The Million-Dollar Vendetta

I bought 0-0 million worth of gold jewelry for my wedding from a well-known downtown jeweler. As the wedding approached, my order still hadnt arrived.
When I went to collect it, the saleswomanLilytold me the price of gold had risen and I had to pay the difference.
Gold is up 98pergram.Foryour1,314grams,thats128,772. Lets call it 0-030,000, she said, showing me her calculator.
I was stunned. I paid in full two weeks ago. You offered delivery, thats why I left it here. This is extortion.
Lily looked at me dismissively. Weve been in business ten years. We only sell real gold. Keep accusing us and Ill sue you for slander.
Her words reminded me: their stores ten-year lease had just expired.
I called their boss. Starting this year, rent is up 50%. Pay it or leave.
Why? he asked.
Thank your wonderful employee, I replied, and hung up.
..
I dangled my phone in front of Lily. "If I don't walk out of here with my gold today, this store will be closing its doors very soon."
Lily, however, remained unfazed. "Don't try to intimidate me. I wasn't born yesterday," she scoffed. "You're not getting a single piece of that gold until you pay up. Not one cent less than a hundred and thirty thousand."
I was done arguing. Some people only learn a lesson when it hits them square in the face.
"Fine," I said. "I don't want the gold anymore. Give me a refund."
There were plenty of other jewelers in the city. I had only chosen this one because the owner was a tenant of my family's. Now, I'd rather give my business to a complete stranger than let this woman extort a single penny from me.
Lily's expression didn't waver. In fact, a smirk played on her lips. "All sales are final. That's the industry standard. However, given the nature of gold, we can buy it back from you at the scrap gold price."
She tapped away at her calculator again. "The current market price is nine hundred and forty-six dollars per gram. Our buyback price includes a hundred-dollar-per-gram depreciation fee. So, for 1,314 grams, that comes to one million, one hundred and eleven thousand, six hundred and forty-four dollars. Let's just call it one point one one million."
I laughed, a harsh, incredulous sound. "I paid over one point three five million for this jewelry. Now you're telling me I have to pay an extra hundred and thirty thousand to pick it up, or lose a quarter of a million on a refund? You run a fine business here."
"We're here to make a profit, not run a charity," Lily said, her confidence unwavering. "So, Miss Vance, will you be taking the gold or the refund?"
She was so certain I would just swallow this bitter pill. But I've always been one to stand my ground. If she wanted a fight, she would get one.
I walked out of the jewelry store and into the department store next door. For ten dollars, I bought a megaphone. Then I stood right outside her shop and started shouting.
"This jewelry store, Gold & Co., is ripping off its customers! Two weeks ago, I bought over a million dollars' worth of gold from them, and now they won't let me have it! Everyone, be warned! Don't get scammed by this place!"
My public announcement quickly drew a crowd.
"Is that for real? A big store like this would pull such a stunt?"
"The bigger the store, the shadier the business. Gold prices are skyrocketing right now. That's a lot of money to be made."
"Good to know. I'll be sure to avoid this place from now on."
Customers inside the store, fearing they'd be the next victims, started to leave. Lily couldn't stop them.
She shot me a look of pure hatred. I glared right back. "I'll be out here every single day until you give me my money back. Let's see who gives in first."
To my surprise, she called the police, accusing me of disturbing the peace. The sound of sirens only drew a larger crowd.
Lily was the first to speak to the officers, playing the victim. "It's her. She's been standing outside our store with a megaphone, slandering our business and disrupting our operations."
I calmly pulled out the receipt from my purchase two weeks ago. "Officer, this store took my money but refuses to give me my gold. When I came to claim it, they demanded an additional one hundred and thirty thousand dollars due to the price increase. This is extortion."
As the officer took my receipt to question Lily, she suddenly shouted, "That receipt is a fake! She's the one trying to extort us!" She then produced a receipt from behind the counter and handed it to the police. "This is our official receipt. Each one has a security watermark. Hers doesn't. It's a forgery."
The officer compared the two receipts and then frowned at me. "Miss Vance, this receipt you've provided appears to be counterfeit."
"Impossible!" I snatched the receipts and examined them closely. The one Lily provided had a small, gold ingot watermark in the top right corner. Mine did not.
It all clicked into place. This was a setup from the very beginning. No wonder she was so bold as to call the police.
