Streaming My Villain Daughter's Real Life

[Run!

Your daughter grows up to be the most notorious mean girl and serial criminal in this entire story!] The translucent system comments plastered across my vision like a floating livestream chat.

I snapped my head around. My fiveyearold daughter, Penny, gripped a slice of buttercream cake, backing a sevenyearold boy into a corner.

Declan kept his lips pressed in a tight line, his arms crossed over his chest. He stood there like a glacier refusing to melt, his entire face screaming stay away from me.

The text continued to rapidfire across my eyes. [In three years, she’ll torture the male lead until he’s locked in a psych ward!

And you, the mother, will go bankrupt and jump off a building!] So the script had already condemned my daughter to be a felon? It had already sentenced our family to total ruin?

Screw destiny. I snatched the cake right before it could smash into Declan's face.

Whipping out my newest smartphone, I tapped straight into my primary social media account with millions of followers and launched a full HD livestream, shoving the camera lens right into the face of this future icecold male lead. "Smile for the stream, sweetheart." Chapter 1 My name is Teagan.

I’m twentyeight, and I woke up one morning transmigrated into the body of a ridiculously wealthy trophy wife. My husband is loaded, gorgeous, and actually comes home for dinner.

My fiveyearold daughter is a literal angel.

We live in a massive mansion, I drive a limitededition sports car, and my biggest daily stressor is deciding which Birkin bag matches my mood.

It’s the ultimate winning lottery ticket. I honestly thought I was coasting on easy mode. Until this afternoon, at Penny’s fifth birthday party.

The party was held on the sprawling lawn of our Beverly Hillsstyle estate. It was an exclusive custom Disney theme, orchestrated by the most elite party planning team in the state.

There was a twostory bouncy castle, a specialized unicorn cotton candy cart, Broadwaylevel live princesses, and dozens of rich kids running wild in haute couture.

Penny wore a customtailored Elsa dress and a tiny crystal tiara.

Surrounded by a pack of kids, she grinned ear to ear, aggressively trying to shove a heavily frosted piece of cake into the face of a stunningly pretty boy sitting quietly next to her in a miniature tailored suit.

The boy looked about six or seven. His features were so perfect he looked like CGI, but his expression was pure ice.

He pinched his brows together, staring at the cake hovering inches from his mouth with a mix of disgust and sheer panic. He kept his jaw locked tight.

Penny refused to take the hint, thrusting the cake closer, her sweet little voice chiming. "Declan, eat it! It's so sweet! I'll feed you!" Ah, Declan.

The only heir to another one of the city's toptier oldmoney families. He was two years older than Penny and known as a child genius who practically bit people who got too close.

The only reason he was even at this party was because of my husband, Gideon.

I watched my daughter’s relentless enthusiasm clash against Declan’s absolute refusal, holding back a smirk. Onesided childhood friendships were hilarious.

Right at that moment, without a single warning, lines of translucent text scrolled directly across my field of vision, like a livestream chat overlay: [High alert!

The mean girl is attempting her first feeding of the future male lead!] [Penny, stop right now!

You’re going to drag your mother into total bankruptcy!] [Classic script: That cake is definitely laced with crushed peanuts (an intentional allergy trigger)!

The male lead is going to get lifelong PTSD from this girl!] [Mean girl's mom! Grab your kid!

Don't let her dig her own grave!] [LMAO, the girl who inevitably locks the male lead in a psych ward is currently trying to spoonfeed him cake.] [Literal dark comedy right here.] I froze.

I blinked hard, rubbing my eyes. The text didn't vanish, and more lines just kept scrolling past: [Did Teagan just freeze? Can she see us?] [Impossible.

That's a main character cheat code. A backgroundprop mom doesn't get those perks.] [Screen record this ASAP. Mean girl childhood villain origin story +1.] Transmigrated? Mean girl?

Locking the male lead in a psych ward? Backgroundprop mom? The sheer volume of information hit me like a freight train, shortcircuiting my brain.

I snapped my gaze to Penny, who was still holding that piece of cake, her bottom lip jutting out in a pout as she stared down Declan.

With her soft, chubby cheeks and massive, blinking eyes, she was the textbook definition of an angel. A mean girl? A future serial criminal? What kind of sick joke was this?

Then I looked at Declan, the ridiculously pretty kid acting like a statue. The future male lead? Destined for a psych ward because of my daughter?

This entire script was unhinged. "Mommy!" Penny's eyes lit up the second she spotted me, and she sprinted over, wielding the cake like a weapon, the frosting dangerously close to my silk dress. "Declan won't eat my cake!

Does it taste bad?" Chapter 2 I crouched down, taking the cake from her hands.

I grabbed a napkin and wiped the frosting off her tiny fingers, keeping my voice perfectly level. "Declan probably just isn't a fan of sweets.

Why don't you eat it yourself, sweetie?" "Oh…" Penny's shoulders slumped, but the disappointment vanished in a second.

She giggled, taking a massive bite of the cake and smearing buttercream all over her face.

I pulled my soft, vanillascented daughter into my arms, my pulse hammering against my ribs. I hadn't just transmigrated; I had transmigrated into a book?

A trashy novel where my daughter was the designated mean girl? And me? The comments called me a backgroundprop mom destined to be dragged into bankruptcy? No.

I needed to figure this out. I faked a dizzy spell, handed Penny over to Dorothy, and ducked into the adjacent lounge.

I shut the door, trying to mentally summon some sort of system or plot summary, but nothing happened.

Only the realtime peanut gallery of translucent comments continued to drift across my vision. [Teagan's bolting.

