From Divorce To Dominance

Chapter 13

"Come on, check her tweet!" both Oscar and Bobby hollered together. Every move Natalie made had millions glued to their screens. They rushed to the office computer, dying to see what she'd posted.

Natalie had retweeted the big brands' posts with just "Read it" tagged on-cool as a cucumber, showing her confidence without even trying. Her laid-back reply got her fans all hyped up.

[Nat's got the power! Is this what it means to be rich and classy?)

[Nat's stunning-chill and in control. I'm so into her.]

[Let's guard our Nat! Haters can't stand the rich, so they make up stories. I'm over them.]

[Like attracts like-let the haters be bitter. Nat's still rolling in it.]

[Um, am I the only one who thinks she's making a big deal out of nothing? Rich folks usually keep it cool, right?]

[Yeah, right! You're the only one who thinks that! Should rich folks just sit back and take it? You don't know rich people at all.]

[If I had Nat's cash, I'd wear it on my sleeve! I'd be even more out there.]

The comments section blew up, with thousands of posts in minutes. Just when folks thought the drama was dying down, Natalie dropped another bomb on Twitter.

[Queen Natalie: @Keaton, no fame after ten years? Maybe you should check your attitude?]

Natalie didn't mind if others wanted to use her for fame; that was how it works. But Keaton was different-he was making fun of her while trying to get noticed, and that bugged her.

He'd insulted her to reporters, calling her full of herself and a liar, and she let it slide. But he kept sniping at her online, talking about her bad character and how she was bound to flop. That hit a nerve. If he wanted to play games, she wasn't going to roll over. While fans were losing steam, Natalie's new tweet was like a battle cry. The internet went nuts in a flash.

[Whoa! Rich girl Natalie's fierce! She's not playing around! I love her spunk!]

[She can take on all the haters.]

[Keaton's acting like he's all that, thinking he's better. Looks like he met his match.]

[But isn't Keaton a big deal in the industry? Isn't Natalie being rude?]

[Just because you're a big shot doesn't mean you can put others down. Plus, Nat didn't lie; Keaton's been around for ten years and isn't famous. What's the fuss?]

[Honestly, what songs does Keaton have besides that one hit?]

(Keaton's biggest claim to fame is his reputation, and it's not great. Some folks just show off their cash for attention.]

As the drama heated up, the production office got tense. Oscar was fuming. "Why's Keaton stirring the pot? Does he want to show off his failures?"

They hadn't planned on him. With big names like Vivian and TAR's Oliver on board, they were over budget. A nobody like Keaton wouldn't usually get a look-in. But now? Turns out cheap can be costly. Most judges would lay low in a mess like this. But Keaton was acting up like a monkey on a hot tin roof.

"He's desperate for fame!" Bobby scoffed. "And now the crowd's turning on him."

Oscar got it. If Natalie had that kind of money, she had to be high up. Maybe a rich heiress or someone's favorite. Either way, crossing her wasn't smart.

He banged the table. "Call Keaton. Tell him to erase that tweet and say sorry to Natalie in public. If not, we're done with him."

Meanwhile, Keaton was shocked after Bobby's call. He thought his vague tweet was no big deal, and then took a nap, dreaming of stardom, sold-out shows, and big bucks.

Then, his phone rang, jolting him from his dreams. He was asked to apologize to Natalie.

He turned on his computer, and a flood of alerts froze the screen for three whole minutes. When it finally loaded, he felt sick. The comments, trending topics, and Natalie's tweets were a nightmare.

Natalie was the real deal, and everyone was on her side, blasting him for trying to use her fame. Even his fans couldn't back him up against the backlash.

Keaton felt wronged. He'd only said a few things and didn't call anyone out; he didn't know why people attacked him. He wanted to vent, but he needed this gig. It was his only job in over a year, and the pay was good. While he was stuck, the Sweet Love team posted an apology. [Sweet Love: We messed up by ending our contract with Ms. Natalie Xavier without checking the facts. We're really sorry and invite her to tomorrow's live stream.]

Natalie's reply was quick and to the point: [Read it.]

Seeing those two words, the production office breathed easy.

Oscar smiled, "She's cool with us, right?"

Bobby wasn't sure. "Maybe. I think she gets we had to end the contract because of the buzz."

Oscar nodded. "Let's meet up. We need to keep Natalie in the top six."

Bobby was taken aback. "So we're just gonna guarantee her a spot? What if she can't sing or dance?"

"With her, we've got buzz and ratings. If we don't secure her place, who would want to be here?" Oscar was firm. "Plus, even if she can't perform, with her looks, she could be a star." Just then, Oscar had another worry. "What about Keaton? Why no apology post? Call him-if he doesn't post in ten minutes, he's out."

Bobby dialed Keaton's number.

Keaton picked up quick. "Hey, Bobby," Keaton said, on his best behavior.

Bobby skipped the small talk. "Keaton, what gives? No apology yet? Here's the deal: Ten minutes, or you're out. I don't want your mistakes dragging us down."

Keaton was ready to explain, but Bobby hung up. Fuming, Keaton wanted to toss his phone but thought better of it.

Five minutes later, he posted his apology.

[Keaton: I'm truly sorry for my bad posts today. Thanks for calling me out; I'll learn from it. I own up to my mistake, and I apologize.]

After hitting "send," he waited for Natalie's reply. But thirty minutes passed, he got no reply. He kept checking, glued to the trends. Finally, an hour later, Natalie retweeted his post.