[talmand]

Why feel guilty? If they are willing to pay that much, then you are worth that much to them.

I see it as the opposite, they were willing to pay you less than what they see as your potential value. For their own benefit.

[edman]

How can one not feel guilty when lying?

[talmand]

That is the intriguing question in this type of situation.

Is it okay to lie to someone that's taking advantage of you?

Is it okay to lie if you and your family benefits with no real harm done to the second party?

Is it okay to lie in response to a lie?

I guess the real self-judgement has to be based on whether one knew the nefarious behavior of the other party beforehand or not. It's a tough one.

But I understand your point, I often wonder if law enforcement officers ever feel guilt over the fact they can, and do, outright lie as part of their jobs.