Chapter 5 · Fired Live, I Rose Higher

Sure enough, at two in the afternoon, my lawyer called.

"Ms. Nolan, your former company just sent over a legal notice," he said.

"What's their reason?" I asked.

"They claim you walked out of the livestream halfway without authorization, which led the brand to break the contract. Now they're demanding you pay one million dollars as a penalty."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"So, did the brand really break the contract?" I asked.

"I checked the contract, here's the funny part. The agreement is between Cosmique and Radiant Media. You never signed any kind of performance guarantee yourself. That legal notice they sent? It doesn't hold any water," he replied.

"Then why did they send it?"

"To scare you," my lawyer replied, his tone flat. "It's just how they play the game. Most streamers would freak out at the sight of a one-million-dollar penalty and end up begging for mercy."

"I'm not going back," I said.

"I know. That's why I suggest you turn the tables on them."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a supplementary clause in your contract with Radiant Media, Article 17. If either side ends the contract without giving thirty days' written notice, the one who breaks it has to cough up six months' worth of salary as compensation.

"They just called you and let you go right then and there, no thirty days' heads-up, no written notice.

"With your pay level, they're on the hook for at least about 670,000 dollars."

A smirk tugged at my lips.

"Let's take them to court," I said.

"Got it. I'll draft the lawsuit today," he replied.

After hanging up, I leaned back in my chair.

One million dollars was supposed to scare me?

First, let's see you pay me what you owe.

My phone rang.

It was Charles.

I didn't pick up.

He called three times, but I ignored every single one.

The fourth time, he sent a voice message on WhatsApp. I tapped to listen.

[Grace, you've crossed the line. Cosmique can't reach Susan, and the brand has suspended all upcoming schedules. Do you even realize how much money you've lost us? Mr. Lane says if you come back and clean up this mess, we'll forget everything that happened before,]

I deleted it right away.

Forget everything that happened before?

Who was forgiving whom?

At six, I picked Lily up and made her dinner.

As she twirled her spaghetti, she asked, "Mommy, you're not going to work today?"

"I switched jobs. I'll be home with you for a few days," I replied.

"Really? That's awesome!" Lily exclaimed.

She was so thrilled, she started waving her arms and kicking her legs, unable to sit still.

Watching her smile, I thought to myself, 'I have to win.'

Not just to prove a point.

But so that the girl behind that smile would never have to live at anyone else's mercy again.

*****

At nine, Lily was fast asleep.

I sat on the living room couch and texted David back.

I texted: [Hey, Mr. Stone, are you free to chat tomorrow afternoon?]

He replied almost instantly.

He texted back: [Sure, I'll have my assistant send you the address. How about two o'clock?]

I replied: [Sounds good.]

His assistant sent over the address, 67th floor of an office building in the Harborview District.

Beacon Ventures Headquarters.

I put my phone down and opened my laptop, starting to organize all the data from the past few years.

The number of brands I'd partnered with, total GMV, fan profiles, return rate comparisons, and repeat purchase rates, all laid out in front of me.

These were my trump cards.

No matter who I was negotiating with, the numbers always did the talking.

At 11:30, a new email popped up in my inbox.

It was from Radiant Media's legal department.

A formal legal notice.

I glanced over it, just like my lawyer had said this afternoon, they were asking for one million dollars.

They also threw in another demand: I had to wipe anything mentioning Radiant Media from my social media within 48 hours, or they'd pursue me for defamation.

I thought back carefully.

I never posted anything about Radiant Media anywhere online.

The only thing I ever said was during a livestream: "The company let me go."

That was defamation?

Since when was stating a fact defamation?

I forwarded the email to my lawyer, adding a quick note: [Add this to our counterclaim.]

Then I shut my laptop, took a shower, and went to bed.

Tomorrow's another round, gotta be ready to win.

Chapter 5

Sure enough, at two in the afternoon, my lawyer called.

"Ms. Nolan, your former company just sent over a legal notice," he said.

"What's their reason?" I asked.

"They claim you walked out of the livestream halfway without authorization, which led the brand to break the contract. Now they're demanding you pay one million dollars as a penalty."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"So, did the brand really break the contract?" I asked.

"Then why did they send it?"

"To scare you," my lawyer replied, his tone flat. "It's just how they play the game. Most streamers would freak out at the sight of a one-million-dollar penalty and end up begging for mercy."

"I'm not going back," I said.

"I know. That's why I suggest you turn the tables on them."

"What do you mean?"

"They just called you and let you go right then and there, no thirty days' heads-up, no written notice.

"With your pay level, they're on the hook for at least about 670,000 dollars."

A smirk tugged at my lips.

"Let's take them to court," I said.

"Got it. I'll draft the lawsuit today," he replied.

After hanging up, I leaned back in my chair.

One million dollars was supposed to scare me?

First, let's see you pay me what you owe.

My phone rang.

It was Charles.

I didn't pick up.

He called three times, but I ignored every single one.

The fourth time, he sent a voice message on WhatsApp. I tapped to listen.

I deleted it right away.

Forget everything that happened before?

Who was forgiving whom?

At six, I picked Lily up and made her dinner.

As she twirled her spaghetti, she asked, "Mommy, you're not going to work today?"

"I switched jobs. I'll be home with you for a few days," I replied.

"Really? That's awesome!" Lily exclaimed.

She was so thrilled, she started waving her arms and kicking her legs, unable to sit still.

Watching her smile, I thought to myself, 'I have to win.'

Not just to prove a point.

But so that the girl behind that smile would never have to live at anyone else's mercy again.

*****

At nine, Lily was fast asleep.

I sat on the living room couch and texted David back.

I texted: [Hey, Mr. Stone, are you free to chat tomorrow afternoon?]

He replied almost instantly.

He texted back: [Sure, I'll have my assistant send you the address. How about two o'clock?]

I replied: [Sounds good.]

His assistant sent over the address, 67th floor of an office building in the Harborview District.

Beacon Ventures Headquarters.

I put my phone down and opened my laptop, starting to organize all the data from the past few years.

The number of brands I'd partnered with, total GMV, fan profiles, return rate comparisons, and repeat purchase rates, all laid out in front of me.

These were my trump cards.

No matter who I was negotiating with, the numbers always did the talking.

At 11:30, a new email popped up in my inbox.

It was from Radiant Media's legal department.

A formal legal notice.

I glanced over it, just like my lawyer had said this afternoon, they were asking for one million dollars.

They also threw in another demand: I had to wipe anything mentioning Radiant Media from my social media within 48 hours, or they'd pursue me for defamation.

I thought back carefully.

I never posted anything about Radiant Media anywhere online.

The only thing I ever said was during a livestream: "The company let me go."

That was defamation?

Since when was stating a fact defamation?

I forwarded the email to my lawyer, adding a quick note: [Add this to our counterclaim.]

Then I shut my laptop, took a shower, and went to bed.

Tomorrow's another round, gotta be ready to win.