On the other side of town, Michelle was absentmindedly scrolling through her Twitter feed when a trending topic snagged her attention. She frowned, hesitated for a second, but curiosity got the better of her and she clicked to see what the fuss was about.


    It was Mirabe''stest tweet that had the inte buzzing. The flood ofments and likes made Michelle grip her phone tighter. She clicked through to Mirabe''s profile and saw it had been created just today. Yet, her follower count was already soaring, closing in on half a million.


    At this rate, Michelle thought, she''d hit a million by nightfall. A pang of jealousy hit her. She''d been slogging away in showbiz for two solid years, and her own Twitter following had only just crossed a million. Sure, she hadn''tnded any blockbuster lead roles, but she had climbed thedder steadily, earning every step.


    And then there was Juztin''s little sister, shooting to fame with a faceless livestream and some calcted hype. Now she was pulling stunts on Twitter- Michelle couldn''t help but find it all a bit fake.


    "Michelle, honey, why are you glued to that phone? Dinner''s ready," called out her Aunt Tara, setting the table.


    Still absorbed in her screen, Michelle barely responded with a grunt, not moving from the couch.


    Heather,ing down the stairs and heading to the dining room, noticed her cousin''s sour look. Intrigued, she detoured and plopped down next to her.


    "What''s got you so riled up?" Heather asked casually.


    Michelle finally looked up, her face a mix of annoyance and amusement. "Juztin''s sister is acting all high and mighty in her livestreams, and now she''s on Twitter, marketing herself like a pro. Talk about scheming."


    Heather paused, her fingers ying with a curl. She let her hand drop and asked, "What kind of marketing? Showing her face or fishing for follows?"


    Michelle scoffed and held out her phone. "Look at this posting a pic with Juztin, unting their sibling bond."


    Heather didn''t take the phone, just nced at the screen. "And that''s bothering you?"


    "It''s not that I''m mad. I just find itughable. She skipped thest show, iming she had some school exam. And now, with the livestream tomorrow, she drops this tweet? If that''s not strategic hype, I don''t know what is," Michelle said sarcastically.


    She really couldn''t stand these antics. Why couldn''t they just record the show without all this online drama?


    Heather flicked her manicured nails dismissively. "She''s only riding on her brother''s fame. Without him, she''d be a nobody."


    Michelle sighed and took back her phone, catching another glimpse of Mirabe''s Twitter page. In just the few minutes she''d been chatting with Heather, tens of thousands more had followed Mirabe. Annoyed, she tossed her phone aside.


    She remembered how she''d marketed herself on Twitter during the premiere of "Country Comfort," and with a little boost from her award-winning cousin, had gained a respectable 300,000 new followers. Back then, she''d been thrilled with those numbers.


    Butpared to Mirabe''s overnight stardom, it felt like nothing.


    Especially since the first episode aired, and Juztin''s sister had singled her out, her follower count had dwindled, making her feel like just another face in the crowd.


    Stay tuned, sweethearts-I''ve got a thirty-chapter blitz dropping at midnight! Muah!