My vacation home. At the dinner table, the elders in my family started asking about my job in the city. “Just running a small business,” I answered casually. Hearing that, my cousin, Tiffany, sitting across from me, let out a snort. “So, selling yourself counts as a business now?” “I even saw your price list online. Quite the menu of services you’ve got there.” After getting everyone’s attention, she feigned magnanimity. “Every job has its dignity. We wouldn’t look down on you just because your profession is… humble.” Egging them on, she turned me into the target of everyone’s accusations. Without missing a beat, I pulled out my phone and made a call. “Pull the funding. I want her completely bankrupt.” Every time I came home for the holidays, I had to face another interrogation from my relatives. I’ve never liked sharing details about my life, so when Aunt Sarah asked about my job in Metropolis City, I just brushed her off. “Oh, just running a small business in the city.” “A business? That’s great! Not like your cousin Leo, who works for someone else, pulling all-nighters just to make a few grand.” “Ashley, you’re so capable, why don’t you help your cousins find jobs?” I felt a wave of awkwardness. But my dad jumped in before I could speak. “No problem! Leave it all to Ashley!” I immediately put down my forks, just about to explain that my "business" was just selling stuff at a flea market, when Tiffany, who had been quietly scrolling on her phone across the table, suddenly burst into laughter. “Seriously, the world is falling apart. Anyone can claim to be a businesswoman now. By that logic, back in the day, wouldn’t all the call girls have been entrepreneurs?” “Tiffany, what are you implying?” “How can you compare your cousin to… well, to *that*? That’s so disrespectful, apologize to Ashley.” I thought the elders were reasonable, that they would side with me. But I quickly realized I was wrong. “I’m not making things up. I’m not the one selling myself in the city, so why should I apologize?” Tiffany said, opening a photo and shoving it in front of Uncle Robert, who had spoken up for me. “Uncle Robert, look, isn’t this Ashley Miller in the picture?” I couldn't see what was on the photo, but the sudden, strange looks from everyone made me realize the seriousness of the situation. The phone started passing from Uncle Robert’s hand, to Aunt Emily, then to Aunt Carol, and finally landed in my dad’s hands. Before I could say a word, a stinging slap landed on my face. My dad pointed at me, spitting as he yelled, “You shameless brat!” “Don’t hit our daughter!” My mom rushed to shield me, but no sooner had she spoken than my dad handed her the phone. “See for yourself what Ashley Miller is doing out there!” My mom took the phone, skepticism on her face, but her expression instantly turned serious, then morphed into fury. If I hadn’t ducked quickly, the cup in my mom’s hand would have shattered against my head. Slapped and almost hit with a cup for no reason, and then publicly cursed out by so many relatives, I was still completely bewildered. It wasn't until Tiffany feigned concern, stepping forward to intervene, and said, covering her mouth, “I’m so sorry, so sorry. It’s all my fault for speaking up. I just assumed you all knew about Ashley’s… activities.” “What activities?!” “Don’t pretend. I’ve seen your price list.” Tiffany glanced at me, then finally handed me the photo. [5’7”+ Milf, Cool & Elegant Vibe, Sweet & Sassy] [Online Chat Companion: $80/hour (Text/FaceTime)] [Overnight Escort: $250/night (Local, by appointment)] [Full-day Companion: $500/day (Includes city outings, overnight additional)] [Special requests and long-term arrangements by DM. Serious inquiries only.] [Contact: 132xxxxxxxxxx (State purpose, direct price inquiries will be blocked)] Looking at the content on the poster, I was dumbfounded, especially when I saw the sexy swimsuit photo in the upper right corner. A surge of confusion washed over me. This wasn't me. “Ashley, I’m not trying to criticize you, but there’s no shame in struggling when you’re out on your own. However, a girl should cherish her body. This line of work you’ve chosen is just… too far out.” “But hey, every job has its stars, right?” “We won’t look down on you just because you’re selling yourself. To each their own, I guess.” Noticing the confusion on my face, Tiffany continued to fan the flames, explaining where she supposedly got the poster. “When my boyfriend and I were out for dinner, someone slipped a little card into our car. I didn’t pay attention at first, but then I saw the photo, and I immediately recognized you.” “I only scanned the QR code out of concern, and I never expected it was actually you offering these services.” The more Tiffany spoke, the uglier my parents’ faces became, especially my dad’s. He turned beet red with rage, grabbed a chair, and was about to throw it at me, only to be held back by the other curious relatives. The relatives and elders who had greeted me warmly upon my return were now standing with their hands on their hips, sneering at me. “Such a disgrace. And to think you even finished grad school. You just wasted all that education.” “I don’t know how David raised his daughter. So shameless for money, she became a prostitute.” Some weren’t satisfied just yelling at me. Taking advantage of the noisy crowd, someone intentionally reached out and pushed me, making me lose my balance and fall to the floor.
