Becomes

Chapter 0044

Serena’s POV

Every day’s the same: a non–stop rush. From morning till night, the shop’s full of people, and I’m right there, in the middle of it all, keeping things running.

I guess it’s just how life goes when you’ve got your own business to

manage.

Stevie does drop by to help when she can, but it’s not often. She’s got her photography to think about, and that keeps her pretty busy too.

One day, I was restocking some shelves when Stevie breezed into the shop, her camera hanging loosely around her neck.

“Hey, Serena, when’s that DIY video happening? You’ve been all talk and no action for ages,” Stevie asked.

I paused, a half–opened box in my hands, and sighed. “Yeah, I know. It’s just… things have been crazy around here, you know? Maybe next week, or the one after that.”

Stevie wasn’t buying my excuses. She leaned against the counter, her gaze piercing. “Seriously? ‘Next week has been your go–to excuse for what, two months now? What’s the real deal? You’re not usually one to bail.”

I sighed, finally letting down my guard with Stevie. “You know, I’ve been thinking… what if I make these DIY videos and then everyone decides they don’t need to buy from me anymore? Like, why buy when they can just do it themselves, right?”

Stevie thought it over for a second, then shrugged. “I get it, but really, most folks? They’re not gonna wanna deal with all that work. Who’s actually looking for extra hassle?”

1/3

Okay WL SHI Pink we need to come up with some more engaging VIDEO (CEUS 7 Mete gonna make Dis work. Just Diy technical stuff might end up being teulades.

tim, let me think Seve said tong berger against her lip. Soceny, her 92ERATÕES qpped to figðis, a sign she’d hit or gorening good On What we do sortire videos on TikTok? We could start with you selling as

at the show a dip of you actually

making the jewelry. Lees a persona tuch, creant P

veg

My eves lit up. Seve rots billete got tons of stories we could USS ADE TIRTOk vices are quick to make so yeah, I can definitely do One 3 Cay” || 831c, Weing a sigE OF POCKETON

Stevie grinned, obucus dessed with the effect her idea had. See? You’ve got the and people love getting a peek behind the scenes. Let’s start planning your fisso

I’ve been posting TIKTok vicecs about jewelry history every day for two months now, but hardly anyone seems to care. It’s all about historical facts and the cool stories behind gentstones, but the likes and

comments are just not coming in.

Today, as i soroll through my For You Page, I notice something. Videos about pest relationships and drama are everywhere, getting tons of likes and comments. People are drawn to the emotional and the

personal – they want the tea, not the tales of ancient stones, no matter how fascinating I find them.

As I work on a new piece of jewelry, ming every step, I usually love this quiet time -just me and the beads and chairs coming together. But today, my mind’s busy. I’m trying to think up a story to talk about over the video. I know those simple, factual videos I used to make don’t really grab attention anymore.

Chapter 0044

While I carefully place each gem and close each clasp, I can’t help but wonder: What personal story could I share that people would actually want to hear? It feels weird, thinking about mixing my personal life with my jewelry making. I’m not too keen on it, but I also don’t want my video

just get lost with barely any views.

to

Then, it suddenly hits me – if people are after ‘tea,‘ then why not serve it? I put down my tools, grab a pen and paper, and jot down what comes to mind for the video title, “How I Got Kicked Out From My Ex-

Boyfriend’s Family Dinner.”

Of course, the story isn’t about an ex–boyfriend, but rather a family dinner with Bill, my ex–husband. It was the night I sprained my ankle, and no one even glanced my way to help because they were all too focused on Doris. !

To steer clear of any legal troubles, I’ve refrained from mentioning any names and tweaked some details, so it’s not obvious I’m talking about Bill, his family, and Doris.

My business is just getting off the ground, and the last thing I need is to be sued and find myself having to pay for a lawyer, especially now when everything’s just starting to pick up.

After recording the voiceover, I tweaked the video I filmed earlier and added the voiceover and the sound. Voila! My first–ever ‘tea‘ video is ready.

“Here goes nothing,” I mutter to myself. Then, I posted it on TikTok hoping people would be able to hear my story.