I Was Their Cash Cow, Now I'm Done

I'm a gold digger. I pay for my parents, Jasper Upton and Jenna Hunt, to live in a mansion, my sister Kayla Upton's luxury car, and my brother Chris Upton's overseas tuition, using money I get from men. They tell me every day that I'm the best thing that's ever happened to this family. I love hearing that, so I'm more than happy to provide for them financially. On the day of the celebration for Kayla's daughter, Harper Litt, I show up with two gold bracelets as a gift, only to be stopped by security at the entrance. No matter what I say, the guard insists I'm the only one not allowed in. I swallow my anger and pull some strings to get in. I'm about to complain when I reach the banquet hall and hear Gina Garner, one of my relatives, ask, "Where's Stacy? Why didn't I see her?" Mom frowns in disgust. "What would she come here for? She's a shameless slut. I won't have her corrupting Harper." Kayla laughs. "Yeah, no matter how much money she gives us, she still has no class. I don't want someone like her around my daughter." I can't help laughing. I don't steal, rob anyone, or act like a homewrecker. I just like dating handsome, wealthy guys. Yet in their eyes, that makes me a shameless slut. If my money is so dirty and they're all so righteous, then they can be righteous and poor. Chapter 1 The manager, Dan Scott, noticed me standing still after I'd rushed in, so he asked cautiously, "Ms. Upton, aren't you going in?" I shushed him and said quietly, "They are badmouthing me. Of course I have to know what they say." Hearing this, Dan broke out in a cold sweat. He didn't know whether to leave me to it or stay with me. Meanwhile, the people inside kept talking without a care in the world. My relative, Gina Garner, covered her mouth in shock. "Are you saying that… Stacy has been doing that kind of work all these years?" My mother, Jenna Hunt, sneered. "We only found out recently. We didn't say anything because it was embarrassing." Gina asked, "I remember she did well in college. What happened?" My father, Jasper Upton, exhaled some cigarette smoke and wore a knowing expression. "The money comes easy. We tried talking her out of it, but she won't listen. Taking her money makes us sick, but she keeps bringing it home anyway, hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time." As he spoke, the expensive watch on his wrist gleamed, making the whole situation feel even more ironic to me. I'd paid for everything they wore, from head to toe, yet in the end, all they had to say about me was, "She makes money so fast. Who knows how many big shots have slept with her?" Dad grew more and more brazen, as if he weren't talking about his own daughter, while Mom and my sister, Kayla Upton, made no attempt to stop him. Meanwhile, a look of embarrassment appeared on Gina's face. Dan looked at me warily, and I gave him a cold smile. "Mr. Scott, I'll pay double to book this banquet hall. You have half an hour to get them out." Dan froze for a moment, then nodded respectfully. "Of course. I'll handle it right away." "I really liked the bar on the top floor the last time I was here. Take me there. Oh, and have the security footage from this floor and the banquet hall pulled up and sent to the bar for me." Dan wiped his forehead. "That's against our policies…" I snapped, "Are you going to follow the rules or listen to your boss?" "Ms. Upton, I'll send the footage to you later." I nodded, satisfied, and took the lift upstairs. The owner of this place was my ex-ex-ex-boyfriend. His family was in the restaurant business, and he had been raised in a sheltered environment. When we broke up, he cried like his world was ending. But I still managed to sweet-talk him into staying friends. I didn't need to sleep with wealthy men to get their money. All I had to do was give them a sweet, loving relationship. Money was the least important thing to them. Rich men weren't the only ones who got to pick who they dated. I had the right to choose, too. When it came to looks, personality, and charm, I was one in a million. Too bad my family had looked down on me for as long as I could remember. Anyway, I was done trying to win them over. I was a grown woman now. I wouldn't be lonely, even without family. Chapter 2 Dan had just escorted me upstairs when Kayla's in-laws finally arrived. They were fairly well-off, so they always looked down on Kayla because of her poor family background. But it all changed after I started supporting my family financially. With a mansion, luxury cars, and assets that eventually surpassed my brother-in-law Samuel Litt's family, Kayla went from chasing after Samuel to becoming their future daughter-in-law. Now, Kayla's in-laws were standing outside the banquet hall, chatting and laughing, their faces glowing with pride. Just then, Dan walked over to them and said, "Ms. Upton, someone has booked the banquet hall for today. You and your guests will have to leave." Kayla froze, then raised her voice. "What do you mean? I booked this place first. What right do you have to kick us out?" Dan kept smiling, but his tone was firm. "Ms. Upton, I'm really sorry, but she offered to pay double. She's also one of our most important clients. We can't afford to offend her." "So what? You have to honor whoever booked first." Dan remained calm and unruffled. "You