed in as soon as he saw what was happening. "Ms. Alicia Hammond, what are you doing?" Alicia looked at him with a calm expression. "I'm moving out. I already told Kevin. Since yesterday, I've cut ties with everyone in the Hammond family. "So of course, I won't be living here anymore." Felix was utterly shocked. "Ms. Alicia Hommond, no matter how much fuss you make, cutting ties isn't something to joke about. You..." He clearly hadn't expected Alicia to come back just to pack up and leave, instead of trying to make up. Alicia interrupted him, her voice cold. "You're not in a position to tell me what to do." She didn't bother with him anymore and turned away, calling out to the movers to get started. Felix hadn't expected Alicia to be so cold and forceful with him. He couldn't help but feel stung and a little upset. He wanted to step up and try to persuade her, but Alicia didn't even spare him a glance. Left with no other option, he stepped out of the room and called Kevin. Kevin was in the middle of a meeting, but when he saw it was Felix calling, he picked up anyway. When Kevin heard that Alicia had actually gone back to pack her things, he looked visibly shaken. A wave of unease and panic washed over him. After a moment's thought, he paused the meeting and headed home. At the same time, he called Caleb and Austin. By the time the three of them rushed home, Alicia had already left with the movers. They headed upstairs to Alicia's room. All that was left were the gifts they'd given her over the years and a photo frame and album on the desk. Everything else that belonged to her had completely disappeared. Austin's eyes landed on the photo frame, and he looked genuinely shocked. "She cut out the part with Mom and took them, leaving ours behind." The other two guys exchanged confused glances. They walked over and saw that the family portrait had been cut. The part of their mother and Alicia was missing, leaving only their father and the three sons. Caleb picked up the photo album and flipped through it. Sure enough, there wasn't a single solo shot of their mother or Alicia at all. All that was left were pictures of just their father and the brothers, or group photos where their mother and Alicia had been snipped out. The three brothers just stood there, totally baffled and at a loss. They thought, 'How did it end up like this? Is she actually serious about cutting us off? No way, she can't mean it. 'We only skipped her show. Does she really have to blow things up like this?' Kevin's face darkened as he pulled out his phone. "I'll call her." But when he tried, he realized Alicia had blocked his number. He switched to a messaging app, only to find she'd removed him there too. Seeing this, Caleb and Austin quickly pulled out their phones to try reaching Alicia, but she'd blocked them everywhere as well. The three guys were left feeling both hurt and pissed off. They got Felix to give Alicia a call, but he'd been blocked too. They borrowed a phone from one of the new maids and tried again. This number wasn't blocked, but Alicia just ignored every single call. Caleb turned to Kevin, looking totally lost. "Bro, what now?" Kevin just stared back, feeling completely helpless. He really didn't have a clue what to do. Austin thought for a moment and asked, "Should we tell Dad?" Kevin shook his head. "Let's not tell Dad for now. I'm worried he'll get upset and hurt his health." Over the years, Alicia had given their father plenty of headaches, but this time, things were getting pretty serious. Kevin wasn't sure if he should reassure his brothers or just himself. He said, "I really don't think Alicia would actually cut us off. She's probably just being dramatic again." After a moment, he continued, "Dad's birthday is next month. No matter how mad she is, she'll definitely show up for that. "Give it a month. She'll get over it, and then we can sit down and talk things out." Austin and Caleb relaxed a little after hearing that. "Yeah, even if she's still upset with us, she won't miss Dad's birthday." As far as they knew, Alicia had always been super attached to their father. Every year, she'd start shopping for his birthday gift weeks ahead of time. They were sure she wouldn't skip it this year. When the day came, they'd just sit her down and talk things out. Worst case, they'd put their pride aside and sweet-talk her a bit, and Alicia would forgive them. Chapter 3 I'm Easy To Mess With? After moving into her new home, Alicia tidied up. Then she sat down, deep in thought, trying to remember what had happened at this exact moment in her past life. Right now, she was getting roasted all over the internet, and she was still a member of the girl group LUMIA. Her relationship with the other members was pretty bad. It wasn't like she'd done anything to them. The other girls always ganged up on her for no reason. After those four got a taste of success from dragging Alicia down twice, they just got even worse. Of course, Alicia's company and her agent had a hand in all of this too. Back in her previous life, Alicia brought up quitting LUMIA, but they shot her down. It dragged on until the next year, when a massive scandal exploded. Only then did she finally manage to break free. But this time, Alicia wasn't about to let those bloodsuckers keep draining her. First thing on her list was to quit the group and terminate the contract with her company for good. Thinking of that, Alicia called up her mom's lawyer friend and set up a meeting. ***** That evening, Alicia slipped into a restaurant, wearing a baseball cap and a mask. Even though she was getting dragged all over the internet, she was still pretty famous. She was pulling in a ton of traffic online. After all, being infamous still made many people know her name. After a few minutes, a distinguished and elegant middle-aged man stepped into the private room. Alicia stood up with a smile and greeted that man. "Mr. Wise, it's been so long." The man named Thomas Wise gave her a warm look. "Yeah, it has." He didn't ask how she'd been. He didn't really keep up with the entertainment scene, but after Alicia called to set up this meeting, he figured she probably needed his help, so he did a little digging. After checking things out, he was totally thrown off guard. He never expected Alicia's online reputation to be so trashed. When he saw the reasons people roasted her for, he was just speechless. But from all this, it was clear that Alicia's entertainment company was super unprofessional, and the Hammonds were irresponsible too. After they sat down, they chatted about some past things. Then Alicia said, "Mr. Wise, I want your help to terminate my contract with Starlight Entertainment." She knew it was best to leave this kind of stuff to the professionals. She definitely didn't want to deal with all the drama from those people herself. Thomas wasn't surprised. He replied, "Did you bring your contract with your company? Or do you have an e-copy? Let me take a look." If Starlight Entertainment had done its job and handled her PR properly, Alicia's reputation wouldn't be in the gutter like this. Thomas figured it was probably for the best to cut ties with a company like that. Alicia pulled the contract out of her bag and handed it over. "I brought it." Thomas read through the contract carefully, then started discussing it with Alicia. Alicia's contract with Starlight Entertainment still had a year left, and if she wanted out early, she'd have to pay a 3-million-dollar penalty. But Alicia had some proof that Starlight Entertainment hadn't kept their promises, so Thomas said he'd use that to fight for a lower penalty. After they finished talking about that, Alicia pulled out the equity contract. She continued, "Mr. Wise, this is the equity my mom transferred to me before she passed away. According to the contract, I was supposed to start getting dividends from the company once I turned eighteen. "But I haven't gotten anything since then. "So I want you to help me get back what's mine from Hammond Group through legal channels. "Even if it comes down to a lawsuit, I'm fine with that." Now that she'd cut ties with the Hammonds, she wouldn't let them steal a single cent that was rightfully hers. After her mother passed away, she never used a cent from the Hammond family. Besides the equity, her mother had invested in several funds for her, so she got a nice chunk of cash every year. Her three brothers had the same setup, of course. With all that money coming in, her dad and brothers never gave her any allowance. But when it came to Nicole, they'd give her hundreds of thousands of dollars in allowance every month, and they covered all her living expenses. They always spoiled Nicole with the latest luxury clothes, designer bags, and jewelry. As for Alicia, the only time she ever got a gift from them was on her birthday. Back in her previous life, Alicia treasured those gifts, but now, she couldn't care less. She left them all behind at the old house. As for those funds her mother left her, once Austin started working in finance, Alicia just let him take care of them. But now, she was ready to take them back and hand them over to a professional investment firm. Thomas looked genuinely surprised. He asked, "Have you ever brought this up with your dad or Kevin? They really haven't given you any dividends?" If they had, Alicia wouldn't even consider going the legal route to get her dividends. Alicia gave a wry smile. "I cut ties with the entire Hammond family yesterday. "So from now on, anything to do with them, I'm treating it like business." Thomas frowned, concern etched on his face. "Did they really do something to upset you?" Otherwise, why would things get so bad that you'd have to break off all contact with them? Alicia wasn't about to make excuses for the Hammonds. She let out a helpless sigh. "It's enough for them to have a daughter and a sister. I'm just... the spare." Thomas was her mother's longtime friend. Even though he was just a lawyer by profession, he was born into old money. So aside from genuinely needing his help, Alicia also wanted to let the word get out through him that she'd severed ties with the Hammonds, making sure everyone in their elite circles heard about it. The reason was simple. The Hammonds' favoritism was just off the charts. Back in her previous life, Alicia realized something. If people weren't close to Nicole, they didn't just automatically jump to defend her or blindly take her side. And once Alicia put some distance between herself and Nicole, the folks around her stopped treating her like she was some kind of outcast, unlike Nicole's crowd. Sure enough, Thomas's mind started to wander after hearing that. He thought about all that drama he'd read online. The Hammond family's adopted daughter was called their little princess, while Alicia, the real heiress, was accused of being a fraud. It was just plain absurd. Even if they really loved Nicole, or were just putting on a show, it was way over the top to treat her like royalty and shove Alicia to the sidelines. That alone made Thomas think way less of the Hammonds. He looked at Alicia with a bit of pity in his eyes. "Leave this to me as well." "Thanks for your help, Mr. Wise," Alicia said. Alicia thought for a moment before saying, "You don't have to keep this under wraps, Mr. Wise. I actually want word to get out that I'm done with the Hammonds." Not only did she not want it kept quiet, but she wanted everyone in their circle to feast on the drama. Thomas was sharp. He got it right away and nodded. "Alright, I see." They chatted for a bit longer before heading out. ***** When Thomas got home, he filled his wife in on everything—Alicia asking for help and her breaking things off with the Hammonds. His wife used to be pretty close with Alicia's mother. After hearing the whole story, she went online to dig up the drama herself and couldn't help but roast the Hammonds for being totally brainless. She could instantly tell that the new wife Leo Hammond brought in, and that adopted daughter Nicole, were both pieces of work. After that, she vented to her family and her close circle of society ladies, and soon enough, the whole story was making the rounds. By the time the Hammonds caught wind of it, they'd already been labeled as ridiculously biased and out of their minds. It was way too late to try and explain themselves or do anything about it. ***** Meanwhile, Alicia got home and opened X, only to see the top trending topic right there. Nicole had posted a photo of herself with the Hammond brothers and the rest of the family after last night's party. Her smile was absolutely radiant. She captioned it: [With you guys, I feel like I have the whole world. With all your love and care, I'm honestly the luckiest, happiest girl in the world.] The comments were all raving about how lucky Nicole was and what a picture-perfect family they had. Mixed in were plenty of snarky remarks, throwing shade at Alicia. One of Nicole's actress friends even mentioned Alicia and commented: [This is what a real family looks like. Stop trying to insert yourself into their drama.] It was not like this actress was actually trying to have Nicole's back or anything. She just wanted to ride Nicole's coattails, since Nicole was tight with all those big-shot elites. And with Alicia getting roasted online and her company and agent basically showing no sign of defending her, the actress couldn't care less about offending Alicia. Plus, she could score points with both Nicole's fans and Alicia's haters for being so real. It was a total win-win. Alicia let out a soft laugh when she saw the post tagging her. 'Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon just to get some attention off me?' she thought. 'Do they really think I'm that easy to mess with?' Since people were coming at her for Nicole, Alicia wasn't going to play nice anymore. It was perfect timing. Just when she needed a target, someone served one up. Alicia fired off two posts on X right away, and in one of them, she responded directly by tagging that actress. Just like she expected, her post shot straight to the top of the trending list in no time. After all, she was basically a magnet for haters. Everyone was always watching her. Any little thing she did, people would catch it instantly and start roasting her from all sides. Online, nobody expected Alicia to suddenly go so hard and drop a post like this. Her haters, the paid trolls, and all the gossip crowd were left stunned. Chapter 4 Get The Clout For Herself The actress who came to Nicole's defense was Alexandra Barton, a third-tier celebrity. Her post wasn't just about sucking up to Nicole. She was also trying to get in good with the big shots behind her. Besides, she planned to throw shade at Alicia and ride the wave of drama for some free clout. Every time the other LUMIA members played the victim or put on a pitiful face, Alicia would get dragged online. And every time, they'd get a wave of sympathy and attention. Sure enough, after Alexandra posted it, Nicole's fans flooded her with likes and praise. On top of that, a bunch of people called her genuine and bold for speaking up for her friend. Even some celebs hit like on her post. Alexandra was feeling pretty smug about how well her little stunt was going when her agent walked in, looking seriously pissed. "Alicia just responded. It's a bit of a mess," her agent said. Alexandra immediately opened X. She saw Alicia had posted something and tagged her. AliciaDelaneyOfficial: [I've never, not once, said or even hinted that I'm a Hammond, the Delaney brothers's cousin, or Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Anyone who spreads this crap stays broke forever.] [If you're the one hiring trolls to slander me, I'll track you down and hit you with a lawsuit.] [If you can't be bothered to get your facts straight, you don't get to run your mouth. You're a public figure. Slandering me in public is unacceptable.] [Being a bootlicker isn't as easy as you think. I've already called the cops, and I'm taking you to court. That's illegal. @AlexandraBarton] Alexandra was totally caught off guard. She never expected Alicia to go this hard and actually call the cops and threaten a lawsuit. Alicia even called Alexandra a bootlicker. That was way over the line, and it seriously pissed Alexandra off. Alexandra shot her agent a look and asked, "Has she lost her mind? How did the company even let her post something like that on social media?" Both Nicole and Alicia were signed to Starlight Entertainment, but Starlight was all about hyping up Nicole and deliberately sidelining Alicia. Alexandra was sure that Starlight would never let Alicia do something like this. That was exactly why Alexandra had felt safe enough to tag Alicia on X. Alexandra figured even if Alicia got pissed, she wouldn't be able to do anything about it. After all, without Starlight's backing and PR muscle, Alicia was no threat at all flying solo. Alexandra's agent looked exasperated. "I just got off the phone with her agent. They seriously had no idea she was going to post that on X. "But I've already talked it over. They'll get Alicia to delete the post. "As for the cops and the lawsuit, they said Starlight will shut it all down." The agent herself never thought Alicia would go this far, totally breaking the usual playbook and ignoring all the unspoken industry rules. Going to the police and threatening to sue over a few online comments? Alicia was seriously the first one to ever do this. Hearing that, Alexandra breathed easier, the tension finally melting away. She flashed a sly grin. "Once she deletes that post, the real show begins." Deleting it would make Alicia a total clown, and she would get roasted alive online. The handful of fans she got left probably wouldn't stick around for the embarrassment. So instead of deleting her post, Alexandra fired back, tagging Alicia right back. AlexandraBarton: [I've got nothing to fear. Bring it on!@AliciaDelaneyOfficial.] Everyone watching the drama unfold got another surprise when Alexandra clapped back on X. Nobody expected Alexandra to go this hard, either. The comments under both Alicia and Alexandra's posts started blowing up, racking up thousands in no time. Markd82: [Who are we supposed to believe here?] Tommy94: [Both of them are so savage. Let's see who can outlast the other.] Chris_y: [Come to think of it, Alicia never actually claimed or even hinted she was a Hammond.] Juststeve: [She wouldn't have posted something like that unless she was totally fed up with all the hate.] Nooot: [Reading her post, I really feel like someone set her up.] Idkben: [Yeah, and wishing for the rumor-spreader to stay broke forever? That's brutal. Seriously, who would jinx themselves like that if they were faking it?] Okmatt: [If that's really the case, Alicia's got it tough. She's been roasted nonstop over this.] Randomname: [You guys just buy whatever she says? Come on, this is clearly her way of trying to clear her name.] User472: [Yeah, I still don't buy that she never said or hinted at it. And talking about a lawsuit? Anyone can say that online.] Loggedout: [Alicia's not the only one who's ever posted a lawyer letter. In the end, it's all bark and no bite.] Still_here: [She's just doing this to scare people and make herself look like the victim, so everyone feels sorry for her.] Rabbitie: [Watch it, she'll probably delete that post real soon.] Cloud: [No way she actually called the cops, and I seriously doubt she's taking anyone to court.] Heyitsdan: [For real, she's been roasted online so many times before and always just let it slide. Why is she suddenly acting tough now? Obviously just trying to play the victim and chase some attention.] Alicia just happened to scroll past that comment. She fired back right under it: [Back then, my agent handled my account. Now, I call the shots myself. If you don't buy it, just wait and see if the cops come knocking on Alexandra's door.] Fans couldn't believe Alicia actually replied to the comment herself. They did find out that the way she was acting now was totally different from before. They finally knew why her account only had generic promo posts. Turned out that her agent was running her account all this time After Alicia clapped back, everyone was dying to see if the cops would actually come to Alexandra's place. Now it was all about who'd stay savage till the end. But the haters and Nicole and Alexandra's fans kept dragging Alicia nonstop, flooding her comments with insults. Nicole's fans totally lost it over Alicia calling Alexandra out as a bootlicker. They started speculating. 