Chapter 4: Axe-Wielding Plot Twist

As lunchtime approached, it was time for another round of supply gathering. I could smell hot dogs from the crew tent. My stomach growled.

Before each adventure, the crew set out a bunch of survival tools. Teams pick in order of points earned—points voted on by the livestream viewers every night. The stakes felt higher than ever, especially with the internet watching our every move. No pressure.

Today’s day four. For the past three days, Lila’s slacker act won her tons of fans, so her team gets first pick again. She strutted up to the table like she owned the place, tossing her hair for the cameras. The crew barely hid their eye rolls.

A long table held all sorts of tools. Most adults were sizing up what would help them gather supplies—except Lila, who lounged on a camp bench eating fruit, acting like none of this mattered to her. She popped grapes into her mouth, one after another, looking for all the world like she was on a spa retreat, not a survival show.

Her godson Ryder, clearly trained to take care of her, went up and picked a knife. He ran back, waving it proudly. Proud kid.

“Mom, I picked a knife today! It’s better than a stick—I’ll get lots of stuff for you. Whatever you want to eat, I’ll make it for you.”

His voice wobbled with excitement, and for a moment, I felt a pang of sympathy. He just wanted to make her proud.

The mother-son scene tugged at the viewers’ hearts. The chat rolled: They loved it.

The chat loved it.

Lila beamed and took a bite of fruit Ryder fed her. “Ryder, you’re so good. Mama will wait for you here.” She patted his head with a practiced smile, then settled back, clearly expecting him to do all the work. Some things never change.

Then she glanced at Autumn—just one glance, but out of all the guests, she only looked at Autumn. And there wasn’t a shred of kindness in her eyes. I shivered, but stood my ground.

The show went on.

The crew hustled us to the table, the host cracking jokes to keep the mood light. But the tension was still thick, like the air before a thunderstorm. Nobody was laughing.

As the supporting character set up as a foil to the heroine in both career and romance, Autumn’s popularity couldn’t be written too low—it wouldn’t highlight the heroine otherwise. So, even as a controversial star, Autumn’s fanbase was strong.

Her fans were loyal, flooding the chat with encouragement and little sunflower emojis. They saw through the drama and rooted for her no matter what. Sunflowers everywhere.

She was second to pick. In the novel, she always chose a big basket—she looked so delicate, how could she use anything sharp? Everyone expected her to go for the basket again, but this time, she scanned the table, clearly hesitating. Something was different.

Her fingers hovered over the tools, eyes darting from the basket to the axe at the end. The crew leaned in, sensing something different. Nobody breathed.

The other celebs, worried she’d take what they wanted, exchanged glances. The most popular male star, Julian Reed, stepped up. He was a hit from prime-time dramas, with a fanbase opposite Autumn’s. The tension ratcheted up.

The chat exploded:

The comments flew by so fast, I could barely keep up.

Julian always played the warm, approachable boy-next-door. He smiled at Autumn, then brought the basket to her. All eyes on Autumn.

“Ms. Grace, I brought the basket for you.” His tone was syrupy sweet, but I could hear the condescension underneath. He was baiting her.

I was baffled—Autumn clearly didn’t want the basket today. His ‘help’ was actually sabotaging her! Not today.

Sure enough, Autumn shook her head. “Thank you, Julian, but I don’t want that today.” The audience could feel it.

Julian’s face twitched, but he kept his cool for the camera. He shrugged, then picked up a pair of scissors and handed them to her. “Then try these—scissors are good for girls.” Please.

Before she could answer, the others chimed in:

The rest of the cast piped up, eager to keep the peace. Even Lila looked over curiously. I was sweating inside, afraid Autumn would cave and take the scissors—her character in the novel could never refuse a guilt trip. Come on, Autumn.

She bit her lip, glancing at the cameras. The whole world seemed to be holding its breath. Don’t do it.

But unexpectedly, she refused Julian’s offer again!

She squared her shoulders, voice steady. “No, thank you.” The chat went wild. Nobody saw that coming.

The chat was losing it:

The comments were a mix of confusion, outrage, and curiosity. People didn’t know what to make of the new Autumn. I did.

