Chapter 10 - THEIR MOTHER HAD BUILT THE CAMERA TOO
Sarah did not believe Vanessa at first.
Not because Patricia was incapable of involvement.
Because Patricia had spent years pretending Vanessa’s internet career was a charming hobby she generously helped manage.
The truth was more complicated.
Three years earlier, after Tom Miller’s death, Patricia had put $85,000 into Vanessa’s business.
Some came from life-insurance proceeds.
Some from savings.
Later, when Vanessa’s revenue became unpredictable, Patricia opened a home-equity line against the Westerville house.
She became a minority owner of the media company and its de facto business manager.
The “inheritance” Patricia threatened Sarah with was no untouched family fortune.
Much of the liquid money was already tied to Vanessa’s company.
Sarah sat across from Vanessa on the porch.
“How much does Mom owe?”
“I don’t know exactly.”
“You’re business partners.”
“She handles debt.”
Sarah laughed without humor.
“Of course she does.”
The birthday campaign mattered because Vanessa’s views had been sliding for six months.
Lifestyle videos were crowded.
Her most successful recent posts all had one thing in common.
Genuine emotional reactions.
Lily screaming when the rabbit disappeared.
Lily gagging over salty lemonade.
Lily panicking over fake scissors near her hair.
The numbers had taught Vanessa something ugly.
Patricia had noticed it first.
“Mom started calling Lily your secret weapon,” Vanessa said.
Sarah’s face hardened.
“Don’t call her that.”
“I’m telling you what Mom said.”
Vanessa wiped beneath one eye.
“She kept saying Lily reacts naturally. Adults look fake when they know there’s a camera. Lily doesn’t.”
The clues rearranged themselves.
Patricia’s obsession with view counts.
Her voice after the phone hit the grass.
The exact $1,500 campaign loss.
Her inheritance threat.
The old videos where Patricia had participated instead of merely watching.
Patricia had not defended Vanessa because mothers protected daughters.
She had defended a business she had financed.
Worse, she had helped build the pattern.
Sarah asked, “Who decided on the paint?”
Vanessa looked down.
“I did.”
“Who decided Lily should be the one under the bucket?”
Vanessa said nothing.
Sarah’s stomach tightened.
“Vanessa.”
“Mom.”
Sarah stood.
Vanessa spoke quickly.
“She didn’t say, ‘Make Lily cry.’ She said Lily gave the best reactions. She told me the campaign needed something bigger.”
“And you did it.”
Vanessa flinched.
“Yes.”
“Then she cried.”
“I know.”
“And you stayed three feet away filming her.”
“I know.”
Sarah walked to the porch railing.
Vanessa’s voice broke behind her.
“Do you think I haven’t watched it?”
Sarah turned.
“I don’t care how many times you watched it. Lily lived it.”
Vanessa looked down.
Sarah noticed something else.
“Why are you telling me this now?”
Vanessa gave a bitter smile.
“Because Mom wants me to sign a statement saying she had nothing to do with the creative decisions.”
Sarah understood.
This was not courage.
Not entirely.
Vanessa was being asked to take the entire fall.
“And you don’t want to.”
“No.”
Sarah nodded.
“Good.”
Vanessa looked surprised.
Sarah continued.
“Because you shouldn’t take responsibility for her choices.”
Vanessa relaxed slightly.
May you like
Then Sarah finished.
“You should take responsibility for yours.”
