All Chapters of Five Bucks for a Million-Dollar Lunch: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

It was often said that young people nowadays were blunt and lacked propriety in their speech and actions, but in all my years of working, it was the first time I ever encountered an intern who took things that far.Upon noticing my silence, Julia Hall, the intern, pursed her lips and said, "You can't just give me the silent treatment, Emma. I'm not looking for a free meal—I'm paying. I know five dollars isn't a lot, but I'm trying to lose weight, so I won't be eating much anyway. "I mean, considering how you're an orphan and how I'm not picky about food, you can just make a little extra when you cook. It's a great way for you to make some extra cash on the side."I found it hard to believe that she actually thought she was doing me a favor by letting me pack her lunch. I nearly laugh out of sheer frustration.Mom and Dad were doing perfectly fine, enjoying their retirement at home.Yet, according to Julia, I was suddenly an orphan with no family. I deliberately kept a low profile

Chapter 2

Karl, however, said, "You really don't know what's good for you, Emma! Isn't Julia just telling the truth here? Did she touch a sore spot or something? "You ought to remember Julia's status as well. She's the future successor of this company! She only asked for your help out of pity, to give you a chance to earn some side income, Emma!"Karl delivered this lecture with heavy gravity, making it seem as though turning down Julia's request meant I simply didn't know what was good for me.In reality, this company was only respectable within the local market. It wasn't even on the radar nationally. I had concealed my identity as the primary successor to our family's business solely to gain foundational experience for managing our own assets.In addition, the largest investor of this company still had to depend on cooperation with my family's business to operate.I never thought I would end up dealing with someone so unreasonable and ungrateful in this company. I still decided to let i

Chapter 3

"You'd better not twist the facts here, Julia! You ought to know that taking someone else's thing without permission is considered theft! How can you steal my food and act like you did nothing wrong? "I'm warning you—if you fail to issue a public apology and provide compensation, I won't let you go!" I bellowed before I tossed my lunch box into the trash can. I then grabbed my handbag, turned on my heels, and walked away.I ate a freshly made meal once I returned home, but I was still absolutely furious. I unlocked my phone, ready to blast Julia publicly in the company-wide group chat. But at the last second, I realized that even though I didn't care about keeping the job, making a massive scene would only end up causing more trouble for me in the long run.I messaged Julia privately with that in mind. "You'd better fully reimburse me for the food you stole at lunch and make a public apology by tomorrow morning. Otherwise, I'll contact the police and file a report."I hadn't eve

Chapter 4

I didn't bother waiting around to see how they replied after saying my piece. I directly opened my contact list and called my lawyer. "I need you to look into Julia Hall's background. Give me a full sweep of her family history going back three generations—direct line, extended relatives, everything. "I also need you to dig up everything you can on whoever is running things between Grand Epoch Capital and our branch here—the more detailed, the better."I finally felt my anger ease up slightly once I finished giving the orders.I went straight to the nearest police station the following day. I explained everything that had happened the day before and handed over the receipts for the ingredients along with proof of my nutritionist's wages.Though the police officers were shocked that a single meal could be expensive enough to meet the threshold for a criminal case, they still dutifully accompanied me to the company.Upon arriving at the reception desk at the company, the police offi

Chapter 5

When the police heard my words, their expressions immediately turned grim. "That's considered a criminal offense, so please come with us to the police station."Julia looked entirely unrepentant. "You're just taking Emma's word for it! What do you even mean by thousands of dollars? It's just a few pieces of vegetables, so there's no way it costs that much money!"In that instant, the police officers promptly placed the valuation documents in front of her.Julia's face turned pale as she trembled, seemingly realizing the severity of the problem for the first time. She quickly glanced at Mr. Lowe, hesitated for a split second, and immediately recovered her bravado. "W-What about it? Your measly thousands of dollars are less than the price of a single handbag of mine! Go ahead and check the surveillance footage, then! You've got nothing without proof!"Just as expected, Mr. Lowe immediately picked up on Julia's cue. He put on a look of regret as he offered the police officers an apo

