She Took My Parking Spot, So I Took His Ring Off

Dad called me while I was stationed at a top-secret location. He asked me to make a trip home because he had set me up with someone.

The man I had been engaged to was quite impressive. Not only was he good-looking, but he was also the CEO of a prominent, publicly listed conglomerate.

Due to my unique identity, I couldn’t take a flight. To help bolster my image, my superior, Commander Bayer, specially lent me his official state car.

I arrived at my fiancé’s company building at the agreed time. Just as I was about to back into a parking spot, a red Ferrari sped toward me. Because I couldn’t stop in time, it crashed right into me.

The driver rolled down her window arrogantly. While pointing at me, she yelled, “Bitch, did you even see where the hell you were going? Don’t you know how to drive?”

Suppressing my rage, I yelled back, “You’re the one who tried to steal my parking spot. Why are you to blame me for what happened?”

The driver scoffed at my accusation. “Your parking spot? Let me tell you, bitch—the Grant family runs all of Seacrest! Don’t you know that?”

Her words stunned me. A few seconds later, I took out my phone and called my fiancé. “One of your staff just claimed your family owns the entire Seacrest. Is that true?”

If it weren’t out of respect for Dad, I wouldn’t even have bothered to make this call.

One of my fiancé’s employees had crashed into my superior’s car. It wasn’t a matter that could be resolved just through monetary compensation. If my fiancé had the decency to take up the responsibility, I might be able to sweep this incident under the rug altogether.

My fiancé’s tone over the phone was very impatient. “I’m very busy. Whatever it is you have to say, just say it.”

“Mr. Grant, I think you’d better come down here in person. Otherwise—”

The call was abruptly cut off before I could finish my sentence. When I heard the busy dial tone, I was stunned. Was this how all rich people behaved?

When the woman who tried to steal my parking spot saw what unfolded, she grinned smugly from ear to ear.

“I thought you were someone special, but it turns out you’re just all talk and no substance. If you ask me, you’d better hurry and pay up. If Mr. Grant finds out his car is damaged, you might not make it out of Seacrest alive.”

I looked to be in my early twenties, and my car didn’t have a local plate. It was obvious the woman was looking down on me because of this.

“Excuse me, miss. You’re not even talking sense right now. You’re the one who cut me off to steal my parking spot. I haven’t even settled that score with you yet. And now, you’re trying to extort me?”

As I spoke, I pointed to the surveillance camera above us. “This area is under surveillance. If you continue twisting the facts, believe me—I’ll call the police right now!”

At the mention of the police, the woman’s tone turned even more furious. “Save it, bitch. If the cops do come, you’ll just end up paying more.”

She got more worked up as she spoke. The strong smell of alcohol filled the air.

I clenched my fists and involuntarily narrowed my eyes. “You’ve been drinking, haven’t you? That’s why you don’t want me to call the police.”

The moment I finished my sentence, the woman shoved me hard.

“Whether or not I’ve been drinking has nothing to do with you! Pay up, now! If you dare try to get out of this, best believe I’ll make sure you never leave Seacrest!” she yelled indignantly.

I had spent the past few years stationed at my unit with very little interaction with those outside of it. Because of this, I had no idea how to communicate with someone so shrill and entitled.

My anger surged uncontrollably when I saw how arrogant the woman was.

“You’re the one who hit my car. Yet now, you’re trying to flip the story on me? Are you out of your mind?” I scolded.

As soon as the words left my mouth, the surrounding onlookers gasped.

“Damn, this girl has some guts! She actually dared to mouth off at Ms. Wallace. Does she have a death wish?”

“Most people would do everything to avoid hitting Mr. Grant’s car, but she actually dared crash into it? She’s way too ballsy.”

“She only has her own luck to blame. Of all the people to offend, she just had to go and piss off Ms. Wallace, who Mr. Grant favors a lot!”

As the whispers around us grew louder, Cece Wallace became even more smug.

“You actually dared to insult me, bitch? It sounds like you’ve got a death wish!” she said haughtily.

Her threat didn’t faze me in the slightest. In fact, I found it almost laughable.

“Ms. Wallace, was it? I suggest you watch your mouth. If you really piss me off, not even your boss will be able to handle the consequences,” I warned.

“Fuck off!” she shot back.

She hurled a few more curses at me, but she still didn’t seem satisfied. Rolling up her sleeves, she charged at me.

“Seriously? Is this how people in Seacrest handle losing arguments? They start throwing hands?” I stated in an unimpressed tone.

Cece swung slap after slap at me, but she didn’t even graze the hem of my clothes.

“You little bitch! Dodge me again and see what happens! You think I won’t call Mr. Grant right now?” she yelled shrilly.

Despite her continued attempts to provoke me, I didn’t retaliate and simply endured them. It wasn’t because I was afraid of her. Instead, it was because of the warning Commander Bayer had drilled into me before I left my station.