'What's that supposed to mean? Is she throwing shade at Nicole, saying Nicole put Alexandra up to this?' They started spamming Alicia's comments with angry rants. Imtom: [Alexandra is just sticking up for Nicole. What's wrong with that?] LoveNicole: [You've been leeching off Nicole's name, and she's been chill about it. Instead of saying thanks, you go and throw shade? You really think Nicole's just too nice and easy to push around?] NNNICOLE: [Keep messing with her and see what happens. She'll make sure you get iced out of the whole industry.] BabyNicole: [That's right. Nicole is the Hammond family's princess. She's got serious backup. If you piss her off, don't be surprised if you get shut out.] Alicia saw those comments and clapped back without hesitation. Alicia: [Come on, I surely don't dare to push Bitchy Nicole around. She's so scheming.] Alicia: [Sure, go ahead! Tell Nicole to get her powerful family to shut me down. Let's see if they can really kick me out of the industry.] Alicia: [If she doesn't blacklist me like you want, honestly, I'll laugh at her.] Anyway, Alicia was already public enemy number one online, getting roasted from all sides. She wasn't afraid of more hate at this point. Now that she'd been given a second shot at life, anyone who pissed her off was gonna get it right back. Honestly, everyone enjoyed the drama online. The fake peace and phony friendship act couldn't get people's interest. Nothing could grab attention like a straight-up online fight. Back then, they rode Alicia for clout and attention. Now, Alicia could play the same game right back. Besides, would Nicole really dare to flex her status and try to freeze Alicia out of the industry? No way. She didn't have the nerve, and she sure didn't have the pull. If she did, Alicia wouldn't have been able to stage a comeback and rise up again in her last life. And if Nicole actually ran to the Hammonds and tried to get them to blacklist Alicia, that would just wreck the whole perfect good-girl act she puts on for them. Nicole wouldn't have the nerve to pull something like that. And seriously, who was the real Hammond heiress? The fans might not have a clue, but Nicole definitely knew the truth. After clapping back in the comments, Alicia pulled another ballsy move. She tagged Nicole in a new post: [Bitchy Nicole, why don't you flaunt your Hammond princess status and get your big-shot backers to blacklist me? Come on, wipe out the villain in your story once and for all.] From now on, Alicia would be the loose cannon of the entertainment world, ready to tear into anyone whenever she felt like it. If anyone came for her, she'd come for them even harder. If she was gonna get roasted anyway, she might as well roast them right back and enjoy every second of it. Besides, a lot of people were really into her bold, straight-shooter attitude. Sure, Nicole had her fans, but she wasn't the kind of star everyone loved like cash. Alicia wasn't the only one who didn't vibe with Nicole. There were plenty of folks, both online and offline, who couldn't stand Nicole. Plus, with Starlight Entertainment and the Hammond family supporting Nicole into the spotlight, she'd ruffled a ton of feathers in the industry, stepping on the toes of other rising and established actresses, and messing with the profits of the companies backing them. If Alicia and Nicole started going at it, tons of people would be glued to their screens, eating up every second of the drama. And nothing could go viral like a feud between two celebrities. This time, Alicia was ready to get all that clout for herself. Chapter 5 Out Of Her Mind Alicia didn't just clap back at anyone who trashed her in the comments. She even tagged Nicole on X, straight-up telling her to blacklist and shut her down for good. This whole drama had everyone watching nearly speechless. Everyone watching left comments. LoveU: [Geeze, is Alicia out of her mind?] Crazymind: [Her posts and those comment replies are totally crazy. I'm kinda living for it. Am I too bad?] Jojo: [Haha, you're not alone. I feel the same way.] Footprints: [Alicia's got guts. She's the only one who'd tag and call her Bitchy Nicole.] Sunny:[She's really cool. I give her my respect.] Dunno: [Haha, she's gone totally rogue now. She's even calling herself the villain and telling the big names behind Nicole to just blacklist her.] Mindy7: [Honestly, I've been sick of Nicole for ages. She's such a phony.] CuteAsDucks: [She used her connections to snatch the role from my idol, and then her fans trashed my idol for it. Alicia just said exactly what I've been dying to say.] Casanova : [My fave had her opportunities stolen by Nicole too, but her fans are way too fierce. We can't win against them, so we just keep quiet. Looks like everyone feels the same...] HairyPoppins: [This drama is so satisfying. Keep it coming!] YellowSnowman: [I live for these epic beefs. Don't stop pls!] Something: [You guys think the ones backing Bitchy Nicole are really gonna shut Alicia down for good?] Tinfoilhat: [Bitchy Nicole is Starlight Entertainment's golden girl, and Nicolas is Starlight's heir. If he gets involved, plus the Hammond family and the Delaney family pulling strings for her, Alicia could seriously get iced out of the industry.] Anonymouse: [So is Alicia basically quitting the scene now?] Otherwise, Alicia wouldn't have posted something like that. She didn't just go head-to-head with Nicole, but she made enemies of all the power players behind Nicole too. Then Nicole's fans swooped in, starting a whole new round of roasting Alicia all over the place. They even dropped: [Just waiting for Alicia to get blacklisted and iced out.] Alicia replied: [Same here. I'm waiting.] Nicole's fans were left speechless. They thought, 'Seriously, what exactly are you waiting for? She's out of her mind.' Seeing Alicia's clapback, everyone watching the drama couldn't help but crack up. No one realized Alicia was so hilarious before. Nicole always kept an alt account with notifications on for Alicia, so she could keep tabs on her every move. Whenever Alicia dropped a post on X, Nicole got the alert instantly. Nicole never saw it coming that a single group photo was all it took to send Alicia off the rails. Back in the day, Alicia would just ignore Nicole in private, out of respect for the Hammond family. But now? She dragged Nicole out in public, no holds barred. Nicole couldn't help but wonder if she'd pushed Alicia totally off the deep end. That last post really got under Nicole's skin. Alicia actually had the nerve to straight-up call Nicole a bitch and even dared Nicole to blacklist her for real. Alicia obviously put Nicole on blast, making her look bad in front of everyone. Nicole would love nothing more than to blacklist Alicia and totally ruin her, but she knew she just didn't have that kind of power. After all, ever since she joined the Hammond family, Nicole knew exactly how she'd snatched all the attention and favor that used to go to Alicia. Sure, she played the pitiful victim at first to get their sympathy, but after that, she switched gears. She always acted like the perfect, considerate girl and constantly made it seem like she couldn't do anything without them. Sure enough, it worked. They started favoring her more and more. But that didn't mean the family had stopped caring about Alicia altogether. So now, with Alicia roasting her on social media, Nicole was stuck. Responding would just make things worse, but ignoring it would make her look weak. After thinking it over, Nicole told her agent, "Call Haley and drop her a hint to rein Alicia in before she goes totally off the rails. "Try to convince Alicia to take down all her posts from today right away. "If she won't do it, just log into her account and delete them." Starlight Entertainment was legendary for its PR and marketing game. They had deals with all the top influencers and even kept a whole army of paid trolls on standby. She paused, then added, "Once the posts are gone, get her agent to post an apology from Alicia's account, claiming her account was hacked." Nicole knew Alicia's personality all too well. Alicia would never agree to delete the posts or post an apology herself. Thus, Alicia's agent would have to handle it instead. Not only would this make Alicia get dragged even harder online, but if she ever tried to go off the rails again, no one would believe her. It would also get Nicole out of the impossible spot she was in. If everyone thought Alicia's account got hacked and it wasn't really her posting all that drama, Nicole could just sit back and ignore the whole mess. She could even drop a post, acting all sympathetic toward Alicia, playing the gracious queen for everyone to see. Then she'd unleash her army of influencers and trolls to stir things up. They'd start whispering that it wasn't a hack at all. Alicia probably just totally went crazy after seeing that photo Nicole posted. People would say Alicia was just jealous of how blessed Nicole was, so Alicia totally snapped. But once she cooled off, she freaked out about crossing Nicole and her powerful backers, so she pretended her account got hacked and deleted her posts. That way, Alicia would get roasted all over the internet, lose fans for chickening out and not owning her words, and her reputation would tank completely. If the Hammonds caught wind of this, they'd just think Alicia was being super petty. After all, it was not like Alicia didn't have group photos with them. Posting on social media, then deleting and apologizing? That would just make the Hammond and Delaney families look bad. Thinking about it, Nicole thought that Alicia going off and posting all that drama on X wasn't even a bad thing. Nicole's agent instantly got what she meant. Nicole was totally throwing Alicia under the bus. Her agent gave a sly, knowing grin and replied, "Alright." ***** Meanwhile, Alicia's agent, Haley Waters, looked absolutely grim. She never expected Alicia to cause such a huge mess behind her back. 'Does she even take me seriously?' Haley thought to herself. As soon as Alexandra's agent called her, Haley tried calling Alicia right away. But every single time, the line was busy. After hanging up with Nicole's agent, Haley was practically ready to explode. 'Since Alicia doesn't respect me, don't blame me for playing hardball,' Haley thought. She had the X account logins and passwords for all five members of LUMIA, so she just logged straight into Alicia's account. Her plan was exactly what Nicole's agent had hinted at. She was going to delete all of Alicia's posts from today, then post an apology claiming her account had been hacked. Of course, hardly anyone would actually buy that excuse. But at least it would let Nicole and Alexandra off the hook, pulling them out of the drama. Plus, Nicole would end up owing her a favor. And if Alicia got dragged even harder and roasted by the whole internet, that just played right into Haley's game plan for LUMIA. She was basically making Alicia take the heat to prop up the other four girls. One superstar could never make as much money or rack up the numbers as four superstars. However, every time Haley tried to log in, it just kept telling her the password was wrong. Then she realized that Alicia must've already changed her password. That was absolutely unacceptable to Haley. She kept trying to call Alicia, but the call still couldn't get through. After a moment, she grabbed someone else's phone and dialed Alicia again. This time, the call actually went through. Clearly, Alicia had blocked her number. Haley's expression soured even more. Chapter 6 Dream On It Alicia's phone lit up with an unknown number. She didn't even have to think about it. She knew it had to be Haley. This time, she actually picked up. "Hello?" She hit the record button at the same time. Haley's voice came through, sounding a little frantic. "Alicia, what are you doing?" She demanded, "Why did you suddenly post those updates on X? And now you're getting into fights in the comments. Why didn't you check with me first?" Alicia shot back, "It's my account. Why can't I post what I want?" She added, "I never said any of that, and I wasn't trying to get clout from those big shots. "Alexandra's been pushing me around. Am I just supposed to put up with it?" Haley was stunned for a moment. Then, she siad, "But you can't just go around scaring people with talk of calling the cops or suing them." She added, "And it was Alexandra who tagged you first. Why are you picking a fight with Nicole now? You're just asking for more hate." Alicia scoffed, "Why is Alexandra targeting me? She's just trying to butter up Nicole." She continued, "Why am I getting called a clout chaser all over the internet? Nicole's fans started the whole mess, and they've been after me ever since. "Just because Nicole's hiding behind all these people, does that suddenly make her innocent? I'm not an idiot. Of course I gotta target her." Haley took a deep breath, forcing down her anger. She softened her voice, trying to coax Alicia, "I know you've been treated unfairly, but the company's really hyping Nicole up right now. Going head-to-head with her isn't the smartest move." She added, "I can talk to the higher-ups and get you a better gig. So let's back off for now, okay?" Alicia was baiting Haley for this exact response. She asked, "What do you mean by backing off?" Haley said, "Delete all those posts you made on X, then post an apology. "Just say your account was hacked earlier, and none of those posts were actually from you." Alicia shot back, "You really think anyone's going to buy that excuse? Do you think people are that gullible?" Haley replied, "It doesn't matter if anyone actually believes it. Just put out the statement, so Nicole and Alexandra can have an easy way out." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So you really do think I'm an idiot, huh?" She added, "If I post something like that, forget their fans, even the haters and onlookers would be telling me to get lost from the entertainment scene. Even my own fans would probably want me out. "You already made me take the fall for the other four in LUMIA, and now you want me to take the heat for Nicole and Alexandra too? Just dream on it." Haley hadn't expected Alicia to come back at her like that. She wondered if Alicia had known something. She couldn't help but say, "I'm not just your agent, you know. I'm older than you. Everything I do is for your own good." She pressed, "Don't you even trust me a little anymore?" She'd noticed lately that Alicia was trying to slip out of her grip, but she wasn't about to let that happen. Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, for my own good, huh?" She added, "If it wasn't for you, Nicole, and the company stirring things up, with the other four in LUMIA playing along, do you think the whole internet would be out to get me?" She went on in a meaningful tone, "You were my mom's college friend and roommate, remember? "Back then, your ex-husband set you up. You walked away with nothing and got stuck with a mountain of debt. "You had to keep dodging debt collectors and couldn't land a job anywhere. "It was my mom who lent you the money to pay off those debts and helped you land that agent job at Starlight Entertainment. "And when you asked, she even stepped in and handled your ex's family for you, so they'd finally stop messing with you." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "My mom saved your ass when you were at rock bottom, and now you want to shove me right back down? Is that what you called 'for my own good'? "Sorry, guess I have to let you down." After Alicia's mom helped Haley get into Starlight Entertainment, Haley managed to bring up a second-tier starlet. But before Haley could help her climb any higher, that starlet married a wealthy businessman and dropped out of the spotlight. Right around then, Starlight was gearing up to create a top girl group, and Haley jumped at the chance to take charge of the group. Knowing Alicia wanted in on the entertainment scene, Haley asked her to join LUMIA. After Alicia's mom passed away, Haley didn't pull away. In fact, she always cared about Alicia. Back then, Alicia didn't know the first thing about showbiz, and she trusted Haley. Plus, since Starlight belonged to Nicolas's family, she figured it was safe and agreed to join. But she had never guessed that one choice would land her in a pit that she couldn't climb out of. After all, she never thought that the sweet, gentle woman everyone saw was actually a backstabbing wolf. In her last life, Alicia had already gotten her revenge. She exposed Haley's true colors and brought her crashing down. But when it came to a backstabbing, ungrateful snake like Haley, Alicia wouldn't mind giving her a lesson again. And this time, she'd do it sooner. Haley's eyes widened for a moment. A rare flash of panic flickered across her face. She couldn't help blurting out, "Alicia, has someone talked to you? Trying to stir things up between us?" Haley absolutely hated it when anyone brought up that embarrassing chapter from her past. Haley thought, 'Alicia's mom did help me out, but with her status, it was just a casual favor. Am I really supposed to be forever grateful for that? 'Besides, I've already paid back every cent I borrowed. 'Now, Alicia is actually throwing that in my face. It's really embarrassing. 'This is just one more reason I can't stand Alicia.' Every time Haley saw Alicia, all she could think about was how embarrassing it had been, having to beg Alicia's mom for help back then. When LUMIA first debuted, Alicia was the hottest topic. She had the most fans and all the online attention. Alicia was born with a silver spoon, already living the high life. Yet since she entered the industry, she blew up overnight. Haley was just jealous that Alicia was blessed from the start. Then someone hinted that if she wanted to hype up the other four in LUMIA, all she had to do was drag Alicia through the mud. Haley went for it, and sure enough, it paid off big time. Right now, Alicia was her ace in the traffic game. No way was Haley ever letting go of that. Haley gave a wry smile. "I haven't forgotten what your mom did for me, you know. "After all these years together, I've put in so much effort to help you make it big. I just hope you can see that and trust me." Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "So I'm supposed to be grateful for all your scheming, is that it? "You twisted things around. If I hadn't lived through the hell of being trashed by the whole internet, nearly driven to depression and suicide, I'd almost want to give you a round of applause. "Why not use this little tactic on the other four girls in LUMIA instead? "Just because my mom helped you, just because I once trusted and respected you, I'm supposed to be your sacrificial lamb? "Am I just meant to be the stepping stone for you and Starlight, so you can prop everyone else up at my expense? Isn't that just plain bullying?" Haley was so stunned by Alicia's comeback that she could barely get a word out. She also realized that Alicia had known she used to play both sides. Trying to guilt Alicia into deleting those posts was almost impossible. Haley paused, then tried to warn Alicia, "If your family or Nicolas finds out, they're not going to be happy. No matter what you think, I'm really doing this for your own good." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "I've already cut ties with my family. As for Nicolas, it's not like we're close. Why should I care if he's happy?" When Alicia first set her sights on showbiz, everyone around her figured she was just trying to get close to Nicolas. The truth was, Nicolas was only part of it. She just really wanted to be in the entertainment world for herself. When Nicole first moved in, her body was covered in injuries from her birth father's abuse, and she was in poor health. She deliberately acted extremely dependent on Alicia's family, not only winning their sympathy but also making it seem like she couldn't get by without them. After that, Nicole was constantly in the hospital, pretending she couldn't live without their support. The Hammonds would take turns staying with her at the hospital. Meanwhile, Alicia was left all alone at home, either studying or watching dramas. She'd catch herself copying the actors on TV, wondering how she'd play the part if she were in their shoes. She loved watching people sing and dance, and was totally drawn to the spotlight. So when the chance to join LUMIA came up, she couldn't say no. She was a natural when it came to acting, which was why, in her previous life, she finally made her comeback after quitting the group and going solo as an actress. In her last life, she and Nicolas used to argue and give each other the silent treatment all the time because of Nicole, but she never bothered worrying about whether he was mad or not. Now, Nicolas was just a stranger to her. Alicia of course wouldn't care about his feelings. She added, "If he's really unhappy, then let him bury my career for all I care. I'm done playing nice this time. I won't compromise anymore." With that, she hung up and saved the recording. And sure enough, Haley didn't disappoint Alicia.
