RISE OF THE ULTIMATE SON IN LAW: KEVIN WILLIAMS

WANNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE

CHAPTER FOUR

Kevin found his black card. It’s been over two years since he last touched it. Even his wife Lily didn’t know the card existed just as she didn’t know a lot of things about his past.

“I’ve got this”

Kevin said as he turned the black card around and dialed the VIP number on the back.

A sweet comported voice answered,

“Hello Mr. Williams, welcome to the black card private VIP customer service. May I ask if you need any help?”

Kevin responded back,

“Hello, I’d like to check the balance of my card.”

Kevin seemed very excited.

“Of course… Just one moment please.”

“Hello, Mr. Williams, are you still there?”

Kevin replied almost immediately,

“Yes, I am. Would you be able to check my bank balance please?”

The customer service attendant hesitated for a while before responding,

“Hummm… Mr. Williams, I apologize but the balance on your black card is unfortunately too big for me to handle over the phone. It appears that the digits are higher than our computer is able to process. In order to get your exact account balance, we would need you to come in person and meet someone from our VIP office. Will that work for you?”

Kevin paused. He was too stunned to speak,

“I’m sorry but did you say my account balance has more digits than your computer can handle?”

The soft voice replied immediately,

“Yes… I didn’t even know that was possible. I’ve worked as a customer service attendant for so many years and this is the first time I’ve ever seen this happen. Mr. Williams, I think it is safe to say that you are the richest man in Veridonia.”

After hanging up the phone, Kevin excitedly mouthed,

“Yes!”

Determined to verify his account balance, Kevin made his way to the grandiose edifice of the central city Bank, straddling his old motorbike.

Wearing a worn-out jeans and faded t-shirt, he strolled into the bank, his eyes brimming and gleaming with confidence and hope.

He was ignorant of the whispers that had trailed him from the entrance.

As he approached the polished reception desk, a beautiful young professional-looking woman came to his view.

Seeing him, the receptionist impeccably arched her eyebrows shot up in surprise, a subtle disdain immediately masked her polite face.

“How may I help you, sir?”

She inquired.

Her tone was measured but tinged with a little bit of condescension.

“I would like to check the balance of my account, please. Can you direct me to one of your VIP bankers?”

Kevin stated.

His voice unwavering despite the discomfort pricking at the back of his head.

A flicker of disbelief passed over the receptionist’s face as her gaze swept over his appearance and the old motorbike he had parked outside.

With a forced smile, she murmured,

“Of course, sir. Please have a seat while I notify one of our bankers.”

Seating himself on a sleek, leather chair, Kevin observed the on-lookers and occupants. The contrast between his shabby demeanor and their tailored suits and polished shoes was evident.

He felt unease settled in his stomach as minutes turned into agonizing hours, with no banker insight.

Finally, he lost his patience.

He approached the receptionist one more time, only to be intercepted by a burly security guard.

He said with a stern expression,

“Sir, please step back. You are causing a disturbance.”

The guard barked.

His voice commanding and unyielding.

Kevin was at loss for words and indignation surged through his veins, mingled with an anger that was threatening to ignite his restrained demeanor.

“I just want to check my account balance!”

He retorted.

His voice rising.

“Why is that so difficult?”

The security guard’s grip tightened on his baton as he glowered down at Kevin and said,

“Sir, I will have to ask you to leave if you cannot maintain the decorum expected in this bank. A man like you is not welcomed here, please don’t allow me to use force on you.”

Kevin could hear the hushed murmurs and curious stares.

He felt a sense of isolation and he felt like giving up.

But, he had just learnt about his new-found wealth and he wasn’t going to give up now.

“I have to know the exact amount in my bank account.”

He said to himself.

Then he looked at the receptionist in the eye and said,

“Miss, please get one of your VIP bankers. I need to check my account balance.”

But the receptionist looked disinterested like Kevin was nothing.

Amidst the whole commotion, Mr. Jonah Lee, the manager of the bank walked inside the reception hall.

“What’s going here, Miss. Penelope?”

He asked facing the receptionist.

“Sir, this tattered-looking young man came in here to ask about his account balance. He even told me to call one of our VIP bankers! I told him to seat so I could check if any of our regular bankers were available but he just attacked me. So the security guard only came to our rescue.”

Penelope explained leaving out the fact that she had deliberately made Kevin wait for over two hours now.

Looking at Kevin from head to toe, Jonah Lee asked Kevin again.

“Young man, may I ask why you are here?”

“I’d like to know the balance of my account.”

Kevin said with confidence.

Then he brought out his black card.

Immediately Jonah Lee saw the black card in Kevin’s hand, he recognized it.

“This card was only used by the Williams family. How did this man get this card!?”

Jonah said to himself.

He then looked at Kevin and asked,

“If I may ask sir, what is your name?”

Kevin was taken aback by this question.

He answered anyway,

“My name is Kevin. Kevin Williams.”

Immediately Jonah heard the word, Williams, he was too stunned to speak.

He quickly pushed the security guard aside and said to Kevin,

“I apologize for the receptionist’s behavior, Mr. Williams. I will get the VIP banker to confirm your account balance for you right away.”

Then he turned to Penelope and said disdainfully,

“Get a VIP banker right this instant!”

