Chapter 4

Bertha fired off a whole string of messages in the group chat.

"Well, Carly, you've got money and clout now. Guess poor relatives like us just aren't worth your time anymore?"

"Sigh, it's Clement's own fault for being too honest. He only wanted to give his cousin a hand, so he went and opened a cafeteria out in the middle of nowhere."

"And then someone's business gets better and better, and she just forgets who helped her…"

Twisting the truth, dripping with false pity.

The whole chat went strangely tense.

Not long after, my mother called me.

"Carly, honey, why are you butting heads with your cousin?"

"Just apologize to him, all right? Order the meal vouchers on the terms he wants."

"You know how it is, keep the peace and everyone prospers. If your aunt really kicks up a fuss, none of us can handle it!"

She was frantic, and there was almost a sob in her voice.

I mumbled a few words to calm her down and hung up.

If anything, it made me more sure of my plan.

The next day I got to the office.

Clement was already there waiting, and he'd brought someone with him.

Norman Walker owned the building we rented.

"Mr. Walker, what brings you here?"

I was a little surprised.

Norman was all smiles.

"Heh, Mr. Armstrong dragged me along."

"Your lease is down to just over a month, isn't it? About time we signed a new one."

"Let's make it another three years. How about a fifty percent bump on the rent? Paid in full, up front."

I couldn't help frowning.

"Mr. Walker, fifty percent is a bit much, don't you think?"

Norman turned to look at Clement instead.

"Is it too much? What do you say, Clement?"

"Not at all."

Clement let out a laugh.

Then he pulled me off to the side.

"That's right, the whole thing was my idea."

"You get to gang up with outsiders to squeeze me out, but I'm not allowed to team up with people to deal with you?"

"But if you agree to order vouchers from my cafeteria, and raise your prices fifty percent—"

"I can talk Norman into knocking the rent down for you."

Clement looked thoroughly pleased with himself.

Watching him play the smug little schemer, so sure he had me right where he wanted me, I couldn't help laughing.

"Fine, fine, everything's negotiable."

"But I've got something urgent today. Can you both come back tomorrow to talk it over?"

I went back to my desk.

Clement and Norman traded a glance and nodded, satisfied.

"Sure, we'll come by tomorrow."

The two of them had barely left when Clement suddenly turned back.

"Carly, you know you're just making trouble for yourself, right?"

"You could've just agreed to my terms. Now you're going to pay a lot more."

"I told you you'd never beat me. Chalk this one up as a lesson. A lesson you paid cash for!"

With that he swaggered off, humming to himself.

I didn't so much as blink. I turned and called Cecil in.

"Get everything moving. Starting tomorrow, we're relocating the company."

Early the next morning.

I'd just reached the office when I found Clement and Norman already waiting downstairs.

"Carly, there you are! We've been waiting ages!"

"Norman's agreed to only raise the rent forty percent. That should make you happy, right?"

"We brought the contract and everything. Let's get it signed!"

Clement said it with a smug little flourish.

I smiled.

"Mr. Walker, I'm sorry, but we've decided not to renew."

Norman, all cheer a second ago, just stood there dumbstruck.

Clement's face changed too.

"Carly Pruitt, what's that supposed to mean? You're not renewing? You giving up the business?"

"Don't let your temper get the better of you. Just sign the contract like a good girl, before you regret it—"

He was still talking when a chorus of horns sounded in the distance.

A long line of trucks came rolling toward us like a dragon.

"What is that?" Clement blurted out.

"That would be my company moving out."

I said it mildly.

Clement and Norman froze like they'd been struck by lightning, staring in disbelief.

Then panic spread fast across both their faces.