After finally cutting ties with my three CEO brothers, they hit full-blown panic mode. They discovered I'd cleared out my room—sliced up every family photo and only took what my mother left me. They thought I was just throwing a tantrum and expected me to crawl back apologizing. Instead, what landed on their doorstep was a lawyer's letter demanding six years of unpaid dividends. My eldest brother blew up my phone, raging about how cold-hearted I was. I fired right back: "When you were all front row cheering for stepsister's concert, did it ever cross your mind that your real sister was alone in a hospital bed?" Dead silence on his end. I hung up and blocked him right after. They scrambled to track me down, but I was already settled into my penthouse. With the funds my mother left me, I invested heavily in their biggest competitor. Now, the family that once saw me as an embarrassment watches me become their worst nightmare.👑 ………………………………………… At a private hospital in Irisport, Alicia Delaney lay in bed, her gaze unfocused as she stared out the window. She never expected to travel to the past after dying. Suddenly, a notification rang out, snapping her back to reality. She picked up her phone to check it. It was a link to a trending topic that had blown up a few hours ago, sent by her assistant. She tapped on it. It read: [Nicole Hammond's concert not only had top idol Nicolas Moore as a special guest, but the VIP section was packed with even more big names!] The post started by gushing about how amazing Nicole's two songs were and how insanely popular she was. Then it showed a few photos of Nicolas and Nicole singing together on stage. Finally, it included pictures of the VIP section, where some of the biggest names in the industry were sitting. There was up-and-coming director Caleb Hammond, Hammond Group CEO Kevin Hammond, top investor Austin Hammond, Delaney Group CEO Collin Delaney, and esports superstar Maxwell Delaney. All of them were big shots. Alicia scrolled down and tapped on the comments. As she had expected, besides all the praise for Nicole, there were plenty of negative comments toward her. Alexrow: [I've been saying Nicole is the Hammond family's little princess, and some people didn't believe me. But look at all these VIPs here tonight. This is the best proof.] Matt_hill: [Gotta say, the Hammond family really dotes on Nicole. All three brothers showed up to support her.] Jasonlee77: [Nicolas, Maxwell, and Collin are all super close to Nicole too. They totally spoil her.] Lucas_w: [I wonder if that clout-chasing wannabe is feeling embarrassed right now after seeing this trending topic.] Quietjon: [No idea if she's actually embarrassed, but she's probably burning with jealousy and envy, totally losing it right now.] Latecoffee: [She really had the guts to claim she was the Hammonds's daughter, Nicolas's childhood sweetheart, and Collin and Maxwell's cousin.] Bluewindow: [None of them showed up for her performance yesterday. She got smacked by a stage light, and not one of them visited her in the hospital. But today, they all rushed over from everywhere just to support Nicole's concert. Honestly, the secondhand embarrassment is real.] Oldcam: [Yeah, she's in the same company as Nicolas, but I bet he doesn't even know she exists.] Sundaynoise: [She's totally desperate to be famous.] Softstatic: [Nicole's just too nice. She didn't even make a fuss when Alicia pretended to be the Hammond family's daughter.] Halfawake: [If Nicole wanted, with all these big shots backing her up, she could get that clout-chaser blacklisted in a heartbeat.] Afterten: [Blacklist her? She's already so hated. She'll probably end up getting herself booted from the industry soon enough.] Lowbattery: [She loves the drama and the clout. No way she'd give that up. I just wish she'd leave LUMIA already and stop holding the other girls back.] stillonline [Same question every day. When is Alicia finally leaving the group?] In her previous life, seeing this trending topic and all those comments hit Alicia hard. After she got out of the hospital, she even confronted those people she thought were important to her and caused a stir. But now, she was totally chill. She didn't care about them anymore. She was really a Hammond, also Kevin, Caleb, and Austin's biological younger sister. She was Collin and Maxwell's cousin and Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Nicole was just Alicia's stepmother's daughter, who took the Hammond name, but Nicole wasn't actually related to any of them by blood. Next, Alicia logged into her X account. Aside from a handful of fans asking how she was doing after the accident, the rest were just a flood of hate comments. People were roasting her for going to the hospital and supposedly screwing up LUMIA's upcoming shows. They asked her to quit the group and stop dragging the other girls down. Alicia's entertainment company and her agent didn't give her any support or issue any announcement. They just watched the drama unfold and didn't do a thing. Just then, Alicia's phone lit up with a call from Kevin, her oldest brother. Alicia picked up and said, "Yeah?" Kevin's voice came through. "Nicole told me you got hurt. You alright?" Alicia let out a sarcastic laugh. "It happened yesterday, and you're just asking now? "And you wouldn't have called if Nicole hadn't told you, huh? You're such a great brother." Alicia knew Nicole had told them on purpose, not out of kindness, but just to get under her skin. After all, Alicia had asked them to come to her show, but none of them bothered to show up. She got hurt, and they didn't even notice. It really stung. Kevin was silent for a few seconds, then he spoke up, "Which hospital are you at? We'll come to see you." Alicia replied coolly, "Don't bother. I wouldn't dare trouble you." Kevin frowned, "What are you trying to pull?" He paused, then finally tried to explain, "We really did have things going on yesterday. That was why we couldn't make it to your show. None of us expected you'd get hurt on stage. We..." Alicia cut him off before he could finish. "If you didn't want to come, just tell me. No need to make up excuses." She'd invited every single one of them to her show, but they all had some excuse about being busy and couldn't make it. But the very next day, they all showed up to support Nicole. Now, trying to explain themselves was just making things even more awkward. To Alicia, it was just more infuriating and disgusting. She added, "Listen, I won't bother you guys anymore. If we ever run into each other, I'll just pretend we're strangers." She used to be the one they cherished and spoiled, but after her stepmother showed up with Nicole, everything changed. All the love and attention her family once gave her was now showered on Nicole. Whenever Alicia and Nicole clashed, their family always told Alicia to just let it go, took Nicole's side, and started treating Alicia like she was the problem. Kevin's face darkened. "What do you mean you won't bother us anymore, and you'll just pretend we're strangers?" Alicia said bluntly, "It means I'm cutting ties with all of you." Kevin was stunned for a moment. Then, his voice was full of anger. "Are you out of your mind? How can you even say something like that?" He couldn't believe it and asked, "Just because we missed your show? Is it really that serious?" Alicia scoffed, "Yeah, it is. Hasn't this happened enough over the years? "You guys always have double standards, and I've had enough." All these years, they bailed on Alicia over and over, just to please Nicole. Just like this time, they didn't even try to hide it and just picked Nicole over Alicia. When Alicia first wanted to get into showbiz, her family not only shot her down, but told her that if she were so capable, she should do it without the connections of the Hommond family. Thus, Alicia used her mother's last name instead. But when Nicole jumped into showbiz after Alicia, not only did they not object, they gave her full support, throwing money and resources at her, backing her up like she was the star of the family. Now, the thing Alicia got dragged for the hardest online was supposedly clout-chasing the Hammond family name. But she never went around telling people she was a Hommond. It was Nicole and her mother, working with her agent, who kept pushing that story everywhere behind the scenes. They knew the Hommonds would never step up and admit that Alicia was really one of them. Whenever people started questioning Alicia online, her family just kept quiet and never bothered to set the record straight. It turned out that Nicole and her mother played it just right. The Hommonds didn't say a word about the truth. It basically let everyone believe that Alicia was just chasing clout, so she got dragged through the mud online. Alicia added, "Let's be real. Isn't this exactly what you wanted? You'd rather pretend I don't exist. You guys only want Nicole to be your family, right? Fine. I'll make it easy for you." Kevin took a deep breath, his anger flaring. "You're seriously threatening to cut us off just because of something so petty? "We never said anything like that. You really need to stop acting out. Why can't you be more like Nicole and just behave?" Alicia knew Kevin would never believe her. He'd just think she was throwing a fit, as always. Ever since Nicole and her mother moved in, anything Alicia did was just called her acting out. It was honestly ridiculous. In Alicia's previous life, she valued family so much that she kept putting up with everything, always backing down for their sake. But in the end, she became public enemy number one. This time around, she was completely over it. Family, childhood sweetheart, or whatever, she wanted them as far away from her as possible. Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So having one obedient sister is all you ever needed, huh? "I'm not making a scene, and I'm not threatening you. "Let me make this clear one last time. From today on, I'm cutting ties with every single one of you in the Hammond family. "All my expenses growing up came from my mom, so I don't owe the Hammond family anything. "Just pass it on to the rest of the Hammonds for me. I won't tell the rest of them myself. "Let's not contact or see each other ever again. That's all." She ended the call right after saying that. Then she blocked every single one of the Hammonds, including her father, brothers, plus Collin, Maxwell, and Nicolas. Since she was cutting ties with them, she was going to do it for real. Chapter 2 Is She Serious? Later, Kevin went back to Hammond Manor. Seeing the shock and anger written all over Kevin's face, Austin and Caleb asked, "Kevin, what did she say?" With a stony expression, Kevin gave them a quick rundown of his conversation with Alicia. Hearing this, Austin and Caleb turned gloomy too. Nicole's eyes flickered with uncertainty. She put on an anxious look and said, "Kevin, do you think Alicia got so mad because you all came to see my show? "Which hospital is she staying at? I'll explain everything and apologize to her now. "She must've been so upset with me to say she wants to cut us off." Feeling even more guilty, Nicole added, "I really hope she doesn't get the wrong idea about you guys because of me and cut ties with you." Kevin gave her a reassuring look. "You don't need to explain anything to her. This has nothing to do with you." Kevin thought Alicia always had it out for Nicole. If Nicole showed up at the hospital, he didn't know what kind of scene Alicia would make. Austin frowned, "She's really gone overboard this time. Is cutting ties something she can just say so casually? "Honestly, she's almost certainly using this as a way to threaten us, trying to get us to back down. "Just leave her alone for a few days, and she'll come back on her own." Caleb didn't believe for a second that Alicia would really cut ties with them over something so trivial. He said, "Yeah, she was throwing a fit over the phone. Her injuries are probably nothing serious. There's no need for us to see her at the hospital. "If we keep giving in to her, she'll just get more and more unreasonable. "Let's just leave her alone for now. Once she calms down, she'll come back to us." Austin and Kevin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's just give her some space and let her cool off for a while." After a few more words of comfort, they personally escorted Nicole upstairs to get some rest. ***** Alicia's injuries weren't serious, so she checked herself out of the hospital the very next day. Except when she was out working, she usually stayed at the Hammond family's old mansion. But she'd actually bought a place of her own before, and nobody knew about it. Now that she was leaving the Hammond family, she could finally move in. She called the moving company first, then headed back to Hammond Manor. As she had expected, everyone else was out. Felix looked a little taken aback when Alicia walked in, but quickly he smiled and greeted her, "Ms. Alicia Hammond, you're back." Felix overheard the three Hammond brothers talking last night. He'd always thought Alicia was just in a mood, but he never expected her to come back so soon. Alicia gave Felix a quick look, said nothing, and went straight to her room. Felix had been working for the Hammonds since her grandfather's days, and he'd practically watched Alicia grow up. When she was a kid, he was always gentle and caring. He'd play with her in the yard and used to call her "Madam". But after Nicole moved in, it only took a couple of years before he started calling Alicia "Ms. Alicia Hommond" instead of just "Madam". He and the other servants all started calling Nicole "Madam" now. 'I'm the outsider here now, huh?' Alicia thought to herself. Back in her room, Alicia started boxing up all her things. She wasn't planning to leave a single thing behind. Anything she didn't want, she'd just sell online or simply throw away. Then she opened the safe and took out the jewelry her mother had left her, along with a share transfer document and a few property deeds. Her mother had owned 15% of Hammond Group's shares. Before she passed away, she gave 3% each to Alicia's three brothers, but left Alicia with 6%. She said the extra 3% was meant to be Alicia's wedding gift. At the time, neither her dad nor her brothers had any problem with it. But in her previous life, they tried to make her split half her shares with Nicole, claiming Nicole was her sister too. Of course, Alicia refused. Feeling betrayed, she used her 6% stake to mess with them and throw Hammond Group into chaos, all for revenge. On top of that, she also had a few properties that her maternal grandparents had left her. She ran her fingers over the document pouch, memories of her mom and grandparents' kindness flooding back. Her eyes reddened with emotion. 'At least I had people who truly cared about me. That's all I ever needed,' she told herself. After a moment, Alicia took a deep breath and carefully placed all those valuables into a lock box. After a while, she got a call from the movers. She went downstairs to show them in and led them up to her room to start packing, making sure to carry the lock box herself. Felix rushed in as soon as he saw what was happening. "Ms. Alicia Hammond, what are you doing?" Alicia looked at him with a calm expression. "I'm moving out. I already told Kevin. Since yesterday, I've cut ties with everyone in the Hammond family. "So of course, I won't be living here anymore." Felix was utterly shocked. "Ms. Alicia Hommond, no matter how much fuss you make, cutting ties isn't something to joke about. You..." He clearly hadn't expected Alicia to come back just to pack up and leave, instead of trying to make up. Alicia interrupted him, her voice cold. "You're not in a position to tell me what to do." She didn't bother with him anymore and turned away, calling out to the movers to get started. Felix hadn't expected Alicia to be so cold and forceful with him. He couldn't help but feel stung and a little upset. He wanted to step up and try to persuade her, but Alicia didn't even spare him a glance. Left with no other option, he stepped out of the room and called Kevin. Kevin was in the middle of a meeting, but when he saw it was Felix calling, he picked up anyway. When Kevin heard that Alicia had actually gone back to pack her things, he looked visibly shaken. A wave of unease and panic washed over him. After a moment's thought, he paused the meeting and headed home. At the same time, he called Caleb and Austin. By the time the three of them rushed home, Alicia had already left with the movers. They headed upstairs to Alicia's room. All that was left were the gifts they'd given her over the years and a photo frame and album on the desk. Everything else that belonged to her had completely disappeared. Austin's eyes landed on the photo frame, and he looked genuinely shocked. "She cut out the part with Mom and took them, leaving ours behind." The other two guys exchanged confused glances. They walked over and saw that the family portrait had been cut. The part of their mother and Alicia was missing, leaving only their father and the three sons. Caleb picked up the photo album and flipped through it. Sure enough, there wasn't a single solo shot of their mother or Alicia at all. All that was left were pictures of just their father and the brothers, or group photos where their mother and Alicia had been snipped out. The three brothers just stood there, totally baffled and at a loss. They thought, 'How did it end up like this? Is she actually serious about cutting us off? No way, she can't mean it. 'We only skipped her show. Does she really have to blow things up like this?' Kevin's face darkened as he pulled out his phone. "I'll call her." But when he tried, he realized Alicia had blocked his number. He switched to a messaging app, only to find she'd removed him there too. Seeing this, Caleb and Austin quickly pulled out their phones to try reaching Alicia, but she'd blocked them everywhere as well. The three guys were left feeling both hurt and pissed off. They got Felix to give Alicia a call, but he'd been blocked too. They borrowed a phone from one of the new maids and tried again. This number wasn't blocked, but Alicia just ignored every single call. Caleb turned to Kevin, looking totally lost. "Bro, what now?" Kevin just stared back, feeling completely helpless. He really didn't have a clue what to do. Austin thought for a moment and asked, "Should we tell Dad?" Kevin shook his head. "Let's not tell Dad for now. I'm worried he'll get upset and hurt his health." Over the years, Alicia had given their father plenty of headaches, but this time, things were getting pretty serious. Kevin wasn't sure if he should reassure his brothers or just himself. He said, "I really don't think Alicia would actually cut us off. She's probably just being dramatic again." After a moment, he continued, "Dad's birthday is next month. No matter how mad she is, she'll definitely show up for that. "Give it a month. She'll get over it, and then we can sit down and talk things out." Austin and Caleb relaxed a little after hearing that. "Yeah, even if she's still upset with us, she won't miss Dad's birthday." As far as they knew, Alicia had always been super attached to their father. Every year, she'd start shopping for his birthday gift weeks ahead of time. They were sure she wouldn't skip it this year. When the day came, they'd just sit her down and talk things out. Worst case, they'd put their pride aside and sweet-talk her a bit, and Alicia would forgive them. Chapter 3 I'm Easy To Mess With? After moving into her new home, Alicia tidied up. Then she sat down, deep in thought, trying to remember what had happened at this exact moment in her past life. Right now, she was getting roasted all over the internet, and she was still a member of the girl group LUMIA. Her relationship with the other members was pretty bad. It wasn't like she'd done anything to them. The other girls always ganged up on her for no reason. After those four got a taste of success from dragging Alicia down twice, they just got even worse. Of course, Alicia's company and her agent had a hand in all of this too. Back in her previous life, Alicia brought up quitting LUMIA, but they shot her down. It dragged on until the next year, when a massive scandal exploded. Only then did she finally manage to break free. But this time, Alicia wasn't about to let those bloodsuckers keep draining her. First thing on her list was to quit the group and terminate the contract with her company for good. Thinking of that, Alicia called up her mom's lawyer friend and set up a meeting. ***** That evening, Alicia slipped into a restaurant, wearing a baseball cap and a mask. Even though she was getting dragged all over the internet, she was still pretty famous. She was pulling in a ton of traffic online. After all, being infamous still made many people know her name. After a few minutes, a distinguished and elegant middle-aged man stepped into the private room. Alicia stood up with a smile and greeted that man. "Mr. Wise, it's been so long." The man named Thomas Wise gave her a warm look. "Yeah, it has." He didn't ask how she'd been. He didn't really keep up with the entertainment scene, but after Alicia called to set up this meeting, he figured she probably needed his help, so he did a little digging. After checking things out, he was totally thrown off guard. He never expected Alicia's online reputation to be so trashed. When he saw the reasons people roasted her for, he was just speechless. But from all this, it was clear that Alicia's entertainment company was super unprofessional, and the Hammonds were irresponsible too. After they sat down, they chatted about some past things. Then Alicia said, "Mr. Wise, I want your help to terminate my contract with Starlight Entertainment." She knew it was best to leave this kind of stuff to the professionals. She definitely didn't want to deal with all the drama from those people herself. Thomas wasn't surprised. He replied, "Did you bring your contract with your company? Or do you have an e-copy? Let me take a look." If Starlight Entertainment had done its job and handled her PR properly, Alicia's reputation wouldn't be in the gutter like this. Thomas figured it was probably for the best to cut ties with a company like that. Alicia pulled the contract out of her bag and handed it over. "I brought it." Thomas read through the contract carefully, then started discussing it with Alicia. Alicia's contract with Starlight Entertainment still had a year left, and if she wanted out early, she'd have to pay a 3-million-dollar penalty. But Alicia had some proof that Starlight Entertainment hadn't kept their promises, so Thomas said he'd use that to fight for a lower penalty. After they finished talking about that, Alicia pulled out the equity contract. She continued, "Mr. Wise, this is the equity my mom transferred to me before she passed away. According to the contract, I was supposed to start getting dividends from the company once I turned eighteen. "But I haven't gotten anything since then. "So I want you to help me get back what's mine from Hammond Group through legal channels. "Even if it comes down to a lawsuit, I'm fine with that." Now that she'd cut ties with the Hammonds, she wouldn't let them steal a single cent that was rightfully hers. After her mother passed away, she never used a cent from the Hammond family. Besides the equity, her mother had invested in several funds for her, so she got a nice chunk of cash every year. Her three brothers had the same setup, of course. With all that money coming in, her dad and brothers never gave her any allowance. But when it came to Nicole, they'd give her hundreds of thousands of dollars in allowance every month, and they covered all her living expenses. They always spoiled Nicole with the latest luxury clothes, designer bags, and jewelry. As for Alicia, the only time she ever got a gift from them was on her birthday. Back in her previous life, Alicia treasured those gifts, but now, she couldn't care less. She left them all behind at the old house. As for those funds her mother left her, once Austin started working in finance, Alicia just let him take care of them. But now, she was ready to take them back and hand them over to a professional investment firm. Thomas looked genuinely surprised. He asked, "Have you ever brought this up with your dad or Kevin? They really haven't given you any dividends?" If they had, Alicia wouldn't even consider going the legal route to get her dividends. Alicia gave a wry smile. "I cut ties with the entire Hammond family yesterday. "So from now on, anything to do with them, I'm treating it like business." Thomas frowned, concern etched on his face. "Did they really do something to upset you?" Otherwise, why would things get so bad that you'd have to break off all contact with them? Alicia wasn't about to make excuses for the Hammonds. She let out a helpless sigh. "It's enough for them to have a daughter and a sister. I'm just... the spare." Thomas was her mother's longtime friend. Even though he was just a lawyer by profession, he was born into old money. So aside from genuinely needing his help, Alicia also wanted to let the word get out through him that she'd severed ties with the Hammonds, making sure everyone in their elite circles heard about it. The reason was simple. The Hammonds' favoritism was just off the charts. Back in her previous life, Alicia realized something. If people weren't close to Nicole, they didn't just automatically jump to defend her or blindly take her side. And once Alicia put some distance between herself and Nicole, the folks around her stopped treating her like she was some kind of outcast, unlike Nicole's crowd. Sure enough, Thomas's mind started to wander after hearing that. He thought about all that drama he'd read online. The Hammond family's adopted daughter was called their little princess, while Alicia, the real heiress, was accused of being a fraud. It was just plain absurd. Even if they really loved Nicole, or were just putting on a show, it was way over the top to treat her like royalty and shove Alicia to the sidelines. That alone made Thomas think way less of the Hammonds. He looked at Alicia with a bit of pity in his eyes. "Leave this to me as well." "Thanks for your help, Mr. Wise," Alicia said. Alicia thought for a moment before saying, "You don't have to keep this under wraps, Mr. Wise. I actually want word to get out that I'm done with the Hammonds." Not only did she not want it kept quiet, but she wanted everyone in their circle to feast on the drama. Thomas was sharp. He got it right away and nodded. "Alright, I see." They chatted for a bit longer before heading out. ***** When Thomas got home, he filled his wife in on everything—Alicia asking for help and her breaking things off with the Hammonds. His wife used to be pretty close with Alicia's mother. After hearing the whole story, she went online to dig up the drama herself and couldn't help but roast the Hammonds for being totally brainless. She could instantly tell that the new wife Leo Hammond brought in, and that adopted daughter Nicole, were both pieces of work. After that, she vented to her family and her close circle of society ladies, and soon enough, the whole story was making the rounds. By the time the Hammonds caught wind of it, they'd already been labeled as ridiculously biased and out of their minds. It was way too late to try and explain themselves or do anything about it. ***** Meanwhile, Alicia got home and opened X, only to see the top trending topic right there. Nicole had posted a photo of herself with the Hammond brothers and the rest of the family after last night's party. Her smile was absolutely radiant. She captioned it: [With you guys, I feel like I have the whole world. With all your love and care, I'm honestly the luckiest, happiest girl in the world.] The comments were all raving about how lucky Nicole was and what a picture-perfect family they had. Mixed in were plenty of snarky remarks, throwing shade at Alicia. One of Nicole's actress friends even mentioned Alicia and commented: [This is what a real family looks like. Stop trying to insert yourself into their drama.] It was not like this actress was actually trying to have Nicole's back or anything. She just wanted to ride Nicole's coattails, since Nicole was tight with all those big-shot elites. And with Alicia getting roasted online and her company and agent basically showing no sign of defending her, the actress couldn't care less about offending Alicia. Plus, she could score points with both Nicole's fans and Alicia's haters for being so real. It was a total win-win. Alicia let out a soft laugh when she saw the post tagging her. 'Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon just to get some attention off me?' she thought. 