Chapter 1

I was Charlotte Evans, a rich, headstrong heiress from Highcliff. Using my money to get what I want was as natural to me as breathing.

One of my coworkers, who always acted like she was morally superior, decided to post a rant about me online.

[Having a fat bank account doesn't give you the right to push people around! Do you honestly think your dirty money can buy our integrity?]

[People like her should be publicly shamed.]

But before I could even fire back, my other coworkers were already furious.

Why? Because I'd paid a thousand dollars for someone to move my desk, two thousand dollars to cover a shift, and I handed out extra bonuses whenever the weather was awful.

My coworkers' eyes were practically bloodshot as they tore into her in the comments.

[Messing with someone's livelihood is the lowest thing you can do.]

[If you're going to have a meltdown, do it somewhere else. Don't destroy my meal ticket.]

*****

My first day on the job happened to fall on the coldest day the town had ever seen.

All the new hires were hauling their bags and moving desks, the frigid air biting right through their coats.

Me? I was completely comfortable, relaxing in the department's shuttle van with my legs crossed.

The van was roomy, but only four of us were inside.

One person was adjusting the heat for me, another was holding my bags, and the third was handing me a hot latte.

That was when Marina Foster stormed in.

She was dressed in a plain white work dress, pushing her way through the crowd, fuming. "Hey, is this van your personal limo or something?"

I turned to look at her. Her face was flushed, nose red from the cold. I shook my head, completely unfazed. "Nope."

Marina got angrier. "Then why are you being so selfish? This van is for new employees to move their stuff, and you—"

I cut her off with a frown. "I know. I sent everyone in the department group chat a two-hundred-dollar tip each so they'd give up their spot on the van.

"I've got way too much luggage to move in one trip, and honestly, I hate squeezing in with other people."

The van was fairly cramped. Each department only got one.

If the company allowed outside cars into the garage, trust me, I wouldn't have bothered reserving this van, which wasn't exactly a luxury ride.

I slipped off my sunglasses and gave her another look, suddenly understanding. "Oh, you're the one who missed the group chat over the holidays, right?

"Since we're in the same department and our desks are close, you're entitled to a spot on the van too. What's your payment app? Let me send you two hundred dollars."

But instead of being grateful, Marina sneered. "Making a scene, are we? Who knows where your money even comes from?

"As if I need your spare change. So what if you're rich? Our dignity and character in the workplace are priceless."

She turned to the crowd behind me, her voice trying to stir them up. "Listen up, everyone. Character means more than money.

"She might be rolling in cash, but we've got our own self-respect. Why should you bow and scrape for a few hundred bucks? That's degrading!"

I rolled my eyes and casually tucked my phone away.

I motioned with my hand, took a sip of my latte, and asked with a relaxed smile, "Did I offend you?"

They shook their heads like bobbleheads, and the one holding my coffee started wiping away tears. "Charlotte, please don't think less of us!

"Our families aren't well-off, and with rent skyrocketing this year, we're struggling to get by.

"Our families are making huge sacrifices so we can survive here. You're generous enough to hire us, and we're honestly grateful."

The one who turned on the heater was teary-eyed too. "Yes, turning on the heat for you gets us two hundred dollars an hour, and serving you coffee earns us three hundred dollars an hour.

"In one morning, we've made enough for several months' rent. How is that humiliating? Don't slander her!"

I crossed my arms and gave Marina a pointed look. "All those eyes, and still blind to what's right in front of you," I said.

Marina's nails were digging so hard into her palms that they turned white. "I slaved away in a factory all summer, twelve hours a day, and it took me a week to earn what they make in a single morning."

Her eyes were burning red with anger, nails biting deep into her palms.

I rubbed my temples. It was freezing out here, and I was not about to stand around and suffer any longer.

Then, I noticed a guy passing by who looked kind of familiar. I waved him over. "I'll give you a thousand dollars.

"When the van pulls up to the office building, help me haul all this luggage to my desk."

The guy froze for a second, then his eyes lit up like he'd won the lottery. He rubbed his hands together, about to step forward.

But before he could. Marina jumped in front of him, furious. "This is a workplace! We're here to build our careers, not let you wave your cash around like you own the place.

"Hey, have some self-respect! We're not going to let you turn this into some money-grubbing circus—"

Before she could finish, the guy grabbed her and pulled her aside. "Girl, are you out of your mind from working too much?

"If you're sick, go see a doctor. Don't mess with my payday. You know what they say, 'make hay while the sun shines'! I spent the whole summer getting ripped, and now it's time to cash in."