"Officer, I demand to see the security footage," I said, my voice firm. "Receipts can be faked, but the cameras don't lie. The footage will show me selecting the jewelry, paying for it, and her telling me about the home delivery service."
A smug smile flickered across Lily's face. "Our security system malfunctioned three days ago. A short circuit. Everyone knows about it." She turned to the police. "Officer, this woman has forged a receipt in an attempt to defraud our store. I demand you take her into custody for investigation."
The crowd's sentiment turned against me.
"So she was the one crying wolf all along!"
"These scammers are getting bolder and bolder."
"She looks like such a sweet girl, too. They should throw the book at her."
Two officers approached me with handcuffs. "Chloe Vance, you are under suspicion of forgery and attempted extortion. Please come with us to the station."
I held up my phone. "I'm not a scammer! I have the bank transaction record showing the transfer to the store's owner. You can verify it."
Just then, a black Mercedes pulled up to the curb, and the store owner, a man named Mr. Goldsmith, stepped out.
"It's true," he announced. "I did receive a transfer of one point three five million dollars from Miss Vance."
A wave of relief washed over me. For all his gaudy taste in names, he seemed like a reasonable man. He had called me a few days ago about the expired lease. The rent in the area had doubled, and he had pleaded poverty, begging me not to raise his. I figured this whole mess was just a case of poor management. If he fired this employee and apologized, I would let it slide.
But then, he added, "However, that money was a loan repayment. It had nothing to do with a gold purchase."
A triumphant smile spread across Lily's face. She sidled up to Mr. Goldsmith, her voice a purr. "Mr. Goldsmith, thank goodness you're here. I was about to be falsely accused."
He gave her rear a familiar pat. "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one will bully my employees."
I finally saw the whole picture. They were in on it together. No wonder Lily was so audacious. She had her boss backing her up.
Mr. Goldsmith turned to me, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "I'm a businessman, Miss Vance. I believe in harmony and prosperity. If you admit your mistake now and apologize to my employee, I'm willing to let this go. Otherwise, you'll have to take a trip downtown."
"You two are in cahoots, you stole my money, and you want me to apologize? You must be dreaming," I shot back.
The smile vanished from his face. "If you accuse us of being in cahoots without any proof, I'll have to sue you for defamation."
Lily chimed in, her voice dripping with mock pity. "Miss Vance, your receipt is a fake, our cameras are broken, and now both my boss and I can testify that your transfer was a loan repayment. You have no evidence, no witnesses. If you apologize nicely now, maybe I'll forgive you."
I looked at the two of them and let out a disdainful laugh. "Who says I have no evidence? I'm about to expose your little scheme right now."
I dialed my best friend and asked her to send me the video of me trying on wedding dresses and picking out the jewelry. It was her idea to document such an important day. She had brought a hidden camera and recorded everything, from the moment I walked into the store to the final payment.
Furious on my behalf, she sent the video immediately. I played it for the police and the crowd to see. "You can have this video authenticated. Let's see who's really lying here."
Mr. Goldsmith and Lily froze. They had never imagined I would have a recording of the entire transaction. Faced with irrefutable proof, Mr. Goldsmith realized that pursuing the matter would only hurt him.
He slapped his forehead in a theatrical display of sudden realization. "Oh, my memory! The person who owed me money was also named Vance, but a different spelling. When I saw the transfer, I just assumed it was from her."
He then turned to me with a practiced, fake smile. "Miss Vance, this has all been a terrible misunderstanding. I'll have someone deliver your gold to you right away."
"No, thank you," I said coldly. "I want a full refund. Now."
I had lost all trust in him. This was for my wedding, a symbol of good fortune and happiness. I wouldn't let it be tainted by their dishonesty.
"Business is business, Miss Vance," he said, turning to me and the officers. "All sales are final. If you want a refund, it will have to be at the depreciated buyback price. However, since this was our mistake, I'm willing to cover the depreciation cost myself. But in return, I ask that you drop the matter and not press any charges."
I couldn't believe it. He was still trying to protect Lily. But he was mistaken. Now, I wasn't just after Lily. I was after both of them.
The officers asked if I would accept this resolution. Pursuing legal action would be time-consuming and costly, and he could drag it out for years. It was uncertain if I would ever see my money again. I decided to take a step back for now and get my money back first.
In front of the police, Mr. Goldsmith transferred the full one point three five million dollars back to my account.

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