The Unravelling of Privilege
For most of their lives, Zephyr, Solene, and Caspian Sterling had lived under the illusion that their father's wealth was an infinite resource—a constant safety net that would always catch them no matter how ridiculous their actions became.
They had never experienced failure.
Never struggled for money.
Never faced real consequences.
And then, in the span of twenty-four hours, everything collapsed.
Jonathan Sterling had reached his breaking point, and with a calmness that was far more terrifying than yelling, he had erased every privilege they had ever known.
The Breaking News
The world was watching.
The aftermath of their shopping-cart disaster had exploded into international headlines.
"Sterling Heirs Cause Luxury Boutique Catastrophe – Parrot Still Missing!"
"Jonathan Sterling's Children: Too Privileged to Function?"
"The Fall of the Sterling Legacy?"
News outlets debated whether Jonathan would cover up the incident, buy back the boutique, or simply ignore the entire scandal.
No one expected what happened next.
The Banishment Announcement
Jonathan issued a public statement, something he rarely did.
And his words sent shockwaves through the industry.
"Effective immediately, my children are stripped of all financial support. They will live without privilege, work for their own survival, and earn their place back in the Sterling legacy. Until then, they are no longer heirs—they are individuals responsible for their own actions."
No damage control.
No cover-up.
No press conferences claiming "they are good kids at heart."
Just consequences.
And suddenly, Zephyr, Solene, and Caspian weren't just embarrassed teenagers anymore.
They were spectacles.
The First Horrific Reality Check: Their New Home
When they stepped into their new apartment, it was like entering another world.
Gone was their penthouse with breathtaking skyline views, heated marble floors, and infinity pools.
Instead, they were met with:
A cramped living space with mismatched furniture that looked like it had survived several generations of struggling tenants.A tiny kitchen stocked with ingredients they didn't recognize ("What are lentils? Do people actually eat these?!") A shared bathroom where the sink made an ominous gurgling noise every few minutes.A single flickering lightbulb in the hallway that made the whole place feel like a haunted house.
Solene gasped dramatically, clutching her designer purse like it might somehow protect her from the horror.
Zephyr blinked in stunned silence, as if trying to convince himself this was just a prank.
Caspian muttered, "This feels illegal."
And then came the worst realization of all:
There Were No Assistants. No Staff. No Safety Net.
Every meal? They had to cook it.
Every mess? They had to clean it.
Every bill? They had to figure out how to pay it.
They weren't Sterling heirs anymore.
They were broke teenagers with minimum-wage jobs, trapped in an apartment that smelled vaguely of burnt toast and despair.
The Immediate Struggles Begin
Their first night was a disaster.
Zephyr tried to "organize" the apartment using an efficiency system—which mostly involved moving furniture in inconvenient places and upsetting everyone. Solene refused to sleep on "non-luxury sheets," attempting to fashion her designer scarves into pillowcases.Caspian attempted to cook instant noodles, confidently declaring, "How hard can this be?" He forgot to add water. The noodles caught fire. The fire alarm went off. Chaos erupted immediately.
By the end of the night, they sat in stunned silence, eating burnt toast because it was the only edible thing they managed to produce.
And for the first time in their lives, they realized:
They might actually be in trouble.