Chapter 6 - The Fall of the Golden Child
A week later, Diane was discharged from the hospital.
But the Diane who came out was not the Diane who went in.
The reality of her condition hit her like a freight train.
She was a carnivore influencer.
Her brand deals were with high-end butcheries, steak restaurants, and grill companies.
She had a cookbook coming out next month titled "Meat is Queen."
Now, she couldn't even stand in a kitchen where bacon was being fried.
The airborne particles alone made her throat itch.
Her sponsors started dropping her.
She had to cancel a massive paid tour across Texas barbecue joints.
Her income dried up almost overnight.
She tried to pivot to a vegan lifestyle channel.
But her followers were ruthless.
"Didn't you just make fun of vegans last month?"
"Fake!"
"You sold out!"
The comments were brutal.
Her engagement plummeted.
She sank into a deep, bitter depression.
And the worst part?
She knew I knew.
The family had told her what Mark said.
They knew I had seen the bite.
They knew I had understood the consequences.
And they were furious that I didn't "save" her from that night.
Susan called me incessantly, demanding I fix it.
"You're a doctor! Give her medicine! Cure her!"
"There is no cure for Alpha-gal, Susan," I told her calmly over the phone.
"You did this to her! You cursed her with your evil words!"
"She did it to herself. Nature just held her accountable."
I blocked her number.
I blocked all of them.
For the first time in five years, my house was peaceful.
No drop-ins. No condescending remarks.
Just me, Mark, and Evan.
But Mark was struggling.
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He was caught between his wife and his family.
And the tension was building to a breaking point.
