EP3- The Hidden Billionaire
1805 Words
Ethan’s jaw clenched as he stared at the message, his blood boiling. The audacity—Samantha had thrown his world into chaos, and now she had the nerve to mock him.
His hands shook as he read it again, feeling the bile rise in his throat.
He wanted to throw the phone, wanted to scream, but instead, he swallowed the anger, forcing himself to stay composed. There was no point in raging. He wasn’t the same man she thought she’d left behind. Not anymore.
For a moment, bitterness clouded his mind, but then the weight of his new reality hit him—heir to the Wayne Empire. He was no longer a nobody struggling to get by. The tables had turned, and now, he held all the power.
"You'll regret ever humiliating me, Samantha," he said underneath his breath.
Ethan slid his phone back into his pocket, eyes hardening as he shook off the pain.
Samantha and Daniel were nothing to him now. The life they had stolen was about to be crushed under the empire he now controlled.
She didn’t know it yet, but her celebration would be short-lived.
- - - - -
The next morning, Ethan woke up feeling like he had slept on clouds. His eyes snapped open the moment he heard his grandmother’s voice.
"Ethan, my dear boy," she called out with a soft tone.
He sat up as soon as she entered the room, holding a box in her hands.
“Good morning, Grandma,” Ethan greeted her.
She smiled warmly and kissed him on the head. “Good morning, my dear,” she said, then placed the box on the bed. She slowly opened it, revealing what was inside.
Ethan’s eyes widened in shock. At 24-years-old, he had never seen anything like it.
“What... what is this?” he asked, staring at the over 11 black cards neatly arranged inside the box.
“These were your father’s,” she explained, “but now they belong to you.”
"I told you they'll be ready before noon, here they are!"
Ethan was speechless for a moment, his mind racing as he processed what she was saying.
“One of these cards hasn’t been used in a while,” she continued, her tone was a bit serious. “If you don’t use it soon, it will be blocked. I need you to withdraw at least $200,000 today to make sure it’s still active.”
“Two hundred thousand dollars?” Ethan asked, still trying to wrap his head around everything.
“Yes, dear, you can't withdraw less than that amount from the Silver Unity Bank. $200,000 is the minimum amount for withdrawals,” she said with a smile. “It’s important. Go now, and take care of it, enjoy!" She kissed him on the head again and turned to leave.
Ethan stood there, stunned by the number of black cards in front of him. He glanced down at the clothes he was still wearing from the previous night—his delivery uniform, a little worn out.
He thought about changing, but his grandmother’s urgency about the card being blocked pushed him to act quickly.
He grabbed that particular card, still in disbelief, and headed out the door.
- - - - -
Ethan stepped out of the cab, staring up at the towering glass structure of Silver Unity Bank, the kind of place that catered only to the ultra-wealthy.
He shifted uncomfortably in his worn-out sneakers, adjusting his faded hoodie as he clutched the black card in his hand, still unsure of how his life had changed so drastically.
"Are you sure you want to go in there?" the cab driver asked, eyeing Ethan skeptically. "That bank’s for billionaires, man."
Ethan nodded without a word, paid the fare, and walked inside.
His heart raced as he entered the pristine, marble-floored lobby.
It wasn’t long before Ethan found himself at the front desk, standing in front of a strikingly beautiful woman, her blonde hair perfectly pinned, her designer outfit screaming wealth. Her name tag read Iris.
Iris’ eyes barely flicked up from her computer screen as she glanced at Ethan.
"Can I help you?" Her voice was filled with irritation as she took in his appearance, from his scuffed sneakers to his old hoodie.
"I’d like to make a withdrawal," Ethan said, handing her the black card.
Iris' eyebrows shot up as she saw the card, then quickly twisted into a smirk. "Right," she said sarcastically. "A withdrawal."
She picked up the card and examined it, rolling her eyes. "You do realize this card belongs to the ultra-rich millionaires, right? Not… people like you."
"Now, tell me... One of our highly esteemed customers must have sent you on an errand. What's the name?" she asked.
Ethan’s patience was already wearing thin. "No one sent me on an errand, the card is mine."
Iris laughed, the kind of mocking sound that made Ethan’s blood boil. "Sure. And I’m the Queen of England." She turned the card over in her hand. "Tell me the PIN, then."
Ethan hesitated. He had only just gotten the card, and even though Gideon had mentioned the details were all in order, a part of him still wasn’t sure about the whole thing.
Still, he needed to access the account. He mixed up the PIN he had been given.
"4, 3, 2, 1," he said to her.
