Friendful was a powerful app. It could connect mothers from all over the world, allow them to give advice and, most importantly, distract Karen from memories of a particular wavy-haired temptress.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAjcF4nBji
She wrote a post about her children’s angry behaviour and received a wide array of suggestions, from herbal tea to fresh pee. One mother believed Karen’s children had autism and that she should try calming essential oils. That option certainly seemed more beneficial than drinking human waste, so Karen asked for details. The mother sent a link to her work Friendful page, where she advertised the essential oils from a company called WonderLiving.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGot5BLlZE
Karen grinned. Wow, a person with her own business was going out of her way to help a stranger like her!
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe11JgVv7ST
The page included many posts with the hashtag #girlpharaoh accompanying essential oils, which the page claimed to be based on Ancient Egyptian medicine and made with “all-natural ingredients”. The oil blends all had strange names like Ankh, for healing, and Scribe, for increased intelligence. The calming oil Karen wanted was called Amulet, a little turquoise bottle filled with honey and frankincense, among other ingredients. Karen bought a dozen bottles immediately.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdXAsbnbOg
The words #girlpharaoh stuck with her, so she read more posts even after buying what she wanted, trying to understand the meaning. Over half of the posts were not about the actual oils but about working for the business. The mother claimed to be making bank with this side hustle and encouraged other women to join her downline. During the following weekend, there was going to be a seminar for people who wanted to join the business.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSiJWZUbgMg
Seeing this opportunity, one thought entered Karen’s head.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVe5XFkUqX
No more worrying about the price of bananas.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCcCaQP1wI
On the day of the seminar, Karen found herself in a conference room full of middle-aged women with similar haircuts to hers, mixed in with some college-aged women and one lone man. The walls were covered with shiny gold curtains, possibly to make the business look prestigious. The neatly-placed rows of fifty chairs were almost full and filling fast. At the end of the room was a slightly-raised stage, flanked by two standing posters showing a smiling thirty-something woman.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAte7wRZCTu
Karen took a cookie from the craft table and scanned the room for a free chair. Finding none, she stood against the left wall and began taking little bites out of her cookie.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4irrIj40JF
The same woman from the posters walked up onto the stage with a cordless microphone. After testing the mic, she gazed at the audience with glimmering eyes.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZzTmqYQHf
‘You know, I was a lot like all of you when I was younger.’ Her voice was commanding but soothing. ‘So eager to do something with my life. I could have just done a 9 to 5 job and tried to make a living out of that. How many of you work those kinds of jobs? Raise your hand.’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmglriYGVeN
Most of the room raised their hand. The woman continued. ‘I wanted something more, and I knew I had to do it the right way. I was determined not only to make a little cash but also to empower women. That’s what WonderLiving is all about. How do we do this?’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4jEM8NgDs
The projector screen behind the woman lit up and displayed a business structure chart. ‘This is network marketing. Now, I know it looks like a pyramid…’ the audience laughed, Karen included. ‘...But if you look closer, it’s a tier system, and anyone can rise through the ranks. You’ll start off in the Farmer Tier and, if you make enough commission, you can become a Craftswoman, then a Warrior, a Noble and finally a Pharaoh. We at WonderLiving are all about lifting women up and letting them be their own bosses. You choose the hours, how much product you sell and who you sell to. You can even choose to make this a side hustle to make a little passive income while you work elsewhere. It’s all up to you.’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl9OCLglpfM
Karen beamed at this idea. The slide changed to a stock photo of a smiling group of women. ‘In joining WonderLiving, you also get to become a member of a welcoming community of women who treat each other like family. These are your fellow Girl Pharaohs.’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxdRPeBTgo
Before the woman could finish her speech, Karen had already taken her pen out to sign up.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLJsysg2SY
She bought 99 dollars’ worth of products and headed home. The items arrived a week later. She set up a Friendful page for her business and waited for customers to start pouring in.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡof43d2azkx
They did no such thing.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcrdOdCDOc
She started recommending her products to people on the mum groups and got a couple of people interested, though not enough to pay back the startup cost. She expanded the scope of people she contacted to her friends on Friendful, most of whom didn’t reply.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivuSkgJFhO
Over the next few weeks, Karen didn’t speak to Frema when she shopped, even when Frema waved at her. It didn’t take long for Frema to give up. An idea popped into Karen’s head when she heard a shopper complain to another about having trouble sleeping.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgREbTpSuxD
‘Oh, have you tried the Sarcophagus oil from WonderLiving? It’s perfect for that kind of thing.’ A blush adorned Karen’s cheeks. ‘Sorry, I overheard you and wanted to help someone struggling. We women have to stick together, you know?’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJWbgd6cFX
The shopper smiled with a raised eyebrow. ‘I’ll look it up.’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZBTug3Gxp
Karen’s heart jumped up and down at this little victory. She was so excited she forgot to tell her about her Friendful business page.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkg5l5NL8Pa
Every weekend she went shopping, she brought a few bottles of essential oils to the supermarket to conveniently have on hand whenever a shopper had a problem.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBstQ02THXa
