I had sunk a quarter of a million dollars into a beauty salon with my college friends. My money, their sweat. But when it came time to split the profits, one of them decided I hadn't done enough. That I didn’t deserve my share. She wanted to nickel-and-dime me, to force me out. Turn a profit, then cut me loose? Start tallying up every cent? Fine. I stripped that salon bare the very next day. Sent their clients packing. Called the landlord. You want to count? Let’s count. Let’s count it all. 1 The conference call had ended, but the audio feed was still live on their end. I heard them. “Just thinking about transferring her half the money tomorrow makes my blood boil! What for? She barely even steps foot in the place! It’s like we’re working for her! We’re supposed to be partners!” “Brenda, dial it back a bit. We couldn’t find jobs after graduation, remember? Lynn put up all the money, and a 50/50 split was the deal. It was agreed upon.” “She wouldn’t even let me switch out one of our beauty products! Why not? She sits around doing nothing all day, then at the end of the year, she gets seventy-five grand in profit! I’m slaving away, breaking my back, and I only get thirty-seven five! Shelly! Don’t you want to buy her out? We could run this place ourselves.” “Oh no! The call’s still on! Do you think Lynn heard us?” “Hello? Hello? Lynn!” “Shelly, why are you so afraid of her? So what if she heard? She’s coming for her share tomorrow. I’ll tell her to her face.” Shelly and Brenda were my closest friends from college. Back then, they were struggling to find work, and they’d approached me with the idea of opening a beauty salon. I didn’t hesitate. I fully funded the whole operation for them. I found the location, I put up the capital, and I didn’t even interfere with their day-to-day decisions. I even only asked for half the profits. It was, by far, the least profitable of all my investments. But because my partners were my good friends, it was also the one I’d poured the most effort and heart into. In the beginning, they were overflowing with gratitude. Now, over a few extra dollars, they’d turned against me. A chill settled in my chest. The news that I was planning to invest an additional half-million dollars silently retracted itself. 2 I arrived at the salon the next day. “You’re here. Come in.” Brenda’s tone was icy. I followed her into the reception area. It had been a while since I’d last visited. I studied Brenda. When we first met, she’d been so small and thin. Now, she’d filled out significantly, probably pushing 150-155 pounds. She was draped in Gucci, her wrist glittered with a Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra bracelet, and a Tiffany necklace gleamed at her throat. Her BMW key fob lay casually on the table. She’d clearly been living well these past two years. Shelly, by contrast, looked much the same as she had in college, with very little change. Shelly whispered to me, “Lynn, whatever Brenda says, don’t take it to heart. She’s been a little on edge lately.” “What could be so bad? You look nervous.” Brenda pulled out a wad of cash, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Some people just have it made, huh? Money just drops from the sky while they sit at home.” Thwack! The stack of bills hit the table. It felt less like a payment and more like a humiliating dole. “This year’s profit share. Thirty thousand. Take a look.” I didn’t touch it, just flicked my gaze over the pile. “That’s not the figure we discussed yesterday, Brenda. After rent, utilities, and salaries, the salon profited over one hundred and fifty thousand this year. My share should be at least seventy-five thousand.” “Lynn, you make money way too easily. You haven’t even met a single client, and you just walk away with half our profits! While we’re here, bowing and scraping, our hands practically raw from all the scrubbing, and we only get half to split between Shelly and me! It’s not fair. I want to recalculate the numbers!” I glanced at Shelly, who remained silent. “Do you feel the same way?” “I… I don’t think it’s unfair… It’s just… Brenda, please stop. Lynn’s the one who invested everything into this place.” “Look at you, no backbone!” Brenda stood up abruptly, pulling out a contract. “This is my new profit distribution. From now on, it’s 30/30/30 for the three of us, and the remaining 10% goes back into the business for development.” “Development, you say? How do you plan to develop?” “We’ll run ad campaigns, attract new clients, offer promotional deals.” I propped my chin in my hand. “And then…?” “Then the salon will grow, it’ll be even better! I’ve been wanting to offer a $30 express facial for ages! We need an online presence; we need to hire influencers for marketing. Doesn’t