I Paid $2,000 for a Haircut—Now They’ll Pay

I Paid $2,000 for a Haircut—Now They’ll Pay

Author: Amanda Reyes

Chapter 1: Scammed and Shattered

My cousin, who busts his tail running DoorDash deliveries, got scammed—bad.

It’s not like he’s slacking—he’s out there every single day, hustling through traffic, dodging potholes, and braving the weirdest apartment complexes just to make rent and keep the lights on. The kid never splurges on himself, so this hit him hard.

He just wanted a fifteen-dollar haircut. Instead, he got cleaned out—over three grand gone.

You should’ve seen his face when he told me. Eyes red, voice shaking, clutching that crumpled receipt like it might bite him. Man, I could practically feel the sting in my own gut.

He broke down in tears, showed up at my door, hoping I could help him get his money back.

It takes a lot for him to cry, especially in front of me. That’s how I knew he’d hit rock bottom. He was desperate, and honestly, just looking at him put a knot in my chest.

I’d heard of this kind of scam before. Filing a complaint? Might as well be yelling into a void.

These places are slick—real pros. They know the loopholes. You call the Better Business Bureau. The cops? Unless someone’s bleeding, they just shrug and move on.

But me? I’m Mason Turner. I can’t stand seeing folks get taken for a ride. So I decided to fight for him.

That’s just not in me—no way I’m letting some scammer walk all over my family. I don’t care if I’m just a grease monkey—I’ve got a stubborn streak a mile wide.

“They’re so shady. That was all the money I’d saved up.” He looked at me, voice barely above a whisper, eyes darting to the floor like he was ashamed. My heart twisted a little.

He’d been saving that money for months—maybe even a year. That’s a long time to watch every penny.

He finally asked, “Man, I just want my money back. Can you come with me?”

He sounded so small. So beat down. I could tell he was half-expecting me to say no, that maybe I’d think he was stupid for falling for it. But that’s not how family works—not in my book, anyway.

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