The Cabbage Farm

I bought the cabbages from my roommate's family farm for two dollars a head, which was the fair market price.

In my family's restaurant, we turned them into a signature dish and sold them for twelve dollars each.

When my roommate found out, she cornered me. Chloe Vance, how can you be so greedy? You're just exploiting me because I'm from a farming family, aren't you?

"I'm warning you. You better hand over all the profit you made, or I'll make your life a living hell!"

When I refused to give her every cent, she started sending rotten produce to our restaurant and spreading rumors that I was a total slut.

I didn't bother explaining myself. Instead, I just watched as her family's crops rotted in the fields without me there to buy them.

Eventually, she was forced to go back to her small town to marry some creep just to pay her bills. "I thought I was insulting you by paying you? Well, I've stopped now, so why aren't you happy?"

......

I had just received the daily revenue report for the restaurant when I started processing the payroll for the students I hired for part-time work.

Experienced staff were easier to find, but I worried about theft. Plus, I wanted to help out the struggling students at our university.

However, the manager called me to report that many of the student workers were whispering behind my back. Some had even quit on the spot.

I assumed they were just overwhelmed with midterms. Then, I saw a message on my phone from one of them, filled with pure rage.

"You buy two-dollar cabbages, put them on a plate, and sell them for twelve? You move so much volume, you must be swimming in cash!"

"You make that much and still pay us these pennies? You're a heartless capitalist. If you love money so much, why don't you just go sell your body on the street?"

I was completely baffled. Before I could even ask for clarification, the person blocked me.

The local minimum wage was twelve dollars an hour. I paid them twelve dollars plus free meals, which I thought was a generous deal for campus work.

As for the ten-dollar markup on the cabbage, that wasn't pure profit. Did they think labor, rent, and electricity were free?

My roommate, Susie Miller, saw the look of disgust on my face and smirked.

"Got what you deserved for being so greedy, didn't you?"

That's when I realized she was the one behind the sabotage. Still, trying to be a good roommate, I attempted to reason with her.

"Susie, you don't understand the overhead..."

She didn't let me finish. She cut me off with a sneer.

"Stop lying to me! You think just because we're from the rural outskirts, we're easy targets, right?"

"The profit margin on a single pound of cabbage is insane. My family has supplied you with thousands of pounds. You've made a fortune off our backs, and now you're just exploiting us!"

"Since we're roommates, I won't ask for much in damages. Just give me the difference you've kept for yourself. I did the math. It's only about three hundred thousand dollars."

I nearly choked. Three hundred thousand dollars for cabbage? Was it garnished with gold flakes? If it were that easy, I'd be a billionaire by now.

Seeing my silence, Susie got even more aggressive. She swept everything off my desk, and my expensive skincare bottles shattered across the floor.

"What are you acting so high and mighty for? You say you're helping us, but you just want us to treat you like a princess. You want to stand on your moral high ground and look down on us."

"Well, guess what! My family is done supplying you. I'll sell the crops myself!"

My phone started buzzing with more messages from other students.

"You bitch, you took advantage of our ignorance!"

"I quit! I'm going to work with Susie. I'll make way more than I ever did with a snake like you!"

"Give Susie her money, or we'll hunt you down!"

Susie saw me hesitating and thought I was scared. she looked at me with pure provocation.

"Don't play dumb. Your family has plenty of other products. You've made so much, yet you're still trying to screw me over for these crumbs?"

She left me with those words and a cold shoulder.

My heart felt heavy. This was a classic case of no good deed going unpunished.

In reality, the profit on a plate of cabbage was razor-thin. I actually had to use profits from other dishes just to make it work.

I only started buying from her because I overheard her crying to her parents once. She said she couldn't afford to eat.

Her family's cabbage was going to rot in the fields because wholesalers were only offering fifty cents a head. That wasn't even enough to cover next year's seeds, let alone her tuition.

If she couldn't make the money, she was going to be sold off as a bride to some local idiot in their village for the dowry money.

I felt sorry for her. I asked about her situation, and after verifying the quality was okay, I offered her two dollars a headDdouble what the market was paying.

My parents were confused at first. They knew I wasn't the type to make a deal that was clearly a loss for us.

But I was adamant about helping her. They just told me I hadn't been kicked around by the real world enough yet.

They warned me that the world isn't always full of good people.

It didn't take long for their words to come true. The person who once knelt and thanked me for saving her was now stabbing me in the heart.

2

My phone rangDit was the restaurant. I rushed over immediately.

The moment I stepped inside, I saw a group of customers looking at me with hostile eyes.

I wasn't sure what had happened yet, but in the service industry, the customer is king. I immediately bowed and apologized.

"I am so sorry, everyone. I apologize for the delay and any bad experience you've had. Could you tell me what the problem is?"

The customer didn't say a word. He just pointed at the cabbage dish.

I grabbed a pair of clean utensils and took a bite. It was foul. The produce was rotten.

