Chapter 2 Not A Virtuous Woman

• "What? Ma'am, are you kidding me?" Enrique grew upset.
• "I'm being honest. I left in such haste that I forgot my purse," the woman explained.
• "You don't have your purse with you, right? No worries. You can make the payment via WhatsApp Pay, Apple Pay, or any mobile wallet. Here's my QR code. Just scan it, and you can easily settle the bill," Enrique informed the woman, gesturing to the QR code affixed to his grill stand.
• The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I also don't have my phone with me."
• Enrique's eyes widened in surprise. "Ma'am, are you trying to avoid taking responsibility? Did you hit me? What if the roles were reversed, and someone hit you but refused to cover the costs and walked away? I need to undergo a complete medical examination, and you should compensate me for the damage to my belongings. Asking for compensation for the items you damaged is the least I can do. It's your responsibility, and I don't think it's unreasonable to request compensation from you, right?"
• "Yes, it's not unreasonable. I should be the one compensating you for your losses," the woman agreed with a nod.
• "I believe I've shown enough kindness. I've done my part. How could you try to deceive me when I'm an honest person? Ma'am, don't accuse me of being shameless, but if you refuse to compensate me, I won't allow you to leave. If you dare to leave, I'll call the police. You can't fake your license plate," he declared with anger in his voice.
• The woman attempted to explain once more, saying, "I'm not trying to deceive you. I was in a hurry, so I left my purse and phone in my bag. I believe I forgot to take them out in my haste, and they're most likely still in my office. They're not in my car. How about I bring you the money tomorrow?"
• "Do you take me for a fool? Stop with your schemes. If I let you leave tonight, will you really come back tomorrow to compensate me? Even a kid won't believe that."
• The woman assured him, "Don't worry. I swear that I'll bring the money to you personally tomorrow."
• "Your word means nothing to me. Ma'am, I won't take anything that isn't rightfully mine. For instance, if you were to offer compensation for everything, I wouldn't accept it. However, I will accept only what I rightfully deserve. That's my principle. You should compensate me today, or I won't allow you to leave," Enrique asserted resolutely.
• With that, he strode to the front of the car and sat on the hood, conveying his intention clearly. While he might typically display a nonchalant demeanor, he could also exhibit stubbornness when the situation demanded it.
• The woman frowned and gritted her teeth as if coming to a decision. She stepped closer to Enrique and extended her hand, removing a shiny object from her ring finger. She handed it over to Enrique and asked, "Can I leave this as collateral? Will that be sufficient?"
• "What is this? A ring? A diamond ring?" Enrique asked after accepting the object.
• "I have no intention of evading compensation. My purse and phone are not with me, and I must leave due to an urgent matter. This ring is expensive and holds great sentimental value to me. In fact, it's more important than my own life. I don't possess anything else of greater value, so this is the only valuable item I have for now. Please keep it safe. Tomorrow, I will come with the money to retrieve the ring. Will that be acceptable?" the woman proposed earnestly.
• "Really? You're unwilling to give me five hundred, yet you possess a real diamond ring? Is this a cheap knockoff you bought from a roadside vendor?" Enrique scrutinized the ring skeptically before turning his gaze back to the woman.
• The woman retorted coldly, "Even if you think the diamond is a knockoff, the platinum band is genuine. That alone is worth five hundred, right?"
• Enrique responded, "I can't be certain of that. What if the platinum is fake as well? I don't have the expertise to authenticate it."
• The woman grew increasingly furious. "W-What do you want? Fine, go ahead and call the police and report a hit-and-run. I really need to leave immediately. My daughter is in the emergency room at the hospital. I don't have time to waste with you."
• "Your daughter is in the emergency room? Really?" Enrique could barely hide his surprise.
• "Why do you think I'm in such a hurry?"
• Her anxiety was evident, so Enrique hesitated for a second before making up his mind.
• "Very well, I'll trust you this time. I consider myself a kind person, after all. Leave this with me as collateral, and I'll return it to you tomorrow once you provide the money," Enrique conceded.
• "Sure. Give me your phone number so I can contact you tomorrow." The woman finally heaved a sigh of relief.
• "No, I should have your number. If you turn out to be a scammer, I can still track you down through your phone number. If you have my number, what if you don't call and I can't locate you?" Enrique remained cautious.
• "Fine," the woman replied, providing Enrique with her phone number. She added, "You can call it right now. If nobody answers, you can be sure it's my phone. It's turned on and left in my bag at the office."
• Enrique entered the woman's phone number into his phone and made the call. As expected, the call went through, but there was no answer. To be thorough, Enrique called the number three times, each with the same outcome.
• "Satisfied?" the woman inquired.
• "Fine, I'm a kind citizen, so I'll choose to believe you this time," Enrique conceded.
• "Can I leave now?"
• "Sure." Enrique nodded.
• The woman cautioned, "That ring means a lot to me, so please take good care of it. If you happen to lose it, I assure you there will be consequences."
• She swiftly returned to her car and sped off, clearly in a hurry.
• As the car passed by Enrique, he belatedly noticed the BMW 7 Series logo on the rear. Enrique, with his knowledge of cars, recognized that that particular model would cost at least one point five million.
• "Wow, what an expensive car. She must be wealthy!" Enrique exclaimed, taken aback. He then retrieved the large diamond ring and examined it closely, pondering, "Is this diamond ring authentic? Unbelievable! How much money could I fetch by selling it? Affluent individuals are certainly generous, casually handing over a ring as if it's insignificant. I would estimate its value to be a couple hundred thousand dollars. She probably isn't a morally upright woman. Otherwise, why would she possess such wealth? No wonder she's stunning and possesses such an alluring figure."
• While lost in thought, Enrique massaged his aching backside and began gathering his scattered belongings.