Chapter 4Frozen Justice for My Abuser

The guard’s voice was heavy with disgust. "He would press his face against the half-windows of the basement units in the middle of the night. Scared one girl so bad she called the cops. When they showed up, he suddenly 'forgot' where he was and played the dementia card."

"And his son is just as bad. When he showed up at the precinct, he had the nerve to say the girl was trying to seduce his rich father through the window, and threatened to sue her for emotional distress."

"The cops couldn't do anything but tell the son to keep an eye on him. But Arthur didn't stop. He basically stalked her, pacing outside her window every night. She was too terrified to leave her apartment. She missed her finals, dropped out of college, and moved down South to work in a factory. I heard a rumor she got her hand crushed in some industrial machine down there."

The guard shook his head. "Everyone knows Old Man Pendleton ruined her life. And he just struts around the neighborhood, untouchable."

Listening to this, a cold, hard knot of resolve tightened in my chest. If I harbored even a shred of guilt about my revenge plan, it evaporated instantly. This man wasn't just an annoyance; he was a predator.

"Don't worry," I told the guard, raising my glass. "His luck is about to run out. Karma is coming to collect."

The very next morning, my prediction came true. Arthur showed up at my corporate office.

He stood right outside the glass walls of my boss's corner office, clutching two cheap bottles of wine.

My boss looked bewildered. He stepped out and asked Arthur who he was looking for.

"I'm Michael's great-uncle," Arthur announced loudly, ensuring the entire open-plan office could hear. "I know my boy can be a burden, so I brought you a little something to thank you for putting up with him."

Then, leaning in conspiratorially, but still speaking at top volume, he dropped the bomb. "You see, he’s had a severe, highly contagious case of Hepatitis B for years. I’m sure it’s been a nightmare for his coworkers."

My boss's face drained of color. He immediately summoned me to his office, shutting the door behind us, and asked if it was true.

Through the glass, I could see Arthur looking at me with feigned, grandfatherly concern, though his cloudy eyes danced with pure, venomous triumph.

I had fully anticipated he would pull a stunt like this, though the specific tactic was impressively unhinged.

I watched as Arthur pointed at the 'Team Lead' badge on my lanyard and smiled greasily at my boss.

"You truly are a saint, sir," Arthur proclaimed. "Letting a boy with such failing, infectious health be in charge of people."

My boss looked like he wanted to vomit. Outside the glass, I could see my team members slowly rolling their desk chairs away from my cubicle.

I didn't panic. Instead, I threw the door open, rushed out, and threw my arms around Arthur in a massive, crushing bear hug.

"Uncle Arthur!" I bellowed, my voice thick with emotion. "Why didn't you tell me you were visiting?"

"I missed you so much!"

I deliberately let a generous spray of saliva hit his face as I shouted. Arthur froze, completely short-circuiting.

He had not expected this reaction.

In my past life, he had used a similar rumor to ostracize me, driving a wedge between me and my coworkers until the isolation forced me to quit.

Given a second chance, there was no way I was letting him control the narrative.

Right now, I was clinging to him like a desperate, long-lost child. He had just publicly claimed to be my blood relative; all he could do was stand there, his face contorting into a gruesome, strained smile.

I stared right into his weathered face and laughed—a manic, joyful laugh that lasted for a full, uncomfortable minute, thoroughly playing the part of a man overjoyed by a family reunion.

Just as Arthur looked like he was about to physically shove me off, I stepped back, gripping his shoulders.

"Uncle Arthur," I said, my voice dropping to a dramatic whisper that carried across the silent office. "You found out about the Hepatitis B?"

Arthur instantly perked up, sensing an opening. He puffed out his chest and spoke loudly.

"That's right! I couldn't just stand by and let you hide your condition! It's not right to keep secrets that could hurt other people, is it?"

He sounded like a martyr making a difficult moral choice.

My boss's expression grew even darker. He stepped out of his office, his arms crossed tightly.

"Michael," he said, his tone heavy with disappointment. "Why wouldn't you disclose something like this to HR? We could have made accommodations. We could have set up a separate break area for you."