Chapter 30 - clara’s first job made the trust feel less important
Clara got her first summer job at sixteen.
Bookstore.
Minimum wage plus a small employee discount.
Preston offered an internship at his company.
She said no.
Amelia nearly cheered too loudly.
Clara explained:
“I don’t want Dad evaluating me.”
Fair.
After her first paycheck, Clara stared at the number.
“That’s all?”
Amelia laughed.
“Welcome.”
Clara calculated how many hours it would take to buy a laptop.
Then remembered the trust could probably cover education equipment.
She became irritated.
“What?”
Amelia asked.
“It’s weird having money somewhere I didn’t earn.”
Good question.
Amelia answered:
“It is.”
“Is that bad?”
“Not automatically.”
“Then what?”
“Maybe it means you should understand the difference between having resources and deserving more respect.”
Clara looked at her tiny paycheck.
Then:
“I worked harder for this.”
“Probably.”
“Does that make this money better?”
“No.”
“Just different.”
Clara deposited the paycheck.
Did not spend it for three months.
Not because she needed to prove anything.
May you like
She liked seeing money that existed because she had traded time for it.
Another kind of choice.
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