Is she going to touch up her makeup or cry in a bathroom stall?] [The selfawareness of a backgroundprop mom: exit stage left before you ruin the main plot.] [NGL, Penny is actually adorable right now.

Too bad she’s got the face of a future felon.] [Declan is already so gorgeous.

The glacier vibes are forming early.] [According to the original book, Penny is about to smash that cake over Declan's head because he refused to eat it.] [Here we go!

Iconic scene incoming!] Smash it over his head? My stomach plummeted. I launched myself off the sofa and sprinted back out to the lawn.

Sure enough, Penny had somehow shimmied her way back to Declan's side. In her hands she held another piece of cake. A bigger one, practically overflowing with frosting.

Declan was trying to leave, but two men in tailored suits—clearly his family's private security—subtly blocked his exit, likely ordered to keep the young heir in sight. "Declan, this one has strawberries!

Eat it!" Penny refused to quit. Declan’s jaw locked tighter. He took a halfstep back, his voice freezing cold. "I don't want it.

Take it away." Penny stood there holding the plate, blinking her massive eyes. She looked at Declan, then down at the cake. Her lower lip jutted out.

Her eyes flushed bright red, instantly brimming with tears that threatened to spill. The text overlay practically vibrated with speed. [She’s gonna cry!

Mean girl tear attack engaged!] [Run, Declan!

She’s about to launch it at you!] [Original text: Penny violently smashes the cake onto Declan's wildly expensive bespoke suit, officially cementing their lifelong feud.] [I mean… Penny crying is kind of cute… I'm going to hell.] [Who cares if she's cute?

She's a future criminal!] I stared at my daughter’s heartbroken little face. I looked at Declan, noting the microflinch of panic behind his forced composure.

Then I glared at those blinding, translucent words—mean girl, criminal. A cold knot of anger tightened in my throat. Fuck the mean girl label. Fuck the plot. This was my daughter.

I carried her for ten months. I protected her like spun glass. I raised her to be kind and polite, a sweet girl who wouldn't even step on an ant.

What gave a few floating lines of text the right to brand her a future felon? Penny’s tears were seconds away from breaking the dam.

Her tiny hands started to shake, and the cake tilted precariously. I bolted forward.

Right before Penny’s wrists flicked upward to launch the dessert, I scooped her up, cake and all. "Oh no!

Penny's cake is falling!" I exaggerated my voice, my free hand darting out to catch the wobbling plate—smoothly plucking it from her grip.

I instantly shoved my face right in front of hers, contorting my features into a massive, ridiculous mask. "Look! Mommy's a frosting monster!

Rawr!" The sudden ambush froze Penny in her tracks. A teardrop clung to her eyelashes. She stared at my twisted, absurd expression, a wet snort suddenly breaking through her tears.

She giggled, her voice still thick with unshed tears. "Mommy is ugly!" Chapter 3 "Who told Penny's cake to smell so good?

Mommy wants a bite!" I spun her in a circle, using the momentum to put a solid few feet of distance between us and Declan.

I angled my shoulder, ready to take a hit as a human shield against any flying frosting. Declan exhaled a sharp breath. The rigid tension in his tiny shoulders melted away.

He shot us an unreadable glance, gave a sharp nod to his security detail, and pivoted toward a quiet, empty corner of the lawn. [??? Where's the plot?

What happened to smashing it over his head?] [Teagan’s move… kinda smooth.] [The backgroundprop mom is suddenly stealing screen time?] [But Penny didn't throw it.

Is the plot gonna derail?] [Derail my ass. It's too early. The mean girl's toxicity is carved into her bones. She'll expose herself sooner or later.] [Exactly.

She's this clingy and bossy as a kid, imagine when she grows up?] I stared at the toxic stream of text.

I tightened my grip on Penny as she giggled, her soft cheek nuzzling into the crook of my neck.

A bitter burn climbed up my throat, instantly swallowed by a sharp spike of adrenaline. Carved into her bones? Screw that. She is my daughter.

She becomes exactly who I raise her to be.

Since the universe decided to shove this glitchy comment section in my face and spoil this garbage plot, there was zero chance I was letting my little girl walk down some prewritten path to destruction.

A mean girl script? I was going to rip that script to shreds, douse it in gasoline, strike a match, and dance on the ashes. I scanned the extravagant, overthetop party.

I looked at the toddlers running around who were supposed to be future cast members, and at Declan, already perfecting his brooding male lead aesthetic.

A wild, entirely chaotic plan snapped into place. You want spoilers? You want frontrow seats to the drama? Done.

I was going to launch a channel and broadcast my daughter’s entire life in ultraHD.

I’d let the internet watch exactly how a little girl raised with unconditional love and a totally unhinged mother supposedly morphs into a villain.

And while I was at it, I'd show them exactly how a disposable backgroundprop mom flips the script and burns their precious plot to the ground.

I ducked my head, pressing a kiss to Penny’s vanillascented cheek. "Happy birthday, baby.

Mommy’s going to play a really fun game with you from now on." Penny didn't understand a word of it, but the second she heard game, her hands flew up in a frantic clap. "Yay!

Mommy plays with me!" I balanced Penny on my hip and wove through the crowd toward my husband, Gideon.

He stood tall in a sharply tailored charcoal suit, effortlessly commanding the room while chatting with a group of investors.

The second he spotted us, the corporate mask melted off his face, replaced by a warm, crinkling smile, and he reached out, effortlessly transferring Penny into his arms to press a kiss to her temple. "What were you and Mommy playing?

You're glowing," he murmured. "A big game!" Penny cheered, waving her little fists in the air. Gideon lifted an eyebrow, his gaze shifting to me for an explanation.