“Your every word and action represent the image of the unit. Once you’re outside, absolutely do not get into any conflict with civilian personnel.”

Besides, I also didn’t know how to fight. So, it was either I took no action, or I ended things in one decisive move.

Cece thought I had chickened out because I was silent. Raising her fist, she charged at me again.

But at the critical moment, a furious voice roared from behind me.

“Stop! Cece Wallace, you’re my personal secretary! How could you brawl with someone on the street like this?”

Surrounded by a group of bodyguards, Miles Grant walked quickly toward me.

“Are you Evie Jackman?” he questioned.

I took a good look at the man in front of me. I had to admit—Dad actually had pretty good taste.

Miles stood at about 6 feet tall. Dressed in a custom-tailored suit, he looked elegant and refined. If I had to point out a flaw, it would be that his gaze was far too cold when he looked at me.

“Mr. Grant, it’s our first time meeting. Please allow me to introduce myself briefly. My name is Evie Jackman. I’m from—”

“There’s no need!” Miles snapped.

Before I could finish my introduction, he impatiently raised his hand and cut me off.

“You’re not right for me. Go back to wherever you came from,” he ordered.

For a moment, I seriously thought I had misheard Miles.

It was a 10-hour drive from where I was stationed to Seacrest. I had driven all the way here without making a single stop. I hadn’t even had a sip of water yet.

Now, I had finally met him. And without so much as a proper conversation, he told me to leave? Was I some kind of joke to him?

This thought made my temper flare instantly.

“You’re Miles Grant, correct? The man my father has picked to be his future son-in-law? You won’t even let me finish my sentence before telling me to leave. Isn’t that just a little rude?” I pointed out.

Miles’ expression immediately darkened at my words.

“Rude? Ms. Jackman, why don’t you turn around and take a good look at the building behind you? Do you really think you’re worthy of someone like me?” he retorted.

Out of the corner of his eye, he gave me a once-over as he spoke.

“I honestly don’t know what my father is thinking. He’s trying to marry me off to someone who has nothing but a pretty face like you,” he added.

As soon as those words left Miles’ mouth, the crowd erupted in whispers again.

“What? That woman is actually Mr. Grant’s fiancée? That’s unbelievable!”

“She’s a backwater hick who’s clearly never experienced much. Yet, someone like her thinks she can land a man like Miles Grant, who is way out of her league? She really needs to know her place.”

“Mr. Grant is the publicly recognized dream guy for all women in Seacrest! I, Misty Lyle, am the first to stand up and oppose this marriage!”

I was completely thrown for a loop as the crowd gossiped louder and louder.

When did I ever say I wanted to marry him? Even if I did want to, I’d still need approval from my higher-ups first.

Relenting, I said, “Okay, fine. I’m just a pretty face, and you’re some hotshot. Happy now? Since Mr. Grant clearly isn’t interested in me, could I get the engagement gift money back? My mother specifically told me over the phone to remember to ask for it back if the marriage falls through.”

In truth, Mom never said anything of the sort. I just really couldn’t stand him.

No sooner had I finished speaking, Cece immediately stepped forward.

“You little bitch. Who the fuck do you think you’re looking down on? Mr. Grant is the youngest self-made billionaire in Seacrest history. Do you think he cares about your chump change?” she defended.

It was in that moment that I finally understood the true meaning of the word “bootlicker”.

“Ms. Wallace, all I did was ask for what’s mine. What does that have to do with him being a billionaire?” I shot back plainly.

Miles’ face flushed red with anger upon hearing this. “It’s just 80 thousand dollars. I’ll just give it back, and this matter will be done with.”

Right then and there, he pulled out his phone and transferred the amount to me.

“Here’s 100 thousand. You can keep the extra. Consider it as compensation for your travel expenses—courtesy of me,” he stated arrogantly.

I flashed Miles a tight smile. “Well, thank you very much, Mr. Grant.”

Just as I turned to leave, Cece suddenly shouted at me. “Hey, bitch! Stop right there!”

I paused mid-step and slowly turned back around. “What is it now? Do you want to invite me to stay for dinner, Ms. Wallace?”

Cece shot me a sly smile. Then, she leaned in close to Miles and whispered something into his ear. The next second, the so-called youngest billionaire in Seacrest exploded in anger.

“Evie Jackman! How dare you crash into my car!” he shouted indignantly.

Judging by the look on Cece’s face, I could more or less guess she must have badmouthed me to Miles quite a bit. She was manipulating him into attacking me on her behalf. It was clear she had this tactic down to an art.

Based on Miles’ attitude toward me earlier, I knew it was pointless to try and explain. So, I didn’t even bother wasting my breath.

“Just say it. I’ll pay however much you want,” I stated.

Miles’ expression flickered with surprise. He clearly hadn’t expected me to admit it so directly.

