Chapter 5 - LILY'S EMAIL
Lily had not found Dana Mercer by herself.
Her teacher had helped.
Not with the complaint.
With email.
Two weeks before her birthday, Lily had told her teacher, Ms. Dawson:
“My uncle keeps filming me even when I say no.”
Ms. Dawson asked whether Lily felt unsafe.
Lily said:
“Not like dangerous. Just like I’m not allowed to be boring.”
That sentence would later stay with Joshua.
Ms. Dawson encouraged Lily to talk to her father.
Lily said:
“He gets mad at Uncle Caleb, then everyone gets mad at Dad.”
So she waited.
Then Lily saw a Sunridge logo on a printed packet at Nicholas’s house.
She searched the company on a school tablet.
Found a general contact form.
Typed:
I am Lily Rivas. I think my family is making videos for you. I don’t want messy prank videos. Please don’t make me do them.
The message was routed to brand compliance.
Dana asked for a parent contact.
Lily gave Joshua’s email.
But Dana’s first email went to spam.
Joshua never saw it.
Dana then contacted Caleb’s business address.
That happened the morning of the birthday.
Caleb told Dana:
“Parental consent is current. Child preference concerns will be handled internally.”
Joshua stared at Dana across a video call.
“He knew before the party.”
“Yes.”
“So he knew Lily had complained directly.”
“Yes.”
“And still did the egg prank?”
Dana paused.
“That is what your description suggests.”
Sunridge had not asked for eggs.
Had not asked for humiliation.
They asked for an unscripted family-content sample demonstrating production quality and consent compliance.
Caleb had turned “unscripted reaction” into a prank because pranks historically performed well.
Dana said:
“We have paused all negotiations.”
Joshua expected satisfaction.
Instead he felt tired.
“Does that mean the company loses the deal?”
“Paused means paused.”
Not punishment.
Review.
Dana explained Sunridge needed:
current releases,
minor-participant procedures,
revenue treatment,
production safeguards.
Joshua stopped.
“Revenue treatment?”
Dana nodded.
“The proposed campaign included a participant compensation schedule.”
“For Lily?”
“For all recurring participants, including minors.”
Joshua had never heard of it.
Dana continued.
“Your family’s proposal said minor participant compensation would be reserved separately.”
Joshua felt something cold move through him.
“How much?”
Dana could not disclose final campaign projections yet.
But she could send the proposal Caleb submitted.
The document arrived five minutes later.
Joshua opened the financial appendix.
A line read:
MINOR PARTICIPANT RESERVE — FIFTEEN PERCENT OF ATTRIBUTABLE TALENT REVENUE.
Joshua called Caleb immediately.
“What account holds Lily’s reserve?”
Silence.
Then Caleb said:
“Joshua, don’t do this from a spreadsheet.”
“What account?”
Another silence.
“There isn’t one yet.”
“Why?”
“We haven’t closed Sunridge.”
“I’m not asking about Sunridge.”
Joshua scrolled.
The reserve policy was dated fourteen months earlier.
That meant it applied to prior sponsors too.
“How much money should already be there?”
Caleb did not answer.
Then Joshua heard someone in the background.
Nicholas.
“Hang up.”
Joshua’s grip tightened.
“Dad is there?”
May you like
Caleb ended the call.
That was when Joshua realized the missing money, if it existed, might not be Caleb’s decision alone.