I stared up at the man the comments claimed was destined for total bankruptcy—a man who currently looked like a solid, immovable fortress.

Then I looked at the innocent little girl safely tucked against his chest, pulled in a slow breath, and flashed him a blinding smile. "Honey, I want to start streaming." "Streaming?" Gideon repeated, catching him slightly off guard. "Streaming what?" I leaned in close, dropping my voice to a whisper meant only for him, pitching my tone somewhere between a joke and absolute seriousness. "Streaming our wildly excessive, richfamily daily life.

And documenting Penny growing up. Isn't that the huge trend right now? I think it sounds fun." Gideon’s eyebrow ticked up another inch.

The idea of his stayathome wife suddenly wanting to become an internet personality clearly amused him, but he didn't even hesitate. "If it makes you happy, do it.

If you need a production team or camera gear, just tell the estate manager to put it on the payroll." "No production team. Just me and my phone," I countered instantly.

A polished, scripted team was the last thing I needed. I needed raw, chaotic, unfiltered reality.

Chapter 4 "Alright, whatever you want," Gideon chuckled, lightly pinching my cheek as his gaze softened. The translucent chat comments rolled by right on cue: [Gideon is so hot!

Too bad he goes bankrupt and jumps off a building later.] [Ugh, an entire family destined to be cannon fodder.] [Streaming?

Is this mom desperately thirsty for fame?] [Grabbing my popcorn for this livestream fail.

The mean girl is going to expose her true colors live.] [Maybe she'll actually catch rare footage of Penny bullying other kids.] I stared at the wave of hate comments, letting out a sharp scoff.

A livestream fail? Exposing our true colors? Just you wait. My channel was about to cure all this absolute delusion and rip that predetermined script to shreds.

From this day forward, I, Teagan—former idle trophy wife, current destinydefying warrior—was officially online. The objective?

Use unconditional love and pure chaos to flip my daughter’s villain script into a standup comedy special.

And while I was at it, I guess I'd save my supposedly doomed husband from jumping off a roof. Honestly? The mission sounded kind of thrilling. I didn't waste a single second.

The morning after the birthday party, I had the estate manager source the absolute latest, ultraHD camera gear.

After getting the green light from Gideon and Penny—Penny thought it was a fun game, and Gideon backed me up unconditionally—my channel, Defying Fate: Hardcore Rich Mom and Her Kid, officially went live simultaneously on TikTok and Twitch.

No teaser trailers, no paid promotions. I just grabbed the gimbal and hit Go Live right at the breakfast table. The stream title: What Does Old Money Eat for Breakfast?

And How to Stop a 5YearOld "Villain" From Pouring Milk Into Her Dad's Suit Pocket. The lens framed our massive, sunlit dining room.

A Michelinlevel breakfast spread covered the table.

Gideon sat there in his loungewear, still looking infuriatingly handsome, while Penny—decked out in a pink dinosaur onesie with a severe case of bedhead—was currently attempting to sneakily tip over a glass of milk.

Gideon was scrolling through financial news on his iPad, a cup of black coffee resting by his elbow.

Penny’s massive eyes darted around the room, her tiny hand creeping toward her dad's coffee cup and zeroing in on the glass of milk right next to it.

I held the gimbal steady, biting back a laugh, and whispered directly into the mic. "Guys, place your bets!

I'm betting a Venti Frappuccino that Penny's glass of milk is either going to land on her dad, or directly on his sixfigure Armani bespoke suit." There weren't many early birds lurking in the stream yet—only a few dozen viewers, and the chat rolled slowly: [Actual rich people breakfast?

This interior design… I'm jealous.] [The little girl is so cute!

She looks like a tiny dinosaur!] [The dad's side profile is lethal!] [The streamer has a nice voice.] [What's up with the title? Villain? Script?] [Definitely clickbait.

Defying fate? LMAO.] I ignored the chat, keeping the camera focused. Penny’s little fingers finally wrapped around the glass of milk.

She lifted it with excruciating care, and then wobbled her way toward the empty plate right next to Gideon's hand. Wait. Was she not trying to pull a prank?

Right at that exact second, Penny's foot slipped on the ridiculously long tail of her dinosaur onesie.

She let out a tiny yelp, and the glass of milk launched straight out of her grip! "Watch out!" I gasped. Gideon reacted with lethal speed.

Without even glancing up from his screen, his long arm shot out, snagging the glass out of midair.

He didn't spill a single drop, and his other hand seamlessly shot out to catch Penny before she hit the floor. "Careful, menace," he said, setting the glass down and hoisting Penny onto his lap, lightly tapping her nose. "Trying to pour Dad some milk?

Thanks, baby, but Dad is good with coffee." Still slightly shellshocked, Penny threw her arms around his neck, her voice small and sweet. "Penny wanted to help Daddy…" "I know.

You're the best," Gideon said, pressing a kiss to her forehead and pushing the milk back toward her. "But next time, watch your step, okay?

Keep the milk on the table when you pour it, got it?" "Got it!" Penny nodded aggressively.

She wiggled until she was sitting up straight, wrapped her hands around her glass, and started taking tiny, obedient sips. [Holy shit! Dad's reflexes!

Ultimate husband material!] [That catch was so hot!] [Penny is so sweet, she just wanted to help her dad pour milk.] [Where's the mean girl we were promised?

She's adorable?] [Scripted! Definitely scripted! Fake!] [Reported for clickbait.] I smiled at the scrolling chat and zoomed in on Penny's puffedout cheeks. "See?

Our Penny is an angel. There are no pranks here. We're just doing performance art, testing Dad's reflex speed.

