You exhale.
Trembling, you open the payment portal again.
Your credit card shakes in your hand.
You type the numbers.
Click “Send.”
A message appears.
“Nice doing business. For now.”
Your devices go quiet.
Your inbox clears.
Your webcam light turns off.
For a moment, it feels like it worked.
You take a shower.
You sit in silence.
You even smile.
Then—
Your screen flickers back on.
A new demand:
“Double the payment. 6 hours to comply.”
You scroll down.
Attached:
Every file you ever thought was private.
Photos. Bank info. Voice memos. Journal entries.
Even drafts you never saved.
“Double the payment. 6 hours to comply.”