'Do they really think I'm that easy to mess with?' Since people were coming at her for Nicole, Alicia wasn't going to play nice anymore. It was perfect timing. Just when she needed a target, someone served one up. Alicia fired off two posts on X right away, and in one of them, she responded directly by tagging that actress. Just like she expected, her post shot straight to the top of the trending list in no time. After all, she was basically a magnet for haters. Everyone was always watching her. Any little thing she did, people would catch it instantly and start roasting her from all sides. Online, nobody expected Alicia to suddenly go so hard and drop a post like this. Her haters, the paid trolls, and all the gossip crowd were left stunned. Chapter 4 Get The Clout For Herself The actress who came to Nicole's defense was Alexandra Barton, a third-tier celebrity. Her post wasn't just about sucking up to Nicole. She was also trying to get in good with the big shots behind her. Besides, she planned to throw shade at Alicia and ride the wave of drama for some free clout. Every time the other LUMIA members played the victim or put on a pitiful face, Alicia would get dragged online. And every time, they'd get a wave of sympathy and attention. Sure enough, after Alexandra posted it, Nicole's fans flooded her with likes and praise. On top of that, a bunch of people called her genuine and bold for speaking up for her friend. Even some celebs hit like on her post. Alexandra was feeling pretty smug about how well her little stunt was going when her agent walked in, looking seriously pissed. "Alicia just responded. It's a bit of a mess," her agent said. Alexandra immediately opened X. She saw Alicia had posted something and tagged her. AliciaDelaneyOfficial: [I've never, not once, said or even hinted that I'm a Hammond, the Delaney brothers's cousin, or Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Anyone who spreads this crap stays broke forever.] [If you're the one hiring trolls to slander me, I'll track you down and hit you with a lawsuit.] [If you can't be bothered to get your facts straight, you don't get to run your mouth. You're a public figure. Slandering me in public is unacceptable.] [Being a bootlicker isn't as easy as you think. I've already called the cops, and I'm taking you to court. That's illegal. @AlexandraBarton] Alexandra was totally caught off guard. She never expected Alicia to go this hard and actually call the cops and threaten a lawsuit. Alicia even called Alexandra a bootlicker. That was way over the line, and it seriously pissed Alexandra off. Alexandra shot her agent a look and asked, "Has she lost her mind? How did the company even let her post something like that on social media?" Both Nicole and Alicia were signed to Starlight Entertainment, but Starlight was all about hyping up Nicole and deliberately sidelining Alicia. Alexandra was sure that Starlight would never let Alicia do something like this. That was exactly why Alexandra had felt safe enough to tag Alicia on X. Alexandra figured even if Alicia got pissed, she wouldn't be able to do anything about it. After all, without Starlight's backing and PR muscle, Alicia was no threat at all flying solo. Alexandra's agent looked exasperated. "I just got off the phone with her agent. They seriously had no idea she was going to post that on X. "But I've already talked it over. They'll get Alicia to delete the post. "As for the cops and the lawsuit, they said Starlight will shut it all down." The agent herself never thought Alicia would go this far, totally breaking the usual playbook and ignoring all the unspoken industry rules. Going to the police and threatening to sue over a few online comments? Alicia was seriously the first one to ever do this. Hearing that, Alexandra breathed easier, the tension finally melting away. She flashed a sly grin. "Once she deletes that post, the real show begins." Deleting it would make Alicia a total clown, and she would get roasted alive online. The handful of fans she got left probably wouldn't stick around for the embarrassment. So instead of deleting her post, Alexandra fired back, tagging Alicia right back. AlexandraBarton: [I've got nothing to fear. Bring it on!@AliciaDelaneyOfficial.] Everyone watching the drama unfold got another surprise when Alexandra clapped back on X. Nobody expected Alexandra to go this hard, either. The comments under both Alicia and Alexandra's posts started blowing up, racking up thousands in no time. Markd82: [Who are we supposed to believe here?] Tommy94: [Both of them are so savage. Let's see who can outlast the other.] Chris_y: [Come to think of it, Alicia never actually claimed or even hinted she was a Hammond.] Juststeve: [She wouldn't have posted something like that unless she was totally fed up with all the hate.] Nooot: [Reading her post, I really feel like someone set her up.] Idkben: [Yeah, and wishing for the rumor-spreader to stay broke forever? That's brutal. Seriously, who would jinx themselves like that if they were faking it?] Okmatt: [If that's really the case, Alicia's got it tough. She's been roasted nonstop over this.] Randomname: [You guys just buy whatever she says? Come on, this is clearly her way of trying to clear her name.] User472: [Yeah, I still don't buy that she never said or hinted at it. And talking about a lawsuit? Anyone can say that online.] Loggedout: [Alicia's not the only one who's ever posted a lawyer letter. In the end, it's all bark and no bite.] Still_here: [She's just doing this to scare people and make herself look like the victim, so everyone feels sorry for her.] Rabbitie: [Watch it, she'll probably delete that post real soon.] Cloud: [No way she actually called the cops, and I seriously doubt she's taking anyone to court.] Heyitsdan: [For real, she's been roasted online so many times before and always just let it slide. Why is she suddenly acting tough now? Obviously just trying to play the victim and chase some attention.] Alicia just happened to scroll past that comment. She fired back right under it: [Back then, my agent handled my account. Now, I call the shots myself. If you don't buy it, just wait and see if the cops come knocking on Alexandra's door.] Fans couldn't believe Alicia actually replied to the comment herself. They did find out that the way she was acting now was totally different from before. They finally knew why her account only had generic promo posts. Turned out that her agent was running her account all this time After Alicia clapped back, everyone was dying to see if the cops would actually come to Alexandra's place. Now it was all about who'd stay savage till the end. But the haters and Nicole and Alexandra's fans kept dragging Alicia nonstop, flooding her comments with insults. Nicole's fans totally lost it over Alicia calling Alexandra out as a bootlicker. They started speculating. 'What's that supposed to mean? Is she throwing shade at Nicole, saying Nicole put Alexandra up to this?' They started spamming Alicia's comments with angry rants. Imtom: [Alexandra is just sticking up for Nicole. What's wrong with that?] LoveNicole: [You've been leeching off Nicole's name, and she's been chill about it. Instead of saying thanks, you go and throw shade? You really think Nicole's just too nice and easy to push around?] NNNICOLE: [Keep messing with her and see what happens. She'll make sure you get iced out of the whole industry.] BabyNicole: [That's right. Nicole is the Hammond family's princess. She's got serious backup. If you piss her off, don't be surprised if you get shut out.] Alicia saw those comments and clapped back without hesitation. Alicia: [Come on, I surely don't dare to push Bitchy Nicole around. She's so scheming.] Alicia: [Sure, go ahead! Tell Nicole to get her powerful family to shut me down. Let's see if they can really kick me out of the industry.] Alicia: [If she doesn't blacklist me like you want, honestly, I'll laugh at her.] Anyway, Alicia was already public enemy number one online, getting roasted from all sides. She wasn't afraid of more hate at this point. Now that she'd been given a second shot at life, anyone who pissed her off was gonna get it right back. Honestly, everyone enjoyed the drama online. The fake peace and phony friendship act couldn't get people's interest. Nothing could grab attention like a straight-up online fight. Back then, they rode Alicia for clout and attention. Now, Alicia could play the same game right back. Besides, would Nicole really dare to flex her status and try to freeze Alicia out of the industry? No way. She didn't have the nerve, and she sure didn't have the pull. If she did, Alicia wouldn't have been able to stage a comeback and rise up again in her last life. And if Nicole actually ran to the Hammonds and tried to get them to blacklist Alicia, that would just wreck the whole perfect good-girl act she puts on for them. Nicole wouldn't have the nerve to pull something like that. And seriously, who was the real Hammond heiress? The fans might not have a clue, but Nicole definitely knew the truth. After clapping back in the comments, Alicia pulled another ballsy move. She tagged Nicole in a new post: [Bitchy Nicole, why don't you flaunt your Hammond princess status and get your big-shot backers to blacklist me? Come on, wipe out the villain in your story once and for all.] From now on, Alicia would be the loose cannon of the entertainment world, ready to tear into anyone whenever she felt like it. If anyone came for her, she'd come for them even harder. If she was gonna get roasted anyway, she might as well roast them right back and enjoy every second of it. Besides, a lot of people were really into her bold, straight-shooter attitude. Sure, Nicole had her fans, but she wasn't the kind of star everyone loved like cash. Alicia wasn't the only one who didn't vibe with Nicole. There were plenty of folks, both online and offline, who couldn't stand Nicole. Plus, with Starlight Entertainment and the Hammond family supporting Nicole into the spotlight, she'd ruffled a ton of feathers in the industry, stepping on the toes of other rising and established actresses, and messing with the profits of the companies backing them. If Alicia and Nicole started going at it, tons of people would be glued to their screens, eating up every second of the drama. And nothing could go viral like a feud between two celebrities. This time, Alicia was ready to get all that clout for herself. Chapter 5 Out Of Her Mind Alicia didn't just clap back at anyone who trashed her in the comments. She even tagged Nicole on X, straight-up telling her to blacklist and shut her down for good. This whole drama had everyone watching nearly speechless. Everyone watching left comments. LoveU: [Geeze, is Alicia out of her mind?] Crazymind: [Her posts and those comment replies are totally crazy. I'm kinda living for it. Am I too bad?] Jojo: [Haha, you're not alone. I feel the same way.] Footprints: [Alicia's got guts. She's the only one who'd tag and call her Bitchy Nicole.] Sunny:[She's really cool. I give her my respect.] Dunno: [Haha, she's gone totally rogue now. She's even calling herself the villain and telling the big names behind Nicole to just blacklist her.] Mindy7: [Honestly, I've been sick of Nicole for ages. She's such a phony.] CuteAsDucks: [She used her connections to snatch the role from my idol, and then her fans trashed my idol for it. Alicia just said exactly what I've been dying to say.] Casanova : [My fave had her opportunities stolen by Nicole too, but her fans are way too fierce. We can't win against them, so we just keep quiet. Looks like everyone feels the same...] HairyPoppins: [This drama is so satisfying. Keep it coming!] YellowSnowman: [I live for these epic beefs. Don't stop pls!] Something: [You guys think the ones backing Bitchy Nicole are really gonna shut Alicia down for good?] Tinfoilhat: [Bitchy Nicole is Starlight Entertainment's golden girl, and Nicolas is Starlight's heir. If he gets involved, plus the Hammond family and the Delaney family pulling strings for her, Alicia could seriously get iced out of the industry.] Anonymouse: [So is Alicia basically quitting the scene now?] Otherwise, Alicia wouldn't have posted something like that. She didn't just go head-to-head with Nicole, but she made enemies of all the power players behind Nicole too. Then Nicole's fans swooped in, starting a whole new round of roasting Alicia all over the place. They even dropped: [Just waiting for Alicia to get blacklisted and iced out.] Alicia replied: [Same here. I'm waiting.] Nicole's fans were left speechless. They thought, 'Seriously, what exactly are you waiting for? She's out of her mind.' Seeing Alicia's clapback, everyone watching the drama couldn't help but crack up. No one realized Alicia was so hilarious before. Nicole always kept an alt account with notifications on for Alicia, so she could keep tabs on her every move. Whenever Alicia dropped a post on X, Nicole got the alert instantly. Nicole never saw it coming that a single group photo was all it took to send Alicia off the rails. Back in the day, Alicia would just ignore Nicole in private, out of respect for the Hammond family. But now? She dragged Nicole out in public, no holds barred. Nicole couldn't help but wonder if she'd pushed Alicia totally off the deep end. That last post really got under Nicole's skin. Alicia actually had the nerve to straight-up call Nicole a bitch and even dared Nicole to blacklist her for real. Alicia obviously put Nicole on blast, making her look bad in front of everyone. Nicole would love nothing more than to blacklist Alicia and totally ruin her, but she knew she just didn't have that kind of power. After all, ever since she joined the Hammond family, Nicole knew exactly how she'd snatched all the attention and favor that used to go to Alicia. Sure, she played the pitiful victim at first to get their sympathy, but after that, she switched gears. She always acted like the perfect, considerate girl and constantly made it seem like she couldn't do anything without them. Sure enough, it worked. They started favoring her more and more. But that didn't mean the family had stopped caring about Alicia altogether. So now, with Alicia roasting her on social media, Nicole was stuck. Responding would just make things worse, but ignoring it would make her look weak. After thinking it over, Nicole told her agent, "Call Haley and drop her a hint to rein Alicia in before she goes totally off the rails. "Try to convince Alicia to take down all her posts from today right away. "If she won't do it, just log into her account and delete them." Starlight Entertainment was legendary for its PR and marketing game. They had deals with all the top influencers and even kept a whole army of paid trolls on standby. She paused, then added, "Once the posts are gone, get her agent to post an apology from Alicia's account, claiming her account was hacked." Nicole knew Alicia's personality all too well. Alicia would never agree to delete the posts or post an apology herself. Thus, Alicia's agent would have to handle it instead. Not only would this make Alicia get dragged even harder online, but if she ever tried to go off the rails again, no one would believe her. It would also get Nicole out of the impossible spot she was in. If everyone thought Alicia's account got hacked and it wasn't really her posting all that drama, Nicole could just sit back and ignore the whole mess. She could even drop a post, acting all sympathetic toward Alicia, playing the gracious queen for everyone to see. Then she'd unleash her army of influencers and trolls to stir things up. They'd start whispering that it wasn't a hack at all. Alicia probably just totally went crazy after seeing that photo Nicole posted. People would say Alicia was just jealous of how blessed Nicole was, so Alicia totally snapped. But once she cooled off, she freaked out about crossing Nicole and her powerful backers, so she pretended her account got hacked and deleted her posts. That way, Alicia would get roasted all over the internet, lose fans for chickening out and not owning her words, and her reputation would tank completely. If the Hammonds caught wind of this, they'd just think Alicia was being super petty. After all, it was not like Alicia didn't have group photos with them. Posting on social media, then deleting and apologizing? That would just make the Hammond and Delaney families look bad. Thinking about it, Nicole thought that Alicia going off and posting all that drama on X wasn't even a bad thing. Nicole's agent instantly got what she meant. Nicole was totally throwing Alicia under the bus. Her agent gave a sly, knowing grin and replied, "Alright." ***** Meanwhile, Alicia's agent, Haley Waters, looked absolutely grim. She never expected Alicia to cause such a huge mess behind her back. 'Does she even take me seriously?' Haley thought to herself. As soon as Alexandra's agent called her, Haley tried calling Alicia right away. But every single time, the line was busy. After hanging up with Nicole's agent, Haley was practically ready to explode. 'Since Alicia doesn't respect me, don't blame me for playing hardball,' Haley thought. She had the X account logins and passwords for all five members of LUMIA, so she just logged straight into Alicia's account. Her plan was exactly what Nicole's agent had hinted at. She was going to delete all of Alicia's posts from today, then post an apology claiming her account had been hacked. Of course, hardly anyone would actually buy that excuse. But at least it would let Nicole and Alexandra off the hook, pulling them out of the drama. Plus, Nicole would end up owing her a favor. And if Alicia got dragged even harder and roasted by the whole internet, that just played right into Haley's game plan for LUMIA. She was basically making Alicia take the heat to prop up the other four girls. One superstar could never make as much money or rack up the numbers as four superstars. However, every time Haley tried to log in, it just kept telling her the password was wrong. Then she realized that Alicia must've already changed her password. That was absolutely unacceptable to Haley. She kept trying to call Alicia, but the call still couldn't get through. After a moment, she grabbed someone else's phone and dialed Alicia again. This time, the call actually went through. Clearly, Alicia had blocked her number. Haley's expression soured even more. Chapter 6 Dream On It Alicia's phone lit up with an unknown number. She didn't even have to think about it. She knew it had to be Haley. This time, she actually picked up. "Hello?" She hit the record button at the same time. Haley's voice came through, sounding a little frantic. "Alicia, what are you doing?" She demanded, "Why did you suddenly post those updates on X? And now you're getting into fights in the comments. Why didn't you check with me first?" Alicia shot back, "It's my account. Why can't I post what I want?" She added, "I never said any of that, and I wasn't trying to get clout from those big shots. "Alexandra's been pushing me around. Am I just supposed to put up with it?" Haley was stunned for a moment. Then, she siad, "But you can't just go around scaring people with talk of calling the cops or suing them." She added, "And it was Alexandra who tagged you first. Why are you picking a fight with Nicole now? You're just asking for more hate." Alicia scoffed, "Why is Alexandra targeting me? She's just trying to butter up Nicole." She continued, "Why am I getting called a clout chaser all over the internet? Nicole's fans started the whole mess, and they've been after me ever since. "Just because Nicole's hiding behind all these people, does that suddenly make her innocent? I'm not an idiot. Of course I gotta target her." Haley took a deep breath, forcing down her anger. She softened her voice, trying to coax Alicia, "I know you've been treated unfairly, but the company's really hyping Nicole up right now. Going head-to-head with her isn't the smartest move." She added, "I can talk to the higher-ups and get you a better gig. So let's back off for now, okay?" Alicia was baiting Haley for this exact response. She asked, "What do you mean by backing off?" Haley said, "Delete all those posts you made on X, then post an apology. "Just say your account was hacked earlier, and none of those posts were actually from you." Alicia shot back, "You really think anyone's going to buy that excuse? Do you think people are that gullible?" Haley replied, "It doesn't matter if anyone actually believes it. Just put out the statement, so Nicole and Alexandra can have an easy way out." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So you really do think I'm an idiot, huh?" She added, "If I post something like that, forget their fans, even the haters and onlookers would be telling me to get lost from the entertainment scene. Even my own fans would probably want me out. "You already made me take the fall for the other four in LUMIA, and now you want me to take the heat for Nicole and Alexandra too? Just dream on it." Haley hadn't expected Alicia to come back at her like that. She wondered if Alicia had known something. She couldn't help but say, "I'm not just your agent, you know. I'm older than you. Everything I do is for your own good." She pressed, "Don't you even trust me a little anymore?" She'd noticed lately that Alicia was trying to slip out of her grip, but she wasn't about to let that happen. Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, for my own good, huh?" She added, "If it wasn't for you, Nicole, and the company stirring things up, with the other four in LUMIA playing along, do you think the whole internet would be out to get me?" She went on in a meaningful tone, "You were my mom's college friend and roommate, remember? "Back then, your ex-husband set you up. You walked away with nothing and got stuck with a mountain of debt. "You had to keep dodging debt collectors and couldn't land a job anywhere. "It was my mom who lent you the money to pay off those debts and helped you land that agent job at Starlight Entertainment. "And when you asked, she even stepped in and handled your ex's family for you, so they'd finally stop messing with you." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "My mom saved your ass when you were at rock bottom, and now you want to shove me right back down? Is that what you called 'for my own good'? "Sorry, guess I have to let you down." After Alicia's mom helped Haley get into Starlight Entertainment, Haley managed to bring up a second-tier starlet. But before Haley could help her climb any higher, that starlet married a wealthy businessman and dropped out of the spotlight. Right around then, Starlight was gearing up to create a top girl group, and Haley jumped at the chance to take charge of the group. Knowing Alicia wanted in on the entertainment scene, Haley asked her to join LUMIA. After Alicia's mom passed away, Haley didn't pull away. In fact, she always cared about Alicia. Back then, Alicia didn't know the first thing about showbiz, and she trusted Haley. Plus, since Starlight belonged to Nicolas's family, she figured it was safe and agreed to join. But she had never guessed that one choice would land her in a pit that she couldn't climb out of. After all, she never thought that the sweet, gentle woman everyone saw was actually a backstabbing wolf. In her last life, Alicia had already gotten her revenge. She exposed Haley's true colors and brought her crashing down. But when it came to a backstabbing, ungrateful snake like Haley, Alicia wouldn't mind giving her a lesson again. And this time, she'd do it sooner. Haley's eyes widened for a moment. A rare flash of panic flickered across her face. She couldn't help blurting out, "Alicia, has someone talked to you? Trying to stir things up between us?" Haley absolutely hated it when anyone brought up that embarrassing chapter from her past. Haley thought, 'Alicia's mom did help me out, but with her status, it was just a casual favor. Am I really supposed to be forever grateful for that? 'Besides, I've already paid back every cent I borrowed. 'Now, Alicia is actually throwing that in my face. It's really embarrassing. 'This is just one more reason I can't stand Alicia.' Every time Haley saw Alicia, all she could think about was how embarrassing it had been, having to beg Alicia's mom for help back then. When LUMIA first debuted, Alicia was the hottest topic. She had the most fans and all the online attention. Alicia was born with a silver spoon, already living the high life. Yet since she entered the industry, she blew up overnight. Haley was just jealous that Alicia was blessed from the start. Then someone hinted that if she wanted to hype up the other four in LUMIA, all she had to do was drag Alicia through the mud. Haley went for it, and sure enough, it paid off big time. Right now, Alicia was her ace in the traffic game. No way was Haley ever letting go of that. Haley gave a wry smile. "I haven't forgotten what your mom did for me, you know. "After all these years together, I've put in so much effort to help you make it big. I just hope you can see that and trust me." Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "So I'm supposed to be grateful for all your scheming, is that it? "You twisted things around. If I hadn't lived through the hell of being trashed by the whole internet, nearly driven to depression and suicide, I'd almost want to give you a round of applause. "Why not use this little tactic on the other four girls in LUMIA instead? "Just because my mom helped you, just because I once trusted and respected you, I'm supposed to be your sacrificial lamb? "Am I just meant to be the stepping stone for you and Starlight, so you can prop everyone else up at my expense? Isn't that just plain bullying?" Haley was so stunned by Alicia's comeback that she could barely get a word out. She also realized that Alicia had known she used to play both sides. Trying to guilt Alicia into deleting those posts was almost impossible. Haley paused, then tried to warn Alicia, "If your family or Nicolas finds out, they're not going to be happy. No matter what you think, I'm really doing this for your own good." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "I've already cut ties with my family. As for Nicolas, it's not like we're close. Why should I care if he's happy?" When Alicia first set her sights on showbiz, everyone around her figured she was just trying to get close to Nicolas. The truth was, Nicolas was only part of it. She just really wanted to be in the entertainment world for herself. When Nicole first moved in, her body was covered in injuries from her birth father's abuse, and she was in poor health. She deliberately acted extremely dependent on Alicia's family, not only winning their sympathy but also making it seem like she couldn't get by without them. After that, Nicole was constantly in the hospital, pretending she couldn't live without their support. The Hammonds would take turns staying with her at the hospital. Meanwhile, Alicia was left all alone at home, either studying or watching dramas. She'd catch herself copying the actors on TV, wondering how she'd play the part if she were in their shoes. She loved watching people sing and dance, and was totally drawn to the spotlight. So when the chance to join LUMIA came up, she couldn't say no. She was a natural when it came to acting, which was why, in her previous life, she finally made her comeback after quitting the group and going solo as an actress. In her last life, she and Nicolas used to argue and give each other the silent treatment all the time because of Nicole, but she never bothered worrying about whether he was mad or not. Now, Nicolas was just a stranger to her. Alicia of course wouldn't care about his feelings. She added, "If he's really unhappy, then let him bury my career for all I care. I'm done playing nice this time. I won't compromise anymore." With that, she hung up and saved the recording. And sure enough, Haley didn't disappoint Alicia.
