Caught in his web of deceit

It was a late October evening and the sun was just about to set. Eiris Kenward sighed softly and took a quick glance at her phone to check the time. There was still three hours to go before her shift ended, but the Porsche showroom was already empty of any customers, potential or otherwise.  Utterly bored, Eiris stifled a yawn, barely maintaining her professionalism. Absently, she wondered if she would be able to get away with a quick ten-minute break. However, just as she was about to move away from her position, a lady came hurrying in through the door.  Eiris immediately perked up, her smile was almost 100% genuine when she went forward to greet the lady.  Eiris has been at her job long enough to know the value of remembering the faces of all the customers and this lady looked familiar, having been by recently to purchase a car. It wasn’t her sale but the lady was memorable enough for Eiris to remember her.  The lady had been by the showroom with a dashing male companion who had generously splashed out for a fancy Porsche 911 as a present for her. Eiris remembered how the man had paid the deposit without even batting an eyelid at the amount of money he was spending. She had even been a little envious of how some people could easily throw around tens of thousands just for a present while she would have to work for years just to save up for something so extravagant.  “Welcome back! What can I do for you today?” She greeted the lady cheerfully, mentally noting the lady’s expensive Chanel bag and strangely anxious expression.   The lady bit her lip anxiously, and softly said, “I’m supposed to collect my car today.”  The tone of her voice was soft and almost… ashamed?  Eiris smiled gently at her, trying to reassure her wordlessly, “Yes, your car has arrived. You just have to make the final payment and the car would be yours to drive home.” The lady paled upon hearing Eiris’ words, and she took a long moment to compose herself before hesitantly speaking up, “Um… I've been unable to contact my boyfriend the past few days… Do you know if he has been by?” When she heard that, Eiris knew immediately what had happened; such incidents weren’t as rare in the showrooms as she would have liked them to be. The man had probably promised to gift his lady companion a car, and right before he needed to make the final payment, did a disappearing act!  Eiris gently took the lady aside, pouring her a warm cup of tea before asking her, “Don’t be too worried. We can hold the car for a couple of days while you get in contact with your boyfriend.” Unfortunately, Eiris’ words did not manage to comfort the lady at all. She nervously gripped the cup of tea, trying to hide her shaking hands, but to no avail.  “I think I’ve been cheated…” She quietly confessed as she stared at the cup in her hands, hunched in on herself, an absolute picture of misery.  Eiris was silent. There was nothing she could say in that moment that would be of help or comfort to the lady. Instead, she sat there quietly and patiently as the lady composed herself.  After a long while, the lady finally managed to calm herself enough to put the cup she was gripping back onto the table. She reached into her bag and took out the contract she signed previously.  “I would like to know if it is possible to get a refund on the deposit if… I don’t want the car anymore...” She asked haltingly, sounding extremely unsure.  Eiris took the contract the lady held out to her but did not look at it for long. She did not have to, as she already knew the answer. “I’m sorry, but all deposits are non-refundable here.”  The lady sighed, having already expected that answer. “I should have never trusted that scumbag!” She gritted out, “He must have been planning to scam me all along!” “May I ask if he was the one who paid the deposit?” Eiris asked gently, trying to get a better feel of the lady’s situation, and was relieved when she nodded.  Scumbags like this man were unfortunately very common. They would put up a generous front when wooing a lady, but when it comes to actually forking out the money, they would be gone faster than a gust of wind.  At least she did not lose much if he was the one who paid the deposit, Eiris thought to herself, and the only price she paid was a shattered dream of being wooed like a princess. Eiris had always prided herself on being an independent and practical person. There was no use hankering after something that did not belong to you and she wouldn’t feel much sympathy for someone who couldn’t let go.  However, instead of being comforted, the lady teared up at Eiris’ words. “After we signed the contract for the car, I thought he was really serious about being in a relationship with me… I thought I should also reciprocate and show him that I am also serious about the relationship. So all these time, I was the one paying for all our meals and dating expenses, and I even bought him the branded bags and watches he wanted!” “Who would have thought he was actually scamming me all along!” She burst out angrily, unable to control her outrage and indignity.  Eiris was horrified. It was not just a simple case of a scumbag leading on a woman but a deliberate trap.  The man had deliberately brought the lady to the Porsche showroom and made a big show out of buying her an expensive sports car. His generous gesture in putting down the deposit for a car that was in her name was to persuade her into investing in the relationship, getting her to willingly spend money on him, which would be much more than what he had spent on her.  Needless to say, he would then disappear before it was time to collect the car, so that he wouldn’t have to fork out the money for the final payment.  What a scumbag…  Eiris was absolutely disgusted.  She took a deep breath to compose herself, reining in her righteous anger, before picking up the contract that the lady had put on the table.  “Please give me a few minutes. Let me check and see what I can do,” she told the lady. Eiris knew that the chances would be slim, close to none in fact, but she still wanted to try.