Chapter 2

My whole body trembled with rage.

Was I really that worthless in my parents' eyes?

Hanson gloated from the side, "Helena, all you've ever done is slack off since we were kids. That's already bad enough. You're being greedy by asking for more. Look at you now. Mom finally put you in your place!"

Hailey pulled a bill from the thick stack of cash in her hands and stuffed it into mine.

She chimed in, "It hasn't been easy for Mom and Dad to raise us. The job market is so terrible these days, so stop being so picky and learn to be grateful. Here, I'm giving you 100 dollars. Go buy yourself something nice to eat."

Looking at the 100-dollar note, I felt utterly humiliated, like someone had just slapped me in public.

After working myself to the bone for so long, was my worth no different from a beggar? And upon asking for a just reward, all I got was 100 dollars.

"No thanks." I threw the bill onto the floor.

They hadn't expected me to react that way.

Mom slammed her hand on the table in fury. "Helena, what kind of attitude is that? We feed you, clothe you, and even give you a job. Is this how you repay us? Did we raise you to be an ingrate? If I wanted to, I could just spend 2,000 dollars and hire a college graduate to replace you.

"You're asking for returns that are hugely disproportionate to what little value you brought to the job. What, do you want me to hand the entire factory over to you, while we all go out and starve? Will you be satisfied, then?"

Hanson picked up the 100 dollars from the floor with a smug grin and sneered, "You don't even know how to take advantage of someone else's generosity. Just leave her alone, Mom. People who think too highly of themselves and too little of their own abilities will get a harsh lesson from society sooner or later. Then, she'll know how easy she's had it with us."

I ignored them and walked straight out of the factory.

The temperature was already close to 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

My phone, which I'd been using for nearly ten years, had gotten so hot that it shut down. However, I couldn't even afford a basic phone that cost a little more than 100 dollars anymore.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that even breathing in my family came with a price tag.

Anyone who heard that I'd worked for ten years but had been unable to save a single cent would look at me in disbelief.

I felt pathetic and deeply wronged. Tears streamed down my face despite my best efforts to hold them back.

I hurried to the bank, and my phone finally turned back on.

I quickly called the person who had tried to recruit me.

"Is this Ms. Irving? I'm glad you finally returned my call. I'm an HR representative at Syndar Tech. We're very impressed by your work experience. If you're willing to join our company, we'd be happy to offer you a base salary of 30,000 dollars plus a 10% commission."

Upon hearing that figure, I couldn't help but gasp. "Am I really worth that much?"

The HR representative laughed. "Of course! I heard you just landed a 30-million-dollar deal. The commission alone should be around 300,000 dollars, right?"

I was too embarrassed to tell him that my base salary was only 3,000 dollars.

So, I told him I'd think about it before hanging up.

On the way home, the more I thought about it, the more excited I became.

But then, I was also engulfed by self-doubt. Could an ordinary person like me, who wasn't particularly smart or attractive, really create that much value?

Before I knew it, I'd arrived home.

I reached out to scan my fingerprint. To my shock, the fingerprint lock alerted me that I was an unauthorized user.

Just then, the video intercom rang. "Pay this month's rent first, and then I'll let you in."

I gave a bitter laugh.

Everything in my family had a price tag, and sleeping arrangements were no exception. There was nothing I could do, so I transferred 1,500 dollars to Mom.

The door opened.

I was about to go inside, but Mom blocked my way. "We've moved into a new house, so the rent is now 3,000 dollars a month. I'll give you a 200-dollar discount this month. Pay another 1,800 dollars, and I'll let you in."

I stared at her in shock. "I only make 3,000 dollars a month. If I pay the rent, what am I supposed to eat?"

Mom snorted. "Can't you go deliver food or wash dishes? You're so lazy. You're already 25 years old, yet you still live off your parents. Aren't you ashamed of yourself?

"I'm doing this to teach you how to be independent, so you won't become a useless person who contributes nothing to society. You'll thank me someday."

I was too exhausted to argue with her about any of it, so I transferred the money and entered the house.

Just as I was about to walk into the smallest bedroom, Hanson pulled me away.

"Helena, this is my computer room. Your bed is over there," he said, pointing toward the folding cot on the balcony.