Veruca had been home schooled for most of her younger life, but as she approached marriage age, her parents immediately moved her into the expensive private school in town. All children of the business men, company owners, lawyers, and doctors attended. It was a place for "high society" and "good connections." Veruca had immediately caught the eye of boys who had promising fortunes, but even today she refrains from exploiting to any of the boy's her affections. Was it that she was unsure of which boy to choose? She wasn't exactly positive. But she did feel that she wanted to wait just a little bit longer and make marriage the last resort; she still had time to escape the life of "Salt's Peanuts."

It was a couple days before the five contestants would meet Wonka and the school bell had just rung to announce the end of the day. Veruca raced down the steps to the sidewalk where her driver usually waited to take her home. But today, most unusual, he wasn't there.

Veruca frowned looking left and right down the urban street. It really wasn't very far to her mansion, only five or so blocks, but she had never walked around town all by herself, her parents forbid it. They say the suburbs are a dangerous place for a wealthy beautiful girl like herself. They said some scum off the streets might try to take advantage of her vulnerable self. In fear of this, she had always obeyed.

Veruca crossed her silk gloves over her uniform and peat coat, blushing as a couple boys cat called her as they walked from school. Her mind told her to wait for the driver to arrive; they had to be here sooner or later, right? But her heart told her that if no one did come, it would be better to walk home in the daylight than darkness. Her heart and mind fought back and forth, but she ended up deciding with the latter. She can start walking and if her driver does come to pick her up, they'll see her on the sidewalk and take her home.

Feeling a sense of rebelliousness against her parent's wishes, she headed down the street all by herself.

She slipped her hands deep into her pockets, shrugging her shoulders to cover her neck from the bitter cold. She kept her eyes on her pointed high heels, which tapped on the damp cement sidewalk. While keeping her eyes adverted, she nearly ran into a tall man, whom, when she looked up at him, stared back at her with dark, hungry eyes. She quickly looked away, hurrying her pace.

The sun was quickly setting, and by the time she had one block to go, the sun was disappearing behind the roofs of the buildings hiding the horizon. Her nose had gone runny and numb with the cold and she dabbed it with her handkerchief. A sneeze overcame her and she hoped above anything she was not coming down with a cold. She would hate to have to be sick when going to the chocolate factory, or worse, her illness wouldn't allow her to go at all! At this she pumped her legs faster. She swung around a sharp corner and-

Wham

She ran face-first into a man's chest. She grunted and jumped back with an apology on her lips. Looking up at the man's face, her body went cold. He was a scary-looking man with dark, shiny eyes behind a pair of glasses, and his mouth was contorted in a snide grin that made Veruca instantly uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry," she said as the man stared down at her with a penetrating gaze.

"Miss Veruca Salt," he said, his voice was curt, meaning business.

She nodded. It was not uncommon for strangers to recognize her since she was the daughter to the richest family in town. She looked back at him wearily.

"Congratulations on your success," he said as though she had wittily planned to find the golden ticket, instead of luck. "I have a business proposition for you worth millions, Miss Salt. I can make you a very rich young woman."

Veruca thought a moment, taken back by his words. Daddy had told her people may try to approach her and get her to make a deal with them for her ticket and under no circumstances to agree to them. Of course she would never want to get rid of her ticket for even the largest sum of money, but out of curiosity she said to the scary man, "I would not usually discuss business without my father . . . but in this case, I will hear what you have to say." She stuck her nose up at him to appear tougher, a trait she inherited from her father.

His grin widened terribly, "That's a good girl. I knew you would be smart. I took one look at you and told myself, 'now there's an intelligent young woman.'" He bowed his head, "I am Arthur Slugworth, a confectioner much like Willy Wonka."

Veruca's ears pricked up at the mention of Wonka. "I'm listening," she said.

"As I'm sure you know, competition between confectioners in town it very high, and some would go at any lengths to be on top." He said, "It is well-known between us confectioners that Wonka is working on a new invention called the Everlasting Gobstopper. It will be a great amount of money to you if you get your hands on one of those Gobstoppers. When you go on this tour of the factory, you will find one and bring it back to me. Agreed?"

Veruca bit her lip and asked, "Isn't that stealing? Wouldn't that upset Mr. Wonka?"

Slugworth took a step towards her making her falter back. "This is a very important business proposition, Miss Salt. Your father would surely understand, but I had thought you would do the job fine." He paused and shrugged, looking away, "Perhaps I was wrong."

"No," Veruca heard herself saying, she swallowed and continued, "no, I . . . I can do it. I mean, I will try."

He grinned, his eyes shinning, "Good girl, such an intelligent girl." He walked around her and strode through the dusk down the sidewalk.

She stared at the spot he had stood in front of her, trying to comprehend what she had just accepted to. After a moment she spun around, "How will I contact you when I have it?" But the streets were empty, Slugworth was gone and she was once again all alone.

A shiver ran down her spine. She quickly turned back and ran the rest of the way to Salt mansion.