After finally cutting ties with my three CEO brothers, they hit full-blown panic mode. They discovered I'd cleared out my room—sliced up every family photo and only took what my mother left me. They thought I was just throwing a tantrum and expected me to crawl back apologizing. Instead, what landed on their doorstep was a lawyer's letter demanding six years of unpaid dividends. My eldest brother blew up my phone, raging about how cold-hearted I was. I fired right back: "When you were all front row cheering for stepsister's concert, did it ever cross your mind that your real sister was alone in a hospital bed?" Dead silence on his end. I hung up and blocked him right after. They scrambled to track me down, but I was already settled into my penthouse. With the funds my mother left me, I invested heavily in their biggest competitor. Now, the family that once saw me as an embarrassment watches me become their worst nightmare.👑 ………………………………………… At a private hospital in Irisport, Alicia Delaney lay in bed, her gaze unfocused as she stared out the window. She never expected to travel to the past after dying. Suddenly, a notification rang out, snapping her back to reality. She picked up her phone to check it. It was a link to a trending topic that had blown up a few hours ago, sent by her assistant. She tapped on it. It read: [Nicole Hammond's concert not only had top idol Nicolas Moore as a special guest, but the VIP section was packed with even more big names!] The post started by gushing about how amazing Nicole's two songs were and how insanely popular she was. Then it showed a few photos of Nicolas and Nicole singing together on stage. Finally, it included pictures of the VIP section, where some of the biggest names in the industry were sitting. There was up-and-coming director Caleb Hammond, Hammond Group CEO Kevin Hammond, top investor Austin Hammond, Delaney Group CEO Collin Delaney, and esports superstar Maxwell Delaney. All of them were big shots. Alicia scrolled down and tapped on the comments. As she had expected, besides all the praise for Nicole, there were plenty of negative comments toward her. Alexrow: [I've been saying Nicole is the Hammond family's little princess, and some people didn't believe me. But look at all these VIPs here tonight. This is the best proof.] Matt_hill: [Gotta say, the Hammond family really dotes on Nicole. All three brothers showed up to support her.] Jasonlee77: [Nicolas, Maxwell, and Collin are all super close to Nicole too. They totally spoil her.] Lucas_w: [I wonder if that clout-chasing wannabe is feeling embarrassed right now after seeing this trending topic.] Quietjon: [No idea if she's actually embarrassed, but she's probably burning with jealousy and envy, totally losing it right now.] Latecoffee: [She really had the guts to claim she was the Hammonds's daughter, Nicolas's childhood sweetheart, and Collin and Maxwell's cousin.] Bluewindow: [None of them showed up for her performance yesterday. She got smacked by a stage light, and not one of them visited her in the hospital. But today, they all rushed over from everywhere just to support Nicole's concert. Honestly, the secondhand embarrassment is real.] Oldcam: [Yeah, she's in the same company as Nicolas, but I bet he doesn't even know she exists.] Sundaynoise: [She's totally desperate to be famous.] Softstatic: [Nicole's just too nice. She didn't even make a fuss when Alicia pretended to be the Hammond family's daughter.] Halfawake: [If Nicole wanted, with all these big shots backing her up, she could get that clout-chaser blacklisted in a heartbeat.] Afterten: [Blacklist her? She's already so hated. She'll probably end up getting herself booted from the industry soon enough.] Lowbattery: [She loves the drama and the clout. No way she'd give that up. I just wish she'd leave LUMIA already and stop holding the other girls back.] stillonline [Same question every day. When is Alicia finally leaving the group?] In her previous life, seeing this trending topic and all those comments hit Alicia hard. After she got out of the hospital, she even confronted those people she thought were important to her and caused a stir. But now, she was totally chill. She didn't care about them anymore. She was really a Hammond, also Kevin, Caleb, and Austin's biological younger sister. She was Collin and Maxwell's cousin and Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Nicole was just Alicia's stepmother's daughter, who took the Hammond name, but Nicole wasn't actually related to any of them by blood. Next, Alicia logged into her X account. Aside from a handful of fans asking how she was doing after the accident, the rest were just a flood of hate comments. People were roasting her for going to the hospital and supposedly screwing up LUMIA's upcoming shows. They asked her to quit the group and stop dragging the other girls down. Alicia's entertainment company and her agent didn't give her any support or issue any announcement. They just watched the drama unfold and didn't do a thing. Just then, Alicia's phone lit up with a call from Kevin, her oldest brother. Alicia picked up and said, "Yeah?" Kevin's voice came through. "Nicole told me you got hurt. You alright?" Alicia let out a sarcastic laugh. "It happened yesterday, and you're just asking now? "And you wouldn't have called if Nicole hadn't told you, huh? You're such a great brother." Alicia knew Nicole had told them on purpose, not out of kindness, but just to get under her skin. After all, Alicia had asked them to come to her show, but none of them bothered to show up. She got hurt, and they didn't even notice. It really stung. Kevin was silent for a few seconds, then he spoke up, "Which hospital are you at? We'll come to see you." Alicia replied coolly, "Don't bother. I wouldn't dare trouble you." Kevin frowned, "What are you trying to pull?" He paused, then finally tried to explain, "We really did have things going on yesterday. That was why we couldn't make it to your show. None of us expected you'd get hurt on stage. We..." Alicia cut him off before he could finish. "If you didn't want to come, just tell me. No need to make up excuses." She'd invited every single one of them to her show, but they all had some excuse about being busy and couldn't make it. But the very next day, they all showed up to support Nicole. Now, trying to explain themselves was just making things even more awkward. To Alicia, it was just more infuriating and disgusting. She added, "Listen, I won't bother you guys anymore. If we ever run into each other, I'll just pretend we're strangers." She used to be the one they cherished and spoiled, but after her stepmother showed up with Nicole, everything changed. All the love and attention her family once gave her was now showered on Nicole. Whenever Alicia and Nicole clashed, their family always told Alicia to just let it go, took Nicole's side, and started treating Alicia like she was the problem. Kevin's face darkened. "What do you mean you won't bother us anymore, and you'll just pretend we're strangers?" Alicia said bluntly, "It means I'm cutting ties with all of you." Kevin was stunned for a moment. Then, his voice was full of anger. "Are you out of your mind? How can you even say something like that?" He couldn't believe it and asked, "Just because we missed your show? Is it really that serious?" Alicia scoffed, "Yeah, it is. Hasn't this happened enough over the years? "You guys always have double standards, and I've had enough." All these years, they bailed on Alicia over and over, just to please Nicole. Just like this time, they didn't even try to hide it and just picked Nicole over Alicia. When Alicia first wanted to get into showbiz, her family not only shot her down, but told her that if she were so capable, she should do it without the connections of the Hommond family. Thus, Alicia used her mother's last name instead. But when Nicole jumped into showbiz after Alicia, not only did they not object, they gave her full support, throwing money and resources at her, backing her up like she was the star of the family. Now, the thing Alicia got dragged for the hardest online was supposedly clout-chasing the Hammond family name. But she never went around telling people she was a Hommond. It was Nicole and her mother, working with her agent, who kept pushing that story everywhere behind the scenes. They knew the Hommonds would never step up and admit that Alicia was really one of them. Whenever people started questioning Alicia online, her family just kept quiet and never bothered to set the record straight. It turned out that Nicole and her mother played it just right. The Hommonds didn't say a word about the truth. It basically let everyone believe that Alicia was just chasing clout, so she got dragged through the mud online. Alicia added, "Let's be real. Isn't this exactly what you wanted? You'd rather pretend I don't exist. You guys only want Nicole to be your family, right? Fine. I'll make it easy for you." Kevin took a deep breath, his anger flaring. "You're seriously threatening to cut us off just because of something so petty? "We never said anything like that. You really need to stop acting out. Why can't you be more like Nicole and just behave?" Alicia knew Kevin would never believe her. He'd just think she was throwing a fit, as always. Ever since Nicole and her mother moved in, anything Alicia did was just called her acting out. It was honestly ridiculous. In Alicia's previous life, she valued family so much that she kept putting up with everything, always backing down for their sake. But in the end, she became public enemy number one. This time around, she was completely over it. Family, childhood sweetheart, or whatever, she wanted them as far away from her as possible. Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So having one obedient sister is all you ever needed, huh? "I'm not making a scene, and I'm not threatening you. "Let me make this clear one last time. From today on, I'm cutting ties with every single one of you in the Hammond family. "All my expenses growing up came from my mom, so I don't owe the Hammond family anything. "Just pass it on to the rest of the Hammonds for me. I won't tell the rest of them myself. "Let's not contact or see each other ever again. That's all." She ended the call right after saying that. Then she blocked every single one of the Hammonds, including her father, brothers, plus Collin, Maxwell, and Nicolas. Since she was cutting ties with them, she was going to do it for real. Chapter 2 Is She Serious? Later, Kevin went back to Hammond Manor. Seeing the shock and anger written all over Kevin's face, Austin and Caleb asked, "Kevin, what did she say?" With a stony expression, Kevin gave them a quick rundown of his conversation with Alicia. Hearing this, Austin and Caleb turned gloomy too. Nicole's eyes flickered with uncertainty. She put on an anxious look and said, "Kevin, do you think Alicia got so mad because you all came to see my show? "Which hospital is she staying at? I'll explain everything and apologize to her now. "She must've been so upset with me to say she wants to cut us off." Feeling even more guilty, Nicole added, "I really hope she doesn't get the wrong idea about you guys because of me and cut ties with you." Kevin gave her a reassuring look. "You don't need to explain anything to her. This has nothing to do with you." Kevin thought Alicia always had it out for Nicole. If Nicole showed up at the hospital, he didn't know what kind of scene Alicia would make. Austin frowned, "She's really gone overboard this time. Is cutting ties something she can just say so casually? "Honestly, she's almost certainly using this as a way to threaten us, trying to get us to back down. "Just leave her alone for a few days, and she'll come back on her own." Caleb didn't believe for a second that Alicia would really cut ties with them over something so trivial. He said, "Yeah, she was throwing a fit over the phone. Her injuries are probably nothing serious. There's no need for us to see her at the hospital. "If we keep giving in to her, she'll just get more and more unreasonable. "Let's just leave her alone for now. Once she calms down, she'll come back to us." Austin and Kevin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's just give her some space and let her cool off for a while." After a few more words of comfort, they personally escorted Nicole upstairs to get some rest. ***** Alicia's injuries weren't serious, so she checked herself out of the hospital the very next day. Except when she was out working, she usually stayed at the Hammond family's old mansion. But she'd actually bought a place of her own before, and nobody knew about it. Now that she was leaving the Hammond family, she could finally move in. She called the moving company first, then headed back to Hammond Manor. As she had expected, everyone else was out. Felix looked a little taken aback when Alicia walked in, but quickly he smiled and greeted her, "Ms. Alicia Hammond, you're back." Felix overheard the three Hammond brothers talking last night. He'd always thought Alicia was just in a mood, but he never expected her to come back so soon. Alicia gave Felix a quick look, said nothing, and went straight to her room. Felix had been working for the Hammonds since her grandfather's days, and he'd practically watched Alicia grow up. When she was a kid, he was always gentle and caring. He'd play with her in the yard and used to call her "Madam". But after Nicole moved in, it only took a couple of years before he started calling Alicia "Ms. Alicia Hommond" instead of just "Madam". He and the other servants all started calling Nicole "Madam" now. 'I'm the outsider here now, huh?' Alicia thought to herself. Back in her room, Alicia started boxing up all her things. She wasn't planning to leave a single thing behind. Anything she didn't want, she'd just sell online or simply throw away. Then she opened the safe and took out the jewelry her mother had left her, along with a share transfer document and a few property deeds. Her mother had owned 15% of Hammond Group's shares. Before she passed away, she gave 3% each to Alicia's three brothers, but left Alicia with 6%. She said the extra 3% was meant to be Alicia's wedding gift. At the time, neither her dad nor her brothers had any problem with it. But in her previous life, they tried to make her split half her shares with Nicole, claiming Nicole was her sister too. Of course, Alicia refused. Feeling betrayed, she used her 6% stake to mess with them and throw Hammond Group into chaos, all for revenge. On top of that, she also had a few properties that her maternal grandparents had left her. She ran her fingers over the document pouch, memories of her mom and grandparents' kindness flooding back. Her eyes reddened with emotion. 'At least I had people who truly cared about me. That's all I ever needed,' she told herself. After a moment, Alicia took a deep breath and carefully placed all those valuables into a lock box. After a while, she got a call from the movers. She went downstairs to show them in and led them up to her room to start packing, making sure to carry the lock box herself. Felix rushed in as soon as he saw what was happening. "Ms. Alicia Hammond, what are you doing?" Alicia looked at him with a calm expression. "I'm moving out. I already told Kevin. Since yesterday, I've cut ties with everyone in the Hammond family. "So of course, I won't be living here anymore." Felix was utterly shocked. "Ms. Alicia Hommond, no matter how much fuss you make, cutting ties isn't something to joke about. You..." He clearly hadn't expected Alicia to come back just to pack up and leave, instead of trying to make up. Alicia interrupted him, her voice cold. "You're not in a position to tell me what to do." She didn't bother with him anymore and turned away, calling out to the movers to get started. Felix hadn't expected Alicia to be so cold and forceful with him. He couldn't help but feel stung and a little upset. He wanted to step up and try to persuade her, but Alicia didn't even spare him a glance. Left with no other option, he stepped out of the room and called Kevin. Kevin was in the middle of a meeting, but when he saw it was Felix calling, he picked up anyway. When Kevin heard that Alicia had actually gone back to pack her things, he looked visibly shaken. A wave of unease and panic washed over him. After a moment's thought, he paused the meeting and headed home. At the same time, he called Caleb and Austin. By the time the three of them rushed home, Alicia had already left with the movers. They headed upstairs to Alicia's room. All that was left were the gifts they'd given her over the years and a photo frame and album on the desk. Everything else that belonged to her had completely disappeared. Austin's eyes landed on the photo frame, and he looked genuinely shocked. "She cut out the part with Mom and took them, leaving ours behind." The other two guys exchanged confused glances. They walked over and saw that the family portrait had been cut. The part of their mother and Alicia was missing, leaving only their father and the three sons. Caleb picked up the photo album and flipped through it. Sure enough, there wasn't a single solo shot of their mother or Alicia at all. All that was left were pictures of just their father and the brothers, or group photos where their mother and Alicia had been snipped out. The three brothers just stood there, totally baffled and at a loss. They thought, 'How did it end up like this? Is she actually serious about cutting us off? No way, she can't mean it. 'We only skipped her show. Does she really have to blow things up like this?' Kevin's face darkened as he pulled out his phone. "I'll call her." But when he tried, he realized Alicia had blocked his number. He switched to a messaging app, only to find she'd removed him there too. Seeing this, Caleb and Austin quickly pulled out their phones to try reaching Alicia, but she'd blocked them everywhere as well. The three guys were left feeling both hurt and pissed off. They got Felix to give Alicia a call, but he'd been blocked too. They borrowed a phone from one of the new maids and tried again. This number wasn't blocked, but Alicia just ignored every single call. Caleb turned to Kevin, looking totally lost. "Bro, what now?" Kevin just stared back, feeling completely helpless. He really didn't have a clue what to do. Austin thought for a moment and asked, "Should we tell Dad?" Kevin shook his head. "Let's not tell Dad for now. I'm worried he'll get upset and hurt his health." Over the years, Alicia had given their father plenty of headaches, but this time, things were getting pretty serious. Kevin wasn't sure if he should reassure his brothers or just himself. He said, "I really don't think Alicia would actually cut us off. She's probably just being dramatic again." After a moment, he continued, "Dad's birthday is next month. No matter how mad she is, she'll definitely show up for that. "Give it a month. She'll get over it, and then we can sit down and talk things out." Austin and Caleb relaxed a little after hearing that. "Yeah, even if she's still upset with us, she won't miss Dad's birthday." As far as they knew, Alicia had always been super attached to their father. Every year, she'd start shopping for his birthday gift weeks ahead of time. They were sure she wouldn't skip it this year. When the day came, they'd just sit her down and talk things out. Worst case, they'd put their pride aside and sweet-talk her a bit, and Alicia would forgive them. Chapter 3 I'm Easy To Mess With? After moving into her new home, Alicia tidied up. Then she sat down, deep in thought, trying to remember what had happened at this exact moment in her past life. Right now, she was getting roasted all over the internet, and she was still a member of the girl group LUMIA. Her relationship with the other members was pretty bad. It wasn't like she'd done anything to them. The other girls always ganged up on her for no reason. After those four got a taste of success from dragging Alicia down twice, they just got even worse. Of course, Alicia's company and her agent had a hand in all of this too. Back in her previous life, Alicia brought up quitting LUMIA, but they shot her down. It dragged on until the next year, when a massive scandal exploded. Only then did she finally manage to break free. But this time, Alicia wasn't about to let those bloodsuckers keep draining her. First thing on her list was to quit the group and terminate the contract with her company for good. Thinking of that, Alicia called up her mom's lawyer friend and set up a meeting. ***** That evening, Alicia slipped into a restaurant, wearing a baseball cap and a mask. Even though she was getting dragged all over the internet, she was still pretty famous. She was pulling in a ton of traffic online. After all, being infamous still made many people know her name. After a few minutes, a distinguished and elegant middle-aged man stepped into the private room. Alicia stood up with a smile and greeted that man. "Mr. Wise, it's been so long." The man named Thomas Wise gave her a warm look. "Yeah, it has." He didn't ask how she'd been. He didn't really keep up with the entertainment scene, but after Alicia called to set up this meeting, he figured she probably needed his help, so he did a little digging. After checking things out, he was totally thrown off guard. He never expected Alicia's online reputation to be so trashed. When he saw the reasons people roasted her for, he was just speechless. But from all this, it was clear that Alicia's entertainment company was super unprofessional, and the Hammonds were irresponsible too. After they sat down, they chatted about some past things. Then Alicia said, "Mr. Wise, I want your help to terminate my contract with Starlight Entertainment." She knew it was best to leave this kind of stuff to the professionals. She definitely didn't want to deal with all the drama from those people herself. Thomas wasn't surprised. He replied, "Did you bring your contract with your company? Or do you have an e-copy? Let me take a look." If Starlight Entertainment had done its job and handled her PR properly, Alicia's reputation wouldn't be in the gutter like this. Thomas figured it was probably for the best to cut ties with a company like that. Alicia pulled the contract out of her bag and handed it over. "I brought it." Thomas read through the contract carefully, then started discussing it with Alicia. Alicia's contract with Starlight Entertainment still had a year left, and if she wanted out early, she'd have to pay a 3-million-dollar penalty. But Alicia had some proof that Starlight Entertainment hadn't kept their promises, so Thomas said he'd use that to fight for a lower penalty. After they finished talking about that, Alicia pulled out the equity contract. She continued, "Mr. Wise, this is the equity my mom transferred to me before she passed away. According to the contract, I was supposed to start getting dividends from the company once I turned eighteen. "But I haven't gotten anything since then. "So I want you to help me get back what's mine from Hammond Group through legal channels. "Even if it comes down to a lawsuit, I'm fine with that." Now that she'd cut ties with the Hammonds, she wouldn't let them steal a single cent that was rightfully hers. After her mother passed away, she never used a cent from the Hammond family. Besides the equity, her mother had invested in several funds for her, so she got a nice chunk of cash every year. Her three brothers had the same setup, of course. With all that money coming in, her dad and brothers never gave her any allowance. But when it came to Nicole, they'd give her hundreds of thousands of dollars in allowance every month, and they covered all her living expenses. They