Chapter 3- $500 Million? 5G system?

Stephen's head hung low, the weight of Victor's words and the laughter of the crowd crushing him. Just then, the door swung open, and in walked Marianne's parents with Mr. Lee, the family lawyer, in tow.

"Hope we're not interrupting anything," Marianne's father said, his eyes landing on Stephen with a look of disdain.

"Give him the papers," Marianne's mother instructed Mr. Lee with a wave of her hand.

"Papers? What papers?" Stephen's voice was barely a whisper, confusion etched on his face.

Mr. Lee approached Stephen and handed him an envelope. With trembling hands, Stephen opened it to find divorce papers staring back at him.

"What's this? A divorce?" Stephen stammered, his heart sinking.

Marianne stepped forward, her voice firm. "I can't do this anymore, Stephen. I won't be trapped in a hopeless marriage."

"But... but why?" Stephen's voice broke.

"I'm marrying Victor," Marianne declared, her decision final.

The room fell silent, the gravity of her words settling like dust after a storm. Stephen stood motionless, the papers in his hand a symbol of his shattered life.

Mr. Lee's voice was stern, "Put your fingerprint right here, Stephen, in the box below."

Stephen's eyes darted to Marianne's mother, "Why, Mom? Why are you doing this?"

She recoiled as if struck, her voice icy, "Don't you dare call me 'Mom.' You're no son of mine, not to some worthless trash like you. Say it again, and I'll cut out your tongue."

Marianne's father interjected, "Enough of this. Drop your thumbprint on the paper and let's finalize this divorce. We're wasting time."

Stephen's gaze fell upon the divorce papers. His marriage, his life with Marianne—it couldn't end like this, not at the behest of others. "No," he said firmly, his voice rising.

Marianne's father's face turned a shade of crimson, "You dare defy me?" He turned to Victor's guards, "Make sure his thumbprint is on that paper!"

The guards, towering and broad-shouldered, advanced towards Stephen. Despite his struggle, they overpowered him with ease. One held his arm while the other pressed his thumb onto the ink pad, then onto the paper, leaving a stark black print.

Stephen's pleas were drowned out by the firm press of his thumb onto the document—the final nail in the coffin of his marriage. As the guards stepped back, Stephen's knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor, the laughter and jeers of the onlookers a distant echo to the pounding in his head. The papers, now marked with his thumbprint, lay on the floor beside him—a testament to the harsh reality he was now forced to accept.

Mr. Lee clasped the divorce papers, his voice void of emotion, "It's finalized."

Victor turned to Marianne, a victorious grin spreading across his face. "Now, we can marry, with your useless husband out of the way."

Before Stephen could process the scene unfolding, Victor dropped to one knee, presenting a ring to Marianne. Applause erupted, mingled with cruel laughter directed at Stephen.

Marianne's father's voice boomed, "Guards, remove this trash from my property!"

The guards hoisted Stephen up, his body limp with heartbreak. They dragged him through the opulent halls, his pleas unheard, and tossed him onto the cold street. Moments later, his bags landed beside him with a thud, the contents spilling out—a stark reminder of his fall from grace.

Stephen's cheeks burned with shame as he gathered his belongings. Betrayal, rage, and disbelief churned within him. He looked up at the starless sky, a vow forming on his lips. "If I'm given a chance for revenge, I'll sacrifice anything..."

Stephen’s world crumbled around him, his phone—a last link to the life he once knew—buzzed with an alert. He wiped the tears from his eyes and focused on the screen. An app he didn’t recognize displayed a message that seemed like a lifeline in the darkness:

“Congratulations, Stephen. 5G system has been activated under your name. Welcome.”

Stephen's phone buzzed again, the screen lighting up with the same strange notification. "Complete your verification to access $500 million." It had to be a scam; these things always were. He tried to delete the app, but it was like a stubborn stain that refused to be wiped clean.

"No time for this nonsense," he muttered, but curiosity—and perhaps a hint of desperate hope—nudged him to follow through. He let the app scan his thumb, then his face. "Verification complete. $500 million deposited," it declared.

"Right, as if anyone just gives away $500 million," Stephen scoffed. But what if? It was a long shot, but he had nothing left to lose. He entered the bank's USSD code, the familiar string of numbers he hadn't used in years because there was never anything to check.

The response came back instantly, an SMS that made his heart race. His account balance was now $500,000,000.05. The five cents had been a mocking reminder of his poverty, but now, they were drowned in a surreal sea of wealth.

Stephen's mind raced. This had to be a mistake, a glitch, a... miracle? He had to find out if this was real, if this was truly his second chance. With the phone clutched tightly in his hand, he set off towards the bank.

**********

The bank was just closing up to the day's business, its doors open to the everyone and those with urgent matters. Stephen stepped inside, his heart pounding with a mix of hope and anxiety. The usual evening crowd bustled about, but it was nothing like the afternoon/morning rush.

He approached the counter, where a woman with a name tag reading 'Susan' sat, her eyes barely glancing up from her screen. "Here to close your account, Mr. Penniless?" she joked without a smile, her voice dripping with condescension.

Stephen exhaled slowly, keeping his emotions in check. "I just need to check my balance," he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil inside.

Susan chuckled, "Expecting a miracle in your account? Maybe a whole ten cents now?" She tapped at her keyboard, ready to dismiss another daydreamer.

But as the numbers on her screen changed, her smirk faded. Her eyes widened, and she stood up abruptly, her chair rolling back. "Mr... Stephen, I am so sorry for my earlier comments," she stammered, her previous arrogance replaced by respect.

Stephen, puzzled by the sudden shift, leaned forward. "What's going on?" he asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

Susan avoided his gaze, her hands trembling slightly. "Your account... it's... just please, if there's anything I can assist you with, don't hesitate to ask."

Stephen nodded, a sense of satisfaction mixed with curiosity. The balance was real, and it was his. But why the sudden reverence? What did she know? He pocketed his phone, the weight of the device now feeling like a key to countless doors once closed to him.