Chapter 6


    Flustered, Carmine entered her shop and found a short, rotund man standing inside. the shop. He was


    talking to Joseph as everyone other staff stood there, frozen.


    “I need to speak with the owner, please,” he said in a stern voice. “I don’t have all the time!” He nced


    past Carmine on the street and a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead.


    Her heart plummeted to her stomach. The OTR. She hastened to him. “Hi, I am Carmine Jones, the


    owner of this wedding boutique.”


    The man gave her a once over. “Ms. Jones, I am Charles Dixson, and I am here to discuss your sales


    tax ount.”


    Carmine clenched her jaw, knowing internally that this was going to be bad. “What about it?”


    “When we did an internal audit, we discovered anomalies in your returns.”


    She gulped. “What kind of anomalies? I have filled all my taxes. I just have to pay two more loan


    installments for this shop and then I will be done.”


    He shrugged. “Well, you have under-reported your earnings for about three years in a


    row.”


    Her heart thundered in her ribcage so hard that her breath lodged in her throat. She squeaked, “No,


    that is not possible. We have kept records of every sale and I have always filed it on time. You can


    check-”


    He cut her off with, “There’s a bnce due, to the tune of a two million dors and


    sixteen cents.”


    Carmine gasped with horror.


    “Plus, there will be penalties,” Charles added calmly.


    “P-penalties?” her horrified gaze turned to Joseph, who was equally terrified.


    “We have always filled our returns properly, Mr. Dixson,” Joseph supported her.


    Mr. Dixson shrugged. “You have to pay penalties as well.” Then he opened a folder in his hand, picked


    out a document and added, “We can waive penalties if you pay the principal amount within two weeks.”


    “Two weeks?” Carmine squeaked like a mouse in a trap. “Where will I get all that money


    from? Two weeks is very less. Besides, I am sure there’s a mistake!”


    Mr. Dixson’s voice turned icy. “You think that we at the OTR are fools? We don’t know how to do the


    Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    work?”


    “No, that’s not what I meant!”


    “Then please proceed to pay the amount due. How will you pay? By check or by wire. transfer?”


    “I don’t have two million dors!”


    “Oh, that’s terrible.” Charles clucked his tongue. “In that case, we will proceed with the collection


    efforts. Do you own your home?”


    “I do a small apartment!”


    “Great, then we will put a lien on that and get a judgment against you so that whatever you earn will


    him.


    Carmine sped her forehead with her mmy hand as she started shaking trickled out.


    “We mailed several times at your business address, but no one responded.”


    “I got no mail from OTR. You think I wouldn’t know!”


    He raised his eyebrow in suspicion. “That’s what most defaulters say.”


    and sweat


    “How the hell am I going toe up with that ridiculous amount in two weeks?”


    “I am not here to give you financial advice, Ms. Jones,” he said snippily. “If you like, you can go to the


    ie tax website and read thews. You could’ve filed an appeal, but the time is over for that. We


    can’t wait anymore. Either you evict this shop and put your apartment on sale or wait for the prison


    time.” He pursed his lips and gave her a


    don’t.” Charles business card. “You can call me if youe up with a way to pay, els Dixson turned


    sharply and exited the shop, leaving Carmine with cold sweat trickling down. She was shaking so hard


    that she sank to the floor.


    Thor ran to her and embraced her in his tiny arms. “Mommy…” he buried his face in her neck.


    Joseph came over to her and sat down in front of her. “Now what, Carmine?”


    She shook her head lightly. “I don’t know.” Her gaze drifted to the car that was still standing across the


    street. “Do we have a VIP customer?”


    “No,” Joseph replied and hugged her.


    She saw that the car’s engine came to life. After a few angry whirs in the engine, the car sped away.


    “My head hurts so bad that I don’t know what to do…” she said. “What is the alternative?”


    “Maybe you have to move from here. These people are like vultures.”


    “But I have always filed my returns.”


    “I know!” Joseph said in an exasperated voice.


    That day, Carmine wrapped up the shop early as the three salesgirls kept unusually quiet while Joseph


    and Carmine tried to do some math. Only four customers dropped in that day.


    “You should head home,” Joseph said, looking at her from above hisputer in the little office that


    was above the shop. “I will take care!”


    Carmine sighed, ncing at Thor, who was sleeping on the couch. “Thanks Joseph,” she said as she


    picked up her bag. Lifting Thor in her arms, she shook her head. “What are we going to do?”


    Joseph gave her an encouraging smile, but why did it appear shallow? She left for home soon after and


    when she reached home, sheid Thor on the bed. After taking a quick bath, she switched on her


    the payment, she couldn’t afford to stay in big towns of Columbia. She had to move to a smaller ce.


    Moreover, with Thor growing, she had to move to a ‘foresty’ area.


    Strangely, herputer would always direct her search to a property site called Gold Moon near the


    Gold Moon town. What was wrong with herputer? But what caught her attention was one small


    cottage on its outskirts and was so cheaply priced that it was ridiculous. It had a line of trees only a few


    meters away that edged the forest. Maybe the owner was in a hurry to sell it.


    She had heard of the Gold Moon pack in that area, but never about the town. The rumors were that the


    Alpha of that pack was the Supreme Alpha. Well, it’s not that their paths would ever cross. She was


    going to stay very low. Since the property was close to the town, she could establish a new wedding


    boutique there. Excited, she called the number that was given right next to it.


    “Mr. T. Wilson,” she said hesitatingly when her phone was answered. She didn’t know why heat seared


    her cheeks saying that name.


    There was a pause. “Speaking,” came a throaty voice that made her heart dance. Her lips. parted.


    Sucking in a breath, she squirmed in her chair. “I called you about a property you’ve listed near the


    Gold Moon town.”


    “Yes.”


    Carmine wondered if the man was even breathing. Maybe he was too old. “I am interested in buying it.”


    A pauseter. “I am in a hurry to sell it,” he said in a low, dark voice, making a nest of butterflies stir in


    her belly. Goddess, what was wrong with her?


    “Oh! I-I can buy in two weeks.” She had to look for people to buy her apartment and close the shop.


    That would take a lot of time.


    His immediate response came. “No, I have to sell it in a week and I have a condition- you have to move


    in within a week of buying it.”


    “Huh?” Her mouth dropped to the floor. What kind of condition was that?


    “Call me if you agree to that,” Mr. Wilson added and disconnected the phone, leaving her in a lurch.