Chapter 3

Eliot threw the student ID card right in my face.

"No work badge, so you're using your sister's student ID to slip through! Molina, according to company policy, how much is the fine for this?"

Molina cleared her throat.

"Five hundred dollar donation, treat it as buying bubble tea for the whole office."

Eliot held out her hand to me. "Pay up, right now!"

I looked down at my pocket, cleaner than my face. "But I don't have any cash..."

"Then use your phone! Double for digital payment, one thousand!"

Why was she bullying me like this? I was both angry and upset.

To teach me about financial management, Mom had taken all my New Year's money to invest it, and Dad worried that giving me too much money wouldn't be safe.

So during the school term, my weekly allowance was only a thousand. She was demanding my entire week's allowance with one sentence.

I didn't want to give it, but she was so fierce, like the cackling old witch from cartoons.

"Pay up! If you don't, I'll..." Eliot raised her hand. I backed away.

I pulled out my phone watch. Molina held up her payment QR code.

She smiled mockingly: "What brand of new sports watch is this? Spending money like water—no wonder you have to sell out the company for cash."

I was about to protest that I hadn't.

Eliot threw out a disciplinary confirmation form.

"Sign it and get lost."

I couldn't understand the content, but Mom taught me never to sign papers randomly.

I silently backed away, refusing without words.

Eliot twisted my arm hard. "Sign it! And sign that IOU too!"

She was so rough! Why did she keep hitting people!

Molina flipped open the signature page and handed me a pen.

"Making you pay only one-tenth of the damages—two million is already the company showing you mercy."

I shook my head like a rattle drum.

Molina pursed her lips in disgust.

"Who hired this person? Why can't she understand human speech? If you don't sign, just wait for the court summons!"

"Molina, why waste words on her?" Eliot grabbed my hand, pressed it on an ink pad, and quickly stamped fingerprints on the contract. "There, done!"

A complaint suddenly sounded from outside the door.

"Molina, I asked you to hire me an assistant. Why hasn't it been arranged yet?"

That person looked so familiar.

Wasn't this Uncle Johnson who'd delivered documents to our house?

Our eyes met, and he blurted out: "Miss Colleen, what are you doing here?"