Chapter 3 - The Mob
Chad stared at his lead security guard in utter disbelief.
"What are you doing, Jenkins?" Chad screamed.
"I pay you to protect me, so grab this nobody and throw him on the ground!"
Jenkins kept his hands raised in surrender and continued backing away from me.
"Mr. Vance, I strongly advise you to get back in your car and leave immediately," Jenkins warned.
"Are you insane?" Chad yelled, pulling out his phone again.
"If you won't do it, I'll let the internet ruin his life."
Chad started a new live stream, his voice dripping with venom.
"Listen up, followers, this maniac just threatened me and bribed my security guard."
He pointed the camera at my face, making sure the lighting caught my plain white shirt.
"Let's make this guy famous."
"I want his name, his job, and his address before the hour is up."
Within seconds, my face was being broadcast to over ten million angry teenagers and internet trolls.
I knew the algorithm would push this to the front page of every social media platform.
The crowd in the plaza was growing hostile, egged on by Chad's fake victim routine.
I turned my back on him and walked past the paralyzed security guards.
I needed to get to a secure location before my real identity was leaked.
I ducked into a small, worn-down diner on the corner of the street.
The bell above the door chimed, and a young woman at the counter looked up.
She was the same woman who had dropped the coffees in the plaza.
"You shouldn't have come in here," she whispered, looking terrified.
"They're going to tear you apart out there."
"I just wanted a cup of black coffee," I said, sitting at a corner booth.
She hurried over with a fresh mug and slid into the seat across from me.
"My name is Maya, and I'm a first-year law student," she said nervously.
"I saw the whole thing, and I can testify that he hit your car on purpose."
I took a sip of the bitter coffee, appreciating her courage.
"That won't be necessary, Maya, but thank you."
Suddenly, her phone buzzed loudly on the table.
She looked at the screen, and her eyes widened in horror.
"It's already happening," she gasped, sliding the phone toward me.
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The screen showed a breaking news alert from a major tabloid.
The headline read: "TechNova CEO Julian Sterling Accused of Assault in Miami Plaza."
