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Chapter 8
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The Card with Zero Balance Chapter 9
Bridget was ultimately sentenced to six months in detention for disorderly conduct and defamation.Once word got out, her college expelled her outright, likely to protect its own reputation.During those six months, my parents sold the only house they owned back home to pay off the debts from the building-materials factory and the payday loans Bridget had racked up.With no money left, the two of them ended up moving into a leaky basement apartment on the edge of the county.Six months later, Bridget got out of detention.I found out from a video Aunt Judy posted in the family group chat.In the video, Bridget had cut her hair short and lost so much weight she looked like a different person. There was no trace left of her old arrogance in her eyes.My parents went to pick her up. No hug, no words of comfort.My dad even slapped her hard right there, pointing a finger in her face and screaming."You reckless, spoiled brat! Wasn't it enough, everything you've already put us thro
The Card with Zero Balance Chapter 8
News that Bridget had been taken into custody quickly made its way back to our hometown.The next morning, right after I got to the office, I got a call from the front desk downstairs.My parents had taken an overnight bus through the night to reach the city, and were now waiting for me in the lobby.Seeing my parents for the first time in three years, I almost didn't recognize them.My dad's back had completely bent, his hair gone gray.My mom's eyes had sunk deep into her face. She wore rumpled clothes and looked frightened.When they saw me walk over, none of their old condescending authority remained. Instead, they wrung their hands together, awkward and uncertain."Penny..." My dad spoke first, his voice hoarse.I stood two steps away from them, my tone flat."If you're here to beg me to drop the charges against Bridget, save your breath. She's eighteen. She's an adult, and she'll answer for her own actions."At that, my mom broke down completely and dropped to her knees
The Card with Zero Balance Chapter 7
At that, my eyes went cold at once.The moment I stepped into the lobby, I saw Bridget holding up a stack of printed photos, shouting at the coworkers who'd gathered to watch."Don't be fooled by Penny Rhea, she's not the good student everyone thinks she is!"Back in high school, she stole 100,000 dollars straight out of the family's pocket!"The only reason she's working at a big company like this is because she slept her way in! Some old man's keeping her!"The coworkers around us started whispering to each other, their eyes full of curiosity.Spotting me, a flash of manic satisfaction crossed Bridget's face."Penny, you shameless little tramp! Playing the innocent one in front of Mom and Dad while you're out here doing this filthy stuff! I'm going to show your coworkers exactly who you really are today!"She thought that if she made a big enough scene at my company and ruined my reputation, I'd get thrown out just like before.Unfortunately for her, she was still an idiot.
The Card with Zero Balance Chapter 6
For the rest of that month, I found a job that included room and board and moved out of the house for good.By the time school started, I went to check in completely on my own.In this brand-new environment, I soaked up everything I could learn like a sponge.I applied for a work-study program and tutored on weekends, filling up every spare hour I had.By the end of my first year, I graduated top of my major and won an 8,000-dollar Dean's Merit Scholarship.By the fall of my junior year, my academic record was strong enough that I landed, through a special exception, an internship offer at a top investment bank in the city's financial district.With the money I'd earned myself, I bought a proper set of work clothes and finally retired the canvas shoes I'd glued back together so many times.Through all of this, no one in my family called me even once, and I honestly didn't mind.It wasn't until I was catching up with a friend that I learned my dad's building-materials factory ha
The Card with Zero Balance Chapter 5
Uncle Arthur pulled a pair of reading glasses from his pocket and put them on, taking the bank statement stamped with the bank's official seal from my hand."It says here..." He narrowed his eyes, his voice booming loud enough for everyone to hear."Account opened July 15th, six years ago. Opening deposit, ten dollars."He paused, glanced up at my parents, and a flicker of doubt crossed his face.Then he lowered his head and kept reading."The next day, July 16th, ten dollars withdrawn. No deposits into this account for the six years since. Current balance, zero."When he finished, the relatives all exchanged glances.Aunt Judy was the first to recover. She stared at my mother in disbelief."Lisa, what... what is this? Didn't you say you put 100,000 dollars into Penny's card? Why does it show ten dollars, withdrawn the very next day?""That statement has to be fake!" My mom's face flushed red. "That wretch must have had it forged! She's just trying to ruin our reputation today
The Card with Zero Balance Chapter 4
The whole room erupted, and every relative there looked at me with contempt."My god, Penny blew through a hundred thousand dollars? She seemed so well-behaved; who knew she was this rotten underneath!""What's the point of getting into a top-tier university if your character's this bad? Who'd ever count on an ungrateful brat like her?"Shaking with fury, I raised my voice to defend myself."I didn't spend anything! There was never any money on that card! It's been empty this whole time!""Enough!" My dad slammed his hand on the table and bellowed."You did something wrong, and now you're lying about it too! How did we end up raising a lying little monster like you?"Bridget got up and came toward me, playing the part of a caring older sister."Penny, don't upset Mom and Dad any more than you already have."They worked hard for years to earn that hundred thousand dollars, and you blew through it just like that. It's only fair they'd have a few words for you."Besides, when ha
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