From Divorce To Dominance

hapter 3 The Show Off

Lynn meant business. She was dangling a 30 thousand dollar-a-day carrot to hire a boyfriend for her prized daughter.

News of this windfall spread like wildfire, and hordes of good-looking guys came running. After a gauntlet of interviews, only the cream of the crop remained, each more charming than the last.

Ever since Natalie started bouncing back, she had a new handsome companion every day. Her messy divorce was a distant memory for her.

These guys were friendly, fun, and taught her all kinds of cool stuff. It dawned on her that while she was fixated on Darren, the world had zipped right by.

For three years, she had Darren on the brain, with no room for new trends. She was clueless about the latest viral videos, no wonder Darren thought she was stuck in the past.Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.

She thought the viral videos rocked. Natalie quickly got the hang of racking up followers and snagged five million fans in a snap. She named her channel "Queen Natalie," where she shared the nitty-gritty of her daily grind. Her first post showcased their family's farm, so vast it blew everyone away and went viral on the double.

Riding that wave, she posted clips of her boyfriends lending a hand at the dairy, pig, and fish farms, smashing interaction records.

The comments flooded in.

[Jesus, I just saw a real-life rich kid!]

[People have no shame! Parading on someone else's farm to flaunt cash? Seriously?!]

[How'd this chick get so many hot guys in her videos?!]

Spotting the last comment, Natalie replied right back, [Because we're rolling in dough.] Little did she know her retort would be the talk of the town by morning.

She expected that she would go viral on the internet. But being famous for just being rich was new.

The online world, though, had other ideas and exploded in outrage.

[She's faking the rich life! Real rich folks keep a low profile; posers are the ones showing off!]

[Right on! When I see this kind of bragging, I just report!]

[If those farms are really hers, why no face time? Scared the real owners will expose her?]

[She's probably butt ugly!]

[She's defo ugly! Bets are she's some old, fat lady!]

Natalie didn't flinch at the hate, but Lynn was having none of it.

Lynn wouldn't stand that they called her gorgeous daughter ugly. So, she logged into Natalie's account and fired back, replying, [Sorry, but I'm a total hottie.]

In five ticks of the clock, that comeback was screen-capped and shared a zillion times, sparking a comment tsunami.

[You think you're hot? Prove it! No one believes you just by typing!]

[Old news-ugly folks claiming beauty while real stunners stay cool. Right, peeps?]

[I'm super pretty; just not in the mood for a face reveal, k?]

[Not showing your face? Then peace out, TikTok!]

[Hey @ Sweet Love, wanna stir the pot for your show? Looking for a guest who'll heat things up? Check this out!]

The Sweet Love crew was all ears. Seeing the tags, they slid into Natalie's DMs with an invite.

They'd been scheming-scoring a guest who was both polarizing and popular was a ratings bonanza. Win-win either way.

Natalie eyed the invite from Sweet Love, feeling iffy, and turned to Lynn.

Lynn banged the table. "Do it! Flaunt that stunning face! Show them true beauty!"

"But I gotta take care of the kid! And that crew's in Greton; it's a haul from home!"

Lynn couldn't stomach the injustice and lived for sweet revenge, especially on a national stage. Just picturing the trolls' faces when they saw Natalie shine got her pumped.

"Let's do it!" After a moment's thought, Lynn was set. "We're relocating to Greton as a family so you can do this show! Think of it as an adventure; go wild on air. If they give you guff, I'll buy them out! I swear, I'll bag the whole network if I have to! So, in or out?" Natalie caved. She feared if Lynn got too riled up, she might just buy an entertainment company to gush over her non-stop, beauty queen style. No need for that-seriously.

In bustling Greton, the buzz was electric. Everyone was abuzz about the reality dating show Sweet Love, especially with "Queen Natalie" in the lineup. The buzz grew louder by the day, and fans were on the edge of their seats for the live premiere.

The big day dawned, and the media swarmed the red carpet, but something was off. Other contestants were preening, but Queen Natalie was a no-show. The comment section was seething.

Just as the suspense peaked, a swanky Rolls Royce glided up to the entrance. The one-of-a-kind license plate was a dead giveaway-somebody had arrived.

"Mr. Luther!" someone gasped, starstruck. "And Vivian's here too! They're making an entrance!"

"What a duo!" another gushed. "It's like a fairytale the mogul and his gorgeous wife!"

"So jealous! Vivian's crushing it-loaded, stunning, and engaged to the CEO!"

Vivian stepped out, linked arms with Darren, and they snuggled up, sending the crowd and viewers into a frenzy.

A reporter seized the moment, "Mr. Luther! Vivian! When's the big day? Everyone's dying to know!"

Just months prior, Vivian had jetted back from abroad and signed with Prosperity Entertainment, Greton's top media empire. Soon, she got engaged to Darren. Back then, Vivian said she wanted to nail her career first and promised a wedding in two years-a cool plan for a star.

But with Darren's boost, Vivian was the talk of the town, and fans were howling for a quicker trip down the aisle.

When the Q came, the crowd roared, and the online masses were on the same page it was time to seal the deal.

With a sugary smile, Vivian faced the camera, her glam on full blast. She glanced at Darren and playfully tugged their clasped hands, edging closer. "So, babe," she flirted, "when are we really making it official?"