Curtis himself was hunched in a corner, head down, as if trying to disappear from view. But his parents? They were shouting as if they were leading a street protest. Mrs. Miller’s shrill voice cut through the air. «Where is your supervisor? I want to see a manager! We’re here about Natalie. She owes my son money and refuses to pay!»
The gathered employees exchanged bewildered looks, whispering among themselves. More people slowly drifted in, drawn by the commotion. And then, the moment Natalie and I stepped out of the elevator, the entire floor went silent. Every eye turned to us.
Mrs. Miller, spotting Natalie, immediately pointed a finger and raised her voice another octave. «Listen up, everyone! This woman, your co-worker, dated my son for a whole year. She spent his money, enjoyed his generosity. And now that they’ve broken up, she thinks she can just walk away without paying him back? You tell me. Is that fair?»
The whispering started up again, louder this time. «Wait, is that true?» «I thought she came from a wealthy family.» «Isn’t her dad an executive at the Granite Group?» «What if that was all just an act?»
Natalie’s face flushed red. I could feel her shoulders trembling. She had never been in a situation like this, publicly shamed, treated like a con artist. She had always been poised, professional, and respected. And now, in an instant, Curtis’s family had reduced her to a sideshow.
I stepped forward and gently placed a hand on her back, reassuring her. «I’ve got this.»
I squared my shoulders, crossed my arms, and fixed my gaze on Mrs. Miller. And just like that, at the very sight of me, her arrogance faltered. They had felt Thomas’s anger once. They knew what he was capable of.
Still, Mrs. Miller puffed out her chest, trying to salvage her performance. «We just want what’s fair. Your daughter owes my son money, and we’re here to collect.»
I raised an eyebrow, my voice cool and sharp. «Oh? Since we’re making a public scene, let’s get specific. How much, exactly, does she owe you?»
Mrs. Miller hesitated for half a second, then straightened up. «A lot. A lot of money.»
«How much, exactly?» I pressed.
She flinched slightly, but then squared her shoulders and practically yelled, «Two thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven dollars and thirty-six cents!»
The room froze. A moment of complete silence. And then a burst of laughter. «Wait, what? All this fuss for less than three grand?» «I thought she owed him hundreds of thousands or something.» «And did she just say thirty-six cents? Who calculates like that?»
The whispers turned into outright mockery. Mrs. Miller’s expression faltered, but Mr. Miller stepped in, determined to save face. He reached behind him and pulled out a giant poster board, holding it up like some bizarre protest sign. «This is a full breakdown of every expense! My son paid for her coffee, her movie tickets, her dinners. Look at the numbers!»
He began reading off the transactions, his voice booming as if he were presenting a corporate budget report. But the more he talked, the more the crowd reacted. «Dude, is he seriously itemizing every coffee?» «Wait, Valentine’s Day flowers, twenty dollars. Is this a joke?» «Man, even my cheapest ex wasn’t this bad.» «He kept a log of every coffee. That’s not budgeting. That’s psycho behavior.»
«So?» Curtis muttered under his breath. «I was just keeping track for financial planning. It wasn’t about being petty.»
That only made it worse. The laughter exploded. I knew this was my moment. I stepped forward, keeping my voice loud and clear. «Fine. Since you’re demanding payment, let’s do this properly.»
I pulled out my checkbook. The room fell silent. With deliberate slowness, I wrote out a check for three thousand dollars, making sure everyone saw the amount. Then, with a casual flick of my wrist, I tossed it at Curtis. The check fluttered through the air and landed at his feet.
«There. Every last cent you claim we owe you, paid in full.»
Gasps went through the crowd. Mrs. Miller lunged for the check and snatched it up. For a split second, she looked victorious. Until I smiled.
«Now, Curtis,» I said, my voice dangerously sharp. «Since we’re settling debts, let’s talk about what you owe Natalie.»
Curtis froze. The color drained from his face. He knew exactly what I meant. And the moment I said it, the crowd did too.
Mrs. Miller shrieked, a desperate, shrill sound. «What money? What nonsense?»
I let out a cold laugh. «Really? Let’s run the numbers, shall we?» I met her eyes, unflinching. «For Curtis’s birthday, my daughter bought him a new phone: one thousand two hundred dollars. When his father was sick, I personally brought him a gift of one thousand five hundred dollars. I have the receipts right here.»
I pulled out my phone and tapped the screen. «And these are just the expenses we can verify. That’s already over two thousand five hundred dollars, not including all the other day-to-day costs we haven’t accounted for.» I turned to the crowd, raising my voice just enough to be heard. «You tell me, shouldn’t he pay that money back?»
The response was immediate. «Of course he should.» «That’s way more than they’re demanding from her.» «Talk about hypocrisy.» The chorus of agreement was deafening, and the Millers flinched, their faces pale and rigid.
Mrs. Miller, still clinging to what little scraps of dignity she had left, snorted defiantly. «You’re making that up. Lies. Slander.»
