Blood and Bureaucracy

Aurora scores 699 out of 700 on the English proficiency exam for a Fortune 500 tech giant, only to be rejected when her father, Walter, adds a perfect-score requirement. A year later, her adopted sister Sophie lands the job after the rule is scrapped. At Sophie's celebration, Uncle Bob reveals that Walter himself demanded the rule that blocked Aurora, while Sophie's low score was quietly forgiven. When Aurora protests, her father calls her selfish, and Sophie kneels, begging forgiveness.

Aurora leaves home and later finds her ex-boyfriend Mark with Sophie. He admits he cheated, that Sophie's father, the regional VP Mr. White, got him hired, and that he chose Sophie to climb the social ladder. Aurora, who works at the tax bureau, orders an audit of the Phoenix Corporation and its VP's new protégé. Her mother then arrives, urging her to come home.