Vanessa smirked, casting the woman a belittling glance. "See? Money wins."
She turned to Sylvester. "Go ahead and pay, baby."
Sylvester pulled out his sleek bank card with pride and handed it to the seller.
The seller swiped the card, and it didn’t go through. The seller looked up at Sylvester, and his confidence faltered. "Try again," he insisted. This time, his voice was slightly strained.
The seller swiped the card again. Nothing. She glanced up at Sylvester and asked. "Are you sure you have funds in this account?"
"Of course I do," he replied quickly. "I have up to five million dollars. Enough to cover this purchase."
The seller sighed and shook her head. "I think you need to visit the bank. This card isn’t going through."
The young woman, who had been watching the exchange with mild irritation, suddenly laughed. She couldn't help it.
"Wow," she said with a smirk. "So you two don’t even have money? Proud poor people."
The seller turned to her. "Please, would you like to proceed with your original purchase?"
"No, actually, I’ve lost interest," she replied, casting Vanessa and Sylvester a mocking glance. "But thanks for the entertainment."
She walked out, laughing under her breath. The seller’s irritation flared as she turned back to Vanessa and Sylvester. "Do you have any idea how much business you just made me lose? You forced me to turn down a legit buyer, and you don’t even have money?"
Sylvester and Vanessa stood there, frozen in humiliation. They couldn't say anything. Then, without another word, they turned and walked out in shame.
.
.
.
"I need to visit the bank and know why the card is not going through." Sylvester said when they got back to the car.
"Do you think they blocked it?" Vanessa asked.
"I don't think so. Why will they block it? This is the first time I'm using it." Sylvester said and started the car.
Sylvester stormed into the bank while simmering his frustration beneath his carefully maintained composure. They had come, expecting a simple resolution. They were expecting a minor inconvenience at best, but as soon as they reached customer care, the reality hit them like a brick wall.
"I can’t use my card," Sylvester stated and placed it on the counter. "Why will you give me a card that doesn't work!"
The customer care took the card and ran a quick check on his account. "Your account is blocked." The young lady said, and Sylvester’s smug expression faltered. "Blocked?" He repeated. "Why?"
The customer care representative sighed and glanced up at him. "I don’t have the details, sir. You might need to speak with the manager."
Sylvester clenched his jaw in anger and turned to Vanessa, who rolled her eyes. "Fine. Let’s go."
They made their way upstairs, heading to the manager's office. They got to his door, and Sylvester knocked.
"Come in." They heard the manager and pushed the door open.
The manager looked up as they entered. They got to his desk, and Sylvester greeted him. "Good day, sir."
"Good day. Have a seat, please." The manager said, and they took their seat.
"How can I help you?" The manager asked, and Sylvester wasted no time. "My account is blocked. I want to know why."
The manager gestured for him to recite his account number even though he knew his problem. The manager had called Anabel to know her plan, and she told him to tell Sylvester that only she will resolve his problem.
Sylvester watched impatiently as the manager pulled up the details.
"Your account was flagged for suspicious transactions." He stated, and Sylvester stiffened. "Suspicious transactions? What are you talking about?"
The manager looked up at him and asked. "Where did you get the money, Mr. Sylvester? I mean, the five million dollars."
His heart skipped as the manger asked him that question, but he managed to comport himself.
"That’s none of your business." Sylvester replied, and the manager chuckled dryly and shook his head. "Technically, you’re right. It’s not my business. But the business of the person you took the money from."