All Chapters of Mistaken Gold Bracelet Turned Me Into Internet Villain: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

I stared at the gold bangle on my wrist, then clicked on another solid gold bangle sold by BallerBling. It was priced at nine thousand dollars.I took a deep breath, an uneasy knot forming in my stomach. There was a fine line between scoring a bargain and taking advantage of a catastrophic mistake, and this felt way past the line. Listening to my conscience, I hunted down BallerBling's contact information and dialed the number.The call connected, but I barely managed to utter a few words about an order mix-up before the man on the other end cut me off. "No returns once you've opened the parcel! Don't think you can pull a fast one on us just to get a refund. That's the store's policy!"Before I could even open my mouth to explain, the line went dead. I stood frozen, gripping my phone as the empty dial tone buzzed in my ear. I was too shocked to react. Unwilling to give up, I redialed the number, only to be greeted by a female mechanical voice, saying, "Sorry, the number you have

Felix burst out laughing. "Looks like the lesson I taught you wasn't enough."Suppressing my anger, I held out the shipping box containing the bangle, giving him one last chance. "I'm asking you one last time—are you sure that even if the mistake is on your end and you sent the wrong item, you still won't accept a return?"Felix didn't even glance at the box. Instead, he pulled up the product details page on his phone and pointed at a line of tiny text at the very bottom."You fool, can't you read?" he mocked. "No returns or exchanges once the package is opened."He looked utterly smug, completely convinced he was in the right. "You didn't bother reading the policy, and that's on you. I'm the seller, so I get the final word. If you don't like it, go ahead and sue me."Only then did I notice the minuscule print hidden in the bottom corner of the page. "Items that have been delivered and opened are deemed satisfactory and are not eligible for our seven-day unconditional return pol

Robert had threatened me from the get-go, yet he completely ignored Felix standing right there, cursing and threatening me. Clearly, those two were in cahoots.The police officers frowned at me."Ms. Flynn, we received a report alleging you're in possession of property that doesn't belong to you. We ask that you cooperate as we look into the matter."Felix immediately played the victim. "Officers, she's just trying to get away with it! Arrest her now! She took our nine-thousand-dollar gold bangle and refuses to return it! This is fraud!"Under the weight of everyone's gaze, I calmly pulled out my phone and the fake bangle I'd just bought."Officers, here are my order screenshots and a payment record of ten dollars. What I bought was an alloy bangle, and everything is above board. So, tell me, how exactly am I scamming anyone?"Felix snatched the bangle and examined it carefully. Upon discovering that it was indeed a fake, he hurled it onto the floor. "You must've hidden the rea

Felix slammed the phone down hard.I hadn't even set my teacup down when Bethany called in a total panic."Tasha, check the trending topics right now! Those bastards just put you on blast again!"I clicked the link she sent."Unmasking Tasha Flynn—A Career Scammer Preying on Small Businesses with Vicious Tactics!"In the video, I was painted as a calculating, cold-hearted villain. They spun a narrative claiming I had exploited a loophole in the platform's policies to extort a gold bangle from the seller. Then, once I had what I wanted, I weaponized public opinion to destroy a small business the owner had spent over a decade building.My full name, phone number, and even my company's address were posted online, every detail listed with chilling accuracy. And right below it, they'd attached a photoshopped obituary picture of me.The mastermind behind the post was none other than Robert.He painted himself as a hardworking, salt-of-the-earth entrepreneur who'd had everything rippe

I looked at Elly and said emphatically, "Mrs. Proctor, as far as I know, you don't have a job. So, where did these 200 thousand dollars come from? It's dirty money too, isn't it?"If I were to take this money today, I'd be betraying the version of myself you knocked to the ground and mercilessly cyberbullied."My lawyer, Warren Cowan, walked over and handed me a document. "Ms. Flynn, what would you like to claim in terms of damages?"I took the document and outlined two conditions to Warren."One, I want the brand—meaning Robert's company—to fully cooperate with the police investigation. They will make public all evidence of his counterfeiting, fraudulent sales, and gold skimming, and he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."Two, on top of the compensation mandated by the authorities, I want an official apology pinned to the top of their corporate social media accounts for an entire month."Felix, desperate for a lighter sentence, spilled every last secret he knew