‘Oh, you have trouble concentrating? You should try Scribe. I’ve got a couple of Scribe oils if you want to buy a couple from me. They’re real cheap.’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8n0JX1Nlud
‘Oh, your husband’s struggling with indigestion? That’s awful! Has he tried the essential oil Oasis? It has peppermint in it, which aids with digestion.’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hjhckdyso
‘Oh, I’m so sorry your son has cancer. I hear the Ankh essential oil is great for that.’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNG7uD2yp4V
By the time she uttered that last suggestion, Frema had noticed what she was doing and took her aside.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzDzGwwqII
‘What are you doing in my supermarket?’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfOk13mOs5
It took a while for Karen to gather her thoughts when faced with Frema’s beauty. ‘I-I-It’s not your supermarket. You don’t own your own business like me.’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjZ2kPS860
‘Good for you. You still can’t sell things here.’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOu7RMK1cUJ
Karen held the oil bottle in her hand close to her chest. ‘Why not? I’m helping people who need me.’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPBiJEpAMO
‘If you try and shill your products here, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.’ Frema crossed her arms and stared down at Karen.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOfr2Th0hxS
‘But I’m a customer! I have every right to be here!’ To demonstrate this, Karen took a packet of chips from the shelf and plopped it into her almost empty trolley. She had been in the shopping centre for more than an hour.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1nNgMnOq6w
‘Not if you’re bothering the other customers.’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidbW24OpKD
‘At least I’m not trying to date them!’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDR1dF6hQdh
Frema blinked. ‘What does that have to do with… Look, I’m sorry about that day. I got caught up in the fun of the day and I thought you liked me too. I shouldn’t have assumed that and I should have been more careful not to misread the situation. Can we at least stay friends? I’m content with that so long as you don’t try to sell things in this store.’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vVHnrdRo0
‘Why would I want to stay friends with a lesbian?’ Karen asked that question a little too loud. As customers turned their heads, Frema and Karen shared a blush. Frema’s eyebrows met up high and her lips parted ever so slightly as she took in Karen’s words. She then looked down.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAzqtolVJD
‘Well, if that’s how you really feel, I’ll leave you alone.’ Her voice was deep and quiet. ‘Just leave my customers alone.’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYOHGbHdwU
Karen shoved her oil bottles back in her handbag and stomped away with a huff, until she realised she still had shopping to do. She gingerly walked back to her trolley and pushed it down the aisle with her nose turned up.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrBFgDXZoj
Anger brewed within her gut, slowly rising as she thought of Frema and her stupid gorgeous face and her dumb adorable laugh and her infuriatingly endearing spontaneity. She then remembered the hurt look on Frema’s face from moments before. She wondered if she herself would have that face if someone found out about her own attraction.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDb9ZIc0VG
Heads turned again when Karen held her arm out on the shelf as she walked forward, knocking everything to the floor.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9dVJV59zj
‘Out!’ Frema shouted.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPLZwIbCg0
Upon her arrival home, Kyle asked Karen if she could get him a game he wanted for his birthday, which would take place in two weeks. Karen didn’t answer, storming off to her room and slamming the door shut.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6eL3LfMZM
On the WonderLiving website, she bought more inventory. She was going to afford that game for Kyle. She made a habit of buying more items every day. Her fellow Girl Pharaohs on Friendful always emphasised the importance of buying lots of products. According to them, if someone didn’t make money from this business opportunity, they simply hadn’t worked hard enough.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIlVuJpnSX9
The day she planned on buying Kyle’s present, a week before his birthday, she checked her bank account and saw she didn’t have enough to buy a single game. A labyrinth of dark thoughts weaved into her mind as she held her phone with trembling hands.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6PAMzJcxb
She asked the WonderLiving page on Friendful if anyone was also struggling to make back the money they spent on products. The Girl Pharaohs on the page told her to network with more people.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKI9KzwpBq
As desperation ate at her, Karen searched Friendful for Frema and read through her public posts. She had posted a picture the previous day with a thermometer in her mouth. The caption read, ‘The flu’s a bitch.’
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbb8aOJ8yd
Karen didn’t send a friend request but did send a message.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5o1ecaDCW
Hey girl!
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hMC1pIaLg
I saw you’re feeling a little under the weather. I know just the thing to help with your symptoms. You should try the Ankh essential oil from WonderLiving! It’s made of all-natural ingredients and it has incredible healing properties!
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uIl5kT3J8
I also have a great business opportunity for you. I don’t know how much you make managing the supermarket, but I’m sure it’s not much. I know you and you deserve more. You’re so smart and I would love to have you as part of my team.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytofEB2Rac
At first, Frema left Karen on read. By the end of the day, however, Frema made her thoughts known.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzRZREbAMF
You must have nerves of steel if you think you can try to sell me the crap that got you kicked out. I thought maybe you were going to message an apology but no, you had to turn it into a money-making opportunity for you. Screw you. I’ve been so patient with you but now I’ve given up. No more trying to reason with you or keep any friendship with you. I’m done.
326Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIb7bxCrW5
Karen dropped the phone on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She was stuck in a frustrating limbo, miserable enough to want to cry but not enough to actually do it
ns 15.158.61.46da2
