Lahat ng Kabanata ng Elevator to Betrayal: My Village Turned on Me: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

Marcus avoided my eyes, pouting as he feigned indifference and grumbled, "Is it really an honor system? Come on, we all know each other here. You just knew that poor folks would be too proud to use it for free, so you did this on purpose to guilt us into paying!"Otherwise, why would you hire all these outsiders? You're just using maintenance as an excuse to keep tabs on us!"The maintenance technicians, whom I paid handsomely, looked ready to burst, wanting nothing more than to set the record straight on my behalf.Meanwhile, Walter was still working overtime to make my life miserable."You heard that, officers," he said. "The whole setup is entirely his doing! The town had absolutely nothing to do with it. We're just a bunch of helpless, ordinary folks. If you're handing out fines, you have to penalize him and him alone."Their eagerness to throw me under the bus cut deeper than any knife.Mountains completely boxed in our town. For decades, the only way to get to town was a tr

Marcus sat on a stone boulder, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He had the smug look of a man who thought he had everything figured out."He's just waiting for us to beg," Marcus sneered. "That way, he can justify jacking up the price and squeezing us for every dime. That's exactly how these capitalists operate. Some guys get a taste of money and suddenly think their crap doesn't stink."Our ancestors hiked that mountain for generations, and they survived just fine! He's the only one throwing a tantrum. He puts up some crappy elevator and expects us to treat him like a hero?""That's right!" someone in the crowd chimed in. "We got by just fine before he showed up!"Just then, a chaotic chorus of crying and shouting echoed from the mountain trail.Everyone turned toward the noise. Martha was hobbling down the path, flanked and supported by two middle-aged women.A massive patch of skin had been scraped clean off her shin, and blood was pooling down her ankle. The knees of her p

The autumn wind howling off the mountain carried a bitter, biting chill, snapping the flags attached to the excavators.Walter's walking stick slipped from his hand and clattered to the dirt.His mouth hung open, every bit of that swagger completely draining from his eyes.The dozen or so residents backing him up looked like a flock of headless chickens, their vitriol instantly dying in their throats.Everyone's eyes were locked on those freezing, heavy metal beasts.Nicholas stepped forward, his sunburned face coated in road dust.He removed his hard hat and gave me a nod. "Mr. Crowe, we've got all the equipment here. We pulled an all-nighter to map out the initial demolition phase. When should we get started?"I quietly slipped the city council's citation into my pocket, my voice calm as I said, "You may start now.""You got it!"Nicholas turned around, giving his crew a wave."Alright, listen up! We're rolling with Plan A. Get the yellow tape up and clear out anyone who is

Walter froze."He's working as a warehouse manager at Suncrest Enterprises," I said, holding his gaze. "Full benefits, a matching 401k, and 8,000 dollars a month. I only gave him that job as a personal favor to you."Your daughter-in-law literally begged me, crying about how your boy had spent his whole life drifting from one dead-end job to another. She said he'd end up on the streets if someone didn't give him a break. I took pity on a neighbor and threw him a lifeline."Every bit of strength drained right out of Walter, and he stumbled backward."When you stabbed me in the back, did you stop for one second to think about who was putting food on your son's table?"I looked at him, feeling completely drained."You probably didn't because you thought I was a sucker—a golden goose you could pluck for everything I was worth. But let me make one thing crystal clear. Suncrest Enterprises isn't in the business of feeding parasites. Jonathan's termination notice is getting handed to hi

The demolition pushed forward like clockwork, moving efficiently through the steps.The crew started by ripping away the heavy outer protective shield of the elevator shaft. Next, they fired up their temporary rig for high-altitude work.The specialized industrial platform slowly crawled up the cliff facade.Harnessed into safety lines hundreds of feet in the air, the crew worked meticulously to strip away the steel guide rails and massive support brackets.With every section they unbolted, the steel giant that had dominated the landscape for five long years dropped a little lower against the horizon.Down at the foot of the mountain, the residents watched the whole thing play out in dead silence. Nobody tried to start a riot anymore.Maybe they had finally accepted reality or realized that throwing a tantrum wouldn't save them.By dusk, Joseph texted me a photo showing the very last section of the guide rail being hoisted away by the crane.Ashton finished the paperwork, climb