How Did Juliana Rosewood Become An Online Influencer?

My twin sister, Ruby Stone, and I split up after our parents' divorce. She stays with Mom, while I went with Dad. Since the divorce, he's sunk into a deep depression, gambling away every penny we have. We move into a dark, damp apartment, and life becomes an endless struggle. Every day, I go to school and quietly work a part-time job to keep us afloat. Then, out of nowhere, Ruby—whom I haven't heard from in forever—sends me a link to a live stream. "Check this out, Aria. There's a surprise waiting for you." I click it, and my jaw drops. I'm the one topping the trending live streams. The screen splits in two. On one side, I sit in my dingy apartment, hunched over homework under the dim light. On the other side, Mom and Dad cuddle with Ruby on the fancy couch of their sprawling villa. The comments came pouring in. "Let's see what happens when twins are raised on opposite sides of fortune all the way to 18." "Aria still doesn't know, right? Her parents never divorced. They're loaded and perfectly happy. Ruby's life has been like a dream too." "Poor Aria. She's always starving and never has anything decent to wear. Isn't that basically abuse?" "She's the more sensible one, so her parents decided to raise her poorly."

Gideon Hart, a man known for keeping every woman at arm's length, gets drugged and wakes up in a hotel with me lying beside him. Afterward, he comes to me and offers ten million as compensation. When I remain silent, my best friend, Lena Quimby, jumps in like she's been waiting for her cue. She snaps that money can't buy everything, trying to reject the offer on my behalf. Before I can say a word, comments start flashing before me like a live stream chat. "Here we go! The male lead, the female lead, and the side character are all on screen together!" "Lena's so classy. Way better than that gold-digger Evelyn." "Watch Evelyn reject the money and still get clowned!" "Who wouldn't pick the sweet, innocent heroine?" Glancing at Lena's flushed cheeks and the way her eyes stick to Gideon, I almost let out a cold laugh. Then, I turn to the man in front of me and hold up my Venmo QR code. "Sure. Wire it!"

“How could you…” ah! My words dissolved into sobs, cruelly racking out of my throat. I was crumbling like a sandhill right before both of them. “HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT!? YOU LOVE ME, LOGAN! YOU LOVE ME!” “Where's it, Mother?” His voice was ice cold, sharp at the edges as he darted his gaze towards her. Where's what? “Right here!” She chimed. “I remembered to pick it up.” After which she immediately handed him a file in an envelope. “Here!” Logan slapped the document on the table before me with a loud bang that caused me to jump. “Sign it. And leave!” *** From the ashes of heartbreak, a new queen rises. Alaina Bloodrose, a victim of a brutal divorce by the only man she's wholeheartedly loved, kickstarts her streaming career. Concealed behind a mask and alias, she builds a new life as Queen of Dawn, determined to make the world bow to her feet after all the bullying she withstands for being a lowly Omega, cursed to bring only woe and ill-luck! Alaina navigates her newfound fame and the attention of her enigmatic boss, the Icy Alpha, she must confront the demons of her past and her ex husband, who reappears, unforgiven and relentless. But he isn't the only one who wants her back! Will she emerge victorious, or will the shadows of her double identity consume her?

On my way to work, I came across a livestream from an influencer who posted about her relationship, tagged at my company’s location. She was talking about her office romance with the CEO of a major corporation. But wasn’t the CEO of her company my husband? I clicked on her profile and saw that it was full of wedding-prep posts. The man never showed his face, but his build looked almost exactly like my husband’s. So I left a comment in the livestream: “I heard the CEO of Gibson Corporation has been married for a long time. So what does that make you...?” The streamer muted me, then instantly burst into tears. “The internet isn’t lawless. If you keep spreading rumors and calling me a mistress, I’m calling the police.” Her fans immediately swarmed me. “You’re probably the other woman yourself. That’s why your mind went there.” “I checked her profile. She’s some woman in her thirties. She’s obviously jealous because the streamer is young, pretty, and has a rich, powerful boyfriend who dotes on her.” “The account’s brand new. She’s obviously just a troll.” I tried to say more, only to realize I had already been kicked out of the livestream, and my account had been reported until I couldn’t even log back in. I stared at the proof of our marriage in the drawer for a long moment. Then I raised my hand and smacked my sleeping husband awake. “Exactly how many wives are you planning to have?”

“It’s not my fault you keep losing our babies!” Jasper snapped. “And instead of being jealous of Lillian, you should be grateful to her!” ~ ~ ~ Rose Ashford’s marriage to Jasper Thompson had been a happy one but too many miscarriages led to one decision that would shake the foundation of the love they once shared. Lillian, Rose’s best friend volunteered to be their surrogate and that’s when things changed for the worse. Rose was kicked aside and disrespected by her husband, shamed and abused by her in-laws, and constantly received shady remarks from her so-called best friend. For the sake of Rose’s baby that Lillian was carrying, she was willing to endure it all until she a shocking revelation shatters her heart into a million pieces. She demanded a divorce, but Jasper isn't willing, he called her dramatic and said she couldn't live without him. Desperate for revenge, she teamed up with Jasper’s rival, Kaiser Montclair. Gone was the meek woman who worshipped her husband and loved her best friend, she was out for their downfall. On this journey of revenge, secrets and lies are uncovered.

The day the SAT results drop, I log a 1,500. The whole school goes wild. My boyfriend, Declan Dawson, lights up. "Sienna, that score locks in your spot at top universities! Let's celebrate with a trip abroad this break. Also, I've been eyeing a new laptop." I freeze. For some reason, Declan has spent all three years of high school convinced I'm a secret heiress who's just playing broke to test his loyalty. I clutch the last 10 bucks in my pocket, thoroughly mortified. "Declan, I really can't afford a vacation. Please don't be mad. Once I get my scholarship, I'll buy you those new sneakers you wanted, okay?" Declan's smile vanishes, and his gaze turns ice-cold. "Are you seriously still playing poor? You think you can brush me off with a cheap pair of shoes? Sienna Lawrence, drop the act. I know what you've been doing behind my back!" As I watch his angry figure leave, I feel a bitter ache in my heart. Maybe breaking up is for the best. My family background has never matched his anyway. Then comes the night of my celebration dinner. He shows up unexpectedly, arm in arm with the class beauty, and slaps a DNA test report right on the table in front of everyone. "Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence, Rosie is the real Lawrence heiress! Your actual biological daughter! The girl you raised is nothing but a fraud living a stolen life!" My parents freeze on stage. Rosie cues the tears right on time. "Sienna, you knew the truth all along. How could you steal my family and my life like this?" Declan pulls Rosie close and looks at me with pure, vengeful satisfaction. "It's time you give Rosie back everything you stole, Sienna!" They think I usurped Rosie's place in some luxury dynasty, but my family literally just makes a living collecting junk!