The Kids Made Me A Billionaire; The Cashback System

A Day at School

The lobby was still frozen.

Davis was staring at his phone like it had betrayed him. His system was still flashing ERROR. Mark's face had gone from smug to pale. Johnson Sr., for the first time in maybe 40 years, didn't know what to say.

Because Victoria Sterling just said the one word no 100x user ever wanted to hear.

200x.

She held my arm tighter and said louder, for the whole lobby to hear:

"This man is under Sterling Group protection. This hotel is under Sterling Group protection. His children are under MY protection. If Child Services comes, they will talk to my lawyers first."

She looked at Johnson Sr. directly. "You have 10 seconds to leave my hotel."

Your hotel? John the GM, standing in the corner, almost fainted. The hotel I owned 15% of was now hers?

Johnson Sr. recovered. He was old, but he was a predator.

"Victoria, sweetheart, you always liked to collect broken toys," he said, smiling cold. "A 200x? Please. There's no such thing. Your scanner is broken. Like your father's company was."

Victoria didn't flinch. "My father built an empire. Yours just copied his system at half power. 100x will always be half of 200x. You know it."

She pressed the elevator button. The doors opened. Inside, Lily was standing there, holding Leo's leash. Gold was sitting next to her, guarding her. She was wearing her new school uniform.

She had heard everything.

"Daddy?" Her voice was small.

Victoria knelt instantly. Her ice-queen face melted.

"Lily? I'm Miss Sterling. Emma's mom. Emma is in your class. She told me some boys were mean to you yesterday."

Lily's eyes filled with tears. She nodded.

Gold barked. Leo, who was now the size of a big dog, rubbed his head against Lily's leg.

Davis saw the lion and took a step back.

I picked up Lily. "What happened at school yesterday, princess? You didn't tell me."

She whispered into my neck: "They said we are poor. They said you don't have a mommy for us and we smell. Jake's mom said she will make the teacher move us to the back."

Jake. Jake Johnson. Mark's little cousin. Of course.

Victoria stood up. Her face was back to ice.

"Jake Johnson's mother owns 30% of the Academy," she said. "That's why the teachers ignore it."

She looked at me. "Your new mission, right?"

How did she know about the mission? My phone buzzed in my pocket.

[MISSION: Your daughter is being bullied. The bullies' parents own 30% of her school.]

[HINT: Buy the other 70%. Then teach them what real ownership means.]

She knew.

"My driver is outside," Victoria said. "We are taking all four kids to school. Together. Let's see if Jake's mom wants to move my daughter to the back too."

We walked out of the lobby. Past Davis, past Mark, past Johnson Sr. No one moved.

The Rolls-Royce was gone. Outside was a black armored SUV. And inside, a little girl with the same gray eyes as Victoria, waving at Lily.

"Mommy! You found her!"

Emma Sterling. 10 years old. Lily's only friend.

The ride to Star Academy took 12 minutes. In those 12 minutes, Emma and Lily became sisters, Gold and Leo became the school's unofficial mascots, and I learned that Victoria's system was indeed broken.

"My system says 100x," she whispered while the kids were laughing in the back. "But it stopped giving me rewards 2 years ago after my husband died. It says 'Host heart is frozen. Cannot cashback without love.' My daughter Emma... she is the only thing I have. My system can't even detect your kids, but Gold licked my hand. Animals know."

We pulled up to Star Academy. The most expensive private school in the city. Gates, guards, mothers in yoga pants holding $2,000 coffees.

And at the gate, a woman with blonde hair, sunglasses, and a face full of Botox was waiting. Jake's mom. Mrs. Johnson. Mark's aunt.

She saw our SUV and smiled that mean rich-mom smile.

"Oh, look! The charity case is back! And she brought... is that a DOG? And... is that a LION CUB?! In a school?!"

All the other moms turned.

Lily froze. She hid behind me again, holding Leo's leash so tight her knuckles were white.

Mrs. Johnson walked up, holding Jake's hand. Jake was smirking.

"Sweetie," she said to Lily, loud enough for everyone. "Pets are for people who can afford them. Your daddy can't even afford our school fees. Maybe you should go to public school, where you belong."

Gold started growling. Low, deep. It was more like a wolf growl.

Leo, who had been sleepy, suddenly stood up, mane puffing up. He didn't roar. He just stared at Jake.

Jake took a step back.

Victoria stepped forward. She spoke quietly, but every mom heard.

"Mrs. Johnson. Your 30% ownership is impressive. My 0% ownership is about to be 100%."

She took out her phone, made one call.

"Buy Star Academy. All shares. Now. Price is irrelevant."

She hung up.

30 seconds later, Mrs. Johnson's phone rang. She answered, listened, and her sunglasses fell off her face.

"What do you mean SOLD?! To who?!"

The school principal came running out of the building, sweating, holding a folder.

"Ms. Sterling! Mr. Chairman! The transfer is complete! As of 9:03 AM, you two own 100% of Bright Future Academy! 50-50!"

He bowed to me and Victoria.

I hadn't paid a cent. Victoria had.

But my system still buzzed:

[DING! BULLY DEFEATED BY PROXY - LOVE INTEREST ASSIST!]

[REWARD: 50% Ownership of Star Academy Granted to You! $20,000,000 Value!]

[BONUS: Lily's Confidence +50. Beast Tamer Level Up: Leo can now sense bullies.]

Victoria looked at me, surprised. "It says I just got 50% too. My system... it worked. For the first time in 2 years. Because I helped your daughter?"

Lily wasn't hiding anymore. She walked up to Mrs. Johnson, holding Gold and Leo.

"My daddy says we don't belong in the back," Lily said, her voice shaking but clear. "We belong in the front. Because we are not poor. We are rich in love. And my lion agrees."

Leo sneezed on Jake's shoes, and Jake cried.

Mrs. Johnson was dragged away by security, screaming about lawyers.

All the other moms were staring at us; me, Victoria, our kids, our dog, and our lion, standing in front of the school we now owned.

Emma hugged Lily. "We own the school! We can make recess 10 hours!"

Ben shouted: "AND DINOSAURS IN CLASS!"

Victoria looked at me, and for the first time, she smiled.

"Mr. 200x," she whispered. "You still owe me an explanation for how you got a lion through school security."

I looked at my four kids running into THEIR school with their dog and lion, while the principal held the door open and bowed.

"We bought the security too," I said.

TO BE CONTINUED...