Chapter 45 Chapter 45
The words hung in the air for a second before Megan repeated them in disbelief.
“I broke a policy?”
Her brows drew together, and for the first time since stepping out of the car, genuine surprise crossed her face. She had expected perhaps a misunderstanding, maybe even a complaint from a neighbor about noise, maybe strange sounds because she Cultivated last night, but this.
A policy?
“What kind of policy?” she asked, looking from one woman to another. “And what rule exactly did I break?”
The woman who appeared to be the leader did not answer immediately. Instead, she stretched out her hand, and one of the women standing behind her quickly produced a folded sheet of paper and placed it in her palm, as though they had come fully prepared for this moment.
The leader then extended the paper toward Megan.
“This,” she said coldly, “is the policy you broke. Take a look at it.”
Megan accepted the paper and unfolded it. Her eyes moved down the page quickly, scanning the printed lines. Within seconds, she found the section the woman was referring to.
It stated that every new occupant whether a homeowner or tenant was expected to formally introduce themselves to the estate community within a specified period after moving in.
If the new occupant was a woman, she was required to introduce herself first to the Women’s Association of the estate, making her intentions known and explaining what she did for a living. According to the document, this process was meant to promote unity among female residents, create opportunities for mutual support, encourage business referrals, and help the women of the estate connect one another with jobs, contracts, and other advantages.
If the new occupant was a man, then he was expected to first introduce himself to the men’s association and then, in addition, greet the women as well.
Megan lowered the paper slightly and looked back at them.
“So this is the rule I broke?”
The leader nodded, her expression tightening with satisfaction, as though she had been waiting for Megan to admit it.
“Yes,” she said. “As the president of the Women’s Association of this estate, I can tell you clearly that you have violated the rules. And every violation comes with a penalty.”
Her voice became more formal.
“That is why we came here.”
Megan stared at her for a moment without speaking.
Then the woman added, “Your penalty will be presented to you later this evening. For now, we have delivered the notice, and with that, we will be taking our leave.”
Some of the women had already begun to turn away when Megan suddenly lifted a hand.
“Wait,” she said. “Hold on a minute. Excuse me.”
They stopped.
Megan folded the paper once and kept it in her hand.
“What exactly is this penalty?” she asked. “What does it look like?”
The president turned back toward her, and now there was something almost smug in her expression.
“Well,” she said, “it is a fine.”
She paused, as if expecting that single word to be enough to intimidate Megan.
Then she continued, “You were actually meant to come on your own. No one was supposed to remind you. We did not need to come here at all. In fact, we only did it out of kindness.”
The women behind her murmured faintly in agreement.
The president straightened proudly.
“The fine is ten thousand dollars for each day you failed to present yourself.”
Megan’s face did not change, but her eyes sharpened.
“You have missed two days,” the woman went on. “That makes twenty thousand dollars.”
She lifted one finger, as though delivering a final blow.
“And because we personally came here to remind you a courtesy we were never obligated to extend—you will pay an additional thirty thousand dollars for that inconvenience.”
She smiled thinly.
“So your total fine is fifty thousand dollars.”
A few of the women behind her nodded as if this were the most reasonable thing in the world.
The president continued in a polished, self-important tone, “And you are expected to pay it within not less than twenty-four hours and not more than forty-eight hours.”
For a second, the entire scene became eerily quiet.
The women seemed satisfied, convinced the matter had been settled. Some of them exchanged looks with one another, their expressions almost triumphant, as though they had already mentally counted the money.
“That is the message,” the president concluded. “So we are taking our leave.”
They turned again to go.
But before any of them could take another proper step, Megan spoke.
“Well, I wouldn’t be paying that. Sorry to say.”
The effect was immediate, every one of them stopped.
Slowly, almost in unison, they turned back to face her.
The surprise on their faces was unmistakable.
Shock, disbelief, and outrage flashed across their features as though they could not comprehend what they had just heard.
The president stared at her.
“Excuse me?” she said sharply. “What did you just say?”
Megan’s expression remained calm too calm, in fact, for people who had expected her to become nervous or apologetic.
She repeated herself clearly.
“Yes,” she said. “I said I wouldn’t be paying such an amount of money. So you can take your fine and take it elsewhere. It is not going to work with me.”
The women began shifting restlessly, their faces growing harder by the second.
Megan took one step forward, the paper still in her hand.
“This is pure extortion,” she said. “And I will not be part of anything like that.”
Her tone was not loud, but it was firm enough to carry across the compound with unmistakable authority.
“So when you are done, you can leave my compound, because I’ll be going inside now.”