can offer a higher price." Kayla's mother-in-law, Annie Warth, noticed something was wrong and lowered her voice. "Kayla, if we're kicked out today, we will be completely humiliated." Samuel frowned and cut in impatiently, "Exactly. Hurry up and figure something out. Don't put my parents in an awkward position." Kayla was used to sucking up to her in-laws, so as soon as Annie said that, she forced a smile. "Mom, don't worry. I'll handle it." She turned to Dan, straightened up, and tried to act superior. "We'll pay more. That should settle it, right?" Dan nodded. "The other client booked the entire hotel, not just this banquet hall. You'd have to pay at least a million dollars." "A million dollars?" Kayla's eyes widened. "I'm just throwing a celebration for my baby! Are you trying to rob me?" Dan's smile never faded. "You can find another venue." With that, he moved to usher them out. The guests noticed something was amiss and threw glances in Kayla's direction. A few of Samuel's relatives whispered among themselves, amusement in their eyes. Kayla panicked, then quickly forced a smile and announced to everyone, "We're just having them upgrade our menu. Please wait a moment." After that, she pulled Dan aside and lowered her voice. "Be honest with me. How much do I need to add on?" Dan repeated, "One million dollars." Kayla's face fell as she clenched her fists tightly. Mom leaned in, her brows furrowed as she said, "Why are you panicking? It's just one million dollars." Mom had been living off my money for so long that she'd lost all sense of its value. Kayla's voice wavered. "Mom, I just bought a house. I really don't have that much cash on hand…" Mom waved her hand. "Just ask Stacy to fork it over. You know what she's like. Say a few nice things to her, and she'll send you the money in a heartbeat." Kayla's eyes lit up, and she nodded. "You're right. I'll call her right now." As soon as the call connected, Kayla said, "Stacy, can you wire me a million dollars? I need it urgently." Chapter 3 I watched the security camera feed casually and asked, "What do you need so much money for?" Kayla hesitated before saying, "It's just something urgent. It's hard to explain over the phone. Lend me the money first, and I'll tell you about it later." "What is it? Give me a quick rundown," I said lazily. She fell silent for a few seconds, as if she hadn't expected me to press her for details. In the past, whenever Kayla asked me for something, I never asked why. If she asked for 200,000 dollars, I'd send her 250,000 dollars. If she wanted a new car, I'd hand her the keys the very next day. And so, she got used to it. So did the rest of my family. They'd gotten so used to it that they thought I was born to support them financially. "It's for… Harper's party. I'm short on money." Kayla finally told me the truth. I raised my voice. "Why didn't I know about this?" Kayla immediately came up with an excuse. "I figured you were busy with work. How could I bother you with something this trivial?" I nearly laughed out loud. Just moments ago, she'd been calling me a slut. Now that she needed money, she was suddenly so considerate. I took a sip of my wine, keeping my voice calm. "I'm not free to wire you any money right now." "Then, what am I supposed to do? Everyone's waiting here!" Kayla panicked, her voice rising. "Stacy, you have to help me. I'm really desperate this time." "Use your credit card first." "My credit card limit won't cover it…" "Then, use Mom's and Dad's cards. It's not like I won't wire the money to you later." She sounded doubtful. "You'll pay us back, right?" I snorted at how ridiculous it was that I had to pay for my own niece's celebration. Still, I agreed, "Don't worry. As soon as I have some free time, I'll pay you all back." Reassured, Kayla repeatedly thanked me before hanging up. But this was just the beginning. I didn't put my phone down. Instead, I contacted a few people. Then, I called Dan. "I'll offer 1.5 million dollars. Keep raising the price." Dan paused briefly before catching on. "But Ms. Upton, what if they really leave?" "They won't." I smiled. "I have a way to make them stay." Dan didn't ask any more questions and started making the arrangements. I put my phone down and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows. Below me, traffic flowed through the brightly lit city. Every day, countless people got rich overnight, while just as many lost everything in a flash. And my family was about to become the latter. … Down in the banquet hall, Kayla had just finished paying by card and ushering her guests to their seats when Dan walked over once again, the polite smile still on his face. "Ms. Upton, my apologies. The other client just offered us 1.5 million dollars. If you want to stay, you'll have to pay another million dollars." Kayla lost her composure and shouted, "Another million dollars? This is daylight robbery! I want a refund now! I'm not holding the party here anymore!" She turned and headed for the front desk, but then a well-dressed man in a suit suddenly appeared in the doorway. When the man saw Samuel, he paused, then broke into a smile. "Hey, Samuel, it really is you!" Chapter 4 "Mr. Lowe, what are you doing here?" Samuel immediately bent down to hold the man's hand, looking respectful. Andy Lowe said, "Wow, Samuel, I had no idea