Ten out of ten!" Gideon looked up, shot me a helplessly fond look, then flashed a devastating smile right at the camera. "Good morning, everyone.

Excuse the mess." That single smile sent the chat into an absolute meltdown. [He’s even hotter when he smiles!] [The genetics in this family are unfair!] [Where's the mom?

Show your face!] [Voiceonly queen, reveal yourself!] I leaned halfway into the frame and offered a quick wave. "Hey guys.

I'm Penny's mom, and the captain of the Defying Destiny Squad.

Stick around." The breakfast stream ended on a surprisingly harmonious note, completely drowning out the scattered haters.

The concurrent viewer count peaked right around a thousand, which was not a bad opening move. For the next few days, I committed to streaming at least two hours a day.

The content was pure, unadulterated chaos: taking Penny to her private equestrian lessons, livestreaming my attempt at baking, and even leaving the camera rolling when Penny crawled into Gideon's lap during an executive Zoom call.

She made ridiculous faces at a grid of Csuite executives in suits while Gideon continued his fiscal quarterly report without blinking, his arm securely wrapped around her waist.

No scripts. No rehearsals. Just the raw, occasionally disastrous, but mostly hilarious daily reality of absurd wealth. Penny was just a normal fiveyearold girl.

She threw tantrums, demanded cuddles, screamed bloody murder at bugs, and willingly handed over her candy to crying kids at the park.

Gideon was a bit of a workaholic, but he was a devoted husband and an impossibly patient father. And me? I was just a hardcore mom using pure chaos to fight the universe.

The channel's traffic steadily climbed, breaking tens of thousands of followers.

The chat slowly transitioned from pure skepticism to my daily source of entertainment: [Daily checkin for adorable Penny, hot Dad, and unhinged Mom.] [Did Penny wreck the house today?

Yes.] [Did Gideon's stoic facade crack today? No (but he's trying so hard).] [Did the hardcore mom slap destiny in the face today?

Yep (threw the limitededition Lego that almost tripped Penny straight into the pool).] [Honestly, this family is so real and funny.

There's no way this is acted.] [Where are the haters calling Penny a mean girl now? Your faces hurt yet?] [I still think it's scripted. It's too fake.

No family is this perfect.] Controversy generates traffic. I didn't care.

What I did care about were those intrusive, translucent special comments filled with spoilers and pure malice that still glitched across my vision.

Like when I took Penny to the exclusive country club playground and bumped into Declan and his mother, Vivian.

Penny excitedly ran over to share her toys, and Declan coldly turned his head away, triggering the glitchy text to instantly flood my eyes: [The mean girl is already harassing the iceberg male lead!] [Vivian, grab your son and run!

Danger!] [Penny's smile is so fake. She's obviously acting.] [Teagan is still recording? Is she trying to force a childhood sweethearts shipping trope?

Gross!] I fought the urge to roll my eyes, walked over, and took Penny's hand.

I offered Vivian a polite nod, then crouched down to Penny's eye level. "Baby, I think Declan wants some alone time. See that massive new slide over there?

Want Mommy to go with you?" Penny's shoulders slumped in disappointment, but she obediently followed me away.

Chapter 6 Vivian looked mildly surprised by my quick retreat, offering a crisp nod in return. [Huh?

No harassing?] [Did Teagan change her personality?] [She’s probably just scared to act up because Vivian is right there.] [It’s temporary.

A mean girl never changes her stripes.] Never changes her stripes? I let out a sharp scoff. Just wait and see.

Or take the time Penny’s elite preschool hosted a parentchild activity.

One of the games was a cooperative building block station, and Penny got paired with a bossy little girl who kept snatching the blocks right out of her hands.

At first, Penny let it slide, but after getting robbed for the fifth time, her cheeks flushed bright red. "You can't do that!

We have to build it together!" The little girl froze at the sudden shout, then burst into loud, dramatic sobs. The teacher rushed over to intervene.

The chat went into overdrive: [Here it comes! Mean girl bullying origin story!] [She yelled at her classmate until she cried!

So aggressive!] [Told you she couldn't fake it for long!] [Teagan, control your kid!] I walked over.

Instead of instantly scolding Penny, I asked what happened, then crouched down to eye level with the crying girl. "Hey sweetie, we have to share the blocks to build something big.

If one person takes them all, the tower won't stand up. Penny wasn't trying to be mean; she just got a little anxious and spoke too loudly.

How about I apologize for her?" I turned to my daughter. "Penny, when you get anxious, you can use your inside voice. Yelling scares people. Look, she's crying.

Do you want to say sorry, and then you two can figure out a way to build this castle together?" Penny's lower lip trembled.

She looked at the girl and whispered, "I'm sorry… Let's build it together, okay? You do that side, and I'll do this side." The little girl sniffled and nodded.

Within minutes, the two toddlers were playing nicely again, working together to construct a lopsided but extremely cute fortress. [That's it?

She handled that… okay?] [It feels like Penny wasn't doing it on purpose.] [Teagan's parenting style is actually solid.

She didn't blindly defend her kid.] [Keep washing her image, guys. Like the mean girl's mom is actually a good person.] I didn't bother wasting energy on the stubborn haters.

I had my own way of raising my kid. My livestreams continued just like that—a steady, consistent accumulation of followers.

With every real, chaotic daily broadcast, Penny's mean girl label steadily faded, and people were genuinely starting to love this slightly stubborn but deeply sweet kid.

Until the day the stream hit its first major peak, triggering the first actual collision with the plot. Penny's elite preschool hosted its annual Charity Bazaar.

The kids were asked to bring their old toys or handmade crafts to sell, with all proceeds going to charity, and parents were invited to tag along.

