The Secrets of the Two-Faced Maiden. Part 2

The Third Unpleasant Incident – Departure Day

The third incident occurred on the day of departure. The evening before, the apartment owner called a taxi and said she would come in the morning to see them off. Natalia, her sister, and her mother even took a photo with her as a memento. In the morning, she arrived, but not alone – she brought an elderly man posing as her father. From the doorway, they began accusing Natalia and her family of leaving a phone bill of about $100 and demanded payment. The old man had a hammer, and the owner lunged at Natalia. Despite knowing about Natalia’s poor health, she had not told them that she had about eight years of experience as an entrepreneur and knew how to handle such situations. The owner was pushed back. She tried again but realized they were clearly outmatched. The old man did not intervene.

Natalia and her sister realized they had to leave the apartment, fearing accusations of assault. They carried their belongings to the entrance. The train was leaving in an hour and a half, and they needed to get from Alushta to Simferopol. At that moment, the apartment owner grabbed Natalia’s mother’s bag lying on top of their belongings and ran off with it, realizing she could not take the items by force. She apparently thought it contained documents or money, but the bag only had spare underwear and sanitary products. Natalia briefly imagined her disappointment upon discovering the contents.

Natalia, her sister, and mother stepped outside to wait for the taxi, but it didn’t arrive. Natalia realized the owner hadn’t called it. When the owner appeared outside, Natalia and her sister warned her that they would report the matter to the police and the Belarusian Embassy, as they were foreign citizens, and that she would be legally accountable for extortion. Within minutes, a law enforcement officer appeared – but Natalia immediately suspected he was a planted accomplice. She realized the best defense was offense. He began to speak, but Natalia and her sister explained that the phone had been disconnected for nonpayment when they moved in and was only reconnected a few days before departure. She showed the notice, but the officer hesitated. Natalia said the $100 they paid for two weeks was more than sufficient, as other tenants at the end of the season paid much less.

The officer began calming the apartment owner and pulling her aside. A quarrel arose between them. Natalia realized they were in collusion – the owner had concealed the payment from her accomplice. From the outside, the whole scene looked terrible. A crowd of onlookers gathered. Someone commented that the scammer should have been taught a lesson long ago, as she often treated her tenants this way. The officer quickly removed the apartment owner, leaving Natalia and her family alone.