Chapter 3

Lily, however, beamed at Jessica. "Auntie, what's mine, no one can snatch away!"

I stepped forward, my smile unwavering. "That's right. What belongs to my daughter, no one can take."

"Five hundred thousand is nothing," I added, my voice light.

A kind-looking teacher, Ms. Evans, gently tugged my arm. "Mrs. Miller, five hundred thousand is a lot of money. For wealthy families, it might be the price of a handbag, but for ordinary people, it's a fortune. This MIT opportunity is rare, but please don't risk your family's future over it."

Other well-meaning parents chimed in, advising me not to act on impulse.

A few sycophants, however, started their snide remarks.

"How much do they even make in a year? Trying to compete with the truly rich? They'll lose their house!"

I ignored them, pulled out my own phone, and with a few taps, initiated a transfer.

The school's account pinged almost instantly.

"There," I said calmly to Mr. Henderson. "Five hundred thousand dollars. For the school's educational fund. Now, about that MIT spot..."

Jessica's face turned an ugly shade. She gritted her teeth and immediately redialed Mark.

The conversation was short, her voice a strained whisper.

When she hung up, she announced, her voice trembling slightly but still arrogant, "We're raising our donation. One point five million dollars. Total."

Gasps filled the auditorium. "One point five million! They really are a top-tier family!"

"This is insane!"

Jessica looked at me, a challenge in her eyes. "Can you match that, Mrs. Miller?"

I smiled. "Of course."

Another few taps on my phone.

"Two million dollars," I announced, my voice clear and steady. "For the school."

The auditorium fell into a stunned silence.

Jessica stared at me, her jaw slack. Brandon looked confused.

Mr. Henderson looked like he might faint.

Jessica fumbled for her phone again, her hands shaking. She made another call to Mark. This time, her voice was a desperate hiss.

When she hung up, she didn't announce a new figure. Instead, she thrust her phone towards the crowd.

The screen saver was a brightly lit photo: Jessica, Mark, and Brandon, beaming, posed like a happy family. Behind them, the gleaming, iconic headquarters of Nova Dynamics.

Someone in the audience gasped. "That's Mark Olsen! The CEO of Nova Dynamics! Brandon's father is Mark Olsen?"

The murmurs intensified.

"She's going against Nova Dynamics? Is she crazy?"

"She'll be ruined. Olsen will crush her."

Jessica, her confidence restored by the awe in the crowd, stalked towards me. Her eyes glittered with malice.

"Sarah Miller," she hissed, her voice low and venomous. "If you don't want Mark to destroy you, you will get on your knees, right now, with your pathetic daughter, and beg me and Brandon for forgiveness."

Her lips curled into a cruel smile.

"Otherwise, Mark will make sure you can't even get a foothold in California. Lily won't even get into community college, let alone MIT."