Naturally, there was no way I was missing out on such a loving—and highly streamable—event.

I held the gimbal steady the entire time, broadcasting Penny acting like a busy little bee as she neatly organized her old stuffed animals and read picture books.

She even displayed a few of her abstract paintings, pricing everything at a flat five dollars. Business was booming, with plenty of parents and kids stopping by to shop.

Penny’s cheeks flushed bright red with excitement as she held the iPad to swipe credit cards while I helped her operate the Square reader.

She bagged up her limitededition handmade crafts while I tied the silk ribbons, hustling like a junior Wall Street tycoon. And then, Declan arrived.

Accompanied by his family's estate manager, he set up a small booth of his own.

He was selling fully assembled, incredibly complex Lego architectural sets and a stack of brandnew foreign language picture books.

They were priced high, but parents who recognized the value snapped them up almost immediately.

Declan just sat quietly in a small folding chair, reading a book, completely ignoring the chaotic noise buzzing around him. Chapter 7 Penny spotted him.

Her massive eyes darted around before she grabbed the absolute most stunning crystal music box off her own table, a birthday gift from Gideon.

Honestly, she was a little reluctant to part with it, but she was forcing herself to give it up for the sake of charity, hustling over on her short little legs. "Declan!" She shoved the music box right in front of him, her voice pure sugar. "This is for you!

It sounds so pretty!" Declan lifted his head from his book, glancing at the music box, then at Penny's sparkling eyes.

He didn't reach for it. "I don't need it," he said, his voice flat. "I already have one." Penny stood there holding the box, a little flustered, but she doubled down. "But… but this one is pretty!

It sings!

Just take it!" Declan pinched his brows together, clearly annoyed by the interruption, and the temperature of his voice dropped another ten degrees. "I said, I don't want it.

Take it away." Penny's face crumbled in realtime, the rims of her eyes flushing bright red.

She stood there, frozen in awkward, heartbroken misery, holding the music box out—unable to pull it back, unable to push it forward.

The livestream chat instantly exploded, regular viewers and those glitchy special comments blending into a chaotic mess: [Oh no, Penny's going to cry.] [Declan is so cold, she's just trying to give him a gift.] [The iceberg male lead living up to his name.] [The mean girl is already using gifts to bribe the male lead!

So manipulative!] [Poor Penny!

Declan is taking it way too far!] [According to the plot, Penny is supposed to smash the music box on the ground and run away screaming.] [Is the iconic scene coming?

Screen record ready!] Seeing my daughter look so utterly heartbroken felt like taking a physical punch to the gut.

But I didn't immediately rush over, wanting to see what Penny would do.

Would she smash it and run like the comments predicted, or… Penny gave a wet sniffle, fighting hard to swallow back her tears as she looked down at the music box in her hands, then back up at Declan's impossibly pretty, expressionless face.

Suddenly, she did something absolutely no one saw coming. She reached down and twisted the windup key. The crisp, melodic notes of Für Elise began to chime through the air.

Penny took the chiming music box and set it down, gently and with agonizing care, right on Declan's table, taking a step back.

Her voice was thick with congestion, but she tried her hardest to speak clearly. "If Declan doesn't want it… then… then you can sell it here.

The money, you can donate it to the animal shelter, to buy dog food for the poor stray puppies." The second the words left her mouth, she spun around and sprinted back to our booth, slamming into my chest and burying her face into my shirt.

Her tiny shoulders heaved with quiet, muffled sobs. It wasn't a tantrum.

It was the heartbreakingly quiet cry of a little girl who had tried to be brave after getting rejected, but just couldn't hold it in anymore.

I wrapped my arms tightly around her, gently rubbing circles into her back, letting my body heat ground her. And Declan?

He sat there staring at the elaborate crystal box chiming away on his table. He listened to the crisp melody, then looked up at the tiny figure sobbing in my arms across the room.

For the very first time, a visible crack fractured his permanent icecold facade—a flash of genuine shock, and maybe… panic?

He parted his lips like he wanted to say something, but the words never came out.

Instead, he just reached out, his movements stiff and uncharacteristically clumsy, and clicked the windup key off. The music stopped.

A splitsecond of total silence washed over the crowd. Then, I don't know who started it, but a soft wave of applause rippled through the room.

They were clapping for Penny's sweetness and resilience, and for this entirely unexpected, heartwarming moment. The livestream absolutely lost its mind.

The concurrent viewer count skyrocketed, and the virtual gifts spammed the screen so fast it was impossible to see the video feed. [Ahhh Penny baby don't cry!

My heart is breaking!] [Penny is so incredible! She got rejected and didn't even throw a fit, she just thought about charity!] [What kind of literal angel baby is this!

Haters, come out and take your beating!] [Did Declan just waver for a second?] [Why am I kind of shipping these childhood sweethearts? (Dangerous thoughts)] [The Defying Destiny Squad successfully blocked the first major plot kill!

Throwing confetti!] Chapter 8 The special, translucent comments drifted past, though their volume had drastically thinned out, and their aggressive tone had lost its bite: […This isn't how it's supposed to go.] [Penny didn't smash anything?

She donated it?] [Did the plot… actually derail?] [Teagan definitely coached her. So manipulative.] [Just wait. A mean girl never changes her stripes.

She’ll expose herself eventually.] I looked down at Penny, her quiet sobs finally fading against my chest, then over to the intricate music box chiming away on Declan's table, and finally at the rare, complicated microexpression fracturing his otherwise flawless composure.

A massive, suffocating weight evaporated off my chest, instantly replaced by a surging tide of absolute pride. Look. My daughter was no mean girl.