The pieces clicked together instantly. Susie wanted to show me who was boss, so she had her friends inside my kitchen swap out the fresh heads for garbage.

I quickly explained the situation and offered a resolution.

"I am deeply sorry for the trouble. This meal is on the house today. Additionally, I'll give you a fifty-percent discount on your next visit. Does that sound fair?"

The customer realized it was an internal mishap and didn't push further. He nodded and gave me a piece of advice before leaving.

"Sometimes, people's hearts are hard to read. You should distance yourself from poisonous people as soon as possible."

I nodded, then instructed the staff to contact everyone who had ordered cabbage that day to offer a refund. Then, I went to the kitchen to inspect the remaining stock.

Two-thirds of the cabbage was spoiled. I kept samples as evidence and headed straight to the local wholesale market.

The market owner was thrilled to see me. He knew I usually placed large orders and pulled out a chair for me.

"Miss Vance! Long time no see. What brings you to the market today?"

I sighed and told him the whole story. He slapped his knee and laughed.

"That's the youth for you. They think business is just buying low and selling high. They have no idea how hard it is to actually run a place."

"The margins aren't what they think. If it were that easy, we'd all be millionaires just by planting seeds!"

I smiled, agreeing with him, before getting to my real purpose.

"I have a private event booked for the day after tomorrow. There's a cabbage dish on the menu. I want to buy a batch from you at the same price I was paying Susie."

The owner looked a bit hesitant.

"That's a tight turnaround. I'm not sure if I have enough in stock."

"But since you're a loyal customer, don't worry. I'll pull some from my other warehouse for you. I guarantee you won't find a single rotten leaf. Just remember me when you have more business, okay?"

I thanked him repeatedly.

"Thank you so much. Once the event is over, dinner is on me."

I handed him a premium pack of cigars as a gesture of thanks.

Just then, my phone rang. it was my academic advisor, Professor Sterling.

"Chloe, Susie Miller is here. She's claiming you defrauded her. The police are involved now. You need to get back to campus and clear this up."

I hadn't expected her to strike first by playing the victim.

But this played right into my hands. I grabbed my evidence reports and rushed back.

On the way, I remembered how Susie had told me her neighbor's sister also had cabbage no one wanted. She said if they didn't sell, the girl would have to exchange herself for money by bearing children for some local creep.

I couldn't stand the thought of a girl being trapped like that, so I agreed to help her too.

Because of that, the girl's creepy uncle hated me.

When I went to pick up the shipment, he tried to corner me. He touched my thigh, made disgusting comments, and tried to drag me into a dark alley. I barely escaped.

When I told Susie about it, she just brushed it off.

"That's just how they show hospitality in our town. Don't be so sensitive."

"He's the only man in their family. If he gets a criminal record over this, what will they do?"

"Don't destroy a whole family just because of your own petty selfishness."

3

When I arrived at the police station, my professor's gaze was complicated. I knew what he was thinking. If this became a scandal, I'd lose my chance at the merit scholarship.

As soon as I saw the officer, I spoke up first.

"Officer, I'm glad you're here. I was just about to look for you!"

The officer was confused for a second. I pulled out the evidence I had prepared and handed it over.

"Officer, this is the contract I had with Susie Miller. Per the agreement, she was supposed to provide Grade-A produce. She failed. Look at this."

I handed over the samples of the rotten cabbage.

The officer's brow furrowed. Even someone who never cooked could see that this was garbage, not food.

I continued.

"I had customers get sick from this. It damaged my restaurant's reputation and bottom line. I'm filing a counter-claim for damages."

The officer nodded, his look changing from suspicion to respect.

Susie realized things were going south. She grabbed the officer's arm.

"Officer, she's lying! I didn't know she was using it for a restaurant. She bought it for two dollars and then flipped it for twelve!"

The officer looked at me. I just shrugged and invited everyone to come down to the restaurant to see for themselves.

When we got there, my new supplier was unloading fresh crates. When he saw me, he smiled warmly. He started to reach out for a handshake, then pulled back, worried his hands were too dirty.

I reached out and shook his hand firmly.

"Sir, how does the shipment look?"

He puffed out his chest with pride.

"You can count on me. Thank you again for the help, Miss Vance. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known what to do with all this. My wife's medical bills..."

He started to tear up. I quickly helped him up.

Susie saw the restaurant bustling with happy customers and the old farmer looking at me with pure gratitude. Her face turned bright red, and she started screaming.

"Don't you all see? She's buying low and selling high! She's a thief! And all of you... you're just paying for someone to cook for you? It's so simple! Why waste money eating out?"

"You should be saving that money for your kids and parents! Why eat here instead of buying directly from us farmers?"

"The laziness and corruption in this society are caused by people like you!"

4

Susie finished her rant and looked at the crowd, expecting them to take her side.

Instead, everyone just looked at her like she was insane.

A young woman in the corner finally snapped back.

