Chapter 3

My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was my mom. I ignored it, knowing the conversation would only make the pressure worse. I let it go to voicemail. A minute later, a text popped up.

`Elyse, call me NOW. The hospital needs payment for your brother' s last treatment. We' re overdue.`

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. The casual cruelty of the Chadwicks was no longer just an insult; it was a direct threat to my family's well-being. The $2,500 wasn't just for my rent anymore. It was for my brother.

There was no choice. I had to go back.

I walked back to the restaurant, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I didn't go to the office this time. I walked straight into the main dining room. It was packed with the dinner crowd.

I saw Gabrielle near the host stand, laughing with some customers. I walked right up to her.

"Gabrielle," I said, my voice loud enough for the people nearby to hear. "I need my money. Now."

Her smile vanished. She grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin, and tried to pull me toward the door. "What are you doing here? I told you to leave."

"I'm not leaving until you pay me what you owe me," I said, standing my ground. The nearby tables had gone quiet, their occupants watching us.

"You're making a scene," she hissed, her eyes darting around nervously.

"You stole my wages," I said, even louder. "You exploited a student and are refusing to pay for two months of labor."

A murmur went through the nearby diners. Mr. Chadwick came storming out from the back, his face a mask of fury.

"What the hell is going on here?" he boomed.

"Your daughter refuses to pay me for my summer internship," I announced to the room.

The embarrassment was exactly what I had counted on. Mr. Chadwick' s face went from red to purple. He was a man who cared deeply about his public image, the friendly Texas barbecue king. This was a nightmare for him.

He grabbed Gabrielle's arm. "Pay her. Just get her out of here."

Gabrielle looked like she wanted to argue, but one look at her father's face shut her up. She turned to me, her voice dripping with venom. "Fine. The cash is in the back office. Go get it."

She pointed toward the same office where they had humiliated me just hours before.