She was just a normal, beautiful little girl who wanted to share something she loved, who felt genuinely heartbroken when she got rejected, but who still chose kindness anyway.

And as for that socalled destiny? With a hardcore mother like me and thousands of real viewers scrutinizing our every move, it clearly wasn't written in stone.

First headon collision with the plot? Defying Destiny Squad: flawless victory.

I pressed a soft kiss to Penny's forehead, turned to the camera lens, and flashed a brilliant, undeniably smug smile. "Guys, are you seeing this? This is the power of love.

The triumph of justice… well, of kindness! The road to defying this damn destiny is long, but we crushed our first battle!

Keep smashing that like and subscribe button, and keep supporting us!

Love you guys!" The livestream chat morphed into a blinding blur of Support, Keep going, and Protect sweet Penny. Holding my daughter, a fresh wave of adrenaline flooded my veins.

Bring it on, Declan. Bring on this entire trash script. Teagan and her livestream army are officially ready for you.

The highlight reel from the charity bazaar—expertly edited by our estate manager—went minorly viral across multiple platforms.

Hashtags like AngelBabyPenny, ChoosingKindnessAfterRejection, and RichChildhoodSweetheartsFlippingTheScript clawed their way onto the trending charts.

My follower count smashed past half a million. I was officially a somewhat famous lifestyle streamer.

A lot of viewers initially clicked for Penny's cuteness and Gideon's lethal jawline, but a massive chunk stuck around because they genuinely loved the raw, chaotic, and oddly wholesome vibe of our family.

Naturally, those glitchy special comments still drifted across my vision, but there were significantly fewer of them, and their absolute certainty had fractured into a skeptical, bitter just wait and see.

I couldn't care less.

My only objective was rewriting my daughter's future, protecting my family, and cashing in on some serious livestream traffic—the viewer donations and ad revenue were actually pretty insane—while simultaneously pissing off the haters who wanted us to crash and burn.

Life settled into a steady, comfortable rhythm of streaming and parenting.

Penny was nearing six and officially starting kindergarten, still a little spoiled, but fundamentally a deeply sweet kid.

Gideon's corporate empire seemed to be expanding rapidly, yet he always managed to leave the executive suite early, making time to crash my livestreams and play ridiculously childish games with our daughter.

Until one Sunday afternoon, the doorbell rang. Our estate manager answered it, and a few moments later, he walked into the living room, his expression subtly strained. "Sir, Ma'am.

Young Master Declan is… visiting. He says he is here for Miss Penny." Gideon and I traded a surprised look. Declan?

The tiny glacier who froze everyone out and made our daughter cry last time? Actively showing up at our front door for Penny?

Penny was currently sprawled on the living room rug, snapping Lego pieces together.

The second she heard Declan's name, her little ears practically perked up, and her eyes went bright, but a splitsecond later, she remembered her grudge.

She let out a dramatic hmph, jutted her lower lip out, and turned her back to the door, pretending to intensely focus on her Legos, but her eyes kept secretly darting toward the entryway. "Let him in," Gideon said, tossing his Wall Street Journal onto the coffee table.

Chapter 9 My occupational instincts immediately kicked into overdrive, and I stealthily grabbed the handheld gimbal stashed under the coffee table, powered it on, and framed the perfect angle.

But I didn't hit Go Live just yet. I needed to assess the situation first—what if this was an actual plotmandated massacre? Declan walked in.

He still had that miniatureCEO vibe going on, dressed in a perfectly tailored bespoke suit, his hair combed back flawlessly.

His face was a total mask of indifference, but in his hands, he carried a beautifully wrapped gift box?

He offered Gideon and me a shallow, perfectly polite but utterly distant bow. "Mr. Gideon, Mrs. Teagan. I apologize for the intrusion." "Declan.

Welcome," Gideon said, offering a warm smile and gesturing toward the sofa. Declan didn't sit.

His gaze shifted directly to Penny, who was actively pretending not to spy on him, and he pressed his lips into a thin line, hesitating for a fraction of a second before marching over and planting himself right in front of her.

Penny aggressively pretended he didn't exist, slamming a Lego brick into place, generating a sharp, echoing click.

Declan shoved the meticulously wrapped box directly into her line of sight, his voice lower than usual, and surprisingly lacking its usual subzero chill. "This.

It's for you." Penny reluctantly lifted her head, glancing at the box, then back at Declan, keeping her features locked in a tight pout. "What is it?" "A music box," Declan said, pausing before practically forcing the next words out of his mouth. "A new one.

It sounds better… than the other one." The realization slammed into me. Was this an apology? Or a return gift?

Because he rejected her at the charity bazaar, he actually went out of his way to buy a new one to make up for it?

The translucent, glitchy text only I could see scrolled past right on cue: [Holy shit? The iceberg male lead is making house calls?

With a gift?!] [This script is completely derailed!

In the original book, Declan avoided Penny like the plague!] [Did the music box incident trigger a butterfly effect?] [Can Teagan's livestreams actually alter the plot?] [Watch out, it's a trap!

That music box is definitely cursed! (jk)] [Penny, open it right now!] Penny obviously remembered the charity bazaar, too, and the icy pout on her face thawed a little, but her petty streak was still fully engaged.

She didn't take the box, but just tilted her head. "Why are you giving this to me?" Declan clearly hadn't prepared for an interrogation.

He froze, a faint flush of red starting to creep up the tips of his ears, and visibly struggled for a few seconds before forcing the words out. "…An apology. For last time.

I'm sorry." The delivery was stiff as a board, but hearing those two words come out of this arrogant little glacier's mouth was nothing short of earthshattering.