Things got awkward. Knowing the story, I understood what Autumn was thinking—she worried that picking a different tool would break her persona, especially if Charles Whitaker saw it trending. I could almost hear her thoughts.

I tugged her sleeve. She looked down. I just looked up at her with hopeful eyes, shaking her arm and blinking, silently cheering her on to change. There she is.

Finally, Autumn couldn’t hold back anymore. Without looking at the other tools, she grabbed the axe in the corner. She meant business.

The blade gleamed cold in the sun. She swung it a couple times to test the weight, making the other celebs go pale. She swept her gaze over everyone, a hint of steel in her eyes. Nobody moved.

Her voice was calm, almost bored, as if swinging axes was just another Tuesday for her.

Julian’s face darkened. Lila chimed in, “Autumn, maybe pick something else? The axe is heavy—what if you can’t use it in the woods?” Nice try.

The chat echoed her doubts:

People started taking sides, the comment section splitting in two. She wasn’t playing.

With a thunderous crack, the log split in two, sending up a cloud of sawdust! Everyone was stunned.

Mouths hung open, eyes wide. For a second, nobody moved.

Autumn stood there, holding an axe taller than me, her white dress fluttering in the breeze, hair flying, looking breathtakingly beautiful and fierce. The contrast was electrifying. The cameras couldn’t get enough.

She looked at Lila, dead serious. “Oh? Is it heavy?”

She spun the axe twice more. A massive axe, weighing dozens of pounds, looked like a toy in her hands. The crew exchanged glances, clearly impressed.

Autumn was simply stunning—way cooler than the always-slacking Lila. I bit my tongue.

I bit my tongue, bouncing on my toes.

As the only heir of the Grace family, there’s no way she’s actually helpless. But now that she’s focused on me, everything changes. I felt a surge of pride.

I felt a surge of pride. She was finally letting her real self shine. We had a new queen.

The feed was a blur of exclamation points and heart eyes. Autumn’s fan club was growing by the second. She was trending everywhere.

Her fans’ enthusiasm shot the show to number one on the trending charts.

I was still reeling when Autumn came over and took my hand. Ready for anything.

She held the axe in one hand, my hand in the other, and led me into the woods.

Her grip was warm and steady, giving me courage. I took a deep breath, feeling like I could take on the world with her by my side. Nothing could stop us.

The chat was in chaos again:

The comments were a mix of admiration and disbelief. Some people never learn.

While the others were still picking tools, Autumn and I entered the forest. The woods were thick with shadows, the ground soft with fallen leaves. Adventure time.

For some reason, Lila, who never ventured into the woods, actually went in with Ryder today. Either way, I was watching her.

“Ryder, you pick. Mama can’t decide.” Playing helpless again.

She played up her confusion, glancing at the cameras as if to say, See? I’m just a helpless mom.

“Mama, let’s go down the middle!” The act was so transparent, I almost laughed.

She clung to his arm, letting him take the lead. The crew trailed behind.

“Mama, I’m scared!” He poked at the ground with a stick, eyes wide.

“Mama, I’ll protect you—you don’t have to be scared!” The chat melted.

The chat melted at their interaction:

The audience was eating it up, posting hearts and crying emojis. People were starting to notice.

The cracks in her act were starting to show, and people were noticing.

Having just read the novel, I remembered the plot clearly. I was about to drag Autumn that way, but she stopped me firmly. She put a hand on my shoulder, eyes serious.

“Mama, what’s wrong?” She was worried.

“Daisy, you’re not allowed in front. You have to walk behind Mama.” My feelings were all over the place.

I wanted to argue, but the concern in her eyes stopped me. She was focused.

She swung the axe with practiced ease, making a path for us. The sun filtered through the leaves, dappling her white dress with light. She looked unstoppable.

I stomped the grass flat, and she pinched my cheek with a smile, sneaking a kiss when I wasn’t looking. For a moment, I forgot all about the cameras.

“Daisy, you’re so good.”

Her praise made me beam. I stood a little taller, proud to be her daughter.

“Ryder, wait up! I can’t keep up!” The cameras zoomed in.