I couldn't snag a train ticket home for the long Thanksgiving weekend, so I ended up booking a spot on a budget tour group. Desperate times, I guess. The tour guide, deliberately, ripped my tank top strap, then tried to strong-arm me into buying some ridiculously overpriced, ‘designer’ lingerie – almost three thousand dollars – threatening to leave me stranded if I refused. A mob of burly men surrounded me, closing in. I took one look, and a grin split my face. "Uncle Frank, Uncle Bob, Uncle Jim, Cousin Mark!" I chirped. "You guys came to pick me up?" The guide’s triumphant cackle choked in her throat. 1. The holiday travel rush was insane; getting a ticket home was a nightmare. So, I settled for the only option left: a tour group heading to a destination less than a mile from my own doorstep. It was basically a very expensive, very roundabout taxi. Departure was set for 4:30 PM. I arrived at the bus terminal at 4:20 PM, only to find the tour agency's coach had already pulled out. My jaw dropped. I immediately called the agency owner, who, to his credit, ordered the bus to turn back right away. I stood there, fuming, for a full twenty minutes before the bus finally reappeared. The driver, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead, was profusely apologetic. "I'm so sorry, miss! The guide told me everyone was accounted for, so I just drove off." He seemed genuinely sorry, but the guide – Amber, I’d soon learn – stood blocking the entrance to the bus, her face a thundercloud. There wasn't a hint of apology in her expression, even after seeing me, the passenger she’d left behind. She just rolled her eyes and marched back to her seat. She looked younger than me, her face artfully made up, but her gaze was cold, her tone sharp. "What are you staring at, old hag?" If I hadn't been so utterly desperate for a ride home, I would never have chosen a tour bus during peak holiday season. But given my predicament, I decided to bite my tongue and endure. For now. I scanned the bus interior. Every single seat was taken. No spot for me. I forced patience into my voice. "Excuse me, where exactly is my seat?" Amber was engrossed in her phone, not even bothering to look up. A spark of annoyance flickered within me. I asked again. Amber slammed her phone down, then shoved me hard. "What's there to ask? Everyone else showed up before four! You came so late, who knew if you were even coming? There's no seat for you. Stand." I burst out laughing, a furious, incredulous sound, and shoved her right back. "First, the confirmed departure time was 4:30, and I arrived at 4:20 – early. Second, you didn't even do a headcount before telling the driver everyone was here; that's your job, and you failed. What's more, I asked you several times about my seat, and you ignored me, then put your hands on me. Looking for a fight, are we?" I leaned in closer. "And finally, a tour group has a fixed number of people. There has to be a vacant seat. If you can't find one for me, then you can stand for the next five hours." Five hours on a bus without a seat, after paying good money? Not a chance. Perhaps sensing I wasn't a pushover, Amber glared at me, her eyes spitting venom. "You were late, so no seat. If you don't want to go, take your refund and get lost." I sneered. "Are you the boss? Did you decide 4:20 is 'late'?" Just then, my phone buzzed. It was the owner calling. I answered, put him on speaker, and didn't mince words. "Hey, sis," I said, making sure Amber could hear every syllable, "the guide here says I was late and there's no seat for me, so she's telling me to 'get lost.'" Amber’s eyes widened in panic. She lunged, snatching my phone and frantically pressing 'end call.' The very next second, her phone rang. It was the owner calling her. She got an earful, a blistering tirade that turned her face a sickly shade of green. She mumbled a grudging apology, then snatched back my phone with ill grace. The owner, still on video call with Amber, counted the heads on the bus. There was an extra kid. It turned out this boy was Amber's nephew, Leo. When the poor kid was pulled from his seat, he started fussing loudly. Amber, without a shred of mercy, slapped him hard on the back. "Get up, and give your seat to this old hag!" My knuckles cracked as I clenched my fists. "I suggest you watch your mouth." I'd been training in self-defense since I was little, and after starting college, I was practically living at the gym. My muscles were clearly visible even under my short sleeves. Amber bristled, but bit back her retort. Once the little boy was up, an elderly lady in the next seat immediately tugged my arm. "Come on, dear, sit down. Don't bother with a crazy person. I've got some homegrown apples here, have a piece." From the lady's tone, it sounded like Amber had already made quite a scene before I even got on the bus. But just as the apple was almost in my hand, Amber snatched it away. "I said no eating on the bus! I get motion sickness! Are you deaf, old woman?" 