Flustered, the receptionist hastily summoned a banker, who approached with a forced smile and a palpable air of discomfort.

The on-lookers that had been watching the scene unfold was shocked to see this sudden twist.

Kevin relayed his request and the VIP receptionist showed Kevin the way to the VIP section.

The banker collected the card from Kevin and checked his account, he was visibly taken aback and shocked by the figure displayed on the screen.

He quickly composed himself and delivered the information,

“Sir, you must be the man that called the customer service few hours ago.”

Kevin noded and responded,

“Yes. She asked me to come here because the figures were too high for the machine to process over the phone.”

The man looked at him in surprise.

He looked at his shabby appearance again and said,

“Sir, I believe it is safe to say that you are the richest man in the whole of Veridonia.”

Kevin was now impatient.

He couldn’t wait to hear the exact amount he had in his account.

“How much exactly do I have?”

He asked.

The banker looked at the figures again.

Then he blurted out,

“Two hundred and fifty billion dollars ”

Everyone gasped.

It was unbelievable.

Even Kevin was in shock for a second.

The receptionist face was pale as she fumbled for words, her earlier arrogance replaced with a profound sense of embarrassment and respect.

“Si, I… I had no idea.”

She stammered as she said.

The manager looked at her in displease.

Then he turned to Kevin,

“Mr. Williams, I apologize once again. Please, allow us to make it up to you. We value your family and your patronage greatly.”

But Kevin, now fully aware of the amount he had in his bank just merely offered him a nod of acknowledgement.

Then he looked at the security guard and said,

“Do you still want me out!?”

The man could not raise his head.

He just looked down and held back his tears.

Kevin took his black card back from the banker and headed back to his house.

Getting back to the house, Monica asked with disdain,

“Kevin, you are back. May I ask where you were coming from?”

“The bank. I had to know the exact amount I had in my account.”

Kevin said casually.

Monica laughed,

“Ha! Lily, can you hear your husband? He went all the way to the bank to ask for his account balance… so pathetic.”

Rolling his eyes, Kevin ran up to Lily.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on you earlier but, I heard you say your company urgently needs four million dollars in order not to go bankrupt. I can help you solve this problem.”

Monica burst into laughter again,

“You… help Lily solve the problem? Ha! Kevin I think you’re crazy! She needs four million dollars… you have been living off your wife for the past two years. Don’t pretend like you’re some big hero now when in reality, you are just offering her empty promises. We all know that there is no way that YOU can give her four million dollars within a week.”

She said, rolling her eyes.

Kevin responded confidently,

“Oh! So you don’t believe me”

Kevin snapped back.

After a long pause, Kevin turned to Monica and said,

“Remember this moment because it’s going to feel really good for me to tell you, ‘I told you so’.”

Lily shook her head,

“I don’t appreciate you both laughing at the fact that my company is about to go under. This isn’t a competition between the two of you, these are people’s lives you’re joking about and it’s my responsibility to save them. So Kevin, as much as I would love for you to pay the four million dollars, we both know that’s impossible since you haven’t been able to hold down a permanent job.

And you Monica, I love you. But you are not being very helpful right now. I think I should just go to bed… it’s going to be a long painful day tomorrow. I need to get some rest.”

Without saying goodbye, Lily held back her exhausted tears as she went to the bedroom at the back of the house.

Kevin pursed his lips and replied,

“Okay.”

Then he really shut up and walked away. That night, Kevin could tell that Lily wanted to be alone so he slept on the couch, hoping to give her space.

As he lay on the couch, he couldn’t stop thinking about what happened at the bank.

 “I can finally be the man I used to be when I first met Lily, I mean, I have over nine hundred billion dollars in my account! She’s taken care of me these past few years and now, it’s my turn to take care of her. Things are going to be different from this moment forward. I’m going to build her an empire!”

The following morning, Kevin woke up to the sound of his mother in-law,

“Of course you fell asleep on the couch… you were probably playing video games all night instead of finishing your chores!”

Kevin quickly got up from the couch,

“No, that’s not what happened. I actually slept out here because Lily…”

He couldn’t finish when his mother in-law interrupted,

“Speaking of Lily, she should be on her way to work now.”

Kevin instantly responded,

“I’ll go check on her now.”

Martha snapped,

“Great! And can you tell her that I need her car to run some errands? So why don’t you make yourself useful for once and drive your wife to work.”

His handsome face dropped,

“But, I don’t have a car. I only have my old motorbike.”

Martha scoffed,

“Well, that will have to do. Go get your wife! I’m running late.”

Kevin paused,

“Of course, I’ll go get her now.”

Walking down the hallway, Kevin knocked on his bedroom door

“Lily, you’re up?”

Lily answered,

“Yes. I’m running late though and I don’t have time to talk. I need to head to work.”

Kevin smiled,

“That was what I was about to tell you and your mom wants to use your car so I’m going to have to drive you to the office.”

Lily opened the door and Kevin was left speechless as he beheld Lily in an elegant pink business suit, her figure radiating ethereal beauty.

“You look beautiful, love”

Kevin gasped

Lily tucked her hair behind her ear,

“Thank you but can we continue this conversation on our way? I’m in a hurry”

Kevin noded,

“Of course, let’s go.”