“Pay? You think you can afford it? I got that Ferrari on my 18th birthday. It was a coming-of-age gift from my father. Only three of these exist in the entire world, and this is the only one in this country.

“A single scratch on the paint could cost more than your life. So, how are you going to pay for the damage?” he said incredulously.

Gently cocking an eyebrow, I smirked at Miles. “Name your price, Mr. Grant. Whether or not I can afford it is my problem.”

My words had barely left my mouth when Cece cut in again. “Ten million! The whole front bumper has been crushed. No shop in the country can fix it. It’ll have to be shipped back to the factory in Virelia.”

Her words drew a chorus of gasps from the crowd. Even Miles, the car owner himself, looked a little surprised.

“Ms. Wallace, the car’s final purchase price was just over ten million dollars. Fixing the bumper shouldn’t come close to that,” he argued.

Cece waved her hand dismissively.

“No, no, Mr. Grant. You’re thinking about it too simply. This was a birthday gift from your father. I don’t need to explain how much sentimental value it holds, right? We’re already being generous by asking her to pay only ten million.”

After hearing Cece’s reasoning, Miles seemed to feel she had a point. Lowering his head, he started to think it over.

I didn’t give them a single second to think it over. Agreeing on the spot, I declared, “Great! Ten million dollars it is! Not a problem!”

Everyone cast their gazes upon me at that moment.

Some thought I was just putting on a show to save face. Some suspected I was playing dumb to gain the upper hand later. The rest were just here to enjoy the drama.

However, none of that mattered to me. What did matter was that my car had also been damaged.

While it wasn’t as bad as the Ferrari, there were some light scratches on the rear bumper. If my car had been an ordinary domestic brand, that one hit from Cece probably would have totaled it.

Changing the topic, I said, “Now that we’ve already settled the matter of Mr. Grant’s car, shouldn’t we talk about my car now?”

I couldn’t help smirking as I continued in an insinuating tone, “My car’s domestically made, so we don’t have to go through the hassle of shipping it overseas for repairs.”

The crowd burst into laughter as soon as I finished speaking.

Cece’s posse of yes-men pointed at me with scorn.

“This woman must be crazy. How much could a domestic car even be worth? At worst, I’ll just buy her a new one.”

“I can’t believe someone would actually drive a locally manufactured car to a marriage meeting in this day and age. What a disgrace.”

Sweeping my gaze across the crowd, my tone was cold as I spoke. “Yes, everyone. My car is locally made. However, it’s also a limited edition model. While it’s still light out, why don’t you quickly call up your grandparents and ask them what the brand name ‘Vermilion’ means?”

However, Cece couldn’t care less about my magnanimous warning.

“I don’t give a crap what brand your car is. It’s still just a cheap, domestic car. What could it possibly be worth?” she replied flippantly.

Continuing in a threatening tone, she said, “Hang on. Don’t tell me you’re wagging your lips so much because you’re thinking of getting out of paying up? Let me warn you, bitch. If you don’t cough up that ten million dollars, don’t even think about leaving Seacrest alive.”

I couldn’t believe I had been threatened twice in less than an hour. Since joining the special unit, I had never dreamed something like this would ever happen.

I didn’t waste any more words. Right in front of everyone, I pulled out my phone.

“Hello, Commander Bayor. It’s me, Evie,” I said into the phone.

The person on the other end replied cheerfully, “Evie! What are you calling at this hour for? Have you met the man? Does he meet your standards?”

I cast a smug glance at Cece across from me before I quietly responded, “My marriage prospect is a long story, sir. Right now, I have an urgent situation to report. Someone rammed into the Vermilion you lent me.”

“What did you say?” Commander Bayer yelled.

His voice instantly turned furious. His disbelieving tone practically spilled through the phone.

“Are you just pulling a prank on me? That car is a Vermilion! Who would dare hit it?” Commander Bayer questioned.

I answered calmly and unhurriedly, “I wouldn’t dare prank you with something like this, sir. The person who hit your car is demanding that I pay ten million dollars in damages to her. She even threatened she wouldn’t allow me to leave Seacrest alive if I didn’t pay up.”

Then, I briefly recounted what had happened. Commander Bayer was so incensed that I heard him throw something across the phone.

“Who is this person?” he questioned in a demanding tone.

Just as I was about to answer, Cece snatched the phone from my hand.

“Hey! So you’re this bitch’s backup, huh? I’ll give you 20 minutes to come up with the money. If you’re even a minute late, I’ll have someone break one of her fingers,” she threatened.

Commander Bayer was stunned for a few seconds. In all his years of living, he had never imagined that someone would dare talk to him like this.

“You’re the one who crashed into my car, yet you want Evie to compensate you?” Commander Bayer asked in a dumbfounded tone.

Still not realizing who she was talking to, Cece carelessly continued acting like she owned the place.