I knew I had to act quickly to ensure my safety. With the covering on my face, I took a cautious step back, realizing that moving forward could lead to a dangerous confrontation with Charlie. I decided to withdraw and watched him leave, but to my dismay, he stopped at a distance and stood beside his car, making a call. “The bastard is there standing, won’t he go?” I muttered to myself, observing how Charlie leaned against his car, seemingly in no hurry to leave.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. I needed a plan to escape without Charlie noticing. I scanned the area, looking...