Iris huffed, knowing clearly that their bank system had no record of such a pin. Ethan just confirmed her suspicion.
She swiped the card through the machine and entered the numbers.
Suddenly, a long beep echoed through the bank and the screen turned red.
"Card rejected," she said with a triumphant grin. "A guy like you doesn’t know the PIN because you stole the card, didn’t you?"
Ethan’s face reddened, anger bubbling beneath his calm expression. "I didn’t steal anything," he muttered. "I own a lot of cards, I- I must have misplaced the pin for another," he said.
"Let's try again, I think I've got it right," Ethan voiced.
"You think I'm a fool? Take a look at yourself. You and I know people dressed like you aren't even worth a thousand dollars, and you storm into this bank trying to make me believe you own an account with us?!" Iris said, pointing at his face.
Iris looked over at the security desk, raising her voice now to make sure everyone around could hear.
"Security!" she called. "We’ve got a scammer here. This guy’s trying to use a card that’s not his."
Ethan's eyes widened at her reaction, thou he remained calm.
Two large security guards approached quickly. One of them, an imposing figure with arms crossed, nodded at Iris. "Problem?"
"This guy’s a fraud," Iris said confidently. "He’s pretending to have a black card, but the PIN didn’t go through. He’s obviously lying."
The guards stepped closer to Ethan with angry faces. "Come on, buddy," one of them said, grabbing Ethan’s arm. "Let’s take this outside before you get in more trouble."
"I didn’t do anything wrong," Ethan said, pulling back from the guard’s grip. "That’s my card. Let me try again."
The other guard grabbed Ethan by the other arm, starting to drag him toward the exit. "Let’s go. You’re done here."
Ethan struggled against their grip, digging his heels into the ground. "Just let me try again!" he shouted, his voice rising.
Iris snickered from behind the desk. "Save yourself the embarrassment, pauper. You don’t belong here. Aren't you ashamed of yourself for even walking into a place like this?"
Anger surged through Ethan as he wrenched himself free from the guards.
Without thinking, he darted back to the counter, grabbed the card from Iris' hand, and shoved it into the card reader himself. The guards lunged toward him, but he managed to punch in the PIN just before they could reach him.
1, 2, 3, 4
The machine beeped again, but this time, the screen flashed, showing a green light. Ethan’s balance appeared.
[Welcome Back Mr. Wayne! We Are Loading Your Balance. Please Be Patient...]
The machine voiced.
Iris' mocking expression dropped instantly as her eyes widened at the number on the screen.
[Here is your current account balance, Mr. Wayne! Thank you for banking with us...]
$715,000,000.
Her mouth hung open in shock, and she took a stumbling step back. The guards froze in place, glancing at each other in confusion.
"What the…?" Iris whispered, unable to believe what she was seeing.
Ethan turned to face her, his expression hardening. "Now do I belong here?"
The lobby had gone unbelievably quiet. Everyone around had stopped what they were doing, their eyes glued to the screen displaying the sum of 715 Million dollars, belonging to a man who seemed like a beggar.
The sight of the guards, the bank employee who had just tried to have him thrown out, and the massive account balance had captured their attention.
Iris stammered, struggling to find words. "I… I didn’t realize… I mean, I thought…"
Ethan stood tall, no longer the timid delivery guy he had been moments ago. "You thought I was a nobody. You didn’t even listen to me. You were so ready to throw me out without even hearing what I had to say."
The security guards, still unsure of what to do, slowly backed away, their earlier aggression replaced by nervousness. The situation had flipped completely.
"Sir, we’re… we’re very sorry," one of the guards muttered, clearly rattled. "We didn’t know—"
"Just doing your job, huh?" Ethan said coldly, cutting him off. "Funny how people like you only care when there’s money involved."
Iris' face had turned bright red with humiliation. She opened her mouth to apologize, but no sound came out.
Ethan stepped away from the counter, pocketing the card. He looked around at the stunned faces of the bank staff and other customers who had witnessed the scene.
Iris finally managed to speak. "I—I didn’t mean to—"
Ethan held up a hand, silencing her.
"I'll... I'll do as you ask, sir, but please," she whispered nervously with a shaky voice. "Please don't inform the manager about this, I beg of you. I'll lose my job for speaking to a man of your caliber in the manner I did."
He turned and began walking toward the door, feeling the eyes of everyone in the bank following him in awe.
He had changed his mind and decided to try the other branch. He couldn't stand the disrespect.
Just before he reached the exit, Iris rushed up behind him.
"Wait," she said breathlessly. "I… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—"
"I can process your withdrawal for you sir, all I need is a second," she pleaded.
- Writer
