A Newbie Driver's Regrets

The police I called when I was inside the car had finally arrived.

I breathed a sigh of relief. They came just in time. Maybe Robin could still be rescued.

When the policeman stepped out of the car and noticed the terrible state I was in, he frowned and confronted Ronald. "What are you doing? Step aside!"

Ronald did not expect the police to show up. His initial reaction was that of shock, which then transformed into elation.

"Officer, I’m so glad you’re here! I caught a scammer and was just about to report her to the police! Do you think I’m going to get a cash reward for helping arrest a scammer? I’ve been thinking I’d like to get a new car. A bigger SUV sounds good, hehe."

The officer rolled his eyes at him. "That’s not for me to decide. You’ve been claiming that this lady here is a scammer, but do you have any proof?"

"Yes, yes, I do! This scumbag told me she was a doctor and made something up about my son being in the ICU. She’s making up stories to extort money from me!"

I was enraged by his making such allegations with a straight face and called him out, "You're lying! When did I ever ask you for money?"

Then, I turned to the officer, "Officer, I’m Dr. Candice Leigh, the head surgeon at the city hospital. I was the one who dialed the emergency number."

The officer helped me up before eyeing me up and down, "I’m Officer Nicholas Bernard. Would you show me your identification and explain why you made the call again?"

Ronald panicked faintly when he realized Officer Bernard was not going to arrest me right away, the way he expected it to go down. He assumed Officer Bernard was biased just because I was a woman.

"Officer, you can’t let her fool you just because she has a pretty face! You are a public servant, and you have to uphold justice! I have viewers watching!"

Officer Bernard shot a look at him, then he looked square into the broadcast and stated sternly, "Justice is not mandated by the person who speaks the loudest. I assure you all that we will find out the truth."

Then, he turned to me, "Don't worry. Tell me what happened."

I took a deep breath before starting, "Officer Bernard, I have a very urgent surgery to attend to right now. The patient could die at any moment. Every second we waste here is going to increase the odds of that happening!"

"Look at her! She’s making stories up in front of the police!" Ronald guffawed and turned to the broadcast, "All of you, look at this! She should consider becoming an actor!"

When Officer Bernard shot a glare at him, he quieted down slightly but still would not stop murmuring something to himself.

"Let’s start with your identification so I can get a handle on the situation."

With that, I quickly handed over my ID, which he proceeded to hand over to his colleague to look up information.

After waiting for a moment without any updates, I was beginning to grow anxious. I might have time to spare, but Robin did not!

With that, I suggested, "If you’re worried, you can put me in handcuffs, but you have to take me to the hospital first! I cannot waste any more time!"

Officer Bernard considered my suggestion upon noting how anxious I was.

Ronald stepped forward, thrusting his phone toward me just as the officer seemed ready to agree. "Officer Bernard, we have to follow protocol!" he insisted. "You can't let her manipulative talk sway you.

"Think about the risk if she escapes. It's not just about me being scammed; what if she targets vulnerable children or the elderly next? If that happens, the responsibility will fall squarely on you, Officer Bernard!"

He rested his hands on my shoulder, his eyes darting toward Officer Bernard. It was a calculated move, using the pressure of the live broadcast to sway the officer's decision.

I knew my request bypassed standard procedures. Being caught on camera granting such a favor could jeopardize his entire career.

Officer Bernard paused, uncertainty visible in his expression. Seeing my growing distress, Ronald's arrogance only intensified.

Turning back to his audience, he began to brag once more, "I’m all about following rules! If all of you agree, go ahead and react with an emoji! Let me see your energy!"

"What a Chad streamer! He never breaks the law!"

"Is this cop new? He’s going to be in big trouble if he lets the scammer get away!"

"Scammer girl here thinks she’s in a movie! She might as well ask the officer to carry her to the office rather than just handcuffing her!"

Ronald was grinning like a child on Christmas Day when he saw the number of comments and gifts pouring into the livestream.

My head spun when I looked at my watch. Robin's chances of survival lowered with every second that passed. At this rate, even a miracle would not save the child.

My phone, which Ronald had tossed to the floor, suddenly rang. I had a bad feeling about this.

"Don’t bother coming. Robin has passed." His voice was dry and hoarse. He sounded as if he had aged several decades.

I was frozen with shock. All of the strength drained out of my body, and my legs folded under me.

"Look, officer. There she goes acting again. She’s only pulling this move because she knows she’s not going to get away. Don’t believe her."

I lowered my head to the ground and could no longer find the effort to argue with him. There was no point in doing so anyway, now that Robin was deceased.

Ronald was still cheerily chatting with his viewers when he received a phone call. He answered the phone call irritably.

"What is it? I’m busy! Out with it! Wh- what?! Say that again?!"