My Ex Sued Me for the Account We Built Together Chapter 04
Summer’s vlog from Bali performed incredibly well. Footage featuring me sparked widespread discussion online. She never addressed the rumors directly, but she liked a comment that read: [This woman looks so unfamiliar. Could this be Sharon Carter?]
Almost overnight, Tyler and I were thrown right back into the crosshairs online.
Right after that, a flood of malicious rumors about me surfaced online, and public opinion turned completely against me.
First, someone posted a blurry photo, claiming they’d run into Tyler and me in person. They spoke with total certainty: [I’ve met Sharon before. That woman in Summer’s vlog definitely isn’t her. If it really is her, she’s had major plastic surgery.]
Next, more people came forward with claims. They said Tyler and I had broken up long ago and faked our romance purely for clout. Others insisted I’d never created any of those viral videos at all, accusing me of riding on others’ coattails for fame..
[LOL, does anyone still buy that ‘smart online personality’ act? She’s clearly just out for a quick buck, with no class at all.”]
More and more details about our relationship leaked out. Worst of all, people dug up painful secrets about my family.
[Sharon has always been a loner. Her mother struggled with mental illness and took her own life, and her own father disowned her. No wonder Tyler couldn’t stand being with her.]
[Poor Tyler! He put up with her for years. Everyone stay safe—she might try to get revenge now that he’s happy. People like her are so bitter.]
I shook all over as I read the vicious comments. I pulled Tyler’s number from my blocked contacts list and called him.
Riley answered instead. She put the call on speaker during her live stream, her voice falsely righteous. “Sharon, Tyler already gave you all that money. Can’t you just let him be? Just because your life fell apart, that doesn’t mean you can act shamelessly. Please stop hounding my boyfriend.”
The wave of online abuse threatened to break me completely. Viewers praised Riley for staying calm and dignified while they hurled insults at me.
Tyler finally called me back late that night.
“I’m sorry, Sharon. Riley launched a new profile. The agency said this drama would get us more traction.”
I let out a cold laugh as I stared at the hateful comments on my screen. Aren’t you two afraid of what goes around comes around? I trusted you with my past, Tyler. That doesn’t mean you can spread my private secrets everywhere.”
Growing up in the middle of my parents’ bitter conflict had left me quiet and withdrawn, always keeping to myself. Then Tyler walked into my life. He pulled me into a tight hug, his eyes full of sympathy, and said, “I’ll never leave you. You don’t have to be alone anymore, Sharon.”
Slowly, I opened my heart and let him in. I finally worked up the courage to believe in love and commitment, ready to take our relationship to the next level. But he took the vulnerable secrets I’d shared with great hesitation and turned those private secrets into a dagger aimed straight at my heart.
There was a long silence on the other end of the line before Tyler spoke again. ” You’ve got more than enough money to get by. You never liked being online anyway. People just run their mouths online, and this will all blow over soon. Just let it go, okay?”
The last sliver of wishful thinking faded away for good.
Tyler had suggested changing our filming style years ago, proposing we both appear on camera together. I turned him down because I preferred working behind the scenes. Clearly, he’d counted on me never showing my face publicly—that was why he’d acted with total abandon.
I hung up without another word.
Three days later, I came home after handling personal matters back in Maple Creek Town. I went to the pet shop to pick up Lucky like I always did. The clerk looked surprised when she saw me. “Oh, someone who calls himself Lucky’s dad came and took him a few days back.”
I pulled out my phone. In Tyler’s latest video, Riley was holding my dog and grinning. One comment stood out: [Even Lucky’s with them now. The Ty&Sha ship is totally dead. Dogs always know who’s good to them. Guess there really is something off about Sharon.]
I checked the messages Tyler had sent me three days earlier, still sitting in my blocked inbox: [Sharon, I took Lucky with us. Fans keep labeling Riley the other woman and she won’t stop crying. Having Lucky around will help set the record straight for her.]
[I sent you the money.]
It was the middle of June, yet a cold dread washed over me and I shook from head to toe.
I took a deep breath and removed the Ty&Sha page from my favorite creator alerts. Then I opened a brand new account. Sitting in front of the large fireplace in my living room, I hit the record button.
“Hey everyone, good afternoon. Let’s start fresh.”
- “I’m Sharon Carter.”