"We come here for the atmosphere and because the food tastes better than what we make at home. It's my money. What do you care?"

"My parents are living their best lives. One's at a spa and the other's golfing. Since when does my dinner choice determine if I'm a good daughter?"

"This young woman knows how to run a business. She has the resources and the drive. That's her talent. At her age, I was still asking my parents for lunch money. She's an entrepreneur. If you're so jealous, go open your own place."

Susie realized the customers weren't buying it. She turned to the old farmer.

"Are you really happy making such a small profit per pound?"

The old man looked at me first, making sure he wouldn't offend me.

I nodded, and he spoke up.

"She has the mind for business. My mind is for farming. You can't make money in a field you don't understand."

"Besides, I'm grateful for the opportunity. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be able to afford my wife's treatment."

Susie was left speechless and humiliated.

The officer and the professor realized she was just a troublemaker. They apologized to me and prepared to leave.

I stopped them.

"Since you're already here, please, have a seat and try the food. I'd love your honest feedback."

I saw a look of genuine pride in the professor's eyes.

Back at the university, I received a message from him.

"Chloe, there's an opening for a prestigious business competition. I think you're the perfect fit. Come to my office to fill out the forms if you're interested."

I rushed to his office immediately. After filling out the paperwork and listening to the guidelines, I felt confident.

On my way out, I ran into Susie. She was hiding around the corner, taking photos with her phone and typing furiously. I knew she was up to no good.

Sure enough, by the time I got back to the dorm, the campus forums were blowing up with posts attacking me.

"Wondering how Chloe Vance balances school and business? It's easy when you're sleeping with the professor."

"And here I thought she was a lady. Turns out she's just using her body to get ahead."

"The professor didn't even mention the competition to the rest of us. It's clearly rigged. If a low-life like her can make money, why can't Susie?"

The most liked post was Susie's original.

"I thought my roommate was some big shot. Turns out she's just a street walker."

The post was accompanied by a photo of me leaving the professor's office.

5

I looked at Susie as she smirked at me. I couldn't understand her.

She had a golden opportunity to succeed just by being my friend, and she threw it away.

But I didn't have time to worry about her. The next day, I could feel everyone staring at me during class.

I tried to ignore it until a group of guys, led by Susie, approached me aggressively.

I realized things were getting dangerous, so I quietly turned on my phone's camera.

One guy stepped up and tried to put his hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, don't be shy. If you're sleeping with the professor, why not us?"

With him leading the way, the others grew bolder.

"Yeah, come on. Just enjoy it. We'll even come eat at your restaurant later."

"Forget the restaurant. Just give us a price for the night."

The taunts were non-stop. I dodged their hands while positioning myself to get their faces clearly on camera without them noticing.

Once I had enough evidence, I tried to leave, but someone shouted.

"Her phone is recording!"

They froze for a second, then lunged to grab my phone.

At that exact moment, the professor and the department head burst through the door.

"What is going on in here?"

The professor looked exhausted.

"I apologize for the delay. Someone slashed my tires, and I got stuck in a traffic jam after calling a cab. We'll deal with that later. For now, class is starting. Those not enrolled, please leave quietly."

I noticed the guys who were just harassing me were now trying to shrink into the shadows.

I handed my phone to the professor. He watched the video, looked at the students, and finally fixed his gaze on Susie.

"What do you have against me, Susie? I worked hard for this career, and you're trying to burn it down over a grudge?"

His tone was sharper than I'd ever heard. Even though he sounded like he was joking, Susie actually started to cry.

But the professor didn't show her any mercy.

"The tire slashing will be handled as a criminal damage case later. For now, let's talk about how you led a group to sexually harass a classmate."

He turned the volume up on the video, and the disgusting comments filled the room.

Finally hearing her own voice, Susie snapped.

"You're a teacher! How can you stand there and attack a student's feelings?"

"Besides, am I wrong? You favor Chloe Vance. She probably buys you gifts or feeds you for free. Why else would you give her the competition slot and not us?"

The professor looked genuinely tired of her nonsense.

"None of that justifies sexual harassment. I'll answer your question, but then we'll see how Chloe wants to handle the police report."

The crowd erupted in complaints.

"Wait, no!"

"Why does she get to decide?"

"She's just going to take revenge."

"She's so calculated and cold."

I didn't hold back.

"I'm 'calculated' because you violated my legal rights. I have every right to seek justice. You can hire a lawyer, but honestly, no self-respecting attorney would take such a losing case."

They were silenced. I looked at the professor, saw her nod, and called the police.

It was the same officers from before. After I explained the situation, they took the group into custody.

Susie struggled and screamed.

"What are you doing? Did Chloe Vance buy you off too? A free meal makes you her personal lapdogs? How many times have you slept with her?"

"Aren't you afraid of catching something from her? She's filthy!"

"Miss, we are performing a legal arrest. Cooperate now!"

Susie kept screaming like a maniac.

"You're corrupt! This is police brutality! I'm going to sue!"

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