«Huh.» And that’s when Natalie finally stepped forward. Her patience was gone. «If you don’t want to acknowledge the truth, fine, let’s take this somewhere else.» Her voice was sharp and steady. She turned, her gaze locking onto Curtis. «How about we go up to your office, stand outside your company, and put this on display for your colleagues to see? Would you like that, Curtis?»
The color vanished from his face instantly. His company was just two floors above ours. There was no escape.
Mrs. Miller’s face twisted in fury. «You ungrateful little—» And then she lunged. Her hand rose, aimed straight for Natalie’s face.
This time, I was ready. The moment her arm moved, I stepped forward, putting myself between them. My voice was low, quiet, and firm. «You had better put that hand down.»
A chilling silence fell over the room. Mrs. Miller’s arm froze in midair. Her face went slack, stunned. I didn’t blink. I didn’t waver. I just stared at her. And then, slowly, deliberately, I shifted my gaze to Curtis.
«You came here to make a scene, but the only thing you’ve done is shatter what little dignity you had left.»
Curtis stared at the floor, silent, defeated. I took a deep breath and turned to the assembled employees. But instead of addressing them, I spoke to Natalie. «Let’s go. We’ll take this to his company’s management and handle it professionally. No shouting, no threats. Just calm, decisive action.»
Without another word, we turned and walked toward the elevator. We didn’t look back. We didn’t need to. The damage was already done.
The supervisor arrived quickly, his expression polite but bewildered. «Can you tell me what’s going on?» he asked, looking between us and the growing crowd.
I pulled up Curtis’s email, the one he had so vehemently sent demanding money. I showed it to him, summarizing the situation calmly. My voice was firm and unwavering. «We are not here to argue. We simply want a fair resolution.»
The supervisor quickly read the email, his frown deepening as I continued to explain. Then, just as I finished, one of his assistants came over and whispered something in his ear. His eyes shot to me, and his demeanor shifted almost instantly. «Excuse me. Are you Mrs. Dawson, from Granite’s CEO?»
I nodded, offering a calm smile. «I am.»
Immediately, his posture straightened. His tone became formally polite, almost apologetic. «I am sincerely sorry this situation escalated to this point. Our company takes professionalism and ethics very seriously. I will speak with Curtis privately to address this matter.»
Then he turned to Curtis, and his tone hardened. «Curtis, I am truly disappointed. Keeping detailed accounts of personal expenses, demanding repayment after a breakup, and causing a public disturbance in front of another company’s office… This is completely inappropriate.»
Curtis’s face went white. He opened his mouth, grasping for an excuse. «No, I didn’t think it would turn into this, I just…»
The supervisor cut him off. «You have not only embarrassed yourself, but you have also damaged this company’s image. This will be reported to human resources.»
Curtis visibly deflated, his head bowing lower and lower, his hands twisting as he nodded weakly. His arrogance? His entitlement? Completely gone.
I nodded, thanking the supervisor politely. «There.» I turned to Natalie, ready to leave. But just as we took a step…
«Wait, this isn’t over.» Mrs. Miller’s sharp, shrill voice cut through the air.
I paused, then slowly turned back, fixing her with a calm, unreadable gaze. I didn’t need to say anything, because in that moment, everyone knew exactly who had already won.
A few weeks passed, and life finally seemed to be returning to normal. Natalie fell back into her routine: work, coffee with friends, weekend yoga sessions. She looked better. Lighter, the weight of the past stress gone from her shoulders.
Thomas and I had an unspoken agreement not to bring up Curtis or anything that had happened. We didn’t want to risk reopening wounds that were still healing. She was doing well. At least, in front of us, she made sure everything looked fine.
Until that night. She came in with takeout in hand, but something about her expression was off. I watched her out of the corner of my eye as I set the table. «Work okay?» I asked casually.
She hesitated then, without a word, handed me her phone. He had reached out again. The screen showed a text from an unknown number, but the words were painfully familiar. Curtis.
«Natalie. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. I know I messed up. I shouldn’t have listened to my parents, and I never should have taken my frustration out on you. I have nothing left now, but I want to start over. Will you give me another chance?»
I exhaled slowly and looked at her. «This is the third one,» her voice was low. «I haven’t responded.»
I nodded. «Good. Silence is the clearest answer.»
She sighed. «It’s just… I don’t get it. Is he actually sorry, or does he just hate losing?»
«Probably both,» I said evenly. «But that’s not your problem anymore. His growth is not your responsibility.» She stared out the window, not saying anything. I knew her heart wasn’t wavering; it wasn’t love she was struggling with. It was habit. The emotional residue of investing so much in someone, only to realize it was never worth it.
Then, just a few days later, things took a turn. That evening, she walked in with a different look—not sadness, but something colder, sharper. She set her phone on the counter. «Mom, look at this.»
I picked it up, and the moment my eyes fell on the screen, my stomach turned. A social media post. An anonymous message. A blurry photograph and edited video clips were attached, carefully pieced together to paint a false narrative.
The caption was nothing short of cruel: «A real-life gold digger extorted her ex after the breakup and flaunted her wealthy family. I guess she’s not so untouchable anymore, is she?»
A slow, simmering rage built in my chest. «Do we even need to guess who did this?»
