Chapter 2

The mob looked at me like I had spoken the wrong language.

I kept going.

"With one condition: the work I have already finished, I am tearing it out. Floors, walls, fixtures, the whole renovation.

"If you agree, sign in. I'll send a crew tonight."

Mrs. Walters lit up. "Annie Lane, are you deaf? We just want the difference back. Nobody said anything about tearing out a house."

I almost laughed.

"Mrs. Walters, the unit you live in is the one I designed. I think the design is worth what I charged.

"Every material on that bill came from a factory I sourced directly. I have the receipts. If you want a refund, I take back what I installed and give you the money. There is no middle option."

The phrase 'full refund' landed. The faces relaxed half an inch. Then the next set of objections came.

"You can't just tear my house up and tell me where to live. My family has nowhere to go."

"Annie, we're asking you to give back what you took. We're not asking you to wreck the place."

I knew this town. Once I went soft, every problem the building had for the next five years was going to land on me.

I picked up my phone and held it up.

"You all signed contracts with my studio. I have receipts for every material and every labor hour. If we go to the police, you don't get the difference back. You don't get anything back. Tearing it out is the offer."

I stole a glance at the chat scrolling on Crystal's livestream. The comments had shifted from where they had been in the prior life.

[Honestly, the woman is being patient. she's offering refunds.]

[Full refund means they have to gut it. Fair enough.]

[I don't know about renovation prices, but 80k for a full eighty-square-meter unit doesn't sound crazy.]

Crystal saw the chat too. She caught Mrs. Walters by the wrist and softened her voice.

"It's all right. Tear it out. I will redo your renovation for twenty thousand.

"Think about it, you walk away with sixty thousand in your pocket. Renting a place for a while won't cost much compared to that."

A woman near the back hesitated. "Twenty thousand? Are you sure?"

Crystal slapped her chest. "I grew up in this town. Why would I lie to you? I learned the entire renovation supply chain in college. I have direct contracts with major brands. Hard finishes, soft finishes. Twenty thousand, all in."

She did not forget to take a jab at me.

"And those manufacturers all carry certifications. Annie Lane has nothing in writing."

If I had not been given a second chance, I might have started doubting myself.

Now I knew exactly what she was after, my business.

I let her take the stage.

She turned back to the crowd, expectant.

"Such a good deal. You're not seriously going to walk away from it, are you?"

The villagers looked at one another. Mrs. Walters stepped forward first.

"Annie is rotten to the core. She only knows how to take advantage of people like us."

"She doesn't deserve any loyalty. I'll go with Crystal. Where do I sign?"

The rest of them followed.

"Tear it down if you want, but the refund comes today. Every cent."