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. Chapter 1 "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. Chapter 2 "Go to hell!" "Think you're special just because you have money?" "People like you deserve to rot!" On the campus forum, my photo was photoshopped into a black-and-white funeral portrait with the words "Got What She Deserved" plastered over it. My name was trending on Twitter, followed by the hashtag #FakePhilanthropist. What chilled me even more was seeing avatars I recognized in the comments section. The sophomore whose financial aid application I stayed up all night helping revise. The senior I used my connections to get an internship for. Now, they were all kicking me while I was down, attacking me with the most vicious words imaginable. I watched Lily fake-wiping tears for the camera. I looked at the mob reveling in the chat, and at Brandon's ungrateful comment. In that moment, my heart turned to ice. I turned to leave. The jeers of the wealthy students surrounded me: "I told you not to meddle." "See? This is what happens to do-gooders." "Thought she was a savior, but nobody even cares." I finally understood. Feeding kindness to dogs is the stupidest thing you can do in this world. You think this meal is disgusting? Fine. Then from now on, nobody eats. Back in my dorm, my phone wouldn't stop buzzing. Toxic DMs kept popping up on the screen: "You think money lets you do whatever you want?" "Why haven't you offed yourself yet?" ... I turned my phone off. The world finally went quiet. But the insults kept echoing in my brain. Then, a knock on the door. "Quinn, it's Mr. Davis from the Dean's Office." "The administration requires you to come to the admin building immediately to explain today's situation. You've brought negative publicity to the university!" I stayed silent. Getting no response, Mr. Davis's tone hardened: "Quinn Sterling, if you continue to hide, the school will take necessary measures." I laughed out loud, coldly. They aren't going after the rioters, but they're coming for me? Do they really think I'm a pushover? After his footsteps faded, I turned my phone back on and made a call. "It's me." My voice was ice. "Investigate a few people. Lily, Brandon, and the ones leading the charge in the livestream. I want to know everything about them." The voice on the other end responded quickly: "Understood. How deep?" "As deep as it goes." I said. "Especially Brandon." I hung up and opened my laptop. Threads attacking me had already sprung up on the forum, the titles getting nastier by the minute: Exposing the Sterling Family's Dark Secrets The Dirty Deals Behind the Charity Counter The True Face of a Hypocrite The funniest part was that beneath these posts, many students I had previously helped were jumping on the bandwagon to spread rumors. The guy whose medical bills I paid was now swearing I harassed him. The girl I helped find a job was claiming I stole her wages. Human hearts, it turns out, can be this poisonous. Early the next morning. I was woken up by violent banging on my door. "Quinn Sterling, get out here! We want justice for all low-income students!" Through the peephole, I saw Lily leading a group of twenty people, all of them livestreaming. "See everyone? She's hiding in there like a turtle!" Chapter 3 Lily cried into the camera. "This is the true face of the rich! She did something guilty and doesn't even have the courage to face us!" I took a deep breath and threw the door open. "Finally brave enough to come out?" Lily shoved her phone right in my face. "Please explain to everyone right now, why did you poison low-income students with substandard ingredients?" I looked at her coldly. "Are you done?" She clearly didn't expect that reaction. Her face froze. "Since you're done, now it's my turn." I took a step forward, looking directly into her camera lens. "Lily, do you dare tell everyone how much that 'simple' dress you're wearing costs?" The crowd stirred. I turned to face all the cameras, speaking word for word: "In three days, I will hold a press conference in the cafeteria. At that time, the whole truth will come out." With that, I slammed the door shut. The show was just beginning. The public outcry grew worse. Even the stock price of my dad's company took a hit. The night before the press conference, as I was double-checking documents, my dorm door was knocked on again. It was Lily again. She couldn't hide the smugness on her face. I opened the door and didn't give her a chance to speak. "Oh, Miss Lily. Visiting so late? Are you here to give me a final ultimatum?" I deliberately hunched my shoulders. "Seeing those comments online, and my family's stock price! I'm so scared." Lily clearly didn't expect this reaction. She paused, then contempt flashed in her eyes. "Now you know fear? Where was this before? Let me tell you, Quinn, at the press conference tomorrow, you better do exactly as we say." "Publicly apologize, and upgrade our meal standard to match the wealthy students! Or else..." She sneered, the threat heavy in the air. I continued to play the terrified victim, looking at her with anxious eyes: "Or else... or else what? Can you really make my family...?" "Hmph, what do you think?" Seeing me cower, Lily grew even more arrogant. "You can't even imagine the power of public opinion! A wise person knows when to yield. Bow your head, admit your mistake, and it'll be better for everyone, right?" She even took a step forward, offering fake comfort: "Quinn, your family has money anyway! What's the difference between 5 million and 50 million to you? If you let us eat well, we'll even thank you!" I suppressed a sneer, forcing a look of gratitude and fear onto my face: "R-Really? Thank you for reminding me, Lily... I-I will consider it carefully..." "That's more like it." Lily nodded with satisfaction, then turned and walked away with her head held high. Closing the door, the mask dropped instantly. She actually believed I would cave? Tomorrow, when the truth comes out, I wonder how wonderful that smug look on her face will be. I'm actually looking forward to it. On the day of the press conference, the cafeteria was packed. Even the aisles were full. Reporters were ready and waiting. Before I could even get on stage, Lily rushed to the microphone first. Chapter 4 She spoke, voice choking back sobs: "Fellow students, members of the media, standing here today, my heart is heavy." "We low-income students never wanted to take advantage of anyone. We just wanted fairness!" Tears streamed down her face. "Why can some people eat tuna while we only get pork? Is being poor a sin?" Applause erupted from the crowd. Many scholarship students wiped their eyes. Seeing this, Lily performed even harder: "Today, we only hope Quinn Sterling can give us an answer. We don't ask for much, just that the food at all stations be standardized..." I watched her performance quietly. Only when she finished did I calmly walk up to the podium. Lily glanced at me triumphantly, as if victory was already in the bag. "Miss Sterling, what is your response?" "Do you admit to discriminating against low-income students?" "How do you intend to compensate the students for the harm caused?" Reporters fired questions like a machine gun. I adjusted the microphone gently. The room went silent. "First, I want to thank Lily for her speech." I said calmly. "She made me realize my mistake more clearly." A victorious smile appeared on Lily's face. She even flashed a peace sign at the livestream camera. "My biggest mistake was treating low-income students differently from wealthy students." I continued. "I shouldn't have assumed that scholarship students needed special care. I shouldn't have assumed they would cherish that kindness." Lily's smile began to stiffen. She seemed to sense something was wrong. "So, I have decided to correct this mistake." I looked around the room, enunciating every word. "Starting today, the subsidized counter is permanently closed. All students will be treated equally and pay market price for meals." "Since you think a one-dollar braised pork meal is an insult, then go eat the fifty-dollar tuna."
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