When I looked up, I met Tiffany’s smug gaze. She and I had been at odds since we were kids. Being around the same age, we were always compared. I was a straight-A student, always in the top three of my class, while she consistently scraped by, ending up in the worst schools. She always felt she couldn't measure up to me, and she was desperate to catch up. The constant comparisons had driven her crazy; she started seeing me as her sole rival. Two years ago, it was because I started a job at a financial company in Metropolis City that she quit her job back home and rushed there herself. “That poster has nothing to do with me! The person in that photo isn’t me!” I yelled with all my might, but no one listened. Not even my parents wanted to hear my explanation, they were too busy fawning over Tiffany with the other relatives. “Tiffany, I heard your boyfriend is a big company CEO. He must be super rich, right?” “We always knew Tiffany was capable and successful. She really is the most impressive girl in our family, unlike Ashley Miller, who’s just disgracing us.” Tiffany basked in the attention, and her parents joined in, laughing heartily with their hands on their hips. I got up and took my mom’s hand. “Mom, believe me, it’s all fake.” But she forcefully pulled away from me, then turned and clasped Tiffany’s hand. “Tiffany, your cousin has gone down the wrong path. Please, give her a hand, help her find a decent job.” Then, my mom yanked me hard. “Come here, get on your knees and apologize to your cousin, beg her to find you a job.” Me? Kneel to *her*? “Aunt Karen, it’s not that I don’t want to, but Ashley graduated with a master’s degree. She wouldn’t look at any job that pays less than six figures. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have taken… shortcuts.” “Tiffany Brooks, why are you spreading these lies everywhere?” I pushed past a few relatives and confronted her directly. “You’re spreading baseless rumors with a photo from who knows where. Don’t you know that’s illegal?” Tiffany just gave me a helpless look. She sighed. “Ashley, why are you still so stubborn? You did it, what’s the point in denying it?” “To be honest, I have a lot more evidence. You know I’m in sales; I meet a lot of people. And it just so happens that some of them are your clients.” “You really weren’t careful, letting people take photos while you were… working.” “If those photos from your bed got out, who would ever marry you then?” Tiffany’s words immediately turned the tide again. The judgmental elders started spewing insults at me, each one righteous in their anger. But I wasn’t a lamb to be slaughtered. When someone reached out to push me again, I shoved them back. They hadn’t expected me to retaliate, stumbled, and hit a chair behind them, letting out a cry of pain. That really stirred up a hornets’ nest. Aunt Emily shrieked, “She’s out of control! Doing disgraceful things and now hitting people?!” Uncle John pointed his finger at my nose, about to start yelling, but I cut him off. “If you say you have evidence, then show it to me.” I looked at Tiffany. “But if you can’t, then it’s defamation, and I will pursue legal action.” Tiffany clearly hadn’t expected me to say that; a hint of shock flashed across her face, but she quickly recovered with a smile. “Since you have no shame, then I’ll find them and let everyone judge for themselves.” She turned and sat on the sofa, pulling out her phone and scrolling through it. But after nearly ten minutes, she found nothing. “Well? Can’t find it, can you?” “Finding stuff takes time!” Others also started defending Tiffany. I was about to snatch her phone when I was interrupted by a commotion at the door. My brother, Ben, rushed in, looking disheveled, and after a quick scan of the room, walked straight toward me. I hadn’t even gotten out a "Ben" before his hand swung, connecting with my cheek. “We paid for your education all these years, and you have no shame left?! Your damn promotional poster even got sent to my phone! Are you that desperate for money?!” My cheek stung, but seeing the look on my brother’s face at that moment, I felt an even colder pang in my heart. No one believed me. “I’m saying it again, that has nothing to do with me. It’s all malicious photo manipulation and rumors.” “Then are you going to claim this is fake too?” Tiffany sneered, walking over. “Who wants to see photos of Ashley Miller with her clients? But I’ll warn you, some of them are pretty explicit, so any elders who don’t want to see should look away.” Filled with anger, I snatched the phone from her hand and immediately saw the offensive images on the screen. A naked woman, her hair disheveled, lay on a bed. The background was blurry, but her face was clearly visible, and it was mine. My great-aunt leaned over to look, then recoiled with a disgusted expression. “That’s disgusting, Ashley! You actually do that kind of stuff!” “Enough!” I roared, taking a step back. But I quickly composed myself, showing no anger, only a relieved smile. I pulled out my phone, slowly tapping the numbers on the dial pad, and after connecting, I spoke clearly for everyone to hear, “Hello, I’d like to report a crime.” “Someone maliciously Photoshopped my image to spread explicit rumors about me. Could you please send officers over?”
