Chapter 15
Over the next few days, Gemma’s Instagram went suspiciously quiet.
She deleted all those posts.
Meanwhile, her Facebook suddenly shifted to constant oversharing of melodramatic quotes:
[I’ve been walking on thin ice my whole life–will I ever reach the other side p>
(Why are my tears so hot? Why am I always licking my own wounds? ]
II keep crying but nothing changes–bad things stay same, life stays the same, I stay the same p>
[I think I can go further, be stronger, be happier]
Each accompanied by heavily filtered selfies with her looking wistfully into the distance.
Clearly, her personal life had hit some major turbulence.
I wasn’t idle either–posted several times on social media, showing off designer bags and fancy afternoon tea setups.
All visible only to her – of course.
Sure enough, within days, Gemma couldn’t stand it anymore and called me directly:
“Babe! The manufacturer confirmed they got the final payment! Give me your account info so I can transfer that $500K we talked about p>
I decided to mess with her a bit:
“Oh… we don’t live that far apart. Just bring cash p>
There was an audible sharp intake of breath on the other end.
Gemma’s voice took on a panicked edge, her words tumbling out faster:
“That’s so inconvenient though! Plus my accounts have daily withdrawal limits-$500K would take like a month to pull out in cash. Let me just transfer it directly p>
Her tone grew more earnest:
“I know it’s not totally above board, but trust me completely! We’re old classmates, and I’m counting on you to keep throwing business my way. I’d screw over anyone before I’d screw you! Just send me your account details and I’ll transfer it right now p>
After a pause, I sighed with apparent reluctance:
“Fine p>
Ten minutes later, I got a bank notification for a $500K transfer.
The memo was crystal clear:
“Artisan Delights Vermont chocolate sales kickback payment p>
That evening, I updated my IG again:
[Elephant gray or milkshake white? Adults don’t choose–we get both p>
The photo showed two pristine Hermès bags. Read complete version only at
Gemma gave it an aggressive like.
Chapter 6
The next morning at eight, before I’d even gotten to the office, my assistant called.
Her voice was urgent:
“Ms. Rivers! That chocolate supplier Gemma Knox just showed up with a bunch of reporters making a scene! She’s saying… she’s saying she’s going to file an official report against you p>
I wasn’t surprised at all, continuing my skincare routine while giving instructions:
“Let her wait. Tell her I’m in meetings and I’ll see her when I’m free p>
I let Gemma stand out in the sun for hours.
Of course, she didn’t waste the time.
In front of countless cameras pointed at her, she dramatically dropped to her knees:
“Stellaris Corporation Procurement Manager Rivers! Please, I’m begging you! Give me back that $500K kickback! Us small business owners don’t have it easy! That’s my entire life savings p>
She started a live stream from her account, constantly twisting the narrative:
“I didn’t give that $500K willingly! She forced me to! Said she wouldn’t sign the contract without kickbacks, that she’d destroy my business! After costs, I lost over $400K on this deal! Please, everyone, help me get justice p>
She was sobbing dramatically, painting herself as a helpless small business owner crushed by corporate corruption.
When I still didn’t show up, she actually called the cops.
Viewers flooded her live stream:
[Holy shit! Dropping to her knees first thing in the morning? This is intense p>
[That procurement manager is shady AF! $500K in kickbacks? Do small vendors even make that much in a year p>
[This woman’s unhinged though–taking kickbacks is wrong, but giving them is somehow noble? After this stunt, who’s gonna trust her with business p>
[I’m staying neutral for now, this whole thing seems fishy! Who’s stupid enough to lose $500K giving kickbacks? Makes no sense p>
[You’re naive! I bet she was banking on getting huge annual contracts, so she front–loaded the bribes. Then when the manager took the money and ghosted, she had to go public p>
[Screw neutrality! Stellaris is publicly traded–every dollar that manager stole is from us shareholders! Investigate everything p>
[Where is this Manager Rivers? What kind of attitude is this p>
[ The cops are there! Arrest her already! What are they waiting for p>
The company was in the middle of preparing for Series C funding post IPO, making any negative publicity extremely sensitive.
That’s exactly why Gemma was making such a big scene.
If the company chose to quietly settle, her $500K gamble would be for nothing.
My assistant called again:
“ Ms. Rivers…. there are tons of reporters here, and the public pressure is intense! Should we put out some kind of statement p>
“ Is it trending yet? ”
“ Huh? No, not yet p>
Chapter 6
My voice was completely calm:
“Buy some traffic for her live stream. When it starts trending. I’ll come down p>
“Yes, Ms. Rivers p>
Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.