you were this successful! You actually booked the entire hotel just for your daughter's party. I clearly underestimated you." Samuel scratched his head, looking modest. "Oh, I'm nothing compared to you, Mr. Lowe. Do you want to join us for a couple of drinks?" Andy nodded with a smile. "I have some business to discuss with the hotel owner later, so I'll just have a couple of drinks." Samuel ushered him inside, then turned and grabbed Kayla. "No matter what, we're holding this party! Mr. Lowe is a big name in investment circles. If he gives me a few pointers, we'll be rolling in money." Kayla looked troubled. "But where are we supposed to get a million dollars?" "Ask Stacy for it! I'm going inside first!" Samuel hurried after Andy into the banquet hall. Kayla stared at Dan for a second before suddenly asking, "He said your boss is here? What's his name?" Dan replied, "Sorry. I can't reveal his personal information to you." Kayla frowned and called me. "Stacy, do you know the owner of Tipton Hotel?" I feigned impatience. "Yeah." Kayla smiled knowingly. "Do me a favor, Stacy. Someone's trying to take the banquet hall from me. Tell the owner to save it for me." I chuckled. "Oh, that's easy. Let me make a call." After hanging up, Kayla immediately raised her eyebrow at Dan. "Heard that? My sister has a special relationship with your boss. No matter how much the other person offers, this hall is mine today." Dan's mouth twitched slightly. "Alright, I'll check with my boss." A smug smile appeared on Kayla's face as she linked arms with Mom and walked inside. But she had no idea I would never make that call, and her smugness wouldn't last long. Half an hour later, I texted Dan. "Go in and collect the money now. Don't go easy on her." Dan replied, "Okay." Kayla was on stage. She thanked our parents, her in-laws, and her husband while wearing the designer jewelry I'd bought her, leaving me out of her speech. The applause kept coming. The next moment, the banquet hall doors swung open, and Dan walked in with a few staff members. He said, "Ms. Upton, sorry to interrupt." Kayla's smile froze. "What is it again?" In front of everyone, Dan placed the bill on the table. "The other client just raised their offer to 2.5 million dollars. If you want to stay, you'll have to pay another two million dollars." The room fell silent, and Kayla's face went pale. "What did you say?" Dan repeated, "You'll have to pay another two million dollars. If you can't afford it, you and your guests will have to leave." Someone heckled, "They live in a mansion and drive luxury cars. How could they not afford a measly two million dollars?" "We're so lucky to know the Upton family. This is the most expensive banquet I've ever attended in my life." Kayla forced an awkward smile and gritted her teeth. "Take everyone outside first. I'll settle the bill after this ends." Dan's face was emotionless. "Please pay now." Kayla opened her mouth but said nothing. Her credit cards were maxed out, and she'd poured all her available money into the house she'd just bought. She instinctively looked at Mom and Dad, but they averted their gazes. Just then, someone scoffed. "Don't tell me they can't afford it." "Don't you know? All their money comes from Stacy. And she isn't even here. Looks like they really can't pay." "Jeez, aren't they just a bunch of bloodsuckers? I feel sorry for Stacy…" Kayla couldn't take the humiliation anymore. She abruptly took out a Porsche key and slapped it onto the table. "I just made an investment recently, so my money's tied up. See this? My car alone is worth over a million dollars. How could I not afford two million? You can hold on to the car for now. I'll pay the rest later!" Dan picked up the key and nodded. "That works." With that, he turned and left. Kayla finally relaxed. But ten minutes later, Dan was back. He told Kayla, "Ms. Upton, we can't find the car in the parking garage." Kayla's expression changed. "How is that possible?" Dan put the key on the table. "Is this fake?" Someone burst out laughing, and whispers immediately spread through the banquet hall. It was a slap in Kayla's face. She clenched her fingers tightly, her eyes turning red. At last, Dan spoke, "If you refuse to pay, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Kayla jerked her head up. "I want to see your boss! Tell him I'm Stacy's sister!" Mom joined in, shouting, "We're Stacy's parents! He's slept with my daughter, and he still dares to disrespect us?" Kayla snapped, "Stacy has plenty of sugar daddies! If he wants to continue sleeping with her, he should know what to do!" Dan stared at them in silence, as if he'd never met such shameless people before. Just then, his phone buzzed. My message read, "Bring them upstairs." Dan put his phone away and told them, "My boss wants to see you." Kayla froze for a moment. Then, the humiliation vanished from her face. She straightened her back and even fixed her hair. "I told you he wouldn't refuse Stacy a favor." She linked arms with Mom and followed Dan into the elevator with Dad. When they reached the floor, Dan pushed open the door at the very end of the hallway. Kayla walked in first. "Hi, I'm Stacy's sister…" She stopped mid-sentence. I was sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking up at her. "Kayla, whose bed were you planning to send me to?"