Saving A Stranger Cost Me Half A Million

She jabbed a finger toward my nose. Her spittle sprayed across my face as she screamed, "You broke loser, you're going to spend ten years in jail! Pay me 500 thousand dollars now, not a cent less!"

I wiped the saliva off my face.

"You left your child in a car that was over 140°F just so you could get cosmetic procedures done, and now you're trying to cover it up by turning on me. Aren't you afraid you'll get what's coming to you?"

Layla's eyes widened in fury. She lunged at me, aiming for my face.

"How dare you curse me! I'll tear your mouth to pieces!"

I sidestepped, and she missed, crashing into the wall instead.

"Officer! You see? He's still trying to hit me!" Layla cried out, clutching her shoulder.

The surrounding crowd once again pointed fingers at me.

"This delivery guy is way too arrogant."

"There's no surveillance footage. This time, he's done for."

I stood still and said nothing.

No surveillance? That wasn't a problem for me.

I reached up and touched the small black rectangular device on my helmet. It was a miniature action camera I had installed specifically to guard against scam incidents. A faint red light was still blinking.

…

At the end of the corridor, the elevator doors chimed open.

A man in a tailored suit strode out. His hair was slicked back, and a gold Rolex sat on his wrist. Two burly bodyguards in black followed behind him.

The moment Layla saw him, her expression changed instantly. She rushed into his arms and complained, "Darling! You're finally here! This broke nobody smashed our car and even hit me!"

The man was Layla's husband, Lucas Davidson.

Lucas patted her back lightly, then strode toward me with a cold expression.

After sizing up my worn delivery uniform, he said, "You're the one who smashed my car?"

He didn't even ask a single question about the child's condition.

I met his gaze. "Yes, and you should be thankful I did. If I had arrived five minutes later, you'd be looking at your son's corpse instead."

Lucas' face darkened, and a flash of disdain crossed his eyes.

"Don't use my kid as an excuse. You broke my car, so you're paying for it. 500 thousand dollars, not a cent less. How are you going to pay? Sell a kidney or bleed yourself dry?" he said arrogantly, looking at me like I was nothing.

I let out a cold laugh.

"I saved your son's life, and now you're demanding money from me?"

Lucas glanced at his two bodyguards.

"Seems like he won't talk unless he's at death's door."

The bodyguards immediately stepped forward, cracking their knuckles as they formed a tight circle around me.

Before they could make a move, the stocky police officer stepped between us.

"What are you doing? This is a hospital. Are you trying to assault an officer?"

Lucas raised a hand casually, and the bodyguards stepped back.

"Officer, there's been a misunderstanding. I just want to settle the compensation peacefully."

He took out a business card and handed it over.

"I'm Lucas Davidson, CEO of Steelmark Construction. I hope this matter can be resolved quickly."

The officer didn't take it. He only stared at Lucas coldly.

At that moment, the walkie-talkie crackled to life.

"Officer Smith, the traffic police have confirmed it. The streetlights were under maintenance, and the cameras were powered off. There's no footage."

Layla immediately broke free from Lucas' arms. Joy lit up her face as she exclaimed, "You heard that? There's no surveillance at all!"

She pointed at me and said sharply, "He's a thief! He tried to steal and smashed the car, and now he's making up some story about saving my child! Officer, arrest him immediately!"

The surrounding crowd immediately chimed in.

"It seems he's just a thief. He actually sounded pretty convincing."