It was futile to appeal to reason with these vengeful souls. As their ire reached a crescendo, I resigned myself to the inevitable and dialed the police.
Yet, before the call could connect, a vigilant spectator lunged forward, wresting my phone from my grasp and shattering it on the ground.
"You dare to call the police? How audacious of you, a mistress who hides in the shadows!"
"From the moment you embraced this role, you should have foreseen the retribution that would follow."
"That's right! Don't delude yourself into thinking that being a mistress is beyond reproach. We, the arbiters of the digital realm, are the executioners of justice to punish you!"
The audience erupted in a frenzy of approval. The comments section was awash with exclamations of "Thrilling!" and "Bravo!"
[This is how you punish a mistress. It's really cool!]
I settled my gaze on the broken phone and the frenzied mob. I spoke with a calm that belied the turmoil within, "Enjoy your destruction. I only hope you'll be as pleased when the time comes to compensate for it, and let's see if you'll still be standing or if you'll be begging me for mercy."
Undeterred by my warnings, they redoubled their efforts, and their excitement fueled the destruction.
Someone took it upon themselves to destroy the antiques I had cherished for years and kept safe in my locker, reducing both the treasures and the locker to unrecognizable states.
Their fervor only grew as they continued their rampage, pausing only to engage with the audience watching the live broadcast.
"Guys, does this not bring you solace? Does it bring you joy?"
"A woman who barters her dignity for wealth dares to hoard such treasures."
"She doesn't deserve these treasures!"
"Keep watching, everyone. Your attention fuels our quest for justice, turning this bitch's home into the garbage dump she deserves."
I watched as this pack of rabid wolves destroyed everything in their path, making no move to stop them.
Instead, I cast a glance at the security cameras scattered throughout the house, knowing that their every act of vandalism was being recorded.
The time would come for them to pay the price for their madness.
"Let's make sure we haven't missed anything. This mistress shouldn't be left with anything of value."
They marched into my bedroom to ransack the bedside table.
"Look what we've found!"
Someone emerged from the bedroom with a sandalwood box in hand.