Chapter 6

It wasn't long before hurried footsteps could be heard approaching from outside the office, and with a loud bang, the door was pushed open.Samuel stormed in with a group of people, his expression brimming with fury. He swept his gaze across the room before locking onto my disheveled state, his eyes widening instantly. "Are you alright, Ms. Dalton? What are you idiots waiting for? Hurry up and call for an ambulance!"I waved casually, signaling that the police had already called for an ambulance. I then grabbed Julia, who was trying to slip away during the commotion, and pulled her right in front of the crowd. "You shouldn't leave yet, Julia. Your father has personally come to the scene to back you up. Aren't you going to greet him first?"Julia stumbled when I pulled her forward. Her smug, malicious look vanished immediately after facing the intimidating and irate Samuel. Her lips quivered, unable to utter a single word for a very long time. Her previous overbearing manner vani

Chapter 7

Mr. Lowe's cries gradually faded, eventually disappearing at the office entrance.In that instant, the surrounding colleagues watched in fear, not daring to make a sound. Karl and the others, who had previously sided with Julia and given false testimony, were especially terrified. They huddled in the corner, wishing they could just vanish into thin air.I calmly looked over every single face in the room before locking eyes with Karl and his group. "What's the matter? You guys were running your mouths just a second ago. You laughed while Julia attacked me with a known allergen. You fueled the fire when she ran a smear campaign about my family status. "You even fabricated a story for the police, telling them I set her up and launched into a violent episode. Where did all that energy go?"Those words of mine were like knives, striking Karl and his group exactly where it hurt the most.Karl abruptly looked up. His face was deathly pale, and his eyes were filled with panic and remorse

Chapter 8

I knew that the carrot-and-stick approach was a classic way to establish authority. I had always kept a clear head and known exactly how to balance the two.Thus, the farce had finally come to an end.I didn't waste any time worrying about what would happen to the company next, as the heights I was bound to reach in the future were beyond anything they could achieve in a lifetime. I didn't mind leaving on a relatively good note, even if our paths would never cross again. After all, that wouldn't cost me anything.Through these experiences of tempering myself at the grassroots level, I deeply realized a truth—I needed to build relationships and avoid making enemies wherever possible. I was entirely the victim in this situation, but the reality was that being vulnerable, helpless, or innocent didn't mean people would treat you well—and being kind certainly didn't guarantee you'd get the same in return.I had been completely buried in my own work and had neglected basic networking

Chapter 9

I continued, "Dalton Group will also launch a comprehensive audit and restructuring of the HR frameworks and management systems across all subsidiaries. We are pausing the approval process for all incoming investment ventures until these corrective measures are finalized." The expressions of several shareholders shifted instantly when they heard that. Freezing new ventures meant tightening the company's capital chain, directly impacting their upcoming quarterly dividends.They didn't dare to raise an objection, though. After all, they were well aware that this company only survived as long as it did because Dalton Group kept it afloat financially.In addition, I was the future successor of Dalton Group.I looked over at them, keeping my voice level as I said, "You ought to know that what happened today wasn't a one-off incident. It's proof that the entire management framework is broken. If we can't even tell right from wrong on a fundamental level, then any policies we put on pape

Chapter 10

I refused Julia's parents' offer. I made it clear to Tray that I didn't need their compensation, as what I wanted was to use the legal system to ensure Julia and the others faced the consequences of their actions. I wanted them to know that everyone was equal before the law, and no one was an exception.Ultimately, the court convened for my trial, and Julia, Mr. Lowe, and Karl fully confessed to everything they had done in the courtroom.Julia was convicted on multiple counts, including theft, aggravated assault, defamation, and identity theft. She was sentenced to a combined sentence of one year and six months in prison. She was also ordered to pay me a total of 75 thousand dollars in restitution to cover my medical bills, catering expenses, and emotional distress damages.Mr. Lowe, on the other hand, received a six-month prison sentence for covering things up and committing perjury for Julia.I tuned out the rest of Tray's update, as what happened to those people simply wasn't

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