Chapter 2

"Veronica, is that your biological sister? She looks like a refugee. Standing next to you, she’s practically dirt."

"God knows which backwater ditch she crawled out of. How does she have the nerve to show up dressed like that?"

Veronica covered her mouth with a soft giggle, though her voice sounded sweetly scolding:

"Guys, stop it. Chloe grew up in the country and doesn't know any better. Now that she's home, you're not allowed to bully her!"

I scoffed in my head. "Messing with me? Prepare to pay the idiot tax."

I walked straight toward them. Seeing me approach, their expressions darkened with disgust.

Veronica smiled falsely. "Chloe, let me introduce you. These are the Vance family's prominent business partners!"

"Oh? Really? So, is the Vance family richer, or are their families richer?"

"We collaborate. We support each other!"

Yet, judging by how they hovered around Veronica, they were clearly just her little group of lackeys.

I nodded calmly. "I heard everything you all just said."

None of them looked even slightly intimidated.

"So what if you did? You think you compare to Veronica?"

"Seriously, know your place. Don't even dream of taking what's hers!"

I let out a cold laugh. "Trace your family trees back three generations, and every single one of you came from dirt-poor farm stock. Who gave you the right to look down on me?"

"Not to mention your family net worths are nowhere near ours. Otherwise, why would you be brown-nosing Veronica like obedient little lapdogs?"

Veronica's face instantly twisted. "Chloe Vance!"

"Shut your mouth, idiot! They're openly trashing the Vance family's dignity, and instead of being furious, you’re proud of it? You and I share this roof. Even if we were swapped at birth, our parents never kicked you out. Yet you let these clowns laugh at me?"

"No matter how unrefined I am, my last name is Vance! Who the hell are they to mock me in front of you? You don’t defend me, and you even join in?"

"Looking down on me is looking down on the Vance name—and looking down on you!"

My harsh words left Veronica sputtering in rage. Her group of friends exchanged awkward, uneasy glances.

"Veronica, what do you think would happen if I sent the voice recording of what they just said to Dad? Do you think he'd crush their family businesses to defend his real daughter?"

The group instantly panicked.

"Wait, we didn't mean it like that!"

"It was just a joke! Why are you being so petty?"

"Oh, I am petty, and I hold grudges," I snapped. "Back where I come from, talking crap to someone's face gets you a fist to the jaw. But I'm a civilized woman. I don't scream, and I don't throw tantrums. I just demand financial compensation."

I pulled up my Cash App QR code. "Send over a transfer that matches the sincerity of your apologies. Make sure the amount satisfies me, or this recording goes public tonight."

Cornered, they looked at Veronica, then back at me. Despite the venom in their eyes, none of them dared to call my bluff. One by one, they scanned my code.

Within minutes, over six hundred thousand dollars cleared into my account.

Then, I turned my gaze onto Veronica.

"As the impostor living in luxury on borrowed time, your fee is double."

"You—!"

"I'm holding the recording," I reminded her, waving my phone. "If you want to badmouth someone, do it behind their back. Otherwise, pay the toll."

Veronica was trembling with rage. "You're a disgusting gold digger!"

"You think this is gold digging? Fine, I'll go tell Dad right now that I want an executive role at the company. I might not know how to run a business, but I sure as hell know how to sabotage yours."

Terrified that I would actually walk into the company, Veronica frantically transferred four hundred thousand dollars to shut me up.

I smiled warmly. Earning a million bucks just for listening to some spoiled brats yap? Easiest gig of my life.