Chapter Eight

“What? Dad, what are you trying to do? Of all people, you chose to side with this creep?” Audrey barked at her father.

“Mr. Jamal, I’m so sorry for how they must have treated you.” Audrey’s father apologized with a short bow and all of them were confused and surprised.

“Dad, he is the one who started this in the first place. If he hadn’t dared to punch a rich person in the face, he wouldn’t have gotten here. He is a rag that almost forgot his position.” Audrey ranted in annoyance.

“Yes, uncle. He did something dreadful and must be punished, how can a poor rat forget his status!” Audrey’s brother adjourned.

“Stop! Just stop it.” Audrey’s father snapped them out of their thought.

“He isn't a poor boy or common man as you think.” Audrey’s father said, giving Jamal a short look. “The man you see here is the he- -” Jamal grabbed his hand before he could spill his secret.

“What’s going on? Who the fuck is he?” Audrey’s uncle queried in anger. “How dare he punch my son as low as he is.” He continued.

Jamal gave Audrey’s father a sign never to tell anyone whatever he knew.

“Why is my father helping you, duche-bag!” Audrey yelled at him.

“It’s because I saved him from an accident, I think he is trying to return a favor.” He lied and her father agreed reluctantly.

“That’s not enough to side with him, Dad. He slapped my cousin!” Audrey grumbled in anger.

“I’m sorry but he can’t be kicked out of this school. Dean, you have to investigate this or let the children go.” Audrey’s father suggested.

“You trash - -” Audrey attempted to slap Jamal but her father caught her hand in the air. “Dad!” She cried out in defeat.

“I’m really sorry about this, sir.” Audrey’s father bowed and dragged his daughter out of the dean’s office.

The dean gave each of them a long confused look before dismissing them.

Aside from the golden bank card, Dennis also gave Jamal a cheque of 2,000,000 million dollars to use for his final year settlement. Jamal went straight to the bank with the cheque, he would have gone with the golden card but since it was “important” and linked with his birthright, he hid it very well. With the confidence he had in Dennis and the fact that he knew his origin, he entered the bank acting like any other regular rich client.

He went straight to the counter this time around to initiate a withdrawal and because the bankers were familiar with him after the latter, they attended to him quickly.

“Please, have a seat sir while I proceed with your cheque.” The cashier said politely, flashing him a wide smile. She wouldn’t have been overly friendly but the amount on the cheque made her increase her kindness.

He nodded his head, feeling impressed by their change in behavior. He glanced through the customer service desk and noticed that the lady that attended to him in the past was no longer there, he smirked.

The cashier walked up to him, looking troubled and confused.

“Sir, I don’t mean to offend you but this cheque is fake.” The cashier informed him calmly.

“What do you mean by fake?” He quickly stood up from the chair and collected it from her. “It’s not fake.” He said with certainty.

“I tried it a couple of times but I wasn’t allowed to accept any funds and the machine bounced the cheque.” The cashier controlled her temper because she was already losing it. If she found out it was only a prank and his cover had blown, she would definitely give him a piece of her mind.

“Can you try it again?” He requested, she exhaled heavily and agreed.

The bank manager strolled into the ground floor space and saw Jamal, from afar he started saluting and greeting him with respect. People wondered if he was mentally okay because the person he was greeting didn’t look like an honorable person rather he looked wretched.

“Do you have any problem, sir?” The manager asked politely.

“Yeah, a cheque issue.” He said slyly, already feeling scared, hurt, and embarrassed. He trusted Dennis and that cheque was given to him by Dennis. Why was it no longer working? Were they finally showing him their true colors?

“Look here, your con artist. I have been holding my patient all these while but you have to drop the act. This is a fake cheque, I don’t care if you stole it or fake it but it's not legit.” The cashier yelled in his face and threw his cheque at him.

“Get lost!” The manager shunned her and picked up the cheque, the cashier stood aside to watch them.

“Sir, I will check - -” The manager stopped talking when he felt the cheque and noticed that the confidential seal on the cheque was peeling and the name wasn’t tallying with any bank details.

“Here I thought you were one important person, I didn’t know you were only a thief.” The manager’s attitude changed drastically and Jamal stepped backward, staring at him intently. The fact that they changed in seconds without blinking also kept him in awe.

“Who did you steal this from, tell me?” All eyes were on Jamal, as words left him when he needed them most. Those bastards used him! They are fake, and they just showed him their true colors! Or maybe they wanted to tell him that all money was under their control and he was nothing but their lackey.

He snatched the cheque from the bank manager shamefully and ran out of the bank. He was ultimately furious.

“Dennis, you prankster!” He clenched his fist in anger as he entered the cab. He was going to that mansion and ending everything he had with them.

It was better to live a poor peaceful life than have his emotions being toyed with. At least he was slowly getting rid of the memories of seeing his girlfriend sleeping with another man and in the end, his relationship was all a console game to them. He couldn't afford to have another emotional damage.