Pauline's Media Tour (and Zoe's Breakdown)
Within days, Pauline was invited to appear on "Good Morning Kenya". She brought Zoe as her "personal assistant and tech intern," which basically meant Zoe was responsible for holding Pauline's flavored water and fact-checking her random quotes.
During the live interview, the host asked, "So, Pauline, where did this health journey begin?"
Without missing a beat, Aunt Pauline leaned in, teary-eyed, and whispered, "It began when my niece exploded."
Zoe nearly choked.
"I—I didn't explode, Auntie. The apartment did!"
Too late. The internet now thought Zoe had risen from literal flames like a detoxified phoenix.
The memes were wild:
"This smoothie healed my trauma and rebuilt my apartment."
"Me after drinking Pauline's blend: reborn, renewed, rent-free."
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The Turning Point
One night, Zoe found Pauline in the living room, surrounded by lit candles and stacks of wellness books. She was staring at her phone, quiet.
"Auntie?" Zoe asked.
"I got an email," Pauline said softly. "From Oprah's team. They want me to audition for her online wellness retreat."
Zoe's jaw dropped. "Wait. Oprah?!"
"Yes." She looked up, dead serious. "Zoe, I need a vision board. Now."
They stayed up all night cutting up old magazines and gluing words like "ENERGY," "HERBAL," and "INFLUENCE" onto cardboard.
Pauline added a photo of herself mid-sneeze. "This one has raw passion," she explained.
Zoe didn't sleep, but she did laugh until her ribs hurt.