2. Amber stuffed the confiscated apple into her own bag, glaring down at us. "Let me repeat the tour rules!" she announced, puffing out her chest. "Rule number one: Once you're on this bus, I'm in charge. No one challenges me. Violators pay a hundred-dollar fine." "Rule number two: I get motion sickness. No eating on the bus. See something, I confiscate it." "Rule number three: No phone calls or video chats. Too noisy. I like peace and quiet. Anyone making noise gets kicked off." "Rule number four: When we reach our destination, you buy whatever I tell you to. Otherwise, I'll leave you there." "Rule number five: To be determined later." From behind me, a young man snorted. "Psycho." Amber wheeled around, strutting up to him. "What was that? Think you can mess with me because I'm a girl?" She put her hands on her hips. "We girls are delicate flowers, you know? We need gentle care and protection. I bet you don't even have a girlfriend, do you? Ugly, bad temper – no wonder no one wants you." The young man bristled, about to rise, but his friend quickly pulled him back down. "Don't bother with her. We'll deal with this after we get home." Amber continued her tirade for a while longer, until the other passengers, almost in unison, pulled out their headphones and slipped them on. I followed suit, hoping to catch some sleep and escape the madness. I’d barely drifted off when I felt a tugging at my bag. My eyes snapped open. Amber’s nephew, Leo, was there, his dirty little hands yanking hard at the character keychain hanging from my purse. When his hands couldn't yank it off, he resorted to using his teeth. I was just about to get up when he suddenly plopped to the floor and let out a bloodcurdling shriek. "She kicked me! She kicked me!" Everyone who had been sleeping jolted awake. Amber rushed over, wrapping an arm around her nephew, her eyes glinting with calculated malice. "You kicked my nephew! You owe me money, right now!" She pulled Leo closer, her voice rising. "If you've hurt him, can you even afford the damages?" Little Leo, meanwhile, wailed dramatically. "I don't want money! I want that toy! I want the toy!" The series was red-hot right now, and the one on my bag was a rare, hidden edition, easily worth a couple of hundred dollars on the resell market. Seeing the adorable rabbit now, slobber-covered and dirt-stained from the kid's teeth, was utterly frustrating. But I had several more at home, and I just wanted to get through the rest of this awful trip smoothly. So, I unclipped the rabbit keychain and tossed it into the boy's lap. He finally quieted down, clutching the rabbit and showing it off to Amber, who promptly snatched it and stuffed it into her own bag. That bag seemed to be a repository for all the things she'd forcibly taken from people. Leo, meanwhile, rummaged inside, pulled out a bag of chips, and munched away noisily. I just shook my head. A while later, the bus finally pulled into a service area. I got off to use the restroom, but when I returned, I found my carry-on bag being stomped on by Leo. The bag was full of expensive cosmetics I’d chosen not to take with me because of the weight, and now they were all shattered. My fists clenched. The anger that had been simmering all day began to boil. I marched straight to the small police station located beside the service area and filed a report. The station was swamped and understaffed due to the holiday rush, but they assured me an officer would be dispatched before the bus departed again. I returned to the bus, my bag still a chaotic mess from being ransacked. The fury in my heart intensified as I began to inspect the damage. Amber chose that moment to return from the restroom. Her nephew instantly held up a bottle of perfume. Amber's eyes lit up. She snatched the bottle. "I told you I get motion sickness. I hate strong smells. This perfume is confiscated." I looked her dead in the eye. "Your nephew destroyed my things. Are you going to pay for them, or buy me a new set?" Amber acted completely nonchalant. "He's just a kid, he didn't mean it! Why