Penny blinked her massive eyes, staring at Declan's wildly uncomfortable but desperately composed face.

Suddenly, she let out a loud snort, bursting into a radiant, sunbeamlevel smile. She snatched the box, hugging it tightly against her chest, beaming. "That's okay!

I forgive you!" Declan stared at her blinding smile, completely caught off guard.

He immediately snapped his gaze away, his jaw locking even tighter, but that red flush aggressively spread from his ears straight down to his cheeks. "Yeah," he muttered, spinning on his heel like he was ready to sprint out the door after completing a blackops mission. "Declan!" Penny called out, chasing after him with the music box still clutched to her chest.

She tipped her chin up, extending a wildly enthusiastic invitation. "Will you build Legos with me? This castle is way too hard!" Declan stopped dead in his tracks.

He glanced back at the chaotic sprawl of Lego bricks scattered across the rug, then down at Penny's ridiculously hopeful eyes.

A microscopic frown twitched onto his forehead, as he was glaringly uninterested in something so childish. But ultimately, he gave a stiff nod.

He walked back over, lowered himself onto the rug next to her, picked up the thick instruction manual, and began analyzing it with absolute, deadly seriousness.

Penny happily plastered herself right next to him, immediately barking out chaotic orders. "That piece! Put that one right here!

No, no, no, over there!" Declan's jaw tightened, but his hands mechanically followed Penny's entirely incorrect instructions, attempting to force the pieces together.

Naturally, the structure ended up looking like a total, lopsided disaster.

Chapter 10 I watched the two of them—one blindly barking chaotic orders and the other deadserious about executing every incorrect command—and practically had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing out loud.

The visual was too precious, and absolutely nowhere in the original script.

I quickly raised the gimbal, secretly snapping a few photos without actually going live, then leaned in and whispered to Gideon, "Honey, look.

Doesn't it remind you of when you used to play house with the little girl next door when you were a kid?" Gideon let out a low chuckle, lightly pinching my cheek. "I never babysat any little neighbor girl when I was a kid.

I only babysat a certain crybaby…" "Don't you dare say it!" I slapped my hand over his mouth, feeling a rush of heat bloom across my cheeks.

While we were whispering and messing around, the kids' collaboration entered an entirely new phase.

Penny's commands were getting progressively more outrageous, and the castle Declan was trying to build had officially devolved into a structurally unstable, abstract disaster.

Declan's brows pinched tighter and tighter. Finally, he dropped the Lego brick in his hand, looked right at Penny, and stated with absolute seriousness, "You're building it wrong.

The manual doesn't say this." Penny froze.

She stared down at the chaotic masterpiece she had orchestrated, a flush of red creeping up her cheeks, but she stubbornly refused to back down. "But… but it looks pretty like this!" "Incorrect," Declan pulled the thick instruction manual over, pointing directly at the schematic.

He launched into a rigidly clinical explanation. "This section requires this specific numbered piece, angled at exactly fortyfive degrees, to connect with the adjacent structure.

What you said before was structurally compromised. The loadbearing integrity is weak, and it will collapse easily." Penny looked lost in the sauce.

But staring at Declan's serious face and the certainty in those pretty eyes, she deflated.

She mumbled under her breath, "Then… then you tell me how to build it." Declan didn't say another word, but methodically started dismantling the botched sections.

His fingers were incredibly nimble, his movements exact and rhythmic.

Despite being so young, that terrifying aura of absolute focus and precision was already starting to bleed through.

Penny cupped her chin in her hands, watching him from the sidelines.

Actual stars practically formed in her massive eyes. "Declan, you're amazing!" Declan's movements stalled for an imperceptible fraction of a second.

He didn't say anything back, but the corner of his mouth seemed to curve upward by a millimeter? It happened so fast it was like a hallucination.

The glitchy, translucent text scrolled frantically across my vision: [!!! Did Declan just smile at Penny?

Am I hallucinating?] [This interaction… is kind of cute?] [Where's the mutual disgust?

Is this actually the correct way to trigger the childhood sweethearts trope?] [What the hell did Teagan do? The plot is so broken it's unrecognizable!] [I refuse to believe it!

Penny is definitely faking it! Declan is just enduring it!] [Waiting for the plot twist! The mean girl is definitely going to start acting out!] Acting out?

I stared at Penny's absolute fangirl expression, mentally scoffing.

My daughter's brain was currently shortcircuiting on how cool Declan was; where would she find the time to act out?

Still, just to lock in this hardwon peace treaty—and to farm some prime, chaotic content for the livestream—I decided to throw a little fuel on the fire. "Penny, Declan came all the way over to play.

We need to be good hosts," I said, strolling over with a bright smile. "Mommy is going to prep some snacks.

What do you want to offer Declan?" Penny's hand immediately shot into the air. "Strawberries! And mangoes!

Does Declan like mangoes?" Declan glanced at me, then back at Penny. "…Anything is fine," he muttered. "You got it!

Mommy will go get everything ready!" I pivoted toward the kitchen, and passing by Gideon, I shot him a wink and dropped my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Honey, do me a favor.

Grab the 'secret weapon' out of the fridge." Gideon raised a brow. "Secret weapon?" "Yeah, the one my ketoobsessed, detoxfanatic California bestie sent over.

That glass of toptier detox smoothie blended with a dozen types of deepsea spirulina and fermented kale.

The one that tastes like an actual crime against humanity," I flashed a wicked grin. Total comprehension dawned in Gideon's eyes.

He shook his head with a helpless, entirely fond chuckle, but obediently stood up and followed me into the kitchen.

Chapter 11 A few minutes later, I walked out carrying a silver tray.