always spoiled Nicole with the latest luxury clothes, designer bags, and jewelry. As for Alicia, the only time she ever got a gift from them was on her birthday. Back in her previous life, Alicia treasured those gifts, but now, she couldn't care less. She left them all behind at the old house. As for those funds her mother left her, once Austin started working in finance, Alicia just let him take care of them. But now, she was ready to take them back and hand them over to a professional investment firm. Thomas looked genuinely surprised. He asked, "Have you ever brought this up with your dad or Kevin? They really haven't given you any dividends?" If they had, Alicia wouldn't even consider going the legal route to get her dividends. Alicia gave a wry smile. "I cut ties with the entire Hammond family yesterday. "So from now on, anything to do with them, I'm treating it like business." Thomas frowned, concern etched on his face. "Did they really do something to upset you?" Otherwise, why would things get so bad that you'd have to break off all contact with them? Alicia wasn't about to make excuses for the Hammonds. She let out a helpless sigh. "It's enough for them to have a daughter and a sister. I'm just... the spare." Thomas was her mother's longtime friend. Even though he was just a lawyer by profession, he was born into old money. So aside from genuinely needing his help, Alicia also wanted to let the word get out through him that she'd severed ties with the Hammonds, making sure everyone in their elite circles heard about it. The reason was simple. The Hammonds' favoritism was just off the charts. Back in her previous life, Alicia realized something. If people weren't close to Nicole, they didn't just automatically jump to defend her or blindly take her side. And once Alicia put some distance between herself and Nicole, the folks around her stopped treating her like she was some kind of outcast, unlike Nicole's crowd. Sure enough, Thomas's mind started to wander after hearing that. He thought about all that drama he'd read online. The Hammond family's adopted daughter was called their little princess, while Alicia, the real heiress, was accused of being a fraud. It was just plain absurd. Even if they really loved Nicole, or were just putting on a show, it was way over the top to treat her like royalty and shove Alicia to the sidelines. That alone made Thomas think way less of the Hammonds. He looked at Alicia with a bit of pity in his eyes. "Leave this to me as well." "Thanks for your help, Mr. Wise," Alicia said. Alicia thought for a moment before saying, "You don't have to keep this under wraps, Mr. Wise. I actually want word to get out that I'm done with the Hammonds." Not only did she not want it kept quiet, but she wanted everyone in their circle to feast on the drama. Thomas was sharp. He got it right away and nodded. "Alright, I see." They chatted for a bit longer before heading out. ***** When Thomas got home, he filled his wife in on everything—Alicia asking for help and her breaking things off with the Hammonds. His wife used to be pretty close with Alicia's mother. After hearing the whole story, she went online to dig up the drama herself and couldn't help but roast the Hammonds for being totally brainless. She could instantly tell that the new wife Leo Hammond brought in, and that adopted daughter Nicole, were both pieces of work. After that, she vented to her family and her close circle of society ladies, and soon enough, the whole story was making the rounds. By the time the Hammonds caught wind of it, they'd already been labeled as ridiculously biased and out of their minds. It was way too late to try and explain themselves or do anything about it. ***** Meanwhile, Alicia got home and opened X, only to see the top trending topic right there. Nicole had posted a photo of herself with the Hammond brothers and the rest of the family after last night's party. Her smile was absolutely radiant. She captioned it: [With you guys, I feel like I have the whole world. With all your love and care, I'm honestly the luckiest, happiest girl in the world.] The comments were all raving about how lucky Nicole was and what a picture-perfect family they had. Mixed in were plenty of snarky remarks, throwing shade at Alicia. One of Nicole's actress friends even mentioned Alicia and commented: [This is what a real family looks like. Stop trying to insert yourself into their drama.] It was not like this actress was actually trying to have Nicole's back or anything. She just wanted to ride Nicole's coattails, since Nicole was tight with all those big-shot elites. And with Alicia getting roasted online and her company and agent basically showing no sign of defending her, the actress couldn't care less about offending Alicia. Plus, she could score points with both Nicole's fans and Alicia's haters for being so real. It was a total win-win. Alicia let out a soft laugh when she saw the post tagging her. 'Everyone wants to jump on the bandwagon just to get some attention off me?' she thought. 'Do they really think I'm that easy to mess with?' Since people were coming at her for Nicole, Alicia wasn't going to play nice anymore. It was perfect timing. Just when she needed a target, someone served one up. Alicia fired off two posts on X right away, and in one of them, she responded directly by tagging that actress. Just like she expected, her post shot straight to the top of the trending list in no time. After all, she was basically a magnet for haters. Everyone was always watching her. Any little thing she did, people would catch it instantly and start roasting her from all sides. Online, nobody expected Alicia to suddenly go so hard and drop a post like this. Her haters, the paid trolls, and all the gossip crowd were left stunned. Chapter 4 Get The Clout For Herself The actress who came to Nicole's defense was Alexandra Barton, a third-tier celebrity. Her post wasn't just about sucking up to Nicole. She was also trying to get in good with the big shots behind her. Besides, she planned to throw shade at Alicia and ride the wave of drama for some free clout. Every time the other LUMIA members played the victim or put on a pitiful face, Alicia would get dragged online. And every time, they'd get a wave of sympathy and attention. Sure enough, after Alexandra posted it, Nicole's fans flooded her with likes and praise. On top of that, a bunch of people called her genuine and bold for speaking up for her friend. Even some celebs hit like on her post. Alexandra was feeling pretty smug about how well her little stunt was going when her agent walked in, looking seriously pissed. "Alicia just responded. It's a bit of a mess," her agent said. Alexandra immediately opened X. She saw Alicia had posted something and tagged her. AliciaDelaneyOfficial: [I've never, not once, said or even hinted that I'm a Hammond, the Delaney brothers's cousin, or Nicolas's childhood sweetheart. Anyone who spreads this crap stays broke forever.] [If you're the one hiring trolls to slander me, I'll track you down and hit you with a lawsuit.] [If you can't be bothered to get your facts straight, you don't get to run your mouth. You're a public figure. Slandering me in public is unacceptable.] [Being a bootlicker isn't as easy as you think. I've already called the cops, and I'm taking you to court. That's illegal. @AlexandraBarton] Alexandra was totally caught off guard. She never expected Alicia to go this hard and actually call the cops and threaten a lawsuit. Alicia even called Alexandra a bootlicker. That was way over the line, and it seriously pissed Alexandra off. Alexandra shot her agent a look and asked, "Has she lost her mind? How did the company even let her post something like that on social media?" Both Nicole and Alicia were signed to Starlight Entertainment, but Starlight was all about hyping up Nicole and deliberately sidelining Alicia. Alexandra was sure that Starlight would never let Alicia do something like this. That was exactly why Alexandra had felt safe enough to tag Alicia on X. Alexandra figured even if Alicia got pissed, she wouldn't be able to do anything about it. After all, without Starlight's backing and PR muscle, Alicia was no threat at all flying solo. Alexandra's agent looked exasperated. "I just got off the phone with her agent. They seriously had no idea she was going to post that on X. "But I've already talked it over. They'll get Alicia to delete the post. "As for the cops and the lawsuit, they said Starlight will shut it all down." The agent herself never thought Alicia would go this far, totally breaking the usual playbook and ignoring all the unspoken industry rules. Going to the police and threatening to sue over a few online comments? Alicia was seriously the first one to ever do this. Hearing that, Alexandra breathed easier, the tension finally melting away. She flashed a sly grin. "Once she deletes that post, the real show begins." Deleting it would make Alicia a total clown, and she would get roasted alive online. The handful of fans she got left probably wouldn't stick around for the embarrassment. So instead of deleting her post, Alexandra fired back, tagging Alicia right back. AlexandraBarton: [I've got nothing to fear. Bring it on!@AliciaDelaneyOfficial.] Everyone watching the drama unfold got another surprise when Alexandra clapped back on X. Nobody expected Alexandra to go this hard, either. The comments under both Alicia and Alexandra's posts started blowing up, racking up thousands in no time. Markd82: [Who are we supposed to believe here?] Tommy94: [Both of them are so savage. Let's see who can outlast the other.] Chris_y: [Come to think of it, Alicia never actually claimed or even hinted she was a Hammond.] Juststeve: [She wouldn't have posted something like that unless she was totally fed up with all the hate.] Nooot: [Reading her post, I really feel like someone set her up.] Idkben: [Yeah, and wishing for the rumor-spreader to stay broke forever? That's brutal. Seriously, who would jinx themselves like that if they were faking it?] Okmatt: [If that's really the case, Alicia's got it tough. She's been roasted nonstop over this.] Randomname: [You guys just buy whatever she says? Come on, this is clearly her way of trying to clear her name.] User472: [Yeah, I still don't buy that she never said or hinted at it. And talking about a lawsuit? Anyone can say that online.] Loggedout: [Alicia's not the only one who's ever posted a lawyer letter. In the end, it's all bark and no bite.] Still_here: [She's just doing this to scare people and make herself look like the victim, so everyone feels sorry for her.] Rabbitie: [Watch it, she'll probably delete that post real soon.] Cloud: [No way she actually called the cops, and I seriously doubt she's taking anyone to court.] Heyitsdan: [For real, she's been roasted online so many times before and always just let it slide. Why is she suddenly acting tough now? Obviously just trying to play the victim and chase some attention.] Alicia just happened to scroll past that comment. She fired back right under it: [Back then, my agent handled my account. Now, I call the shots myself. If you don't buy it, just wait and see if the cops come knocking on Alexandra's door.] Fans couldn't believe Alicia actually replied to the comment herself. They did find out that the way she was acting now was totally different from before. They finally knew why her account only had generic promo posts. Turned out that her agent was running her account all this time After Alicia clapped back, everyone was dying to see if the cops would actually come to Alexandra's place. Now it was all about who'd stay savage till the end. But the haters and Nicole and Alexandra's fans kept dragging Alicia nonstop, flooding her comments with insults. Nicole's fans totally lost it over Alicia calling Alexandra out as a bootlicker. They started speculating. 'What's that supposed to mean? Is she throwing shade at Nicole, saying Nicole put Alexandra up to this?' They started spamming Alicia's comments with angry rants. Imtom: [Alexandra is just sticking up for Nicole. What's wrong with that?] LoveNicole: [You've been leeching off Nicole's name, and she's been chill about it. Instead of saying thanks, you go and throw shade? You really think Nicole's just too nice and easy to push around?] NNNICOLE: [Keep messing with her and see what happens. She'll make sure you get iced out of the whole industry.] BabyNicole: [That's right. Nicole is the Hammond family's princess. She's got serious backup. If you piss her off, don't be surprised if you get shut out.] Alicia saw those comments and clapped back without hesitation. Alicia: [Come on, I surely don't dare to push Bitchy Nicole around. She's so scheming.] Alicia: [Sure, go ahead! Tell Nicole to get her powerful family to shut me down. Let's see if they can really kick me out of the industry.] Alicia: [If she doesn't blacklist me like you want, honestly, I'll laugh at her.] Anyway, Alicia was already public enemy number one online, getting roasted from all sides. She wasn't afraid of more hate at this point. Now that she'd been given a second shot at life, anyone who pissed her off was gonna get it right back. Honestly, everyone enjoyed the drama online. The fake peace and phony friendship act couldn't get people's interest. Nothing could grab attention like a straight-up online fight. Back then, they rode Alicia for clout and attention. Now, Alicia could play the same game right back. Besides, would Nicole really dare to flex her status and try to freeze Alicia out of the industry? No way. She didn't have the nerve, and she sure didn't have the pull. If she did, Alicia wouldn't have been able to stage a comeback and rise up again in her last life. And if Nicole actually ran to the Hammonds and tried to get them to blacklist Alicia, that would just wreck the whole perfect good-girl act she puts on for them. Nicole wouldn't have the nerve to pull something like that. And seriously, who was the real Hammond heiress? The fans might not have a clue, but Nicole definitely knew the truth. After clapping back in the comments, Alicia pulled another ballsy move. She tagged Nicole in a new post: [Bitchy Nicole, why don't you flaunt your Hammond princess status and get your big-shot backers to blacklist me? Come on, wipe out the villain in your story once and for all.] From now on, Alicia would be the loose cannon of the entertainment world, ready to tear into anyone whenever she felt like it. If anyone came for her, she'd come for them even harder. If she was gonna get roasted anyway, she might as well roast them right back and enjoy every second of it. Besides, a lot of people were really into her bold, straight-shooter attitude. Sure, Nicole had her fans, but she wasn't the kind of star everyone loved like cash. Alicia wasn't the only one who didn't vibe with Nicole. There were plenty of folks, both online and offline, who couldn't stand Nicole. Plus, with Starlight Entertainment and the Hammond family supporting Nicole into the spotlight, she'd ruffled a ton of feathers in the industry, stepping on the toes of other rising and established actresses, and messing with the profits of the companies backing them. If Alicia and Nicole started going at it, tons of people would be glued to their screens, eating up every second of the drama. And nothing could go viral like a feud between two celebrities. This time, Alicia was ready to get all that clout for herself. Chapter 5 Out Of Her Mind Alicia didn't just clap back at anyone who trashed her in the comments. She even tagged Nicole on X, straight-up telling her to blacklist and shut her down for good. This whole drama had everyone watching nearly speechless. Everyone watching left comments. LoveU: [Geeze, is Alicia out of her mind?] Crazymind: [Her posts and those comment replies are totally crazy. I'm kinda living for it. Am I too bad?] Jojo: [Haha, you're not alone. I feel the same way.] Footprints: [Alicia's got guts. She's the only one who'd tag and call her Bitchy Nicole.] Sunny:[She's really cool. I give her my respect.] Dunno: [Haha, she's gone totally rogue now. She's even calling herself the villain and telling the big names behind Nicole to just blacklist her.] Mindy7: [Honestly, I've been sick of Nicole for ages. She's such a phony.] CuteAsDucks: [She used her connections to snatch the role from my idol, and then her fans trashed my idol for it. Alicia just said exactly what I've been dying to say.] Casanova : [My fave had her opportunities stolen by Nicole too, but her fans are way too fierce. We can't win against them, so we just keep quiet. Looks like everyone feels the same...] HairyPoppins: [This drama is so satisfying. Keep it coming!] YellowSnowman: [I live for these epic beefs. Don't stop pls!] Something: [You guys think the ones backing Bitchy Nicole are really gonna shut Alicia down for good?] Tinfoilhat: [Bitchy Nicole is Starlight Entertainment's golden girl, and Nicolas is Starlight's heir. If he gets involved, plus the Hammond family and the Delaney family pulling strings for her, Alicia could seriously get iced out of the industry.] Anonymouse: [So is Alicia basically quitting the scene now?] Otherwise, Alicia wouldn't have posted something like that. She didn't just go head-to-head with Nicole, but she made enemies of all the power players behind Nicole too. Then Nicole's fans swooped in, starting a whole new round of roasting Alicia all over the place. They even dropped: [Just waiting for Alicia to get blacklisted and iced out.] Alicia replied: [Same here. I'm waiting.] Nicole's fans were left speechless. They thought, 'Seriously, what exactly are you waiting for? She's out of her mind.' Seeing Alicia's clapback, everyone watching the drama couldn't help but crack up. No one realized Alicia was so hilarious before. Nicole always kept an alt account with notifications on for Alicia, so she could keep tabs on her every move. Whenever Alicia dropped a post on X, Nicole got the alert instantly. Nicole never saw it coming that a single group photo was all it took to send Alicia off the rails. Back in the day, Alicia would just ignore Nicole in private, out of respect for the Hammond family. But now? She dragged Nicole out in public, no holds barred. Nicole couldn't help but wonder if she'd pushed Alicia totally off the deep end. That last post really got under Nicole's skin. Alicia actually had the nerve to straight-up call Nicole a bitch and even dared Nicole to blacklist her for real. Alicia obviously put Nicole on blast, making her look bad in front of everyone. Nicole would love nothing more than to blacklist Alicia and totally ruin her, but she knew she just didn't have that kind of power. After all, ever since she joined the Hammond family, Nicole knew exactly how she'd snatched all the attention and favor that used to go to Alicia. Sure, she played the pitiful victim at first to get their sympathy, but after that, she switched gears. She always acted like the perfect, considerate girl and constantly made it seem like she couldn't do anything without them. Sure enough, it worked. They started favoring her more and more. But that didn't mean the family had stopped caring about Alicia altogether. So now, with Alicia roasting her on social media, Nicole was stuck. Responding would just make things worse, but ignoring it would make her look weak. After thinking it over, Nicole told her agent, "Call Haley and drop her a hint to rein Alicia in before she goes totally off the rails. "Try to convince Alicia to take down all her posts from today right away. "If she won't do it, just log into her account and delete them." Starlight Entertainment was legendary for its PR and marketing game. They had deals with all the top influencers and even kept a whole army of paid trolls on standby. She paused, then added, "Once the posts are gone, get her agent to post an apology from Alicia's account, claiming her account was hacked." Nicole knew Alicia's personality all too well. Alicia would never agree to delete the posts or post an apology herself. Thus, Alicia's agent would have to handle it instead. Not only would this make Alicia get dragged even harder online, but if she ever tried to go off the rails again, no one would believe her. It would also get Nicole out of the impossible spot she was in. If everyone thought Alicia's account got hacked and it wasn't really her posting all that drama, Nicole could just sit back and ignore the whole mess. She could even drop a post, acting all sympathetic toward Alicia, playing the gracious queen for everyone to see. Then she'd unleash her army of influencers and trolls to stir things up. They'd start whispering that it wasn't a hack at all. Alicia probably just totally went crazy after seeing that photo Nicole posted. People would say Alicia was just jealous of how blessed Nicole was, so Alicia totally snapped. But once she cooled off, she freaked out about crossing Nicole and her powerful backers, so she pretended her account got hacked and deleted her posts. That way, Alicia would get roasted all over the internet, lose fans for chickening out and not owning her words, and her reputation would tank completely. If the Hammonds caught wind of this, they'd just think Alicia was being super petty. After all, it was not like Alicia didn't have group photos with them. Posting on social media, then deleting and apologizing? That would just make the Hammond and Delaney families look bad. Thinking about it, Nicole thought that Alicia going off and posting all that drama on X wasn't even a bad thing. Nicole's agent instantly got what she meant. Nicole was totally throwing Alicia under the bus. Her agent gave a sly, knowing grin and replied, "Alright." ***** Meanwhile, Alicia's agent, Haley Waters, looked absolutely grim. She never expected Alicia to cause such a huge mess behind her back. 'Does she even take me seriously?' Haley thought to herself. As soon as Alexandra's agent called her, Haley tried calling Alicia right away. But every single time, the line was busy. After hanging up with Nicole's agent, Haley was practically ready to explode. 