Chapter 1

The lights of the auditorium dimmed.

My daughter, Lily, sat straight in the front row, her hands clasped tight.

The announcer's voice boomed, "And the Grand Prize winner of the California State Youth Tech Challenge, securing a coveted spot at MIT's summer program, is... Lily Miller, for her revolutionary 'Eco-Clean Bot'!"

A wave of applause. Lily's face lit up, pure joy. She was about to stand.

Suddenly, a woman's voice, sharp and loud, cut through the room.

"Hold on a moment!"

A glamorously dressed woman stood up, a mink stole draped over her shoulders despite the California heat. Jessica Hayes.

"I believe your esteemed competition has a provision," she announced, her voice dripping with condescension. "A donation of five hundred thousand dollars to the host school ensures priority consideration for our... more capable candidates. This card holds half a million. The grand prize, and the MIT spot, belongs to my son, Brandon."

The applause died. Everyone stared. The event organizer, a flustered Mr. Henderson, blinked a few times.

He finally nodded, a slow, reluctant movement. "Yes, there is... a sponsor's priority clause."

Lily, halfway out of her seat, froze. "But... I won. My project was ranked first."

Jessica Hayes's son, Brandon, a boy Lily's age with a smug look, sneered at her.

"So what if you're first, Lily-pad? My dad's a big shot. That MIT lab? It's for people like me, not nerds who just work hard."

Lily's eyes welled up. She looked ready to cry.

I stepped forward, put my hand on her shoulder. I smiled, a calm, measured smile, at the mother-son duo, their chins practically in the air.

"You said that card has five hundred thousand dollars?" I asked, my voice even. "Are you sure? Perhaps we should verify it right here."

Jessica Hayes scoffed, a proud tilt to her head. "Of course, it's real. My fiancé, Mark Olsen, has plenty of money. Swipe it now!"

The smile on my lips didn't waver. That card. It was a Nova Dynamics executive custom card.

My executive custom card, to be precise. A secondary card I'd given Mark, my university classmate and now CEO of *my* company, for business expenses. My money.

Jessica, oblivious, flicked her wrist, handing the card to Mr. Henderson with a flourish.

Someone in the crowd gasped. "That's... that's a Nova Dynamics Black Card! Only top execs get those. Brandon's family must be incredibly wealthy!"

Jessica basked in the murmurs, her eyes sweeping the room, full of undisguised arrogance.

Then, her gaze, a mix of contempt and pity, landed on Lily.

"Little girl," she said, her voice syrupy sweet. "You should blame your parents for not having half a million. People like you, no matter how hard you try, you're just stepping stones for us."

Lily's face flushed crimson. She shouted, her voice trembling, "That's not fair! I earned first place!"

She'd poured three years into her Eco-Clean Bot. That MIT program was her dream.

Whispers rippled through the audience.

"This is too cruel for the child."

"But that's how it is in these international private schools. Money talks. Privilege is everything. It's a hard lesson, but a necessary one."

Even Mr. Henderson looked at Lily with a shake of his head. "Rules are rules, Lily."

Brandon laughed, louder this time. "See, Lily-pad? I told you. You can't beat me. Your hard work is worthless next to my family's money! Mom, can I go get my award now?"

Jessica shot me a triumphant smirk, then turned to her son. "Of course, darling."