Chapter 3 - THE OLD RELEASE
Joshua met Caleb the next morning at a diner.
No Lily.
No parents.
No cameras.
Joshua placed a printed copy of the participant profile on the table.
“Explain this.”
Caleb barely looked at it.
“It’s production paperwork.”
“I revoked prank permission.”
“You revoked prank videos.”
“What does that mean?”
“You never revoked family-event filming.”
Joshua stared.
Caleb continued.
“The original release is broad.”
“I said no more prank videos.”
“And I stopped uploading prank videos with Lily.”
“You filmed one yesterday.”
“For internal use unless approved.”
“You threw eggs at her.”
“I didn’t throw all of them.”
Joshua almost stood.
Then stopped himself.
Caleb raised both palms.
“This is exactly why nobody can talk to you.”
Joshua leaned forward.
“Try.”
Caleb took out his phone and pulled up the original release.
Joshua’s signature.
Dated three years earlier.
The language allowed filming during family events and commercial use subject to platform and sponsor requirements.
Joshua had signed it.
No forgery.
No fake signature.
That made him angrier at himself.
“I revoked it.”
“You sent me a text about prank videos.”
“An email.”
“Fine. An email.”
“Which means?”
“Which means I should have updated the internal profile.”
“Should have?”
Caleb looked away.
There.
Joshua heard it.
Not fraud.
Negligence.
Then Caleb added:
“But the birthday shoot was different.”
“How?”
“It wasn’t supposed to be a public prank video.”
“What was it supposed to be?”
Caleb hesitated.
“A sponsor test.”
Joshua went still.
“For what sponsor?”
Caleb did not answer immediately.
Then he said:
“Sunridge Home.”
Joshua knew the brand.
Kitchenware.
Backyard products.
Huge retail presence.
“What does Sunridge have to do with my daughter?”
Caleb rubbed his face.
“They’re considering a family-content campaign.”
“How much?”
“Four hundred and fifty thousand over twelve months.”
Joshua stared.
Caleb continued too quickly.
“They wanted proof we can still generate unscripted family reactions. The birthday footage was going to stay internal unless everybody approved the final edit.”
“Lily did not approve being egged.”
“She’s ten.”
“That sentence should scare you.”
Caleb went quiet.
Joshua asked:
“Did Sunridge know you were using her?”
“They had a participant list.”
“With Lily on it?”
“Yes.”
“Marked consent active?”
Caleb looked down.
“Yes.”
Joshua sat back.
Now there was a third problem.
The sponsor had been given inaccurate consent status.
Maybe by mistake.
Maybe not.
Joshua asked:
“Who sent them the participant list?”
Caleb answered:
“Dad.”
Nicholas.
Joshua’s father.
Then Caleb added:
“And he signed the family representation.”
Joshua frowned.
“What representation?”
May you like
Caleb finally looked at him.
“The one saying all recurring participants had current permission.”