are you, an adult, nitpicking with a child?" "Besides," she added with a dismissive wave, "your stuff looked like cheap fakes anyway. Probably not even worth a hundred bucks total. Are you trying to extort me?" My cosmetics were all high-end, genuine brands. Even just one of my foundations cost hundreds, not counting the rest. Amber, on the other hand, was decked out in obvious knock-offs. As she argued with me, her nephew was sitting in my seat, drawing all over my bag with my eyebrow pencil. Not only that, he stuck his finished chewing gum right on my bus seat. Amber just shrugged. "He's just a kid. Go on, hit him if you dare? You wouldn't." Without a word, I grabbed the kid, gave him a swift, disciplinary swat on the rear, and he instantly burst into wails. Amber started to lunge forward, intending to rescue him, but I shot her a look. "You want a swat too?" She immediately bit her lip, holding back. Just then, a police officer finally arrived. Amber, the queen of pre-emptive strikes, immediately started yelling. "Officer! There's a lunatic on our bus! She just assaulted my nephew!" "He's just a kid, what does he know? This old hag just attacked him! Look what she did to my nephew!" The officer glanced at me, then turned his gaze to Amber. "He's just a kid who doesn't know better. What's your excuse?" He folded his arms. "Willful destruction of private property. Do you know how many days that can get you in detention?" Amber’s face drained of color instantly. I didn't want her detained, just compensation for my losses. I pulled out my mobile payment QR code. "These items were half-used, so you can pay half price." My damaged items totaled around ten thousand dollars. With the officer present, Amber grudgingly transferred five thousand dollars to me. She glowered at me as if she wanted to skin me alive, then rolled her eyes and tried to sit back down. I grabbed her arm and firmly pressed her down onto my original seat. The chewing gum her nephew had stuck there? She could enjoy it herself. 3. After the police officer's visit, Amber remained unusually quiet for the rest of the journey. The other passengers finally breathed a collective sigh of relief; people made video calls, chatted, and shared snacks. Amber kept glaring at me, hunched over her phone, typing furiously. I subtly peeked at her screen, catching a glimpse of a profile picture that looked strangely familiar. My mom texted again, asking where I was. Just ahead was the tour group's first stop: a large department store. Our family owned it. I texted back: Almost at our store, I can just head home from here. But my mom wouldn't hear of it. She insisted on sending someone to pick me up. "Your Uncle Frank and the others are already here. Don't be a bother, just come straight home for dinner, okay?" The bus slowly pulled up to the back entrance of the department store. I was busy texting my mom, so I only got up after everyone else had already disembarked. But then Amber suddenly moved close, took a pair of small scissors from her pocket, and snip! Through my tank top strap. The holiday heat had been intense on the bus, so I'd shed my jacket much earlier, leaving me in just my inner camisole. Both the camisole strap and my bra strap, which were quite thin, were cleanly severed. I looked at her, my gaze icy, the anger accumulated throughout the day reaching its breaking point. "Are you seriously trying to get yourself killed?" Amber puffed out her chest, looking even more arrogant. "Let me tell you, my boyfriend is a cop. This is his hometown! You won't get away with messing with me here!" She glanced around, lowering her voice slightly. "We still have the return trip, you know. If you keep crossing me, I'll make your life hell. But, if you buy one piece of lingerie, we can call it even." We were in the parking lot, and I instinctively clutched my chest, trying to cover myself. "How much?" She smirked triumphantly. "Not much. Just nineteen thousand." Nineteen thousand dollars, and she called it "not much"? She was trying to pull a scam right on my family's turf! I scoffed, a humorless, angry laugh. At that moment, a group of men started gathering around us. Amber’s eyes lit up when she saw them. "See?" she hissed triumphantly. "If you don't buy it, I'll have these men take you away!" I swept my gaze over the men's faces, and my smile broadened. "Uncle Frank, Uncle Bob, Uncle Jim, Cousin Mark!" I called out, my voice clear and cheerful. "You guys came to pick me up!"
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