CHAPTER 17
1677 Words
Looking at the monitor, where it showed that the item was not sold by our store, I noticed the woman’s gaze flicker with panic for a brief second before she snatched the leather jacket back.
“Hey, how can you just trust that?” she snapped. “Maybe your system is broken or something! I’m telling you, I bought this leather jacket here. This is the only mall I shop at regularly!”
I tilted my head slightly. “You said you purchased the leather jacket last week, correct?”
The woman hesitated before nodding. “T-That’s right.”
I turned to Mira. “Have you already contacted the surveillance team regarding the department store’s CCTV records?”
Mira gave a firm nod. “Yes, ma’am. I requested the footage to be checked after you ordered me about it earlier”
I kept my gaze steady on the couple, noting the way the woman clutched the leather jacket tighter. The man, however, remained defiant, crossing his arms with a glare.
“Well? How long is this going to take?” he demanded. “We don’t have all day!”
“Patience, sir,” I replied evenly. “If you did purchase the leather jacket here last week, the surveillance footage will confirm it. But while we wait, could you please hand me the leather jacket again?”
The woman’s grip on the jacket tightened, her knuckles turning white. “This is ridiculous. We shouldn’t have to go through all this just to get a refund!”
“Ma’am, this is just a standard procedure. Please cooperate,” I said, extending my hand toward her.
The man beside her nudged her impatiently. “Hey, just give it to her!”
The woman hesitated before reluctantly handing me the leather jacket.
I carefully inspected the pocket where they claimed there was a hole, and my eyes immediately caught an irregular burn mark around the tear.
Frowning, I ran my thumb over the edges of the damage. The fabric had clearly been singed—something no normal wear and tear could have caused.
I turned the jacket over, inspecting it further. The jacket also showed slight fading in some areas, barely noticeable at first glance but evident upon closer examination.
It was clear that the jacket had been used for some time, contradicting their claim that it was a recent purchase.
Just as I finished my inspection, Mira’s phone buzzed. She answered swiftly, listening intently before turning to me.
“The security team has reviewed the footage,” she reported. “There’s no record of this couple purchasing the jacket from our store.”
I set the jacket down on the counter and looked at the couple calmly. “Would you care to explain?”
The woman’s face paled, and the man’s jaw tightened. “T-That’s impossible,” she stammered. “Maybe they missed it—”
Mira cut her off. “We reviewed every transaction from last week matching this brand and item type. There is no record of this jacket being purchased here. And now, the CCTV footage confirms that neither you nor the man beside you even entered our store during that time.”
The man clenched his fists, his anger simmering beneath the surface. “This is bullshit,” he muttered.
Then, he turned to the woman beside him, his voice low but sharp. “What the hell is going on? You told me you bought this here.”
The woman shrank under his glare, gripping the edge of the counter as if steadying herself. Her eyes darted around as if searching for a way out, but there was none.
“The hole in the pocket that you claimed to be a defect was singed as if it was done intentionally, there are clear signs of prolonged use on other parts of the jacket—wear and fading that wouldn’t be present if it were newly purchased. There's no use for you to continue to lie here, Ma'am”
The woman’s face was drained of color while her fingers trembled.
Finally, with a shaky breath, she muttered, “I… I didn’t buy them here.”
The man’s expression darkened. “What?”
She swallowed hard. “I got them from an online seller. They told me I could get a refund if I brought them to a physical store. I—I thought it would work.”
The man exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Are you kidding me right now?!”
I crossed my arms, watching their exchange. “So, you knowingly bought the item that wasn't from our store, hoping to get a refund?”
The woman refused to meet my eyes. “I just… I needed the money back,” she mumbled.
I sighed. “Fraudulent refund claims are taken very seriously here, Ma'am. And you didn’t just attempt fraud—you also caused a disturbance in our establishment. On top of that, you and your boyfriend harassed and physically assaulted our staff. At this point, I could escalate this and press legal charges against both of you.”
The woman’s eyes widened in panic. “No! Please, I—I didn’t mean any harm!”
The man, still fuming, scoffed. “Unbelievable! You dragged me into this mess for nothing!”
I glanced at Mira, who was already poised to call security if necessary. “Look, I won’t take this any further as long as you leave immediately and don’t attempt this again,” I said firmly.
The woman nodded frantically, grabbing the jacket off the counter. “Thank you. I’m sorry,” she muttered before turning to leave.
The man hesitated for a moment, then shook his head in exasperation and followed her out.
Mira let out a breath. “Well, that was something.”
I nodded, watching as they disappeared from sight before I glanced at the shaken store manager, who was still rubbing her cheek from the earlier slap. “Are you alright?”
She straightened, offering a small, grateful smile. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you for stepping in.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you for keeping a level head and handling the situation with patience. If you want to file a case against the customer, the company will support you.”
The manager hesitated before shaking her head. “No, ma’am, it’s okay.”
I frowned, noticing how her cheek was reddening and beginning to swell. Letting out a quiet sigh, I thought about how unfairly workers in customer service were treated.
Every day, they dealt with all kinds of customers, facing insults and, in cases like this, even physical abuse. Yet, even when given the chance to seek justice, they often chose not to.
“This isn’t right,” I said firmly. “What’s your name?”
“It’s Lina, ma’am.”
“Alright, Lina. I want you to head to the hospital. The company will cover your medical expenses. Also, you, Mira, and the other sales staff involved in today’s incident will undergo psychological counseling every weekend for a month, and the company will cover that as well. Consider it mandatory.”
Lina’s eyes widened slightly. “Ma’am, that’s really not necessary—”
“It is,” I interrupted. “You all went through unnecessary stress today, and I don’t want anyone brushing this off like it’s just part of the job. No one should have to tolerate abuse.”
She swallowed hard before nodding. “Thank you.”
I offered her a reassuring nod. “Good. Now, go to the finance department to collect your compensation, then head straight to the hospital.”
As Lina walked away, I turned to Mira. “Make sure to file a report and flag those two in our system. If they ever try something like this again, I want security alerted immediately.”
Mira gave a firm nod. “Understood.”
I exhaled sharply, rolling my shoulders back as I turned away. My head was pounding while I could already feel my hands shaking, and my palms were sweating from what had just happened
As I stepped out of the department store, I ran a hand over my forehead, feeling the tension still lingering in my body.
‘f**k, that was intense. I am never doing this again!’
The cool air that touches my face did little to calm my nerves, but at least I could finally breathe. I glanced at my watch, realizing that what felt like hours had only been a matter of minutes.
Just as I was about to take another deep breath, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, seeing Vincentius’ name flash across the screen.
‘Great.’
I hesitated for a second before answering. “Yeah?”
“You handled it?” His tone was calm as usual, but I could hear the underlying expectation in his voice.
“Yeah, I did,” I muttered, pressing my fingers against my temple.
“But don’t ever send me to deal with something like that again.”
Vincentius chuckled on the other end. “You’ll get used to it.”
I scoffed. “No, I won’t.”
“We’ll see,” he said, clearly amused. “Good job, though.”
I blinked, caught off guard by the rare praise. Vincentius wasn’t one to hand out compliments lightly, so hearing him acknowledge my efforts felt… unexpected.
“…Thanks,” I muttered, unsure of how to respond.
“Get some rest,” he added. “I’ll see you soon.”
Before I could reply, the call ended, leaving me staring at my screen.
I sighed, slipping my phone back into my pocket.
‘Rest, huh?’
I glanced at the mall’s exit, debating whether I should head straight back to the hotel or take a moment to clear my head.
After everything that just happened, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be confined myself back at the penthouse just yet.
Maybe a short walk wouldn’t hurt.
- Writer