As I called the police, everyone else looked at me with expressions of utter disbelief, perhaps thinking, *Why would she call the police when she’s the one who did something wrong?* Only Tiffany’s eyes began to flicker nervously. She suddenly spoke up, trying to smooth things over. “It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s not a big deal. Everyone makes their own choices, you know. Aunt Karen, Uncle David, please don’t scold Ashley anymore. She’s not stealing or doing anything truly harmful; as long as she can support herself in the big city, that’s all that matters.” How grandly she spoke, without considering who started this whole mess. “Tiffany is so sensible, unlike Ashley. Not only is her behavior immoral, but she stubbornly refuses to admit her mistakes.” “How respectable is Tiffany’s profession? Can Ashley even compare? She’s a professor at Commonwealth University, you know!” I had been furious at my relatives’ words, but hearing that, my interest was suddenly piqued. “A professor at Commonwealth University?” I turned to Tiffany. “Commonwealth University is one of the top-ranked universities in the country. Its professors usually have at least a Master’s or a Ph.D. Even with relaxed requirements, they’d be specialized talents, often from abroad. Tiffany Brooks, which of those criteria do you meet?” “I…” Tiffany choked, but still insisted on her story. “Why do you care so much about my business? You haven’t even sorted out your own mess!” The others also chimed in to support Tiffany, until I proposed: “Commonwealth University’s official website lists all faculty and staff information. Since you’re officially employed there, your name should be searchable on the website, right?” Tiffany tried to stop me, but her mom and other elders held her back. “Just let her search. We have a clear conscience, after all.” Really? I opened the Commonwealth University website, browsed for two minutes, then showed them the blank search results page. “How come there’s nothing?” “Huh, what’s going on? Didn’t Tiffany say she’s been teaching at Commonwealth University for two years now?” “Yeah, she even sent me photos from her classes. Could it all be a lie?” I knew the truth: she’d spun a massive lie just to save face. But Tiffany still wouldn’t admit it. Instead, she put on a conflicted expression, then lowered her head and shyly began, “Actually, I didn’t want to say anything, but since Ashley has pushed me to this point, I have no choice but to admit it. I’m not an official full-time professor at Commonwealth University because…” “Because my boyfriend pulled some strings to get me in. My boyfriend is an entrepreneur, the sole heir of the Stone Group. He just wanted me to have an easy job.” At this, the relatives suddenly burst into laughter, but it wasn't mocking laughter; it was full of fawning. They crowded around Tiffany and her mom, showering them with compliments. “We knew Tiffany’s boyfriend was successful, but we never knew he was *that* powerful! The Stone Group! That’s a huge company! Tiffany, you’re truly bringing honor to our family.” Tiffany deliberately looked at me, saying proudly, “Even though my boyfriend is influential, I don’t want to depend on him. I just want to focus on my career and be a strong, independent woman. How long can you bank on your youth to make money, right, Ashley?” Before I could speak, she continued her tirade. “We are sisters, after all, and we grew up together. I can’t bear to see you debase yourself.” “How about this: you cancel the police report, and I’ll have my boyfriend find you a job. Whether it’s cleaning toilets or sweeping floors at the corporation, it’s still much more respectable than selling yourself.” As soon as my parents heard Tiffany’s offer, they lunged for my phone. I dodged, but my brother charged forward with all his might and shoved me. While I was on the ground, he snatched the phone. He fumbled with it and said to me, “Are you calling the police because you think your reputation isn’t bad enough? I’m not asking you to find a good job, but please, stop disgracing yourself.” Just at that critical moment, the private room door was opened by the police. “Who called the police?”
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