'Since Alicia doesn't respect me, don't blame me for playing hardball,' Haley thought. She had the X account logins and passwords for all five members of LUMIA, so she just logged straight into Alicia's account. Her plan was exactly what Nicole's agent had hinted at. She was going to delete all of Alicia's posts from today, then post an apology claiming her account had been hacked. Of course, hardly anyone would actually buy that excuse. But at least it would let Nicole and Alexandra off the hook, pulling them out of the drama. Plus, Nicole would end up owing her a favor. And if Alicia got dragged even harder and roasted by the whole internet, that just played right into Haley's game plan for LUMIA. She was basically making Alicia take the heat to prop up the other four girls. One superstar could never make as much money or rack up the numbers as four superstars. However, every time Haley tried to log in, it just kept telling her the password was wrong. Then she realized that Alicia must've already changed her password. That was absolutely unacceptable to Haley. She kept trying to call Alicia, but the call still couldn't get through. After a moment, she grabbed someone else's phone and dialed Alicia again. This time, the call actually went through. Clearly, Alicia had blocked her number. Haley's expression soured even more. Chapter 6 Dream On It Alicia's phone lit up with an unknown number. She didn't even have to think about it. She knew it had to be Haley. This time, she actually picked up. "Hello?" She hit the record button at the same time. Haley's voice came through, sounding a little frantic. "Alicia, what are you doing?" She demanded, "Why did you suddenly post those updates on X? And now you're getting into fights in the comments. Why didn't you check with me first?" Alicia shot back, "It's my account. Why can't I post what I want?" She added, "I never said any of that, and I wasn't trying to get clout from those big shots. "Alexandra's been pushing me around. Am I just supposed to put up with it?" Haley was stunned for a moment. Then, she siad, "But you can't just go around scaring people with talk of calling the cops or suing them." She added, "And it was Alexandra who tagged you first. Why are you picking a fight with Nicole now? You're just asking for more hate." Alicia scoffed, "Why is Alexandra targeting me? She's just trying to butter up Nicole." She continued, "Why am I getting called a clout chaser all over the internet? Nicole's fans started the whole mess, and they've been after me ever since. "Just because Nicole's hiding behind all these people, does that suddenly make her innocent? I'm not an idiot. Of course I gotta target her." Haley took a deep breath, forcing down her anger. She softened her voice, trying to coax Alicia, "I know you've been treated unfairly, but the company's really hyping Nicole up right now. Going head-to-head with her isn't the smartest move." She added, "I can talk to the higher-ups and get you a better gig. So let's back off for now, okay?" Alicia was baiting Haley for this exact response. She asked, "What do you mean by backing off?" Haley said, "Delete all those posts you made on X, then post an apology. "Just say your account was hacked earlier, and none of those posts were actually from you." Alicia shot back, "You really think anyone's going to buy that excuse? Do you think people are that gullible?" Haley replied, "It doesn't matter if anyone actually believes it. Just put out the statement, so Nicole and Alexandra can have an easy way out." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "So you really do think I'm an idiot, huh?" She added, "If I post something like that, forget their fans, even the haters and onlookers would be telling me to get lost from the entertainment scene. Even my own fans would probably want me out. "You already made me take the fall for the other four in LUMIA, and now you want me to take the heat for Nicole and Alexandra too? Just dream on it." Haley hadn't expected Alicia to come back at her like that. She wondered if Alicia had known something. She couldn't help but say, "I'm not just your agent, you know. I'm older than you. Everything I do is for your own good." She pressed, "Don't you even trust me a little anymore?" She'd noticed lately that Alicia was trying to slip out of her grip, but she wasn't about to let that happen. Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, for my own good, huh?" She added, "If it wasn't for you, Nicole, and the company stirring things up, with the other four in LUMIA playing along, do you think the whole internet would be out to get me?" She went on in a meaningful tone, "You were my mom's college friend and roommate, remember? "Back then, your ex-husband set you up. You walked away with nothing and got stuck with a mountain of debt. "You had to keep dodging debt collectors and couldn't land a job anywhere. "It was my mom who lent you the money to pay off those debts and helped you land that agent job at Starlight Entertainment. "And when you asked, she even stepped in and handled your ex's family for you, so they'd finally stop messing with you." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "My mom saved your ass when you were at rock bottom, and now you want to shove me right back down? Is that what you called 'for my own good'? "Sorry, guess I have to let you down." After Alicia's mom helped Haley get into Starlight Entertainment, Haley managed to bring up a second-tier starlet. But before Haley could help her climb any higher, that starlet married a wealthy businessman and dropped out of the spotlight. Right around then, Starlight was gearing up to create a top girl group, and Haley jumped at the chance to take charge of the group. Knowing Alicia wanted in on the entertainment scene, Haley asked her to join LUMIA. After Alicia's mom passed away, Haley didn't pull away. In fact, she always cared about Alicia. Back then, Alicia didn't know the first thing about showbiz, and she trusted Haley. Plus, since Starlight belonged to Nicolas's family, she figured it was safe and agreed to join. But she had never guessed that one choice would land her in a pit that she couldn't climb out of. After all, she never thought that the sweet, gentle woman everyone saw was actually a backstabbing wolf. In her last life, Alicia had already gotten her revenge. She exposed Haley's true colors and brought her crashing down. But when it came to a backstabbing, ungrateful snake like Haley, Alicia wouldn't mind giving her a lesson again. And this time, she'd do it sooner. Haley's eyes widened for a moment. A rare flash of panic flickered across her face. She couldn't help blurting out, "Alicia, has someone talked to you? Trying to stir things up between us?" Haley absolutely hated it when anyone brought up that embarrassing chapter from her past. Haley thought, 'Alicia's mom did help me out, but with her status, it was just a casual favor. Am I really supposed to be forever grateful for that? 'Besides, I've already paid back every cent I borrowed. 'Now, Alicia is actually throwing that in my face. It's really embarrassing. 'This is just one more reason I can't stand Alicia.' Every time Haley saw Alicia, all she could think about was how embarrassing it had been, having to beg Alicia's mom for help back then. When LUMIA first debuted, Alicia was the hottest topic. She had the most fans and all the online attention. Alicia was born with a silver spoon, already living the high life. Yet since she entered the industry, she blew up overnight. Haley was just jealous that Alicia was blessed from the start. Then someone hinted that if she wanted to hype up the other four in LUMIA, all she had to do was drag Alicia through the mud. Haley went for it, and sure enough, it paid off big time. Right now, Alicia was her ace in the traffic game. No way was Haley ever letting go of that. Haley gave a wry smile. "I haven't forgotten what your mom did for me, you know. "After all these years together, I've put in so much effort to help you make it big. I just hope you can see that and trust me." Alicia let out a mocking laugh. "So I'm supposed to be grateful for all your scheming, is that it? "You twisted things around. If I hadn't lived through the hell of being trashed by the whole internet, nearly driven to depression and suicide, I'd almost want to give you a round of applause. "Why not use this little tactic on the other four girls in LUMIA instead? "Just because my mom helped you, just because I once trusted and respected you, I'm supposed to be your sacrificial lamb? "Am I just meant to be the stepping stone for you and Starlight, so you can prop everyone else up at my expense? Isn't that just plain bullying?" Haley was so stunned by Alicia's comeback that she could barely get a word out. She also realized that Alicia had known she used to play both sides. Trying to guilt Alicia into deleting those posts was almost impossible. Haley paused, then tried to warn Alicia, "If your family or Nicolas finds out, they're not going to be happy. No matter what you think, I'm really doing this for your own good." Alicia let out a cold laugh. "I've already cut ties with my family. As for Nicolas, it's not like we're close. Why should I care if he's happy?" When Alicia first set her sights on showbiz, everyone around her figured she was just trying to get close to Nicolas. The truth was, Nicolas was only part of it. She just really wanted to be in the entertainment world for herself. When Nicole first moved in, her body was covered in injuries from her birth father's abuse, and she was in poor health. She deliberately acted extremely dependent on Alicia's family, not only winning their sympathy but also making it seem like she couldn't get by without them. After that, Nicole was constantly in the hospital, pretending she couldn't live without their support. The Hammonds would take turns staying with her at the hospital. Meanwhile, Alicia was left all alone at home, either studying or watching dramas. She'd catch herself copying the actors on TV, wondering how she'd play the part if she were in their shoes. She loved watching people sing and dance, and was totally drawn to the spotlight. So when the chance to join LUMIA came up, she couldn't say no. She was a natural when it came to acting, which was why, in her previous life, she finally made her comeback after quitting the group and going solo as an actress. In her last life, she and Nicolas used to argue and give each other the silent treatment all the time because of Nicole, but she never bothered worrying about whether he was mad or not. Now, Nicolas was just a stranger to her. Alicia of course wouldn't care about his feelings. She added, "If he's really unhappy, then let him bury my career for all I care. I'm done playing nice this time. I won't compromise anymore." With that, she hung up and saved the recording. And sure enough, Haley didn't disappoint Alicia.
Here's what makes THE PUBLISH OR PERISH GAME a great party game that went viral among academics: 🤣 Unhinged academic humor, savagely satirical 📖 Publish hilarious manuscripts that are so bad you can’t unsee 🎓 Sprinkled with fun trivia and mind-blowing weird-but-true facts from 20+ disciplines!
Here's what makes THE PUBLISH OR PERISH GAME a great party game that went viral among academics: 🤣 Unhinged academic humor, savagely satirical 📖 Publish hilarious manuscripts that are so bad you can’t unsee 🎓 Sprinkled with fun trivia and mind-blowing weird-but-true facts from 20+ disciplines!
My friend Brittany has been holding my bag at every soccer tournament for two years because she "doesn't mind, hon" and last weekend I finally showed up not needing her to. Backstory because it matters. I am 27. I have an 8-year-old. I had her young. I am bigger than my friends — always have been, always will be, I made peace with that around 22 and I'm not interested in re-litigating it at every group hangout. The friend group is six moms from our kids' soccer travel team. We do tournaments most weekends from August through November. Big complexes, four to six fields, six to eight games a day for the whole team across two days. It's a lot. It's also some of my favorite time of the year. Brittany is the smallest one of us. She is also the one who, every single tournament, has held my bag for me at some point in the day with the words "let me hold yours, hon, I don't mind" or some variation. The first time she did it was kind. The fortieth time it stopped being kind. The reason she'd been holding mine is that I had given up on crossbodies in 2022 after I ordered three different ones online from three different brands and not a single strap was long enough to actually go across my body. Two of them I shoved in the back of my closet and forgot about. The third one I returned and I cried while I was packing it up. I don't really cry about clothes-fit stuff anymore but I cried about that one because the website had a model on it who looked like me, sort of, and the strap on her was clearly digital-edited longer. I called my sister and she said "girl, you and me both" and we left it at that. So at tournaments I'd been bringing a tote bag. Tote bags slide off your shoulder when you're carrying a chair and a water bottle and someone else's water bottle and trying to clap at the same time. Tote bags fall over on the grass and dump your stuff. Tote bags make you stop cheering to readjust the strap, which is why Brittany started holding mine in the first place — because I missed a goal in 2023 because I was wrestling with a strap. She watched it happen, took the bag off my shoulder, and said "hon, just give me the bag, I don't mind." She did mean well. She does mean well. She also has been telling everyone in the group, for two years, the story of the time she rescued my bag from itself, and the story has gotten a little longer and a little more about her every time. Three weeks before the October tournament, I saw an ad for a crossbody bag and I scrolled past it the way I scroll past every crossbody ad. Then I scrolled back because the woman in the photo was bigger than me and the strap was clearly long enough on her. I went to the comments. About forty comments down a woman with the same body as me had written: "ordered, the strap actually fit, I cried." I read that comment three times. I added two to the cart that night. Buy one get one. I sent the second one to my sister, the one who'd said "girl you and me both" two years before. She got it on a Wednesday and texted me at 4:17 PM: "MARLA. THE STRAP." All caps. Then a row of crying emojis. Then "I'm wearing it to the grocery store." Mine arrived on a Thursday. The tournament was Saturday and Sunday. Friday night I packed it sitting on my kitchen floor with my chair folded next to me. Two water bottles. Pretzels. Two granola bars. Sunscreen. Backup team shirt for my daughter because she always spills. A small first-aid pouch. Phone. Wallet. Portable charger. Hair tie. Gum. A roll of athletic tape because there is always one kid who needs it. I put the strap on. It went across my body. It sat at my hip. It did not pull. It did not dig. It did not cut into my collarbone. The bag rested where a bag is supposed to rest on a body that is shaped like mine. I sat on the kitchen floor and I cried for a minute. I am not a crier and I felt stupid about it but I cried. Saturday morning. 7:15 AM. I pulled into the lot at the sports complex with my daughter half-asleep in the back seat. Brittany was already there, parked next to me, getting her chair out of her trunk. She looked over. "Oh — new bag?" "Yeah. New bag." "Cute! Want me to hold it during games? I don't mind." I said: "I'm good." She said: "Hon, you sure? It's a long day." I said: "I'm good, Britt." We walked to field three. I had the bag across my chest, a chair folded under my left arm, and two water bottles in my right hand. I did not put anything down to walk. I did not adjust the strap. I did not ask anyone to hold anything. Game one. I cheered with both hands free. I clapped. I yelled. I pulled out the sunscreen between innings without taking the bag off, applied it to my daughter's face from the sideline, zipped it back up, never sat down. Game two. My daughter scored. I had my phone out for the video before she crossed the line because the phone was in the side pocket and the side pocket is where I always keep it, and the bag was on me, not in Brittany's lap. Game three. A mom from the opposing team — about my size, maybe a couple years older — sat down next to me. She watched me grab my water, my granola bar, and my phone all out of the same bag without standing up. She watched me do it three times. After the second time she said: "Excuse me, can I ask what bag that is. I have been looking for a crossbody for four years and every single one I have tried, the strap doesn't fit." I told her. Right there on the sideline. She said: "Does it really fit? Like — fit fit?" I said: "Look at me." She looked at me. She looked at the bag on me. Her face did a thing. She typed it into her phone. She also took a picture of me. She asked if she could and I said yes. She said "I'm sending this to my sister. We've been looking for years." Brittany was about three chairs down. I'm not sure how much she heard but I noticed she didn't come over to hold my bag during game four, or game five, or game six. Sunday morning Brittany sat down next to me in her chair and said: "Where did you actually get that bag, by the way." I said: "I'll text you the link." I texted her the link. I did not type "hon." She ordered it Sunday night. She texted me Monday: "okay it actually does fit a lot, I get it now." She gets it now. It's the GoFree, by Emmafy. emmafy.com/bumbag — they do a buy one get one and that's how I sent the second one to my sister, and that's also how that mom on the sideline sent one to her own sister the same week. Worth knowing if you've got someone in mind. If you have ordered three crossbodies in the past three years and the strap was too short on every single one. If you have a friend who has been kindly and condescendingly holding your bag for two years because you made the mistake one time of letting her. If you have ever stood at a sports complex on a Saturday morning with a chair under your arm and a tote sliding off your shoulder and thought I have got to figure something else out. Get two. Keep one. Give the other to whoever in your life has been told for years that the strap was the right length and has finally figured out it wasn't her, it was the strap. Your move. emmafy.com/bumbag
My friend Brittany has been holding my bag at every soccer tournament for two years because she "doesn't mind, hon" and last weekend I finally showed up not needing her to. Backstory because it matters. I am 27. I have an 8-year-old. I had her young. I am bigger than my friends — always have been, always will be, I made peace with that around 22 and I'm not interested in re-litigating it at every group hangout. The friend group is six moms from our kids' soccer travel team. We do tournaments most weekends from August through November. Big complexes, four to six fields, six to eight games a day for the whole team across two days. It's a lot. It's also some of my favorite time of the year. Brittany is the smallest one of us. She is also the one who, every single tournament, has held my bag for me at some point in the day with the words "let me hold yours, hon, I don't mind" or some variation. The first time she did it was kind. The fortieth time it stopped being kind. The reason she'd been holding mine is that I had given up on crossbodies in 2022 after I ordered three different ones online from three different brands and not a single strap was long enough to actually go across my body. Two of them I shoved in the back of my closet and forgot about. The third one I returned and I cried while I was packing it up. I don't really cry about clothes-fit stuff anymore but I cried about that one because the website had a model on it who looked like me, sort of, and the strap on her was clearly digital-edited longer. I called my sister and she said "girl, you and me both" and we left it at that. So at tournaments I'd been bringing a tote bag. Tote bags slide off your shoulder when you're carrying a chair and a water bottle and someone else's water bottle and trying to clap at the same time. Tote bags fall over on the grass and dump your stuff. Tote bags make you stop cheering to readjust the strap, which is why Brittany started holding mine in the first place — because I missed a goal in 2023 because I was wrestling with a strap. She watched it happen, took the bag off my shoulder, and said "hon, just give me the bag, I don't mind." She did mean well. She does mean well. She also has been telling everyone in the group, for two years, the story of the time she rescued my bag from itself, and the story has gotten a little longer and a little more about her every time. Three weeks before the October tournament, I saw an ad for a crossbody bag and I scrolled past it the way I scroll past every crossbody ad. Then I scrolled back because the woman in the photo was bigger than me and the strap was clearly long enough on her. I went to the comments. About forty comments down a woman with the same body as me had written: "ordered, the strap actually fit, I cried." I read that comment three times. I added two to the cart that night. Buy one get one. I sent the second one to my sister, the one who'd said "girl you and me both" two years before. She got it on a Wednesday and texted me at 4:17 PM: "MARLA. THE STRAP." All caps. Then a row of crying emojis. Then "I'm wearing it to the grocery store." Mine arrived on a Thursday. The tournament was Saturday and Sunday. Friday night I packed it sitting on my kitchen floor with my chair folded next to me. Two water bottles. Pretzels. Two granola bars. Sunscreen. Backup team shirt for my daughter because she always spills. A small first-aid pouch. Phone. Wallet. Portable charger. Hair tie. Gum. A roll of athletic tape because there is always one kid who needs it. I put the strap on. It went across my body. It sat at my hip. It did not pull. It did not dig. It did not cut into my collarbone. The bag rested where a bag is supposed to rest on a body that is shaped like mine. I sat on the kitchen floor and I cried for a minute. I am not a crier and I felt stupid about it but I cried. Saturday morning. 7:15 AM. I pulled into the lot at the sports complex with my daughter half-asleep in the back seat. Brittany was already there, parked next to me, getting her chair out of her trunk. She looked over. "Oh — new bag?" "Yeah. New bag." "Cute! Want me to hold it during games? I don't mind." I said: "I'm good." She said: "Hon, you sure? It's a long day." I said: "I'm good, Britt." We walked to field three. I had the bag across my chest, a chair folded under my left arm, and two water bottles in my right hand. I did not put anything down to walk. I did not adjust the strap. I did not ask anyone to hold anything. Game one. I cheered with both hands free. I clapped. I yelled. I pulled out the sunscreen between innings without taking the bag off, applied it to my daughter's face from the sideline, zipped it back up, never sat down. Game two. My daughter scored. I had my phone out for the video before she crossed the line because the phone was in the side pocket and the side pocket is where I always keep it, and the bag was on me, not in Brittany's lap. Game three. A mom from the opposing team — about my size, maybe a couple years older — sat down next to me. She watched me grab my water, my granola bar, and my phone all out of the same bag without standing up. She watched me do it three times. After the second time she said: "Excuse me, can I ask what bag that is. I have been looking for a crossbody for four years and every single one I have tried, the strap doesn't fit." I told her. Right there on the sideline. She said: "Does it really fit? Like — fit fit?" I said: "Look at me." She looked at me. She looked at the bag on me. Her face did a thing. She typed it into her phone. She also took a picture of me. She asked if she could and I said yes. She said "I'm sending this to my sister. We've been looking for years." Brittany was about three chairs down. I'm not sure how much she heard but I noticed she didn't come over to hold my bag during game four, or game five, or game six. Sunday morning Brittany sat down next to me in her chair and said: "Where did you actually get that bag, by the way." I said: "I'll text you the link." I texted her the link. I did not type "hon." She ordered it Sunday night. She texted me Monday: "okay it actually does fit a lot, I get it now." She gets it now. It's the GoFree, by Emmafy. emmafy.com/bumbag — they do a buy one get one and that's how I sent the second one to my sister, and that's also how that mom on the sideline sent one to her own sister the same week. Worth knowing if you've got someone in mind. If you have ordered three crossbodies in the past three years and the strap was too short on every single one. If you have a friend who has been kindly and condescendingly holding your bag for two years because you made the mistake one time of letting her. If you have ever stood at a sports complex on a Saturday morning with a chair under your arm and a tote sliding off your shoulder and thought I have got to figure something else out. Get two. Keep one. Give the other to whoever in your life has been told for years that the strap was the right length and has finally figured out it wasn't her, it was the strap. Your move. emmafy.com/bumbag
