About fifteen minutes later, the police arrived just as people started coming down from upstairs.

I explained the situation to the officers, with the kind-hearted bystanders chiming in to support my story.

Last time, I was a silent victim - and only a victim in my own eyes.

But this time, everyone witnessed my distress. They all saw how helpless a small-time front desk clerk could be.

Instead of harsh words, people now spoke to me with ...