She Made Her Fortune By Selling Things On The Street

Running a street stall turned out to be too risky, so after some thought, I decided to try food delivery. I figured, "Hey, just deliver a few meals, and it should be easy to make a hundred bucks a day, right?"

Once I made up my mind, I bought myself a deluxe electric scooter and submitted my application to a delivery company. They accepted me right away.

Each delivery paid two dollars, so I decided to cap myself at 20 orders a day, leaving the rest of the time for some well-deserved relaxation. But I didn't expect the system to go nuts and keep sending me orders non-stop. After helping an elderly lady cross the street, I was now dangerously close to missing the time limit.

My customers depended on me to deliver their meals, each clinging to their last bit of hope. At that moment, I wasn't just a delivery person. I was practically a doctor, saving lives with every meal I delivered.

With this newfound sense of responsibility, I sped up. But if nothing unexpected happened... Well, something did. I ended up in a ditch and had to be rushed to the hospital.

Lying in my hospital bed, I pulled out my notebook again: [Day 2 of street vending: Delivery fees earned: 47 dollars. Scooter wrecked in a ditch: loss of 3,000 dollars. Medical expenses: 1,200 dollars, reimbursed 750. Got fired by my boss, and the penalty fee was 20,000 dollars. Total earnings for the day: 16,597 dollars.]

"See? Making money isn't that difficult after all," I thought.

I stayed in the hospital for two weeks. Out of the blue, Sebastian texted me: [Come home for dinner tonight.]

I looked at this message with great disdain and rejected it immediately: [Not coming.]

I figured, "I'm now making over 10,000 dollars a month. Why would I need his support to get by? Besides, I'm still recovering and can barely walk."

A week passed since I turned down Sebastian's dinner invitation, and my body finally improved. But I realized I needed to take better care of myself. Though trendy and lucrative, this money-making strategy might just get me killed before I hit retirement. And young people shouldn't be too complacent. We needed to strive for more. So, I decided to get ahead in life and become a security guard. No more wasted years.

"Sorry, you're too young for this job."

That was the first rejection I received. Naturally, I reported the company for having substandard fire safety equipment. The fire department rewarded me with 200 dollars.

"Sorry, we don't hire women!"

That was the second rejection. I exposed their blatant sexism online, and the company paid me 10,000 dollars to take down the trending post.

"We can hire you, but the pay is 2,000 dollars a month, no insurance, no benefits, and no contract. Can you accept that?"

"Sure." And just like that, I happily joined the company. After finishing the onboarding process, I called the labor bureau, and they compensated me with 1,000 dollars.

After a full day of work, I was exhausted. I sat on the sofa, watching the crowds outside hustling about their jobs, and sighed, "Making money is easy. Why go to such lengths for a measly few coins?

"You see, I'm already close to earning 20,000 dollars after just one day as a security guard. Sure, I am not making big money, but these small amounts are coming in effortlessly."

My phone buzzed unexpectedly. I checked the message and, lo and behold, another security company invited me to an interview. Although I was tired, I was a career-oriented woman after all. What choice did I have? Of course, I had to attend the interview.

I arrived at Harborview Villa as scheduled. The job I was applying for was opening the gate at a private villa. It might sound like the job required little skill, and upon closer inspection, you'd find that your first impression was absolutely correct.

The butler led me toward the opulent villa, a place dripping with gold and grandeur. Thankfully, I'd seen my fair share of luxury while with Sebastian, or I might've been completely awestruck by the sheer extravagance of it all.

But the moment I pushed open the door and saw the man sitting on the sofa, his face as cold as ice, I knew I was in trouble.

"Miss, this is our boss. He'll be personally conducting your interview," the butler said before closing the door behind me.

With my exit blocked, I had no choice but to plaster on a smile and walk over as nonchalantly as possible. "What a coincidence! I didn't expect to see you here."

"Not a coincidence. I've been waiting for you." Sebastian's eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made me a little nervous.

Forcing a smile, I replied slowly, "So, um, are you seriously looking to hire? If you're sincere, I can lower my rate. How about 10,000 a month? That's already a bargain compared to what I've been making lately."

"Nina Darlington, have you had enough of this nonsense?" His tone was so sharp it made me shiver.

Feeling wronged, I looked down, pouting slightly, "Why are you being so harsh? We can negotiate if the price doesn't suit you. We're friends, after all. There is no need to ruin the mood."

"Who said we're friends?" Sebastian's cold gaze swept over me. "I'm giving you two choices. Either you come back and be Mrs. Hemsworth properly, do nothing, get 500,000 a month, and have an entire staff at your service, or you can stand at the gate as a security guard for 10,000 a month."

I pondered for a moment before saying, "Only kids make choices. As an adult, of course, I want everything. So let's call it 510,000 a month, okay? No shortchanging me!"

"Nina." He practically growled my name through gritted teeth.

His tone startled me, and I muttered, "Is there something wrong with earning money with my own hands?"

"With your hands? I'd say you've been relying more on your sheer luck to stay alive!" Sebastian snapped as he suddenly threw a stack of photos onto the table. There were pictures of me selling frog toys at my street stall and the infamous ones of me crashing into a ditch while delivering food.

Panicking, I quickly tried to cover them up. These photos had no filters, and there was no way I could let anyone see them like this!

Sebastian smirked, turning to look at me with those deep, unreadable eyes. "Now you're embarrassed? If you don't start behaving, I'll make sure everyone in Skyview City gets a good look at these."

"Wait, hold on," I pleaded, grabbing his hand with a look of utter despair. "We've known each other since we were kids. Round it up, and we're practically childhood sweethearts! How about you do me a favor and at least add some filters before you spread them around?"

Sebastian was stunned, and then his tone turned icy cold. "Nina, get up. Change your clothes, and come with me to the party."

"Yes, boss," I quickly agreed, bowing and scraping. I thought, "Being at someone's mercy is really the worst. You've got to be ready to kiss up at any moment. Maybe I should just start my own business.

"But what could I sell? Pasta is too much work, inflatable dolls might land me in jail, and I'm no good with cold dishes... Oh, I've got it! I'll get the chef at home to make some food and take it to the streets. After all, we've got a five-star chef, so the taste should be unbeatable."

"Why aren't you changing? You don't like it?" Sebastian's voice cut through my thoughts as he eyed me, waiting for a response.

I glanced at the outfit. It was a strapless mini dress with rhinestones embedded all over it. It must've cost a fortune. I briefly considered taking the rhinestones off and selling them.

Of course, that was just a thought. In the end, I put the dress on.

Not that I had much choice. I'd be scolded if I didn't. I could always sell it after I wear it.