Chapter 2

That morning, Kevin left Josh’s house and headed straight to the office. When he walked in, he spotted Josh by the small kitchen area, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Kevin walked over, and they chatted casually about work. But Kevin’s mind kept drifting back to what had happened with Josh’s wife less than an hour earlier. He looked at Josh’s open, trusting expression and thought, If only he knew. If only he knew what happened in his own home an hour ago.

Meanwhile, Josh kept talking as if everything were normal. He didn’t mention his meeting with the seller ,or the fact that he had only paid half the money he was supposed to.

Kevin leaned in closer and whispered, “Did you get your pay yesterday?”

Josh whispered back, “I did, but he only gave me half.”

“What?” Kevin said, looking surprised and angry. “That snake. Did he say why?”

“He said he’d give me the rest next week.”

“He won’t,” Kevin hissed. “He’s testing you. Seeing how weak you are. If you wait, you’ll get nothing.”

"Listen to me," Kevin said, "This is how these guys operate. They promise more to keep you quiet, then they disappear. You can't wait. You have to demand it now."

"I am worried; I can't go there again," Josh said, his voice tight with worry.

Kevin kept silent for several seconds and then put a sympathetic hand on Josh's shoulder. "Look, this is bad. He's playing you. But I might be able to fix it. The seller respects me. If I go to him, man to man, I can probably get your full ten thousand back."

Josh looked up, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "You'd do that?"

"Of course," Kevin said. "We're partners. But I need something to show I'm serious, to get his attention. I need the five thousand he gave you last night.

"I'm going to go over there and throw that money right back in his face," Kevin said, his voice firm. "I'll demand he gives you what we agreed on. I'll tell him if he doesn't, I'll never work with him again, and I'll make sure every other agent in town knows he can't be trusted. When he sees we're serious, that we're returning his cash ,he'll be much more likely to hand over the rest of your money."

“You’ve got balls, I’ll give you that,” Josh said, shaking his head in a mix of admiration and disbelief.

Kevin wanted to say, And you don't have brains, you naive fool. But he bit his tongue. Instead, he just shrugged and gave a thin, knowing smile.

“You have to, if you want to survive in this business,” he said coolly.

At the end of the day, Josh handed Kevin the $5,000 in cash. "Thanks for doing it for me" Josh said, his voice full of gratitude.

Kevin took the money. "I'll handle it; give me a couple of days," he promised.

Josh drove home, tired but hopeful. When he walked in, Mary was waiting in the living room. She was quiet,too quiet. She didn't ask about his day. She didn't mention Kevin's morning visit.

Inside, Mary was a storm of worry and anger. She was furious at Josh for getting them into this mess and terrified of the price she had to pay to get him out of it. But Josh had no idea. He just saw his quiet wife and assumed she was tired.

He kissed her on the cheek. "Long day," he said. "But things are going to be okay."

Mary just nodded, saying nothing, holding her secrets and her fear tight against her chest.

The next morning, Kevin was once again parked down the street from Josh’s house. He watched Josh leave for work, then walked up and knocked on the door.

Mary opened it, fear already in her eyes.

“Things got a little complicated,” Kevin said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.

“What do you mean, complicated?” Mary asked, her voice shaky.

“The seller called me yesterday,” Kevin explained, his tone grave. “He filed a formal complaint against Josh. He says Josh made him believe that if he didn’t pay an extra five thousand in cash, Josh would sabotage the whole house sale. That’s why the seller gave him the money, out of fear.”

“The seller called me yesterday,” Kevin explained, his tone grave. “Since I was the lead agent, he made a formal complaint. He says Josh made him believe that if he didn’t pay an extra five thousand in cash, Josh would sabotage the whole house sale. That’s why the seller gave him the money, out of fear.”

He’s threatening to report everything to the real estate board.”

Mary’s hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with horror. She looked like she might collapse.

“Don’t worry,” Kevin said, his voice dropping to a low, conspiratorial murmur. “I think I have a solution to get him out of it.”

He pulled a small, folded note from his pocket and handed it to her. It had his home address written on it. “Meet me at my house tonight at 21:00”.

He looked at her one last time, closing the door softly behind him. Mary stood frozen, the note crumpling in her trembling hand.

Later that evening, when Josh came home from work, Mary was unusually quiet. As they ate dinner, she finally spoke.

"I'm meeting up with Sarah tonight," she said, not meeting his eyes. "Just for a coffee and a chat. I'm leaving around 20:30."

Josh, exhausted and distracted by his own secret worries, just nodded. "Okay, hon. Have a good time. Say hi to Sarah for me."

He had no idea that Sarah wasn't expecting her. He had no clue that the note in her pocket had Kevin's address on it, and that at 9 PM, she would be walking up to his door, alone.

Mary arrived at Kevin’s house exactly at 9 PM. He opened the door and let her in without a word.

On the living room table, a neat stack of cash was waiting, five thousand dollars, the amount Josh had given him yesterday.

“Please, come in,” Kevin said, his voice calm.

Mary stepped inside quietly, her heart pounding. She didn’t speak. She didn’t know what to expect, but the money on the table told her this wasn’t going to be a simple conversation.

Kevin offered her something to drink, but she shook her head. They both sat in the living room, the stack of money on the coffee table between them.

“That’s the five thousand dollars,” Kevin began, his tone businesslike. “I didn’t give it back to the seller. Because the seller’s complaint isn’t about the money. It’s about the threat.”

He leaned forward, his eyes locked on hers. “We can still make this disappear. But it’s going to cost more than just returning the cash. The seller is furious. He wants… compensation for the threat.”

Kevin let the word "compensation" hang in the air. He wasn’t just talking about money anymore. He was implying a personal price. The money on the table was just the opening offer in a much darker negotiation

"What do you mean, 'compensation'?" Mary asked, her voice tight. She desperately hoped he meant some other impersonal trade. She feared he meant something else entirely.

Kevin paused, letting her anxiety build. He looked at her, then at the money, then back at her.

"The seller is a proud man," Kevin said slowly. "He feels disrespected. Threatened in his own home. He doesn't care about the money. He wants... an apology. A gesture of good faith"

“Gestures can mean many things, Mary," Kevin said, his tone shifting. He picked up the stack of cash and held it out toward her.

"Look," he continued, his voice now sounding reasonable, almost protective. "I'm giving you this five thousand dollars from my own account.

Tomorrow, you and I will go to the seller's house together. You will tell him you discovered what Josh did, that you're returning the money, and that you sincerely apologize for your husband's behavior. You'll be humble; you'll be sorry. Hopefully, if your apology is accepted, the whole problem will be resolved.

Kevin took a step forward, pressing the stack of five thousand dollars into her hands. "Okay?" he said, more a command than a question.

Mary looked down at the money in her hands for a long moment. She knew exactly what this might lead to,another meeting, another demand, another price. But with Josh’s career and freedom hanging in the balance, she felt she had ****.

She finally looked up, her eyes resigned. "Okay," she whispered.

Kevin gave a small, satisfied nod. "Good. We'll meet at the seller's house tomorrow night at 10 PM.

He opened the door for her. As she walked out into the dark, he added, just before closing it, "Dress nicely. I'm sure it will have an effect."

Mary froze for a second on the doorstep, his words hanging in the cool air. She didn't turn around. She just wrapped her coat tighter around herself and continued walking to her car, the weight of his instruction making the night feel much colder.

Mary was not aware that the so-called "seller" who Josh got the money from was Kevin's best friend, William, from the start. It was dressed up as a solution in which Kevin and William planned to fuck her in exchange for her husband's forgiveness.