Chapter 11 - Daphne’s Desperation: When the Golden Child Starts to Rust
By midnight, the internet had exploded.
The hashtag #DelaneyWaverly was trending number one worldwide.
Fashion blogs were hailing Delaney as the breakout style icon of the year.
Clips of her stepping out of the Rolls-Royce in her liquid gold dress had amassed over fifty million views in less than three hours.
Meanwhile, Daphne Waverly’s live broadcast had turned into an unmitigated disaster.
Her followers were turning on her in droves.
“Wait, so Daphne mocked her sister for years, and now Delaney is with SALVATORE VANCE?!”
“Look at Daphne’s face on the red carpet! Pure jealousy!”
“Delaney looks like a real woman. Daphne looks like a bitter ghost.”
“#TeamDelaney”
Daphne locked herself inside the luxury VIP restroom at the gala, hyperventilating as she watched her follower count drop by the tens of thousands every minute.
Sponsors were already commenting on her posts, pulling their names.
Her phone buzzed.
It was an email from the CEO of Valmont Cosmetics:
SUBJECT: Immediate Termination of Brand Ambassador Agreement.
“Dear Ms. Waverly, in light of recent events and the directives from our parent corporation, Vance Enterprises, your contract is terminated effective immediately.”
Daphne screamed, throwing her phone against the marble wall.
She stormed out of the restroom, her eyes wild with rage.
She pushed through the crowd until she reached the private balcony overlooking the temple exhibit, where Salvatore and Delaney were standing alone under the moonlight.
“Delaney!” Daphne shrieked.
Delaney turned around calmly.
Daphne looked completely unhinged. Her mascara was smudged, her hair disheveled, and her silver dress was wrinkled.
“How dare you!” Daphne shouted, pointing a trembling finger at Delaney. “How dare you do this to me! You stole my life! You stole my contacts! You paid him to do this, didn't you?!”
Salvatore stepped forward, placing himself between Daphne and Delaney, his eyes turning to black ice.
“Lower your voice,” Salvatore said, his tone dropping the temperature of the balcony to freezing.
“Stay out of this, Salvatore!” Daphne raged. “You don't know her! She’s a fat, lazy loser who spent her whole life eating on the couch while I worked for everything I have! She’s using you!”
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Delaney didn't hide behind Salvatore this time.
She placed a gentle hand on Salvatore’s arm and stepped forward to face her twin.
