Chapter 3: Viral Mom, Villainous Aunt

She sprang into action, snatched up the bottles, and glared at Lila. “What, can’t you get your own water? You’ve got two hands, don’t you? Every day you lounge around, mooching off everyone, and now you want to bully my daughter?” Her voice rang out, sharp as a whip, echoing off the trees.

She pointed a finger straight at Lila, her whole body trembling with righteous fury. For the first time, she looked like someone who wouldn’t take anyone’s crap. About time.

The second she finished, the whole place went dead silent. It was the kind of silence that follows a lightning strike. Everyone waited to see if the forest would catch fire.

Lila stared in disbelief. The other teams froze. Even I was stunned.

The chat exploded in a frenzy of emojis and all-caps messages, the digital world buzzing louder than a hornet’s nest. We broke the internet.

The whole internet lost it! Seriously. We went viral.

People were screenshotting, sharing clips, and arguing in the comments. I could practically see the hashtags trending in real time. Autumn was everywhere.

Even the snarkiest accounts were eating their words. Autumn had gone viral in the best possible way. Finally.

You could see the camera crew scrambling. They couldn’t get enough.

Lila, who’d been ready to snap back, froze under the cameras and just stood there, face stiff. For once, she looked genuinely rattled.

Her expression was priceless!

If Autumn hadn’t scooped me up and carried me away, I could’ve watched the show a little longer! I peeked over her shoulder, catching one last glimpse of Lila’s sour face.

Back in the tent, Autumn set me on a little folding camp stool and gently wiped my face with a baby wipe. For a moment, I felt like her real daughter.

Her hands were soft and cool, moving with a tenderness that made my chest ache. The scent of baby powder and wildflowers filled the air. I let myself relax for the first time all day.

The cool touch on my face brought me back to reality. She knelt in front of me, searching my face for any sign of fear. Her voice was barely above a whisper, shaky with worry.

I was stunned for a few seconds. She looked like her heart was breaking.

No, wait—that’s exactly who she is in this novel.

If I want to change Autumn’s fate, I’ll have to help her outgrow her doormat ways! No more shrinking violets.

I took a deep breath, determination bubbling up inside me. If I could do one thing, it’d be to help her see how strong she really is.

I quickly shook my head, then reached out to smooth her brow. I leapt into her arms and nuzzled her cheek.

Her hair tickled my nose, and I giggled, wrapping my arms around her neck. I wanted her to feel how much I adored her.

“Mama, you’re not scary at all. To me, you’re the best person in the world.”

My voice was thick with emotion. I really meant it. I hoped she knew.

My eyes sparkled. “Just now, you were like Wonder Woman, protecting me!”

I gave her my brightest, most hero-worshipping look. She needed to hear it.

Autumn blushed at my praise.

A rosy flush crept up her cheeks, and she ducked her head, smiling shyly. About time.

I fluttered my big eyes. “I love my fairy mommy most. If you’re always like this, no one will ever bully me again.”

She smiled softly, stroking my head. Her embrace was warm and safe. For a second, I wished she could hold me forever.

She hummed a little tune, rocking me gently. The world outside faded away. I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.

Maybe my words worked. Autumn finally put Charles Whitaker out of her mind and stopped acting like a shrinking violet, slowly revealing her true self. She was done playing the victim—at least for now.

I watched her straighten her shoulders, a new spark in her eyes.