He thought I was cornered. That I had no choice but to bend to his will.
But he forgot what I did for a living.
A professional organizer's job isn't just folding clothes. When we sort through a client's belongings, we gain access to the most private corners of their world.
That morning in the walk-in closet, I hadn't just organized designer bags.
I'd also organized the clutter around the safe tucked in the very back. And the combination to that safe was one Otto hadn't changed in seven years. It was still my birthday.
I opened my laptop and plugged in a small black USB drive.
I'd pulled it from his desk and the safe while tidying up. Just another item I'd "organized" out of there. A backup drive.
It didn't just contain evidence that he'd been embezzling Davina's fan crowdfunding money.
It also held detailed records of the shadow contracts he'd drawn up to evade taxes.
And the most damning piece of all: a meticulous financial ledger. Every entry showed exactly how he'd funneled my money into his own accounts, then disguised it as investment capital to con Davina into trusting him.
I sat in the dark, calm and focused, and created a new folder on my laptop.
I laid everything out in chronological order: every tax document from the USB drive, every photo of the shadow contracts, the thirty-five-thousand-dollar receipt for the bag, and the corresponding bank statements from my account ending in 4721.
Once the text was finalized, I set it on a timed release.
The recipients included every major social media platform, the IRS tip line, and the private email addresses of Davina Fox's biggest financial backer and her investors.
When it was done, I pulled out the USB drive and dropped it down the drain, letting the water carry it away.
I didn't bother cleaning up the shattered furniture. I grabbed my ID and passport, and slipped out through the back door of the apartment.
Three hours later, I was sitting in the departure terminal for an international flight.
A high-end professional organizing firm overseas had extended me a job offer last month.
The boarding announcement echoed through the terminal.
I pulled out my phone and powered it on.
The screen flooded with push notifications.
Multi-million-follower influencer Davina Fox's fiance suspected of massive financial fraud and tax evasion!