Maria's Point of View
I approached the bank cashier and said, "I’d like to cash this," as I handed over the check. The banker’s eyes widened in disbelief at the figure on the check. She locked eyes with me and asked, "Are you absolutely certain you want to cash this amount?" Naturally, I wanted to affirm, but I took a moment to gather my thoughts. "Yes, I need it for my twins' birthday," I replied. Fortunately, she seemed to grasp the situation and didn’t press for further details, only requesting my personal information. "Please have a seat and I’ll call you when it’s ready," she instructed. I returned to my chair, waiting for my name to be announced.
As I sat there, my phone buzzed with a message. [Where are you?] It was from Kairo. Confused about why he was reaching out, I quickly de
