Inside the private room sat Jonah, Lily and a few of Lily’s friends. The moment Scarlett stepped in, Jonah set down his fork and raised an eyebrow, giving her a look like he was just waiting for her to come over and apologize. A flash of smugness crossed Lily’s eyes when she saw Scarlett. “Scarlett, how did you end up working part-time at a place like this?” she asked, feigning concern. “I heard you’ve been working here for over half a month and only made a little over a thousand dollars.” That money wasn’t even enough to cover the cost of this one meal. In fact, everything Lily was wearing—including her hairpin—was worth more than that thousand dollars. Lily couldn’t help but feel triumphant. Scarlett, a country girl who struggled so hard just to make a living, had no right to compete with her for the title of heiress to the Quinn family. Lily loved watching Scarlett’s hard-earned money fall short, while she herself could casually spill more in a day. Joanna scoffed. “Look at those shabby clothes. I bet she’s never seen a table this fancy in her life.” A few of Lily’s friends joined in. “She quit being the Quinn family’s maid just to work here? That’s hilarious.” “Honestly, she might be the only broke one in our school.” “I can’t believe I’m in the same school as someone like that. It totally lowers my status.” Jonah’s face darkened as he listened to the insults. “Enough, everyone, shut up!” he snapped. He liked the feeling of Scarlett needing him. Watching her struggle made her more likely to turn to him for help, and he enjoyed that. However, the things those girls were saying were getting uglier by the second. No matter what, Scarlett was still his sister. They shared the same blood, and he couldn’t just stand by while people mocked her like that. It was an insult to their entire family. However, Jonah didn’t speak up for Scarlett. Instead, he just looked at her, waiting for her to admit she was wrong and apologize. Lily noticed Jonah had silenced the others and quickly seized the opportunity. Her eyes flickered, and she said, “Scarlett, you’re from the Quinn family, so how could you work here serving food? Why don’t you come back? Don’t be angry with me. Jonah only wants you back, so he had you fired from here…” Scarlett interrupted, “How much would you pay me to go back?” Lily was taken aback. Before she could respond, Scarlett continued indifferently, “Here, I work four hours a day for a base salary of 2,200 dollars a month, plus commission. In your family, I was on call around the clock for just 500 dollars a month. I’m someone who can think for herself, not a mindless tool. Why should I stay and work for you for so little?” She called the monthly 500 dollars living stipend her salary and referred to the Quinn family as Lily and Jonah’s family, drawing a clear line between herself and them. She had completely cut ties and no longer saw herself as part of their world. Jonah’s face darkened. He could call her the Quinn family’s maid to the outside world, but he wouldn’t let her think of herself that way. It would only make it seem like they had treated her horribly. He said coldly, “If that’s how you’re calculating things, then what about the food you eat, the place you live, and the elite school the Quinn family pays for? How do we settle that bill?” Scarlett found his words utterly ironic. If he wanted to do the math, then she would lay it all out for him. “I only eat at the Quinn family’s place on weekends, and most of the time, you don’t wait for me, so I end up eating whatever’s left. If I don’t eat, it goes straight into the trash. Even so, let’s be generous and say that one meal costs 50 dollars. “As for where I lived, it was just a storage room under the stairs—no sink, no bathroom, no shower. I had to borrow from Wanda in the maid’s quarters. If I were to charge by hotel standards, 200 dollars a day would be a fair rate. That’s 6,000 dollars a month.” She paused and continued, “As for this school, you should go ask Mr. Hayes why I haven’t been expelled yet. Do you really think the Quinn family can rule Yendale? I can’t even attend school without your permission. Everything I just mentioned is what the Quinn family has given me. Now, let me tell you what I’ve done for you.”