4
338words
The hotel went silent as a library.
Ryan froze,staring.
"What's this?"
I pointed at the papers on the floor."Can't read?"
Behind him,Linda's phone erupted with laughter.
To revenge for me slapping Ryan that day,she'd started a livestream with the villagers watching to mock me.
It backfired.
Villagers roared:
"Linda,your college boy's a robot!"
"Ryan's degree must be fake—dumber than my cousin who never finished primary school!"
"If my daughter liked a guy like Ryan,I'd break her legs!"
Linda,humiliated,ended the livestream.
Tom awkwardly nibbled appetizers, pretending this was non of his business.
Ryan was stunned."Emma,I'm your boyfriend,and you're suing me?Really?"
"What else?Your mom broke the bracelet around my wrist—I'm giving her handcuffs around hers.Isn't that generous of me?"
I corrected him,"Ex-boyfriend,by the way.And don't dwell on it—who hasn't misplaced their heart on someone scumbag when young?You obsessing over me?I don't deserve that punishment!"
He collapsed,muttering,"Impossible.I'm so great—how could you not be obsessed with me?"
Linda reacted first,kicking him aside,yelling,"Just a lousy bracelet!A few grand at most.Sue us?We'll pay!"
I was ready,tossing her the appraisal paperst.
"Pay up—cash or installments?Loans are not accepted."
She glanced and went quiet.
"What?Six...sixty thousand?!"
Tom,panicked,spat out his food.
"No way it's our fault!You're sick,wearing something that pricey—you deserved for it to be broken.We're not paying!"
I just wanted to keep the one thing my mom left me close.
Was that wrong?
Nonsense!
Blaming victims like this?They were hopeless beasts.
And I faced a whole den of them.
Ryan,snapping out of it,tore the paper to shreds,shouting,"Sue me?Make us pay?I wasted three years on you—that's worth more than$60,000.You owe me!"
Tom whispered to Linda,"Let's kidnap her to the village,drug her,make her a fool,maybe get her pregnant.My brother got his wife that way—worked fine!"
My anger was now mixed with chills.
Linda,usually the loudest,stayed calm,smugly spotting a flaw.
"Just a piece of paper!What proves that bracelet's worth$60,000?I don't buy it!It's worth$60 tops.Since your mom's dead,I'll add$13—$73!"
I held my temper."Linda,you don't trust professional appraisers?What now?"
She scoffed,"Professional?Bull!You're scamming me!Wait—I'll get an expert to prove you wrong!"