all that cost money?” “Do you realize that, given your location and the high-end decor, your clientele are wealthy? Do you honestly think they’d be interested in discounts? They pay hundreds, even a grand, for a single facial. Do you think they’d want to be seen alongside clients paying thirty dollars?” She was silent. “You drafted this new contract today because you think I haven’t done anything, haven’t you? Have you ever stopped to consider how, since the day you opened, you haven’t handed out a single flyer? How did all these clients find you?” “Oh, please.” Brenda scoffed. “Don’t act like this place can’t function without you.” “This salon was my idea! I found the location! I brought in the clients! Even the exclusive skincare lines you use were arranged by me! You think I’ve done nothing? You haven’t seen the private connections I’ve cultivated, the favors I’ve called in! Honestly, the goodwill and introductions I make every quarter are worth more than that paltry sum! My seventy-five thousand dollars, not a penny less.” My voice rose, each word sharper than the last. “Now, you’re trying to bite the hand that feeds you, all for a few petty gains?” “Okay, Lynn, don’t get upset. I’ll go get the money now!” Shelly started to rise. “Hold on! Who said you could get the money!” Brenda’s voice shot out, stopping her. “Don’t make yourself sound so indispensable. You said it yourself, it was ‘private.’ How am I supposed to know what you did privately? You say you brought in the clients? I say they came because my work is impeccable! Shelly and I earned this money with our own hands, every single dollar! Why should we be grateful to you? We’re all business people here. I’m laying it all out: either you agree to the new profit distribution, or you get out!” Brenda was practically spitting fire. Shelly was wringing her hands, on the verge of tears. “Stop it, Brenda!” Brenda ignored her completely, pointing a finger at me. “How much did you invest in this salon, initially?” “A quarter of a million.” “Next week, come sign the agreement. I’ll give you a quarter of a million dollars, not a cent less. You’re out.” “Brenda! Don’t be ridiculous!” Shelly cried. “Lynn, she’s just kidding.” “Shelly, what’s wrong with you? What’s the difference between this and working for her?” Brenda’s eyes drilled into mine, as if we were sworn enemies. “Friendship? Please. She probably just saw us as two cheap pawns to exploit.” “Is that what you think too, Shelly?” Shelly froze, unable to answer. Suddenly, a wave of weariness washed over me. I had so few genuine friends, and I treasured them. Yet, here they were, turning on me over a few measly dollars. “Fine. I’ll be back next week to sign the papers.” I picked up my bag and left, Shelly’s desperate cries echoing behind me. 3 Back home, the anger simmered, then boiled. How dare they? My money, and they just wanted me out? Many of the salon’s sofas and decorative pieces were high-end designer items, things I’d quietly brought over from my own home. I wasn’t about to let them have them. One phone call to a moving company. “Lynn, what is the meaning of this! You’re having the sofas moved out! Where will the clients sit?” You’re making me divest, aren’t you? These are my things. I’m allowed to take them! If you want them, I can sell them to you for thirty-seven thousand! “Thirty-seven grand for sofas? Who are you kidding?” They’re Hermès, darling. One of my throw pillows alone is twelve hundred dollars. You stained one once, remember? I didn’t charge you for it, out of friendship. Oh, and my diffusers, my coffee table, my rugs, and my Swarovski crystal chandelier. Be careful with that one. I video-called the moving company, directing them as they carefully packed and moved every single item, leaving nothing behind. In an instant, the salon looked significantly larger, and incredibly empty. “Why are you moving today? Are you still open for facials?” A client happened to walk in. Shelly immediately tried to stop her. I recognized the voice – it was Aunt Carol, one of my mom’s best friends. I spoke into the video call. “Aunt Carol! I’m pulling out of this place. We’re moving things out right now.” “What! You’re not investing anymore? Oh… in that case…” Aunt Carol backed away, still talking, then turned and scurried out. “She’s out, but our aestheticians are still here! The results are the same! Don’t go, Aunt Carol!” Brenda lunged forward to grab Aunt Carol, but she was too fast. Brenda was furious, shouting at the video screen. “I hated your tacky stuff anyway! Get it all out! Your taste was dragging down the whole salon’s image!” “Don’t think for a second this place will be empty without you! I’m an artist! My skills speak for themselves! Clients will