Chapter 9

Arnold could feel his blood boiling as he stood in front of Diana and Ethan, their sneers fueling his anger. The situation was escalating out of control rapidly, and despite his best efforts to stay calm, their nonstop mockery was pushing him to the edge.

“So, Arnold,” Ethan began, his tone dripping with disdain, “Oh my, oh my, still trying to play the big shot? It’s pathetic. You can’t even afford a decent suit, and you want us to believe you own this car?”

Diana laughed, the sound cold and cutting. “Honestly, Arnold, you’re better off admitting you’re just a thief. It might save you from further embarrassment.”

Arnold’s fists clenched at his sides, but he forced himself to respond calmly. “Keep talking, Ethan. You’re only digging a deeper hole for yourself. And Diana, you know nothing about me anymore.”

Ethan’s smirk widened. “Oh, really? Is that why you’re driving this stolen car? Because you’ve suddenly become someone important? You’re still the same loser who couldn’t hold on to his wife.”

Diana crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing as she took in Arnold’s disheveled appearance. “Look at you. You look like you belong in a trash bin, not behind the wheel of a luxury car. What’s next? You’re going to tell us you own a mansion too?”

Ethan chuckled, nudging Diana. “He probably thinks he does. Poor guy’s got nuts after losing you, my queen. You know, Arnold, maybe if you’d worked as hard at keeping your wife as you did at pretending, you wouldn’t be standing here like this.”

Arnold’s jaw tightened. “You’re making a big mistake, Ethan. You too, Diana. You think you are the only one who has fortune, but you don’t know anything about what’s really going on.”

“Please,” Diana scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Spare us the drama, Arnold. You’re embarrassing yourself more than usual. Why don’t you just crawl back to whatever hole you came out of?”

Before Arnold could respond, the flashing lights of a police car appeared, and an officer stepped out. Ethan immediately perked up, recognizing the officer.

“Officer Jackson!” Ethan called out with a smirk. “Perfect timing. We’ve got a situation here. This guy,” he pointed to Arnold, “stole this car and now he’s trying to demand compensation. Can you believe the nerve?”

Officer Jackson, an old friend of Ethan’s, approached the group. He barely glanced at Arnold just to scan his outfit. However, after seeing his cheap suit, he didn’t spare second glance before turning to Ethan with a nod. “Don’t worry, Ethan. We’ll take care of this. Looks like we’ve got ourselves a little car thief.”

Arnold could feel the unfairness of the situation pressing down on him, but he wasn’t about to back down. “I didn’t steal anything. This is my car, and they’re the ones who caused the accident.”

Jackson gave him a dismissive look, his hand already resting on his holster. “You? Own a Lincoln like this? Let’s be real, pal. You’re suspected of stealing this car and causing damage. You’re coming with me to the station.”

Diana rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Just give it up, Arnold. You’ve embarrassed yourself enough. Let the police handle it.”

Ethan stepped closer, his voice low and threatening. “You heard the officer. If you can’t prove this is your car, you’re going straight to jail. How about you just admit it now? Save what little dignity you have left.”

Arnold’s voice trembled with controlled fury. “I don’t need to prove anything to you. But since you insist, let’s wait for the insurance adjuster. We’ll see who’s telling the truth.”

Ethan scoffed, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. “Sure, Arnold. I’ll tell you what, if this really is your car, I’ll lick it clean. But we both know very well that’s not gonna happen ever.”

Diana snickered, her voice dripping with contempt. “I can’t wait to see you locked up in jail, Arnold. It’s going to be priceless. Maybe then you’ll finally realize your place.”

A few minutes later, the insurance adjuster arrived, clipboard in hand, and immediately began assessing the damage. 

He took one look at the Lincoln and his eyes widened. “This is a limited edition. The repairs on this are going to be costly—probably around a million dollars.”

Diana and Ethan’s faces paled at the figure, but they quickly recovered, their expressions hardening with suspicion.

“Are you sure this isn’t some mistake?” Diana asked, her voice trembling slightly. “There’s no way Arnold owns a car like that.”

The adjuster gave her a professional smile. “All I need is the owner’s name. Everything else is confidential.”

Arnold stepped forward, his voice steady. “Check under the name Arnold William.”

The adjuster nodded and began typing into his tablet. A few tense moments passed before he looked up, his face unreadable. “I’m sorry, but the system shows that Arnold William is not the registered owner of this vehicle.”

Ethan’s laughter rang out as he clapped his hands. “What did I tell you? Officer, get this thief out of here!”

Diana’s eyes gleamed with triumph as she turned to Arnold. “This is what happens when you try to play above your level, Arnold. It’s time to face the consequences.”

Officer Jackson stepped forward, handcuffs ready. “Looks like you’re coming with me after all. Let’s go, little thief.”