LOGINMy usually low-key boyfriend, Wade Sullivan, suddenly announces our relationship in our class group chat. "Hey, everyone, you're all welcome to celebrate Thanksgiving at Merry Mountain Villa, which my parents own. I'll cover your flights, meals, and accommodations. You can also witness me propose to Lucille." The group chat instantly explodes. "Holy crap! When did you two start dating? You've been keeping it pretty well hidden, huh." "I heard Merry Mountain Villa costs 880 dollars a night, and it's still impossible to book a room. Wade, who knew you were secretly a rich hottie?" My best friend, Danielle Klein, excitedly sends me more than a dozen voice messages in a row. "Lucille, you've finally made it! Wade is finally willing to take you home to meet his parents!" But I can only stare at my screen, a chill creeping down my spine. My boyfriend of ten years has always found excuses to avoid letting me meet his parents during the holidays. He doesn't even dare to post a couple of photos with me on Instagram. And now, out of nowhere, he invites the entire class to his hometown to witness our proposal? The more I think about it, the more uneasy I feel. So, I break up with him right then and there. That very night, I accept my company's overseas transfer to Terraton. It isn't until Thanksgiving night that I finally drag my suitcase out of the airport, only for my phone to vibrate like crazy. I have 186 missed calls and over a thousand unread messages in the group chat. Danielle sends me a private voice message, her voice trembling with despair. "Whatever you do, don't answer any calls or reply to any messages. And run as far away as you can!" I open the class group chat, and my scalp instantly prickles with horror.
View MoreAfter I had finally pulled myself together, I moved to another city for a new job.The new company was small. My colleagues were polite to one another, but everyone kept a certain distance.I liked it that way.One evening after work, my usually aloof supervisor, Wanda Medina, suddenly stopped me."There's a high-end investment reception tonight," she said. "Big names from the financial world will be there. There'll be free dinner, and you'll get to meet lots of important people."She asked if I wanted to go with her.I asked just four questions."Who's the organizer? Can the guest list be made public? Can I travel to and from the venue independently? Are the drinks sealed and self-serve?"Ms. Medina paused, then replied with a smile, "You'll miss out on a lot of opportunities if you think like that."I smiled back. "Some opportunities are better left alone."She had no answers to my questions, so I declined the invitation on the spot.At 10:00 pm, I had just finished shower
The case proceeded to criminal prosecution.Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan were arrested at the border, and Wade was charged with helping orchestrate the scam and participating in the fraud.Alan's 200-thousand-dollar debt soon brought collection agencies knocking on his door. He changed his phone number three times, but the collectors still managed to track him down.One night, he called me after midnight. Speaking in a hushed voice, he told me that debt collectors had just left his building after spray-painting the words "Pay up" in red on the wall.The next morning, his father, Hugh Burk, saw the graffiti as he was leaving home. His blood pressure spiked, and he was rushed to the hospital."Lucille, I might have to sell my apartment," Alan said.Mr. Burk had left him that apartment. He had spent 20 years working in construction, saving every penny he earned to afford it.Samantha's photos were posted in the class group chat.She reported it to the police, who told her to preserve the
I hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded.Officer Byrd led me aside and played a video on his laptop.In the footage, an officer asked Wade why he hadn't tried to run."I don't want to hide anymore," Wade replied.The officer continued, "Did you know your parents had spiked the wine?"Wade nodded."Did you know Lucille was on that list?"Wade nodded again."She was your girlfriend for ten years. How could you bring yourself to scam her? From what we've learned, when you were working part-time in college, you accidentally scraped an Audi A9."And it was Lucille who braved the bitter cold selling things at a street stall to save up enough money to pay off the damages for you."Wade fell silent for a long time.For several seconds, the interrogation room was completely quiet.Suddenly, Wade lifted his head. His eyes were bloodshot as he snapped, "What choice did I have? If I didn't scam Lucille, I'd be dead! I learned to shuffle cards when I was seven years old. By ten years
The police began questioning everyone at the scene.Danielle sat in a corner, her face frighteningly pale. Alan had pulled his cap low over his head and curled in on himself, while Samantha still wore a hospital wristband.Katie's mother, Sarah Sawyer, had rushed over too. She clutched Katie's hand, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.The officers pieced together the events in chronological order.Wade made our relationship public, invited the entire class, promised free meals and accommodation, and arranged a tour bus to pick everyone up.Once everyone arrived, he cut off their phone signals, suggested a few rounds after dinner, raised the stakes, lent them money, and pushed them toward online loans.Officer Byrd looked visibly exasperated."There were red flags at almost every stage. How did not a single one of you notice anything was wrong? On the night of the incident, Wade left through the back door of the poker room and got into a vehicle with his p












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