The Magic Black Card

Shock

Chapter Three:

The atmosphere in the room was tense as the manager struggled to find the right words to express his remorse. His head was bowed, effortlessly showing the weight of guilt resting on his shoulders.

“I'm truly, sir.” he apologized, “I deserve to die for embarrassing you like this,” his voice filled with genuine remorse. 

Ethan, taken aback by the manager's words, wore a bewildered expression on his face. The manager's unexpected apology left him momentarily speechless. 

“Who are you apologizing to? Me?” Ethan asked in a surprised tone. 

Mr. Johnson, on the other hand, erupted in anger at Ethan's response. His face turned red, and his voice boomed throughout the room like a speaker.

“Why would he even apologize to you? What do you think of yourself?” Mr. Johnson's fury was visible. 

The manager, still on his knees, pointed a trembling finger at Ethan before rising momentarily to defend him. 

“Yes, sir. It is him that I apologize to. It was my mistake, and he bore the brunt of it,” he explained, his voice filled with respect.

Feeling infuriated by the manager's defense of Ethan, Mr. Johnson unleashed his anger once more. His voice grew even louder, reverberating off the walls.

“What are you doing, manager? You should throw this man out of here!” His words dripped with disdain. But the manager, with newfound confidence, raised his head and locked eyes with Mr. Johnson.

“If care isn't taken, it might just be you who is thrown out of this place, Mr. Johnson,” he warned, his voice firm and resolute. The room fell silent, tension hanging thickly in the air.

“What? You want to send me out of the bank?” Mr. Johnson exploded with rage. His voice was still filled with a mix of anger and arrogance. “Who the hell do you think you are? Did you even know who I am?” he spat out, his words dripping with disdain. 

Ethan, seemingly unfazed by Mr. Johnson's outburst, Ethan moved closer to Mr. Johnson before asking.

"Of course..." he trailed off, looking from Mr. Johnson's head to his toes. "...and trust me, you're a nobody" he concluded.

This statement seem to infuriate Mr. Johnson even more, he balled his fists tightly on his sides as he struggled to find a response. The silence that followed seemed to weigh heavily upon the room, both men locked in a silent battle of wills.

“The card with you, is it even real?” Mr. Johnson asked skeptically, but Ethan responded with a scoff.

“Oh, my card?” he looked at it, as though he's reconfirming it. “It's real. Do you have a problem with that?” 

It was his turn to be arrogant now, accompanied by a smug smirk. However, Mr. Johnson remained firm in his conviction.

“Ethan, you and I both know that the card isn't real. The card is fake,” he declared assertively, then faced the manager. "You should send this man out when I am still being nice. This man here is fake,” 

“Stop being rude to our customer, Mr. Johnson,” the manager intervened, his voice tinged with authority. “We will have to ask you to leave the bank if you don't stop.” 

Ethan who's still trying to make sense of the situation, turned to face the manager.

“There's something I don't understand,” he began. “Why did you suddenly switch sides? Just moments ago, you were scolding me. What caused this change?” Ethan questioned, seeking clarity. 

He couldn't help but wonder if it was the power of his card that had prompted the manager to go against Mr. Johnson.

“I'm truly sorry,” the manager mustered, his voice laced with a hint of remorse. 

Mr. Johnson scoffed, finding it hard to believe that a that manager was apologizing to Ethan, of all people. 

“Ethan, you will regret this,” Mr. Johnson threatened, his voice laced with a mix of anger and frustration. “You'll regret what you just did.” 

“Mr. Johnson, I've told you repeatedly to stop being rude to our customer,” the manager responded firmly, his voice now tinged with authority. “If you don't cease this behavior right now, I won't have any choice but to promptly escort you out of this bank. Furthermore, we will revoke all your privileges and you will no longer be welcome here. It's in your best interest to improve your conduct, Mr. Johnson.” The manager then turned to face Ethan, effortlessly shifting gears with a smile.

“Did you need the director to attend to you? I'll go call him right now if you require it,” the manager offered courteously. 

However, Ethan couldn't help but scoff at the suggestion, finding it hard to believe that involving a higher authority was necessary. 

“No, I don't need the director. I'm in a hurry, and you should attend to me,” Ethan replied, his impatience evident in his voice. 

 “You're a thief! I'm certain that card you have is stolen. I'm going to call the police and have you arrested, you bloody thief,” he bellowed, his voice dripping with contempt. 

Surprised and indignant, Ethan clenched his fist and confronted the accusation head-on. 

“Me, a thief? Do I look like a thief to you?” he asked, his voice tinged with a mix of anger and disbelief. Unrelenting and still convinced of Ethan's guilt, Mr. Johnson fired back aggressively.

 “Yes, you're a bloody thief! Did you think I didn't know you? I'm calling the cops right away,” he threatened defiantly.

“Mr. Manager, can you please do me a favor?” Ethan asked the manager, prompting him to swiftly move closer to Ethan's side. 

“Sure, anything you want, sir. I'm at your service,” the manager replied, and Ethan nodded in affirmation. 

“Can you please have this man here removed from the premises?” Ethan requested, gesturing towards Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson scoffed at the audacity of the request.

“Send me out? Do you really think that will be possible?” Mr. Johnson challenged, a smirk playing on his lips. 

To everyone's surprise, two security men entered the scene, their eyes glinting with determination. The manager pointed towards Mr. Johnson, signaling the men, who promptly approached Mr. Johnson and lifted him effortlessly from the ground.

“I'm coming back for you all, I won't let this slide, never,” Mr. Johnson yelled defiantly as the security personnel escorted him away from the scene. 

Meanwhile, Ethan struggled to suppress his amusement, finding the situation utterly comical.

“This way, sir,” the manager directed Ethan, leading him towards the customer center. 

Without wasting any time, the manager hurried to the computer, eager to assist Ethan. 

“Your card, sir,” he said with a polite and respectful tone, extending his hand to receive Ethan's card. Ethan willingly handed it over. 

“Can you please check my account balance for me?” Ethan inquired, his curiosity piqued. 

I might as well know how much this card is worth – he thought to himself.

“Sure, sir,” the manager responded promptly, ready to fulfill Ethan's request. 

As the manager scrutinized the account details, both Ethan and the manager were taken aback by what they saw, their astonishment almost causing them to lose their composure... $267,000,000,000!