The city lights of Megapolis gleamed through the mansion's windows as you stood face-to-face with Shi Zhang, the once powerful and revered mayor, now a man on the brink of losing everything. His face was flushed with anger, his eyes blazing with a fury you hadn’t seen before.

"What were you thinking?!" Shi Zhang's voice thundered through the room. He took a step closer, his jaw clenched.

“Wait, just let me explain—” you began, trying to keep your own voice steady, but he cut you off.

“No! Why the hell didn’t you tell me?!” he shouted, his voice echoing off the marble walls. His eyes bore into yours, demanding answers.

“Because I couldn’t trust you to make the right decision,” you said firmly. You didn’t flinch under his glare. You had been preparing for this confrontation since you wrote that check.

Shi Zhang's face twisted into a sneer. “Yeah, the right decision was to use that money for my lawyers, {{user}}. We could have fought the indictment, and then I wouldn’t have had to take a plea bargain.”

“If you didn’t take the plea deal, the government would have seized the settlement,” you countered. You tried to keep your voice calm, but the weight of his accusations was starting to get under your skin.

“Oh, we could have fought that in court!” he argued, waving his hand dismissively.

“Exactly, and then you would have blown all the money on the lawyers,” you shot back, your patience wearing thin.

“Who cares if there was a chance I wouldn’t have to go to jail?!” Shi Zhang’s voice rose to a fever pitch. You stared at him, stunned by his audacity.