Framed Mechanic: You Can Crash and Burn

"Transferred 20,000 dollars to account holder Billy Dickson."

The notification that popped up on my phone screen was extremely eye-piercing as I waited in the noisy travel center, staring at Billy.

"I've given you the money. Now hurry up and get out of my way. My wife is about to give birth!" I shouted.

Billy waved the wrench in his hand, his eyes filled with nothing but greed. He glanced down at his phone screen and saw that the number of viewers on his live stream was skyrocketing. The comments were all extremely offensive too.

"Kill that thief! Bankrupt his entire family!"

"Scum of the earth like him deserve to rot in jail forever!"

"Everyone, dox that bastard! Post everything about his entire family online for the world to see!"

Billy didn't get out of the way. Instead, he stomped on my car's headlight, breaking the glass and sending shards everywhere.

"You think you can leave after just giving me 20,000 dollars? You messed with my car just now, and you completely destroyed the exhaust pipe!"

He grabbed my collar and yanked me forward. One of his accomplices, the one I heard him call "Ed Rothbart", immediately raised his phone higher and practically shoved the camera in my face. The blinding flash on the back of the phone made it almost impossible for me to even open my eyes.

"Look at this bastard, everyone! He actually paid up! That means he knew that he was the guilty party in the first place! He just proved that he was indeed a thief!

"Everyone! Hurry up and make this live go viral! We must destroy him and weed out social scum like him!"

The bullies frantically directed the viewers on their live stream to continue hurling insults at me.

I was trembling in anger as I pointed at the van and said, "You were the ones who poured water into the van to fake an oil leak! I only cut the pipes to save your life! Stop being ridiculous!"

Billy spat in my face. "You're the one spitting nonsense here! I will not let you off unless you pay another 50,000 dollars!"

The door suddenly opened, and my wife, Olivia White, slowly got out of her car seat with great difficulty, struggling to even get out of the car.

She was pale as she pleaded for me, leaning heavily against the door.

"We're really not thieves. My husband is a mechanic. He was just trying to help you.

"My belly really hurts, and I think that my water broke. Please just let us get to the hospital first."

Billy's face was full of disdain as he looked at her.

"Go on! Keep on with your act! You think you can get away just by pretending to be pregnant? What did you stuff under your clothes to fake it, huh? You must think you're pretty professional, don't you?"

He turned to Ed beside him, who understood what he meant and immediately went up to Olivia, shoving her to the ground.

"Get out of the fucking way!"

Olivia didn't even have time to react and just screamed as she fell backward and landed heavily on the concrete ground.

There was blood everywhere, dyeing her entire dress a bizarre red color.

I felt my mind go completely blank.

I let out a loud roar and broke free from Billy's grasp, shoving aside the other guy holding me down and scrambling toward Olivia.

"Olivia! Olivia, wake up!"

My hands were covered in her blood, and she was convulsing in great pain.

Meanwhile, Billy was still laughing cruelly at the camera.

"Look, guys! They're still acting! I can tell at once that this is fake blood. It's all scripted! They planned this from the start. This is their karma!"

The people surrounding us just pointed and whispered at us, but none of them offered any help.

I shakily picked Olivia up from the ground. She was barely breathing.

"The baby…"

After managing to get those two words out, she slumped into a dead faint.

I pulled her into my arms and shakily stuffed her back inside the car. Then, I jumped into the driver's seat, floored the gas, and rammed straight into the barricade blocking my way.

Billy and his accomplices were shocked and stepped back, yelling and screaming insults at me from behind.

However, I simply couldn't be bothered and gripped the steering wheel as tightly as I could, staring intently at the GPS on my phone. When I saw the red line of traffic ahead of me, I felt completely defeated and in great despair.