Chapter 1The Charity Trap

I got doxxed and cyberbullied because I paid out of pocket to open a subsidized food counter in the school cafeteria for low-income students.

They called me a fake humanitarian and said I was insulting people with "pig slop."

But the meal plan I set was: an entrée, two sides, and a soup for just $1.

When I rushed into the cafeteria, scholarship student Lily was smashing her tray onto the counter. Braised pork and gravy splattered everywhere.

Mrs. Higgins, the lunch lady, stood there frozen, her face pale.

Those hands, which always gave an extra scoop for the students on financial aid, were now trembling uncontrollably.

I walked past Lily, went straight to Mrs. Higgins, picked up a napkin, and gently wiped the gravy from her face.

It turns out, kindness is the cheapest thing in the world.

If that's the case, this counter is closed. Permanently.

* * *

"Isn't a dollar still money?"

Lily's voice was piercing.

"Why do they get to eat seared tuna while we're stuck eating this greasy braised pork?"

She emphasized the word "greasy," her phone camera pointed straight at Mrs. Higgins' face.

The comments on her livestream were scrolling like crazy:

"We support you, Lily!"

"Aren't poor students human too?"

Mrs. Higgins was so flustered she could barely speak:

"This... this pork was bought fresh this morning. I picked the best cuts myself and slow-cooked it for two whole hours..."

"Who cares about slow-cooking!"

Lily shoved the tray violently, sending chunks of greasy meat rolling onto the floor.

"Look at this fat! The grease is practically oozing out! Feeding us this pig slop... do you have no conscience?"

The words "pig slop" stabbed right into my heart.

Mrs. Higgins' eyes instantly turned red.

"Lily!"

I pushed through the crowd of onlookers, my voice shaking.

She immediately turned the camera on me, her voice filled with excitement:

"Look everyone! Our rich princess, Quinn, finally decided to show her face!"

"Come on, tell everyone right here. Did you serve us this low-quality trash on purpose just to humiliate us?"

I forced down the anger rising in my chest:

"Mrs. Higgins went to the market before dawn to hand-pick every single ingredient..."

"Spare me the fake speech!"

She cut me off with a shriek, spittle practically flying into my face.

"If you really cared about us, why isn't the food the same at every station? We want tuna too! Why the discrimination?"

I was shaking with rage, my nails digging deep into my palms.

The same? Is she insane?

She wants seared tuna for a dollar?

Why doesn't she just go rob a bank?

The viewer count on the livestream was skyrocketing, and the comments were filled with vile insults.

Just then, I saw the most blinding comment of all—it was from Brandon.

"Team Lily! Smash the privilege!"

Brandon. The guy whose tuition I had covered for three full years.

I remember when he first enrolled, he didn't even have a decent coat.

I paid his tuition. I gave him a living stipend.

Last year, when his mother needed surgery, I even covered the medical bills.

But now, here he was, leading the charge against me online.

Suddenly, my phone started vibrating like crazy. Insulting texts from unknown numbers flooded in, one after another.