My friend Brittany has been holding my bag at every soccer tournament for two years because she "doesn't mind, hon" and last weekend I finally showed up not needing her to. Backstory because it matters. I am 27. I have an 8-year-old. I had her young. I am bigger than my friends — always have been, always will be, I made peace with that around 22 and I'm not interested in re-litigating it at every group hangout. The friend group is six moms from our kids' soccer travel team. We do tournaments most weekends from August through November. Big complexes, four to six fields, six to eight games a day for the whole team across two days. It's a lot. It's also some of my favorite time of the year. Brittany is the smallest one of us. She is also the one who, every single tournament, has held my bag for me at some point in the day with the words "let me hold yours, hon, I don't mind" or some variation. The first time she did it was kind. The fortieth time it stopped being kind. The reason she'd been holding mine is that I had given up on crossbodies in 2022 after I ordered three different ones online from three different brands and not a single strap was long enough to actually go across my body. Two of them I shoved in the back of my closet and forgot about. The third one I returned and I cried while I was packing it up. I don't really cry about clothes-fit stuff anymore but I cried about that one because the website had a model on it who looked like me, sort of, and the strap on her was clearly digital-edited longer. I called my sister and she said "girl, you and me both" and we left it at that. So at tournaments I'd been bringing a tote bag. Tote bags slide off your shoulder when you're carrying a chair and a water bottle and someone else's water bottle and trying to clap at the same time. Tote bags fall over on the grass and dump your stuff. Tote bags make you stop cheering to readjust the strap, which is why Brittany started holding mine in the first place — because I missed a goal in 2023 because I was wrestling with a strap. She watched it happen, took the bag off my shoulder, and said "hon, just give me the bag, I don't mind." She did mean well. She does mean well. She also has been telling everyone in the group, for two years, the story of the time she rescued my bag from itself, and the story has gotten a little longer and a little more about her every time. Three weeks before the October tournament, I saw an ad for a crossbody bag and I scrolled past it the way I scroll past every crossbody ad. Then I scrolled back because the woman in the photo was bigger than me and the strap was clearly long enough on her. I went to the comments. About forty comments down a woman with the same body as me had written: "ordered, the strap actually fit, I cried." I read that comment three times. I added two to the cart that night. Buy one get one. I sent the second one to my sister, the one who'd said "girl you and me both" two years before. She got it on a Wednesday and texted me at 4:17 PM: "MARLA. THE STRAP." All caps. Then a row of crying emojis. Then "I'm wearing it to the grocery store." Mine arrived on a Thursday. The tournament was Saturday and Sunday. Friday night I packed it sitting on my kitchen floor with my chair folded next to me. Two water bottles. Pretzels. Two granola bars. Sunscreen. Backup team shirt for my daughter because she always spills. A small first-aid pouch. Phone. Wallet. Portable charger. Hair tie. Gum. A roll of athletic tape because there is always one kid who needs it. I put the strap on. It went across my body. It sat at my hip. It did not pull. It did not dig. It did not cut into my collarbone. The bag rested where a bag is supposed to rest on a body that is shaped like mine. I sat on the kitchen floor and I cried for a minute. I am not a crier and I felt stupid about it but I cried. Saturday morning. 7:15 AM. I pulled into the lot at the sports complex with my daughter half-asleep in the back seat. Brittany was already there, parked next to me, getting her chair out of her trunk. She looked over. "Oh — new bag?" "Yeah. New bag." "Cute! Want me to hold it during games? I don't mind." I said: "I'm good." She said: "Hon, you sure? It's a long day." I said: "I'm good, Britt." We walked to field three. I had the bag across my chest, a chair folded under my left arm, and two water bottles in my right hand. I did not put anything down to walk. I did not adjust the strap. I did not ask anyone to hold anything. Game one. I cheered with both hands free. I clapped. I yelled. I pulled out the sunscreen between innings without taking the bag off, applied it to my daughter's face from the sideline, zipped it back up, never sat down. Game two. My daughter scored. I had my phone out for the video before she crossed the line because the phone was in the side pocket and the side pocket is where I always keep it, and the bag was on me, not in Brittany's lap. Game three. A mom from the opposing team — about my size, maybe a couple years older — sat down next to me. She watched me grab my water, my granola bar, and my phone all out of the same bag without standing up. She watched me do it three times. After the second time she said: "Excuse me, can I ask what bag that is. I have been looking for a crossbody for four years and every single one I have tried, the strap doesn't fit." I told her. Right there on the sideline. She said: "Does it really fit? Like — fit fit?" I said: "Look at me." She looked at me. She looked at the bag on me. Her face did a thing. She typed it into her phone. She also took a picture of me. She asked if she could and I said yes. She said "I'm sending this to my sister. We've been looking for years." Brittany was about three chairs down. I'm not sure how much she heard but I noticed she didn't come over to hold my bag during game four, or game five, or game six. Sunday morning Brittany sat down next to me in her chair and said: "Where did you actually get that bag, by the way." I said: "I'll text you the link." I texted her the link. I did not type "hon." She ordered it Sunday night. She texted me Monday: "okay it actually does fit a lot, I get it now." She gets it now. It's the GoFree, by Emmafy. emmafy.com/bumbag — they do a buy one get one and that's how I sent the second one to my sister, and that's also how that mom on the sideline sent one to her own sister the same week. Worth knowing if you've got someone in mind. If you have ordered three crossbodies in the past three years and the strap was too short on every single one. If you have a friend who has been kindly and condescendingly holding your bag for two years because you made the mistake one time of letting her. If you have ever stood at a sports complex on a Saturday morning with a chair under your arm and a tote sliding off your shoulder and thought I have got to figure something else out. Get two. Keep one. Give the other to whoever in your life has been told for years that the strap was the right length and has finally figured out it wasn't her, it was the strap. Your move. emmafy.com/bumbag
My friend Brittany has been holding my bag at every soccer tournament for two years because she "doesn't mind, hon" and last weekend I finally showed up not needing her to. Backstory because it matters. I am 27. I have an 8-year-old. I had her young. I am bigger than my friends — always have been, always will be, I made peace with that around 22 and I'm not interested in re-litigating it at every group hangout. The friend group is six moms from our kids' soccer travel team. We do tournaments most weekends from August through November. Big complexes, four to six fields, six to eight games a day for the whole team across two days. It's a lot. It's also some of my favorite time of the year. Brittany is the smallest one of us. She is also the one who, every single tournament, has held my bag for me at some point in the day with the words "let me hold yours, hon, I don't mind" or some variation. The first time she did it was kind. The fortieth time it stopped being kind. The reason she'd been holding mine is that I had given up on crossbodies in 2022 after I ordered three different ones online from three different brands and not a single strap was long enough to actually go across my body. Two of them I shoved in the back of my closet and forgot about. The third one I returned and I cried while I was packing it up. I don't really cry about clothes-fit stuff anymore but I cried about that one because the website had a model on it who looked like me, sort of, and the strap on her was clearly digital-edited longer. I called my sister and she said "girl, you and me both" and we left it at that. So at tournaments I'd been bringing a tote bag. Tote bags slide off your shoulder when you're carrying a chair and a water bottle and someone else's water bottle and trying to clap at the same time. Tote bags fall over on the grass and dump your stuff. Tote bags make you stop cheering to readjust the strap, which is why Brittany started holding mine in the first place — because I missed a goal in 2023 because I was wrestling with a strap. She watched it happen, took the bag off my shoulder, and said "hon, just give me the bag, I don't mind." She did mean well. She does mean well. She also has been telling everyone in the group, for two years, the story of the time she rescued my bag from itself, and the story has gotten a little longer and a little more about her every time. Three weeks before the October tournament, I saw an ad for a crossbody bag and I scrolled past it the way I scroll past every crossbody ad. Then I scrolled back because the woman in the photo was bigger than me and the strap was clearly long enough on her. I went to the comments. About forty comments down a woman with the same body as me had written: "ordered, the strap actually fit, I cried." I read that comment three times. I added two to the cart that night. Buy one get one. I sent the second one to my sister, the one who'd said "girl you and me both" two years before. She got it on a Wednesday and texted me at 4:17 PM: "MARLA. THE STRAP." All caps. Then a row of crying emojis. Then "I'm wearing it to the grocery store." Mine arrived on a Thursday. The tournament was Saturday and Sunday. Friday night I packed it sitting on my kitchen floor with my chair folded next to me. Two water bottles. Pretzels. Two granola bars. Sunscreen. Backup team shirt for my daughter because she always spills. A small first-aid pouch. Phone. Wallet. Portable charger. Hair tie. Gum. A roll of athletic tape because there is always one kid who needs it. I put the strap on. It went across my body. It sat at my hip. It did not pull. It did not dig. It did not cut into my collarbone. The bag rested where a bag is supposed to rest on a body that is shaped like mine. I sat on the kitchen floor and I cried for a minute. I am not a crier and I felt stupid about it but I cried. Saturday morning. 7:15 AM. I pulled into the lot at the sports complex with my daughter half-asleep in the back seat. Brittany was already there, parked next to me, getting her chair out of her trunk. She looked over. "Oh — new bag?" "Yeah. New bag." "Cute! Want me to hold it during games? I don't mind." I said: "I'm good." She said: "Hon, you sure? It's a long day." I said: "I'm good, Britt." We walked to field three. I had the bag across my chest, a chair folded under my left arm, and two water bottles in my right hand. I did not put anything down to walk. I did not adjust the strap. I did not ask anyone to hold anything. Game one. I cheered with both hands free. I clapped. I yelled. I pulled out the sunscreen between innings without taking the bag off, applied it to my daughter's face from the sideline, zipped it back up, never sat down. Game two. My daughter scored. I had my phone out for the video before she crossed the line because the phone was in the side pocket and the side pocket is where I always keep it, and the bag was on me, not in Brittany's lap. Game three. A mom from the opposing team — about my size, maybe a couple years older — sat down next to me. She watched me grab my water, my granola bar, and my phone all out of the same bag without standing up. She watched me do it three times. After the second time she said: "Excuse me, can I ask what bag that is. I have been looking for a crossbody for four years and every single one I have tried, the strap doesn't fit." I told her. Right there on the sideline. She said: "Does it really fit? Like — fit fit?" I said: "Look at me." She looked at me. She looked at the bag on me. Her face did a thing. She typed it into her phone. She also took a picture of me. She asked if she could and I said yes. She said "I'm sending this to my sister. We've been looking for years." Brittany was about three chairs down. I'm not sure how much she heard but I noticed she didn't come over to hold my bag during game four, or game five, or game six. Sunday morning Brittany sat down next to me in her chair and said: "Where did you actually get that bag, by the way." I said: "I'll text you the link." I texted her the link. I did not type "hon." She ordered it Sunday night. She texted me Monday: "okay it actually does fit a lot, I get it now." She gets it now. It's the GoFree, by Emmafy. emmafy.com/bumbag — they do a buy one get one and that's how I sent the second one to my sister, and that's also how that mom on the sideline sent one to her own sister the same week. Worth knowing if you've got someone in mind. If you have ordered three crossbodies in the past three years and the strap was too short on every single one. If you have a friend who has been kindly and condescendingly holding your bag for two years because you made the mistake one time of letting her. If you have ever stood at a sports complex on a Saturday morning with a chair under your arm and a tote sliding off your shoulder and thought I have got to figure something else out. Get two. Keep one. Give the other to whoever in your life has been told for years that the strap was the right length and has finally figured out it wasn't her, it was the strap. Your move. emmafy.com/bumbag
My friend Brittany has been holding my bag at every soccer tournament for two years because she "doesn't mind, hon" and last weekend I finally showed up not needing her to. Backstory because it matters. I am 27. I have an 8-year-old. I had her young. I am bigger than my friends — always have been, always will be, I made peace with that around 22 and I'm not interested in re-litigating it at every group hangout. The friend group is six moms from our kids' soccer travel team. We do tournaments most weekends from August through November. Big complexes, four to six fields, six to eight games a day for the whole team across two days. It's a lot. It's also some of my favorite time of the year. Brittany is the smallest one of us. She is also the one who, every single tournament, has held my bag for me at some point in the day with the words "let me hold yours, hon, I don't mind" or some variation. The first time she did it was kind. The fortieth time it stopped being kind. The reason she'd been holding mine is that I had given up on crossbodies in 2022 after I ordered three different ones online from three different brands and not a single strap was long enough to actually go across my body. Two of them I shoved in the back of my closet and forgot about. The third one I returned and I cried while I was packing it up. I don't really cry about clothes-fit stuff anymore but I cried about that one because the website had a model on it who looked like me, sort of, and the strap on her was clearly digital-edited longer. I called my sister and she said "girl, you and me both" and we left it at that. So at tournaments I'd been bringing a tote bag. Tote bags slide off your shoulder when you're carrying a chair and a water bottle and someone else's water bottle and trying to clap at the same time. Tote bags fall over on the grass and dump your stuff. Tote bags make you stop cheering to readjust the strap, which is why Brittany started holding mine in the first place — because I missed a goal in 2023 because I was wrestling with a strap. She watched it happen, took the bag off my shoulder, and said "hon, just give me the bag, I don't mind." She did mean well. She does mean well. She also has been telling everyone in the group, for two years, the story of the time she rescued my bag from itself, and the story has gotten a little longer and a little more about her every time. Three weeks before the October tournament, I saw an ad for a crossbody bag and I scrolled past it the way I scroll past every crossbody ad. Then I scrolled back because the woman in the photo was bigger than me and the strap was clearly long enough on her. I went to the comments. About forty comments down a woman with the same body as me had written: "ordered, the strap actually fit, I cried." I read that comment three times. I added two to the cart that night. Buy one get one. I sent the second one to my sister, the one who'd said "girl you and me both" two years before. She got it on a Wednesday and texted me at 4:17 PM: "MARLA. THE STRAP." All caps. Then a row of crying emojis. Then "I'm wearing it to the grocery store." Mine arrived on a Thursday. The tournament was Saturday and Sunday. Friday night I packed it sitting on my kitchen floor with my chair folded next to me. Two water bottles. Pretzels. Two granola bars. Sunscreen. Backup team shirt for my daughter because she always spills. A small first-aid pouch. Phone. Wallet. Portable charger. Hair tie. Gum. A roll of athletic tape because there is always one kid who needs it. I put the strap on. It went across my body. It sat at my hip. It did not pull. It did not dig. It did not cut into my collarbone. The bag rested where a bag is supposed to rest on a body that is shaped like mine. I sat on the kitchen floor and I cried for a minute. I am not a crier and I felt stupid about it but I cried. Saturday morning. 7:15 AM. I pulled into the lot at the sports complex with my daughter half-asleep in the back seat. Brittany was already there, parked next to me, getting her chair out of her trunk. She looked over. "Oh — new bag?" "Yeah. New bag." "Cute! Want me to hold it during games? I don't mind." I said: "I'm good." She said: "Hon, you sure? It's a long day." I said: "I'm good, Britt." We walked to field three. I had the bag across my chest, a chair folded under my left arm, and two water bottles in my right hand. I did not put anything down to walk. I did not adjust the strap. I did not ask anyone to hold anything. Game one. I cheered with both hands free. I clapped. I yelled. I pulled out the sunscreen between innings without taking the bag off, applied it to my daughter's face from the sideline, zipped it back up, never sat down. Game two. My daughter scored. I had my phone out for the video before she crossed the line because the phone was in the side pocket and the side pocket is where I always keep it, and the bag was on me, not in Brittany's lap. Game three. A mom from the opposing team — about my size, maybe a couple years older — sat down next to me. She watched me grab my water, my granola bar, and my phone all out of the same bag without standing up. She watched me do it three times. After the second time she said: "Excuse me, can I ask what bag that is. I have been looking for a crossbody for four years and every single one I have tried, the strap doesn't fit." I told her. Right there on the sideline. She said: "Does it really fit? Like — fit fit?" I said: "Look at me." She looked at me. She looked at the bag on me. Her face did a thing. She typed it into her phone. She also took a picture of me. She asked if she could and I said yes. She said "I'm sending this to my sister. We've been looking for years." Brittany was about three chairs down. I'm not sure how much she heard but I noticed she didn't come over to hold my bag during game four, or game five, or game six. Sunday morning Brittany sat down next to me in her chair and said: "Where did you actually get that bag, by the way." I said: "I'll text you the link." I texted her the link. I did not type "hon." She ordered it Sunday night. She texted me Monday: "okay it actually does fit a lot, I get it now." She gets it now. It's the GoFree, by Emmafy. emmafy.com/bumbag — they do a buy one get one and that's how I sent the second one to my sister, and that's also how that mom on the sideline sent one to her own sister the same week. Worth knowing if you've got someone in mind. If you have ordered three crossbodies in the past three years and the strap was too short on every single one. If you have a friend who has been kindly and condescendingly holding your bag for two years because you made the mistake one time of letting her. If you have ever stood at a sports complex on a Saturday morning with a chair under your arm and a tote sliding off your shoulder and thought I have got to figure something else out. Get two. Keep one. Give the other to whoever in your life has been told for years that the strap was the right length and has finally figured out it wasn't her, it was the strap. Your move. emmafy.com/bumbag
Full Map Open, No Invisible Walls 🗺️
Create AI Music Videos
Create AI Music Videos
Create AI Music Videos
At Reigate St Mary’s Nursery, our experienced and highly qualified staff help each child to build the skills and confidence needed for a smooth start to school when the time comes. At Reigate St Mary’s Nursery, children enjoy a joyful, spacious environment from age 2, with: • Beautiful outdoor green spaces and Forest School • Flexible wraparound care for 48 weeks of the year • A carefully designed early years programme that builds school readiness • Fully qualified teachers and excellent staff-to-child ratios • Access to the school’s outstanding facilities and wider community • A smooth transition into Reception when the time comes Book a visit to see our Nursery in action. | At Reigate St Mary’s Nursery, our experienced and highly qualified staff help each child to build the skills and confidence needed for a smooth start to school when the time comes. At Reigate St Mary’s Nursery, children enjoy a joyful, spacious environment from age 2, with: • Beautiful outdoor green spaces and Forest School • Flexible wraparound care for 48 weeks of the year • A carefully designed early years programme that builds school readiness • Fully qualified teachers and excellent staff-to-child ratios • Access to the school’s outstanding facilities and wider community • A smooth transition into Reception when the time comes Book a visit to see our Nursery in action.
Here's what makes THE PUBLISH OR PERISH GAME a great party game that went viral among academics: 🤣 Unhinged academic humor, savagely satirical 📖 Publish hilarious manuscripts that are so bad you can’t unsee 🎓 Sprinkled with fun trivia and mind-blowing weird-but-true facts from 20+ disciplines!
Here's what makes THE PUBLISH OR PERISH GAME a great party game that went viral among academics: 🤣 Unhinged academic humor, savagely satirical 📖 Publish hilarious manuscripts that are so bad you can’t unsee 🎓 Sprinkled with fun trivia and mind-blowing weird-but-true facts from 20+ disciplines!
Here's what makes THE PUBLISH OR PERISH GAME a great party game that went viral among academics: 🤣 Unhinged academic humor, savagely satirical 📖 Publish hilarious manuscripts that are so bad you can’t unsee 🎓 Sprinkled with fun trivia and mind-blowing weird-but-true facts from 20+ disciplines!
Here's what makes THE PUBLISH OR PERISH GAME a great party game that went viral among academics: 🤣 Unhinged academic humor, savagely satirical 📖 Publish hilarious manuscripts that are so bad you can’t unsee 🎓 Sprinkled with fun trivia and mind-blowing weird-but-true facts from 20+ disciplines!