It was loaded with freshly sliced organic strawberries, plump blueberries, and… a single glass of dark green, deepsea spirulina detox smoothie, radiating a pungent aroma that smelled like a cross between freshcut grass and an open sewer.

Yes, the detox smoothie. The secret weapon I had specially prepared.

I remembered a throwaway line in the original book mentioning Declan had an extreme physiological aversion to gross health drinks—just the smell of them made him gag.

This was the perfect opportunity to test how stubborn the plot really was, and to farm some prime comedic content for the livestream. "Alright, snack time!" I set the tray down on the coffee table right in front of them.

The sweet fragrance of the strawberries and blueberries instantly clashed with the aggressively overpowering, absolutebiohazard stench of the detox smoothie, rapidly filling the space.

Penny let out a cheer, grabbed a strawberry, thought about it for a second, then picked the biggest, reddest one on the plate and shoved it right in front of Declan's mouth. "Declan, eat a strawberry!

It's so sweet!" Declan stared at the bright red strawberry hovering by his lips, then up at Penny's sparkling eyes.

He hesitated for a fraction of a second before parting his lips, taking a small bite right out of her hand, his movements incredibly stiff, and the tips of his ears flushing red again. "Is it sweet?" Penny asked, practically vibrating with anticipation. "…Yeah." Declan gave a stiff nod, chewing slowly. "Then eat a blueberry!" Penny aggressively offered a plump berry.

I watched this excessively adorable feeding session, practically laughing out loud in my head, before shifting my gaze to that cursed green sludge. "Declan, want to try this?" I pushed the glass toward him, my voice dripping with fake enthusiasm. "It's super healthy.

Really good for you." Declan's eyes locked onto that dark green, foulsmelling liquid. The color instantly drained from his face!

Like a physiological reflex, he jerked backward, slapping his hand over his nose and mouth, his brows pinched into a vicious knot, and his eyes swirling with undisguised disgust and… was that genuine panic?

Here it comes! The original plot mandate! The special translucent comments instantly went wild: [Here it comes!

The male lead's PTSD reaction!] [Original book iconic scene: Penny maliciously forces him to drink a gross smoothie as a prank, causing Declan to throw up and get a fever, cementing his lifelong hatred for her.] [Let's see what Penny does this time?] [I'm betting fifty cents Penny takes the opportunity to dump that smoothie right on his head!] [The mean girl's true colors are about to show!] Penny jumped at Declan's violent reaction, dropping her blueberry.

She blinked hard, her gaze darting between the green sludge and Declan's deathly pale face. "Declan, what's wrong?

Does this smell gross?" Penny leaned in and took a tiny sniff of the smoothie, her nose immediately scrunching up in disgust. "It does smell weird… Mommy, this is nasty.

Declan doesn't like it.

Let's not eat this." Without missing a beat, Penny reached out her tiny hand and pushed the glass of smoothie far away, then slid her own plate of fresh strawberries and blueberries right in front of Declan.

Her voice was incredibly soft. "Declan, you eat the strawberries.

We'll give the stinky green stuff to Daddy!" She whipped her head around, shouting at Gideon, who was casually watching the show from the sofa. "Daddy! You drink this!

Mommy says this green stuff that looks like monster poop is for detoxing. Drink it… flush the toxins out of your brain!" Gideon: "…" The relaxed smile instantly froze on his face.

Me: "…" Pfft! What the hell kind of logic is flushing toxins out of his brain?! My daughter really was my sweet little angel, the kind that actively plotted friendly fire!

Declan was completely blindsided by Penny's unpredictable move.

The hand clamped over his nose loosened, and he stared at Penny's incredibly proud, protective expression, then glanced over at Gideon's hilariously tragic face.

The corner of his perpetually frozen mouth twitched uncontrollably. Then, he quickly ducked his head, his tiny shoulders shaking slightly. Was he… trying not to laugh?

Chapter 12 The chat—a chaotic blend of regular viewers and the glitchy special text—spiraled into a frenzy: [LMAO! Ultimate friendly fire!

Flushing his brain!] [Gideon's flawless reputation is officially ruined!] [What kind of literal angel is Penny?! She actually protected Declan!] [Where's the smoothie to the face?

Where's the evil prank?!] [This script is completely shattered! LMAO!] [Did Declan just laugh? I saw it!

He ducked his head to laugh!] [The iceberg is melting?!] [Defying Destiny Squad secures another flawless victory!] [Teagan: All according to plan! (Not at all)] Fighting the urge to burst out laughing, I quickly grabbed the glass of toxic green sludge and shoved it toward Gideon's helplessly resigned face. "Honey, it's for detoxing.

Drink up while it's fresh." Gideon shot me a withering glare, but he took the glass anyway, downing a mouthful without a single change in his expression.

He mouthed the words right at me: You're paying for this tonight. I just stuck my tongue out at him. I glanced back at Declan.

He had already lifted his head, his complexion back to normal, though the tips of his ears still burned a faint red.

He stared at Penny, his eyes swirling with complicated emotions, and stayed completely silent for a few seconds before lowering his voice. "…Thank you." "You're welcome!" Penny flashed a brilliant, completely oblivious smile, popping a fresh blueberry into her mouth, her cheeks puffing out as she chewed. "Declan, let's keep building the castle!

I'll listen to you this time!" "Yeah," Declan gave a stiff nod. He picked the instruction manual back up, the rigid tension in his features softening just a fraction.

I watched the two kids dive back into studying the Lego blueprints, the massive weight finally lifting off my chest.

The detox smoothie crisis hadn't just failed to become the mean girl's damning evidence—it accidentally scored Penny major brownie points and birthed the most chaotic flushin