The Night That Changed Everything
By the time the Sterling heirs returned home from their disastrous first week of survival, they looked like exhausted war survivors.
Zephyr had spent hours bagging groceries, attempting to look professional while avoiding angry customers who still remembered the canned goods scandal.
Solene had spent the day babysitting—and was still picking melted crayons out of her designer handbag.
Caspian had ruined three pairs of shoes in the garage, finally accepting that oil stains were permanent.
They sat in their tiny kitchen, staring at each other like three rich kids slowly realizing that money was no longer a solution to their problems.
And that? Was terrifying.
First Harsh Reality: They Had No Choice But to Adapt
Until now, they had refused to fully accept their situation.
They had clung to the hope that maybe Jonathan would change his mind, that maybe someone would come rescue them, that somehow this was all temporary.
But tonight, sitting at a wobbly table covered in failed cooking attempts, they finally understood something crucial:
No one was coming to help them.
Jonathan had meant every word of his punishment.
They were officially on their own.
And worst of all? They were running out of money fast.
Which meant…
They had to figure out how to survive.
And so began their first real attempts at change.
Zephyr's First Attempt at "Being Useful"
For years, Zephyr had convinced himself that he was a born leader.
A strategist.
A business genius.
A future CEO.
But now?
Now, he was just a broke teenager with bad budgeting skills, staring at a grocery list that made no sense.
Determined to finally be productive, he attempted to develop a system to help them navigate this crisis.
Step 1: Figure out how much money they had left.
Step 2: Determine exactly how long they could survive before getting paid.
Step 3: Create an efficient shopping plan that maximized cost-effectiveness.
It sounded like a brilliant strategy.
Until Step 1 made him realize how badly they had already wasted their money.
Bad Spending Decisions That Had Already Happened:
Solene had spent $30 on imported water because she refused to drink "regular" tap water.Caspian had panic-bought three boxes of gourmet cereal because the mascot looked "kind of cool."Zephyr had impulsively bought luxury cheese because it reminded him of home.
In less than a week, they had burned through half their budget, leaving them barely enough to survive.
For the first time ever, Zephyr felt actual financial stress—a concept that had been completely foreign to him until now.
And that? Was terrifying.
Solene's First Attempt at "Being Responsible"
Solene had never considered herself irresponsible.
She wasn't reckless.
She wasn't foolish.
She simply preferred things to be easy.
Which was why babysitting had felt like an impossible task.
Children were chaos.
They refused to listen.
They were messy, loud, sticky, and unpredictable.
For days, she had struggled to control them, using methods that always failed.
Bribery? Disaster.
Bossiness? Ignored.
Luxury gifts? Unappreciated.
But then something unexpected happened.
One afternoon, after getting locked in a closet again (this was becoming a pattern), she overheard the kids talking about their favourite bedtime stories.
And, for the first time ever, Solene actually sat down and listened.
She learned about their favourite characters, their imaginary worlds, their tiny little dreams.
And suddenly, she realized:
If she actually understood what made them excited, maybe she could finally win them over.
That night, instead of forcing them into bedtime routines they hated, she joined their imaginary world, making up a story so ridiculous that even she was impressed with herself.
The result?
The kids actually liked her for the first time.
And that? Was strangely rewarding.
Caspian's First Attempt at "Fixing Things"
Caspian had spent most of his time failing spectacularly at being a mechanic.
Between tool confusion, terrible decision-making, and distracting himself with vlogs, he had mostly survived through luck.
But today, his boss gave him a new challenge.
A simple one.
Fix a loose screw in an engine.
It seemed ridiculously easy, which is why Caspian had never even thought about it before.
But when he actually slowed down and focused, he realized:
He had spent all this time avoiding real work instead of actually trying.His failures weren't just because he was inexperienced—they were because he wasn't paying attention.For once, if he just focused, he could actually accomplish something.
The job took him three tries, but eventually, he fixed the problem correctly.
It was so small—a single screw.
But for the first time, he felt a tiny spark of pride.
And suddenly, the idea of learning something new didn't seem so impossible.
The First Tiny Turning Point
By the time they returned home, something was different.
They still had no idea how to fully survive.
They were still clueless about most responsibilities.
They were still rich kids who had never worked before.
But now?
They had finally taken the first step toward trying.
And that? Was new.
They were still failing in almost every way.
But tonight, sitting in their tiny apartment, eating badly cooked food, and discussing their tiny victories, they realized something important:
For the first time ever, they weren't just waiting for things to get easier.
They were actually making an effort.
And if they kept trying…
Maybe survival wasn't completely impossible after all.