flock to me!” “Right, right… impressive, impressive.” I replied calmly from my end of the video call. My feigned indifference sent her into a rage. But I wasn’t done. The salon’s skincare products. At first, they’d wanted to cut corners, using ordinary, cheap salon brands. I’d put my foot down, insisting we switch to ODEA, a luxury brand favored by the elite. This brand didn’t even offer a professional line for salons in the country, but my cousin, Caleb, happened to be the regional head for North America. He’d made an exception for me. They had complained about the cost, thinking I was wasting money, and had initially resisted. But once I fronted the costs, they’d tasted the sweet success. It was also the main reason many of the city’s high-society women chose our salon. Now, if I wasn’t important anymore, I called my cousin. “My old beauty salon? No need to supply them anymore.” 4 “Lynn, are you still mad at Brenda? She’s just a little self-centered, but her heart’s not bad.” Shelly had called me. I’d ignored her calls several times, but this morning, half-asleep, I’d accidentally answered. “Didn’t you two want me out?” “I definitely didn’t want you out. But you know Brenda’s personality. If I’d sided with you, she’d feel like the whole world was against her.” “You really think things through. So tell me, why did she suddenly become unhappy with the profit split? It’s been three years. If she was unhappy, she would have said so in the first year.” “She’s dating someone.” Brenda had a new boyfriend. I heard he was a trust fund kid whose family happened to be in the beauty product business. The beauty products I’d refused to use? His family produced them. Brenda had started giving me attitude the moment I rejected his brand. “I refused to use that product because it was sketchy, unregistered, and unsafe! It would have ruined our reputation! And ODEA was our salon’s main selling point! We absolutely couldn’t switch!” “I know, I agree with you. But Brenda’s a total lovesick fool. She thinks you were deliberately trying to spite her. You’re the bigger person, don’t hold a grudge against her.” “I’m not holding a grudge. I just feel betrayed.” … “Shelly! Who are you talking to?!” The voice on the other end of the line changed instantly. “Heh, so it’s you, Lynn! You’re so despicable! You deliberately turned away our clients, didn’t you?” “If clients don’t want to come, should I hold a knife to their throats?” Playing passive-aggressive games? Two can play that game. “You don’t seriously think I can’t survive without your products, without your clients, do you? Sorry to burst your bubble! My business is thriving right now! My boyfriend’s products are just as good!” … I couldn’t be bothered to listen to her bragging. I hung up. The next second, I dialed a friend. “I’ve pulled out of the beauty salon. Hike up the rent on them!” 5 For the past few days, Brenda had been trying to spite me, her social media feed flooded with videos of clients getting facials. Every single client who walked in, she’d post a video, as if declaring war on me. In the videos, Brenda would direct Shelly as she gave clients facials, while Brenda herself, with her chest practically exposed, would introduce her “new” products. “Our new line of products! New clients get 30% off~ Top up your account for more discounts!” She also started posting discount links on various platforms, slashing a $3,999 skincare package down to $999. Several friends from my social circle saw the posts and messaged me, asking if I was planning to go mainstream. I didn’t waste words. I posted a business update. Accompanied by a photo of my entire wall of designer handbags. “Just got kicked out of a beauty salon by a friend recently. Any projects out there looking for an investor? I’ll put up the capital, you put in the work. I only ask for half the profits!” Within minutes, the comments section exploded. “Only half the profits! You’re an angel investor! I need to think about what I can do, right now!” “Interested in luxury resale, big sis? Partner with me! Pretty please!” “Big sis! I’m in beauty too! Heard you pulled out of your salon! Come to our place, the biggest one in Beacon Hill!” Brenda saw all these messages. Like a cornered animal, she immediately posted three updates in a row. “Women need to be independent! Self-reliant!” She was losing it. 6 The day of the contract signing, there was an extra person: Brenda’s boyfriend. A tall, gaunt man, his clothes seemed to hang loosely on his frame. Brenda was known for being shallow in college, so this must be true love, I thought. Before Brenda could even open her mouth, the lanky guy spoke. “We called you here today to sign the divestment agreement, but we’ve changed our minds. We want you to continue investing. But I’ll be managing the operations, and we’ll use my products. Brenda and I will split half, and you and Shelly will split the other half.” “So, what? I won’t even get 25% now?” “You don’t do any work anyway. Getting 25% is already generous!” “Excuse me, and who are you?” This lanky guy had absolutely no manners. Brenda immediately put her hands on her hips, blocking him. “This is my boyfriend, Chad! He speaks for me!” I couldn’t be bothered with either of them. “I came here today for one purpose: to get my money back. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars!” Shelly spoke up, hesitant. “We really don’t have that much… actually, we do have it, but the landlord suddenly raised the rent recently, and Brenda, she…” “Hey! Why are you telling her that! That’s my business!” I looked on, intrigued. They were hiding something from me. “So, I came here today, and you’re telling me you don’t have the money?” Brenda and Chad said nothing. Shelly finally spoke again: “I think we should just stick to the original agreement. Lynn gets half! The three of us split the other half!” “No way!” Brenda, Chad, and I all said it at the same time. Honestly, whether I got 25% or 50% didn’t matter to me. More than money, I valued relationships. What truly crushed me was that I’d considered them friends, and they’d treated me like a tool. “Don’t be like this, Brenda! We used to be the best of friends.” Shelly pulled at Brenda, then at me. “Lynn, how about you stay, and I’ll give you my share? You can just pay me a salary, eight thousand a month! Even five thousand! Couldn’t we just go back to how things were?” I looked at Shelly. Maybe not everything beautiful had completely crumbled. Then, another idea sparked within me. “If we can’t agree, let’s try a different negotiation. I’ll pay you, and you get out!” I pointed at Brenda. “I’ll give you thirty thousand dollars. Consider it compensation for your hard work all these years. You didn’t invest any money upfront. How does that sound?” “Thirty thousand? You think that’s enough to get rid of me?” “You can’t come up with the money, and you won’t accept my proposal. So my only option is to sue. But given that I funded this salon from the start, you’d likely be forced out without a single cent.” “You!” Brenda was so enraged she couldn’t speak. Chad pulled her aside. They whispered a few words. Brenda kissed Chad on the cheek. “It’s just a quarter of a million, right? I don’t have it! But my man does!” Chad, right there in front of me, transferred $250,000 to my account. I didn’t waste any time. I tore up the old contract on the spot. “You’re so hot, honey!” “Baby, I really broke the bank for this. You can see how much I care, right?” Chad looked as though he’d just sealed a momentous deal. “This salon is mine now. And your friend, Shelly, is it? You two will have to iron out your shareholder agreement separately. From now on, it’ll be…” They were already planning Shelly’s future for her. But Shelly, finally, couldn’t hold back. “I’m out! I quit!” “Shelly? Why are you quitting now? This is between her and me! I’d still give you shares, just a bit less. But my boyfriend’s family makes skincare products! Stick with me, we’ll make a fortune!” “Brenda, it’s not about the money! My conscience tells me what you’re doing is wrong!” Shelly took out her phone and transferred $20,000 to me. “Brenda doesn’t understand, but I do. You initially gave us a quarter of a million. Even if you left, you should have gotten at least three hundred thousand back. But I only have this much. More than making money, I don’t want to lose you as a friend.” “You! Are you stupid, Shelly! She’s so rich, why are you giving her money?” I looked at Shelly. She truly was the same as she was in college. I hoped, this time, I wasn’t mistaken about her. I declined her transfer, and immediately transferred $600,000 back to Shelly. “Lynn? What is this?” “You want to open a new salon with me? We’ll use the same exclusive products as before. After all costs, we split the profits 50/50.” “What?! You have money?! Why did you?! You… you…” “You, you, you, I, I, I? What’s wrong, did dating make you stutter? How I choose to invest is none of your business!” I shot back. Shelly stood there, stunned. “You really trust me?” “I do. At least now I’ve seen clearly who my true friend is!” “You two just wait! Running a beauty salon is ultimately a small-time business! My husband and I are going to conquer the entire beauty market! From now on, all beauty salons will use my products! And we won’t supply yours!” Still dreaming, I thought. Her “shady, unregulated product” dominating the beauty market? Utterly ridiculous!
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