Hughes leaned closer, his voice dripping with disdain. “People like you always make a scene. Maybe next time try a drive-thru. Would be more your style.”
A faint gasp came from a young woman nearby, but no one said a word. Lorraine looked up at him, her eyes steady. “Are you finished?” she asked quietly.
Hughes laughed, shaking his head. “What are you going to do about it? Call the cops? Lucky for you, I already am one.” He tapped the badge on his chest, still smirking.
Lorraine simply picked up her bag, paid for her coffee again, and walked out. Her movements were slow, deliberate, untouched by his cruelty. She did not look back once.
What Hughes did not know was that the woman he had just mocked was not an ordinary customer. In less than an hour, Lorraine Bennett would be sitting on the judge’s bench inside the courthouse across the street.
Later that morning, Hughes entered that very courthouse to attend a minor hearing. He was still boasting to a colleague about “teaching a rude woman some manners.” His voice carried a hint of pride, as if his petty cruelty had been an accomplishment.