If Layla had anything to say about the disaster unfolding in Zoey's chat, none of it reached her face.
"This one is..."
She reached across the table and picked up the cream Zoey had just been applying. The movement pulled one of the fitted sections of her black dress smooth along her arm, while the looser fabric beneath it shifted softly against her side. The jar turned between her hands until its label faced the camera, held steady at an angle that kept her fingers from covering the front.
"...a barrier-support moisturizer formulated with glycerin, squalane, and ceramides. The glycerin helps attract and retain water in the upper layers of the skin, while the squalane and ceramides help reduce moisture loss and support the skin barrier. The texture is richer than the serum, but it's designed to absorb without leaving a heavy finish, so it can be worn under sunscreen or makeup."
The change in pace was immediate.
Only seconds earlier, Zoey had been stumbling through an explanation to Hannah with cream on her fingers. Now Layla stood beside the table with the jar presented toward the camera, moving through the product information without searching for a word.
Her eyes shifted once toward Zoey.
Zoey was staring at her.
Her mouth hung slightly open, her eyebrows raised and drawn together as if she'd stopped somewhere between confusion and disbelief. For several seconds, she simply watched Layla speak, visibly dumbfounded by the uninterrupted stream of product information coming from beside her.
Layla turned back toward the camera and continued.
"It's fragrance-free and formulated for sensitive skin. Because the serum goes on first, the cream helps seal in the hydration from the previous steps. You only need a small amount for the face and neck, and it should be pressed or spread evenly rather than worked into one area."
The chat, which had barely stopped moving since Layla arrived, went strangely quiet. For three full seconds, only the last few messages drifted upward beside the camera feed.
Then a new line appeared.
Another followed beneath it, then three more, and the column quickly resumed its usual climb.
CHAT:
EXCUSE ME SCIENCE QUEEN
she just said ceramides like it's a lullaby
I have no skin and I still want this
zoey went from chaos to skincare TED talk in 1.2 seconds
Another message appeared among the anonymous reactions, accompanied by the familiar VIP badge.
[VIP] hannaH: wait WHO is she and why is she talking like she invented the product
Zoey still hadn't touched the stripe of cream on her cheek.
Her hands rested near the products while she stared at Layla. When she finally spoke, her voice came out barely above a whisper.
"...You memorized the ingredient flowchart?"
"I read the sheet."
Layla answered without turning toward her.
She set the cream back among the other products and shifted her body slightly. One shoulder turned away from the camera, the black fabric following the movement in overlapping folds as she angled herself toward Zoey. A loose strand of white hair slipped forward over her shoulder.
"You didn't receive the script from the sponsor?"
The words were quiet enough that the microphone failed to carry them clearly to the stream. From the viewers' side, Layla had simply turned away from the camera and said something privately to Zoey.
Zoey, however, heard every word. Layla's lowered voice seemed to narrow the space around them, cutting through the hum of the computer and everything happening on the monitor. The warmth of her breath brushed Zoey's cheek with the last few words, and Zoey's own breath caught quietly in her throat.
The viewers didn't need to hear what Layla had said. Seeing the sudden shift between them was more than enough.
CHAT:
OH SHE'S WHISPERING
private convo??? 👀
why does that look so serious???
Zoey leaned forward quickly, blinking several times as she looked up at Layla. Her voice dropped to match hers, although the microphone still caught the faint edges of it. As she tilted her face toward Layla, the red that had only just begun to leave her cheeks was already creeping back.
"Script?? I..."
Zoey's eyes slipped toward the monitor. her eyes widening, they had heard her.
Maybe not every word, but enough. The microphone had caught her whisper, and the entire chat had noticed the moment their conversation turned private.
Her gaze darted to the serum bottle. Then the box. Then back to Layla.
She straightened abruptly, the oversized hoodie bunching around her waist as she turned toward the camera. Both sleeves slipped down toward her wrists when she slapped her palms onto the desk.
"HAH yes we love a good product script! Totally read it. Every word! Nothing got lost in my inbox...or skipped because it was insanely long and I thought I'd remember to read it later..."
CHAT:
she absolutely did not read the script
sponsor in shambles rn
someone will not get paid lol
Zoey kept smiling at the camera, both palms flat on the desk. Her eyes lingered on the messages for another second before sliding toward Layla. Layla was still turned slightly toward her, looking exactly as calm as before.
The smile on Zoey's face grew a little tighter. She looked down. The serum bottle sat between her hands, surrounded by the cream, the box, and every other sponsored product she'd just loudly claimed to have read about.
Her eyes moved over the whole collection, then stopped. Layla stayed quietly beside her, offering absolutely nothing that might save her from this.
[VIP] hannaH: Zoey...