Cut Out, Cashed In
On International Women's Day, I spent twelve hours straight in a live stream, selling $5 million worth of product.
When it came time to settle my commission, my aunt and boss, Sandra Holt, quietly transferred my $400,000 cut into her own account and handed me $500, labeled as a meal stipend.
She took my hand with a warm, motherly smile. "Sweetheart, you're still an intern. Taking that much money at your age would hurt your career development. Let me hold onto it for you. Put it toward a car someday."
I looked at the sharp calculation behind her kind eyes. I didn't argue. I took the money without a word.
That night, I deleted my account and vanished, taking my entire product-sourcing system with me.
The next morning, Aunt Sandra stared at a live stream with ten viewers and finally started blowing up my phone.