Chapter 14, The Fight.
1026 Words
After reading the message, Zaid tried hard to forget it. He tried hard to forget the amount and not think about what he could do with the money, but he failed. After many attempts to distract himself throughout the day and avoid thinking about it, he eventually found himself browsing an online store, looking at prices for women's watches to buy his mother a new one to replace the one he had accidentally broken two years ago. She still hadn't gotten a replacement, and he hadn't been able to fix the old one.
His last desperate attempt was to immerse himself in Karam and Faris's conversation about sports cars, debating with them about which model was best as if he were an expert. Bassam was even shocked and almost believed Zaid actually knew a lot about the subject.
By the end of the day, Zaid surrendered and admitted the reality: he had turned into a very materialistic person, maybe even a money-hungry dog. To ease his guilt, he convinced himself that the reason was the bad economic situation and capitalism, which forced hardworking-class kids to resort to such methods just to survive.
Zaid sighed and sat on his bed, thinking about how he could convince Ayman to stop sending money to the girl. Did he even have proof that she was a scammer? Unfortunately, there was no evidence, and someone as naive as Ayman wouldn't be convinced just because it seemed obvious or logical. Zaid doubted that Ayman understood human logic.
Bassam entered the room, and Zaid considered asking for his advice but changed his mind, afraid Bassam might misunderstand him too. Instead, he tried to discuss the topic indirectly to avoid raising suspicion.
"Hey, Bassam," Zaid began, "I read this story online about scammers who trick rich people into sending them money. They'd get close to them, make them feel sorry for them, or even say it was just a loan they'd pay back later. What do you think about people like that?"
Bassam raised an eyebrow. "Who do you mean? The scammers or the idiots who fall for it?"
"Both, I guess," Zaid replied.
"Well," Bassam said, leaning against the wall, "the scammers are criminals—they know exactly what they're doing. But the ones who send them money? They're just stupid. If you're dumb enough to believe some random person online, you kinda deserve to lose your cash."
Zaid hesitated before responding, "Yeah... but what if the person being scammed isn't stupid, just... too trusting?"
Bassam scoffed. "It's the same. If you're dumb enough to send money to a stranger without proof, you're asking to get robbed."
Zaid sighed and said he agreed, especially if the method was ridiculous and clearly a scam. He could sympathize with innocent people who weren't tech-savvy, like the elderly or children, but ordinary people who constantly hear about these scams and still fall for them easily? That just means they don't care about their money enough to verify before sending it to strangers.
Bassam then said, "It's weird you're asking this today... Did you hear about what happened with Ayman?"
Zaid was stunned and asked loudly, "You know too?!"
Bassam looked at him in surprise. "Why are you shocked that I know? Half the school knows by now. A few hours ago, after lunch break, when everyone went to their classes, Ayman didn't show up. Faris got worried and went looking for him. Then the whole school gathered around them—Ayman and Faris were fighting and hitting each other. Since they're both White Card students, the teachers had to intervene. After taking them to the principal's office, the story came out: Faris overheard Ayman talking to a girl on the phone, telling her he'd send her a large sum of money. When Faris asked why he was sending her money, Ayman got angry and told him not to interfere or tell anyone. Faris tried to understand and took his phone, but before he could see anything, Ayman punched him. Faris got mad, and the fight escalated. That's all we know. In my opinion, Ayman's probably trying to bribe a girl to say she actually likes him—to confirm the rumors he keeps spreading about himself. And it looks like the girl demanded a huge amount, which is why Faris was shocked and tried to reason with him."
Then Bassam added, "Ah, whatever. Let them kill each other. Not our problem, rich people's drama."
Zaid got up and went to the White Card wing, heading to Faris's room. He knocked, and Faris opened the door—his left eye swollen and bruised. Zaid was shocked at the sight. Faris clearly wasn't in a good mood but kept his composure and asked Zaid in a neutral tone what he wanted.
Zaid entered and told Faris that Ayman was involved with a scammer. Faris said he already knew, it was obvious when he heard him on the phone. "That i***t Ayman wouldn't listen and, like a donkey, punched me in the eye. So I don't care anymore. Let him waste all his money on her until his father cuts off his allowance or force him out of school, that girl will ruin his future in the end."
Zaid suggested they call the police to stop this before it escalated. Once the police confirm she was a scammer, Ayman would be forced to accept the truth.
Faris laughed loudly and said, "Why would the police even accept a report about someone willingly sending money to a girl he's convinced that she loves him? He's the stupid one, and the law doesn't protect fools."
Zaid sighed, realizing he wouldn't get anywhere, and went to Ayman's room to try talking to him. He stood behind the door, listening, and heard Ayman agreeing to meet her in person to hand her the money, because the bank would get suspicious and alert his parents if he transferred large sums to a stranger. They set a time and place to meet.
Zaid heard everything and decided to follow him, he decided to try and convince Far
is to tag along to catch them red-handed.
- Writer
