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offer you cannot refuse.”

Any sacrifice—even the sacrifice of one’s values and personal beliefs—is justified when the result of said sacrifice is financial independence.
    Describe your perspective on this statement, using relevant examples to support your view.
    Chapter Seven
    O nce the twins were seated on the other mahogany sofa, Laurel described the predicament with Duke.
    Sage shook the hair out of her eyes. Again. “Okay. So what’s-her-name is here to help us get in. That’s it?”
    “Megan. Her name is Megan,” Laurel repeated. “If she accepts, she will be guiding you in two main areas—your regular studies at Palm Beach Country Day and the SAT examination that you will take on the fifteenth of January.”
    Sage rolled her eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
    Once more, I caught a flash of sadness in Laurel’s eyes, but the girls’ faces remained impassive. Either they didn’t notice, or they didn’t care.
    “I am not kidding. In fact, I would think that after that magazine profile, you would want to prove to the world—perhaps even to yourselves—that you are not
imbeciles
.”
    I noticed Rose’s right foot jiggle nervously inside a pink suede high-heeled sandal. Her sister threw her arms across the back of the couch. Not a care in the world.
    “What do we care?” Sage asked, although she clearly wasn’t looking for an answer. “We’re already rich, and we’re almost famous. Come on, Rose.” She got to her feet. “We’re out of here.”
    Laurel shrugged again. “Depart if you want. But understand this, Sage: You are not rich.”
    Sage sighed wearily. “Yet. We aren’t rich
yet
. But we will be next month, on our eighteenth birthday. Eighty-four million dollars rich. That’s what the trust says.”
    “No, that’s what the trust
used
to say,” Laurel corrected. “It was revised this morning.”
    Sage’s pale face drained of what color it had. I watched her reflection in the silver tea set across the room. “What are you talking about?” she managed.
    Laurel cleared her throat. “If you and your sister both earn places in the entering class at Duke—I have been told an SAT score and course average you must maintain by the president of the school himself—you will become recipients of the trust the moment the admissions office informs me of your acceptance. If one of you fails, you both do. You will be on your own.”
    “You wouldn’t do that,” Sage challenged.
    “I already did,” Lauren answered, and I thought I saw a little satisfied gleam in her eyes. She touched one of her enormous diamond earrings.
    “But that’s . . . that’s so mean!” Rose looked like a little kid whose sand castle had been kicked over by a bully.
    “It’s for your own good, Rose.” Laurel’s voice was kinder now. “And I am giving you the tools you need to succeed. I suggest you—and your sister—take advantage of them.”
    I waited for Sage to fire back. She didn’t. The look on her face, however, spoke volumes, all of which were filled with expletives.
    Laurel turned to me. “Megan, you have been very patient. Let me explain the terms of your employment. You will be with us until the Scholastic Aptitude Test in January. Eight weeks. Your pay is fifteen hundred dollars a week. It will be deposited into an account I’ve opened for you. You will have your own suite in the twins’ mansion, all your meals, and use of any vehicle you’d like. We have a dozen or so in the garage.”
    I did some quick mental calculations. Fifteen hundred times eight weeks was twelve grand. Zero expenses. I’d go back to New York in January at prime magazine hiring season with a nice financial cushion. And all I had to do was live here in cushy splendor, endure the twins for two months, and try to teach them to spell their own names?
    “I cannot fucking believe this,” Sage muttered, reminding me of the reality of enduring these girls, even if only for two months. Not so easy.
    “Megan, when we