Chapter 5

A man was walking briskly down the sidewalk about fifty yards away.

He was bundled up in a dark hoodie, a baseball cap pulled low, and a face mask covering everything else. He was clutching a large plastic grocery bag.

His silhouette was unmistakably familiar.

More importantly, the running shoes on his feet had glowing reflective strips on the heels.

I had bought those exact sneakers for Tyler Miller.

During the discovery phase of his trial, it happened to be his birthday. At the time, he was doing brutal manual labor on a construction site, and his old boots were so worn out that his big toe peeked through the leather.

Feeling pity for him, I bought him a durable, high-end pair of sneakers as a gift.

Back then, he had looked so bashful, his eyes welling with tears as he thanked me, swearing he'd repay my kindness once he got his settlement.

Looking at him now, the memory made me sick.

Seeing him pick up the pace, I didn't hesitate. I sprinted across the asphalt and threw myself directly in his path.

"Tyler Miller!" I shouted.

The man froze, his shoulders jerking violently.

A split second later, he realized who I was, turned on his heel, and tried to bolt!

Luckily, my reflexes were faster. I lunged forward and grabbed the waistband of his sweatpants with both hands.

"Let go of me!" he hissed in a panicked, muffled growl, violently trying to shake me off.

That voice. That reaction. It was him!

"You're not leaving until we settle this!" I yelled.

Seeing that he couldn't shake me loose, a vicious glint flashed in Tyler's eyes. He spun around, pulled back his right arm, and swung a clenched fist straight toward my face!

Thankfully, I had taken practical self-defense classes in college. I dodged sideways and drove my knee upward with all my strength, slamming it straight into his groin.

"Aaaargh!"

Tyler let out a bloodcurdling shriek, dropping his grocery bag and collapsing onto the sidewalk, clutching his crotch in agony.

I immediately screamed toward the brightly lit store:

"Help! Robbery! Assault!"

From my previous interactions with the store owner, Mike, I knew he was a warm-hearted guy. When he learned I was looking for Tyler, he had promised to keep an eye out for me.

On top of that, he was an army veteran with a deep sense of justice.

In seconds, the store bell chimed, and Mike came charging out like a freight train.

"What's going on?! Miss, are you alright?"

"Mr. Harris! It's Tyler Miller! He owes me twenty thousand dollars in legal fees, and he just tried to punch me!"

I leaned down and ripped the face mask right off Tyler's sweaty face.

"Tyler?! It really is you?!" Mike gasped in shock.

"When the hell did you come back? What is going on here?"

I looked at the groceries scattered across the pavement—frozen dinners, milk, instant noodles. Everything clicked.

"He never left town!" I said loudly. "Carrying those massive suitcases out in broad daylight two weeks ago was just a show for the neighbors!"

"He wanted everyone to believe he moved away so I would give up looking for him."

"He and his mother have been hiding inside their apartment with the curtains drawn all day, sneaking out in the dead of night to buy groceries!"

"Otherwise, why would a grown man dress like a bank robber at midnight just to buy milk?"

Tyler curled up on the ground, his face pale and eyes darting around in guilt.

Mike's expression instantly hardened into utter contempt.

"Tyler, you piece of garbage. You're a grown man stiffing a young woman who helped you? Have you no shame?!"

Tyler gasped for air, his face alternating between red and white as he realized he had been caught red-handed by a fellow local.

He tried to scramble for an excuse:

"I... I wasn't trying to dodge her! It's her attitude! She's been hounding me like a loan shark, showing up at my building..."

"I was just angry! I wanted to teach her a lesson and scare her a little. I never said I wasn't going to pay!"

I laughed bitterly.

"Teach me a lesson? You spent weeks playing hide-and-seek, living like a rat in the dark, just to 'scare' me? If I hadn't caught you tonight, how much longer were you planning to hide?!"

Mike wasn't buying his garbage either.

"You owe money, plain and simple! Of course she's going to track you down. Did you expect your creditor to get on her knees and beg you for what's rightfully hers?"

Realizing his sob story was failing, Tyler's eyes shifted, and he suddenly spat out:

"Who says I didn't pay her? I already paid the legal fee weeks ago!"