Chapter 13 - THE BEDROOM SET
The “Lily bedroom makeover” was a staged commercial.
Not Lily’s real room.
Rivas Rewind had built a bedroom set at Joshua’s workshop for a home-furnishing sponsor.
Joshua’s crew constructed it.
He remembered now.
The project name had been internal shorthand.
Lily appeared in the final video for nine minutes.
Joshua had been proud of the build.
He had even watched part of the shoot.
At the time, Lily enjoyed it.
Nothing deceptive about the content.
The accounting description simply made it sound more personal than it was.
Joshua felt foolish.
He had spent weeks primed to find betrayal in every line.
Priya said:
“This is why we verify before we interpret.”
He nodded.
Another lesson.
Then Joshua examined his own company social media.
Lily appeared in twelve posts.
Eating cookies in a finished kitchen.
Holding a tiny paint roller.
Sitting in the cab of his work truck.
None humiliating.
All affectionate.
All also useful to his brand.
He had never paid her.
Never asked whether she wanted to be marketing content.
He called Lily into the office.
“Do you like being on my work page?”
She shrugged.
“Sometimes.”
“Do you want me to take them down?”
“Not the cookie one.”
“What about the truck?”
“Keep it.”
“The paint roller?”
“Delete.”
Joshua deleted it.
He created a rule for his business too:
no using Lily in promotional posts without asking each time.
Meanwhile Sunridge completed its compliance review.
Nicholas walked out.
That night Joshua received a call from Victoria.
“Your father left.”
“Left where?”
“I don’t know.”
Nicholas had packed a suitcase.
His phone was off.
On the kitchen table he left a note.
I BUILT THIS FAMILY TO LAUGH TOGETHER. NOW EVERYONE NEEDS A FORM TO SMILE.
Under the note sat one object.
The old basket from Lily’s birthday.
May you like
Empty.
And inside it was a sealed envelope addressed to Lily.
