Chapter 4

I heard it.

I heard every single word.

But I couldn't stop.

I had been starving for too long. I knew that pride was the least filling thing in the world.

I wasn't trying to go viral or create a fake persona.

I was just terrified that the food would be gone. Terrified that this basket of warm cornbread would be taken away from me in the next second.

I picked up the cabbage soup and took a sip.

It was thin, with no slick of oil on top. Yet it tasted so good to me. It was far richer than the free broth at the cafeteria.

I started on my third piece of bread.

Then the fourth.

Then the fifth.

The camera kept creeping closer.

The crew's expressions shifted from amusement to genuine shock.

Meanwhile, the live chat blew up.

Comments scrolled past at lightning speed on the monitor screen.

"LOL, did she forget she's a spoiled rich kid?"

"Overacting much? What rich girl looks at cornbread like it's lobster?"

"Stop eating, girl. The script is showing."

"Her dad literally just said she orders takeout multiple times a day, and now she's acting like a starving stray?"

"I bet 50 cents she's gonna start crying in a minute about how immature she used to be."

"Faking poverty is revolting. Actual poor people must be furious watching this."

I couldn't read those words, but I could feel all their eyes on me.

Their stares felt like layers of plastic wrap tight around me, suffocating me.

With my mouth stuffed with cornbread, I couldn't utter a word of explanation.

Halfway through the seventh one, I choked. It felt like a stone was lodged in my throat.

I tried desperately to swallow it down, and tears burst straight out of my eyes.

Arthur immediately handed me water. "Drink some water! Take it slow!"

I grabbed the cup and gulped it down. My stomach throbbed with pain.

Yet when a crew member reached over to move the basket away, my hand slapped down on it almost by reflex.

The entire courtyard went dead silent for a second.

Then someone muttered under their breath, "Look at her guarding her food. Talk about going all in on the act. Mr. Carter should give her a bonus for this performance."

Arthur crouched down beside me. He wasn't laughing. His voice was very soft as he said, "Jennifer, nobody's going to take it from you."

Nobody was going to take it from me.

The words felt so foreign.

I looked up at him, tears still clinging to my cheeks.

A doctor was called over to check my blood sugar.

When the reading came up, he frowned. "It's really low. Is this the only meal you've had today?"

I lowered my head and said nothing.

Arthur asked me, "Jennifer, have you not been eating properly lately?"

I still didn't say a word.

Harry's warnings rang over and over in my head.

Right at that moment, the audio line from the observation room was patched in again.

Mandy's voice came through, heavy with uncontrollable disappointment. "Jennifer Witt."

My whole body went stiff.

She asked, "Why are you doing this? Your dad said you've never lacked food or clothes growing up. And I've never held back on providing for you. Why are you snatching cornbread in front of the camera like this? Are you trying to make everyone think we mistreated you?"

The half-eaten cornbread in my hand was crushed even flatter.

Everyone was staring at me.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. "I really wasn't pretending."

Mandy paused.

I looked up at the camera, tears spilling over uncontrollably. "I was just really hungry."

I clutched the half-eaten cornbread, my fingertips going numb. "Dad gives me 30 bucks a month. 30 bucks for my food, bus fare, pads, and phone bill. I didn't dare ask you for more because I was afraid you'd find me annoying."

In the observation room, Mandy stared at me on the screen.

The glass cup in her hand slipped through her fingers. Shards exploded across the floor with a loud crash.

Her assistant jumped up in shock. "Ms. Grant!"

Mandy didn't seem to hear.

The next second, she shot to her feet. Her voice trembled, but it was terrifyingly sharp. "How much did she say?"

Benjamin froze.

Mandy glared directly at the monitor screen. "Who said I only gave you 30 bucks?"