Chapter 3 - The Illusory Hero
At 2:00 AM, in the VIP lounge of the Golden Palms Casino, Arthur was feeling like a king.
He leaned back in his leather chair, a glass of aged whiskey in one hand, tossing a stack of hundred-dollar chips onto the green felt table.
Sitting beside him was his younger sister, Sienna, wearing a flashy red dress she couldn't afford, her face flushed with alcohol. Across from them sat their mother, Brenda, who was proudly patting Arthur’s arm as if he were a war hero returning from a victorious battle.
"I'm telling you, Arthur, you saved my life," Sienna giggled, taking a sip of her cocktail. "Those debt collectors were serious! They said if I didn't have the twenty-three grand by midnight, they were going to break my legs."
"Family comes first, Sienna," Arthur said pompously, swirling his whiskey. "I told you I’d handle it."
"Though I still can't believe Melanie made such a big scene about it," Brenda huffed, rolling her eyes. "Screaming on the floor like she was dying! Women give birth every day in the countryside without any fancy twenty-three-thousand-dollar surgeries. She’s just spoiled because of her mother’s pretentious background."
Arthur scoffed, taking a big gulp of his drink. "She’s not spoiled—she’s weak. She spent six months slaving away over those freelance graphic design contracts, hiding that money in her private account as if I wouldn't find out. She actually thought she could spend twenty-three grand on a luxury birth suite just because some doctor gave her a mild warning."
"Did she keep calling you?" Sienna asked, laying her head on Arthur’s shoulder.
"She called three times right after I left," Arthur smirked, pulling out his phone to show the missed calls. "I put her on mute. Let her sit at the public clinic for a few hours. It’ll teach her some humility. Tomorrow morning, I'll swing by the county hospital, pay a couple hundred bucks for a basic ward admission, and play the loving husband. She’ll be so relieved to see me she won't even mention the money again."
"You're such a smart man, Arthur," Brenda beamed. "A real head of the household. It’s about time you put that girl in her place."
Just then, Arthur’s phone vibrated in his hand.
It wasn't a call from me. It was an email notification from the human resources department of his company, Apex Regional Distribution.
Arthur frowned, tapping the screen.
[URGENT NOTICE: IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION OF EMPLOYMENT AND SYSTEM ACCESS]
Dear Mr. Arthur Vance-Pendleton,
Please be advised that as of 01:30 AM, your employment as Senior Regional Manager at Apex Regional Distribution has been suspended pending an emergency internal financial audit. Your corporate access credentials, company vehicle authorization, and corporate credit cards have been deactivated with immediate effect.
Please report to Executive Office Building A at 08:00 AM sharp for a formal interview.
Arthur’s face paled slightly. "What the hell?"
"What is it, sweetie?" Brenda asked, noticing his sudden change in expression.
"It's... it's work," Arthur muttered, his brow furrowing. "Some automated system glitch suspended my corporate account."
Before he could process the email, another notification flashed on his screen—this one from his primary bank, Chase Commercial.
[ACCOUNT ALERT: ALL PERSONAL AND JOINT ACCOUNTS FROZEN BY COURT ORDER]
Arthur nearly dropped his whiskey glass. "What?!"
He frantically opened his banking app.
Checking Account Balance: FROZEN ($0.00)
Savings Account Balance: FROZEN ($0.00)
Primary Credit Line: REVOKED
"What’s wrong, Arthur?" Sienna asked, her tone suddenly laced with anxiety. "Did something happen to the money?"
"My... my bank accounts are frozen," Arthur stammered, a bead of cold sweat running down his temple. "Both of them! Even my private personal account!"
"How is that possible?!" Brenda gasped. "Did Melanie do something?!"
"No! How could she?" Arthur yelled, panic finally bleeding into his voice. "She’s at home or in some public emergency room in labor! She doesn't have the power to freeze bank accounts! She doesn't even have a lawyer!"
At that exact moment, two heavy-set security guards wearing the dark suits of the Golden Palms Casino stepped up to their VIP table.
"Mr. Arthur Pendleton?" the head guard asked, his voice cold and unyielding.
"Yes? Who are you?" Arthur snapped, trying to regain his dominant posture.
"Your house account credit guarantee has just been revoked by Vance Global Logistics," the guard stated flatly. "Your current VIP lounge tab stands at three thousand four hundred dollars. How will you be paying tonight, sir?"
Arthur’s breath hitched. "Vance Global Logistics? Why would... my mother-in-law's company..."
"We need a credit card now, sir," the guard stepped closer, his physical presence instantly intimidating Arthur. "Or we call the police for theft of services."
Arthur frantically pulled out his wallet, tossing three different credit cards onto the table. "Try these! Try all of them!"
The guard swiped the first card through a mobile reader.
DECLINED.
He swiped the second.
DECLINED.
The third.
DECLINED.
"Mom... Sienna... give me your cards!" Arthur yelled, his voice rising in high-pitched panic.
"I... I don't have any money on mine!" Sienna squeaked, backing away. "You know my accounts are maxed out!"
"My card is tied to your joint family account, Arthur!" Brenda whimpered.
The head guard nodded to his partner. "Escort them to the back holding room and call the precinct. We have a fraud case."
As the heavy hands of the casino security guards grabbed Arthur’s shoulders, dragging him away from the gaming table while his mother and sister screamed in embarrassment, Arthur’s mind spun out of control.
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He had thought he was the master chess player, manipulating his wife, stealing her money, and playing the grand benefactor for his family.
He had no idea that the real master of the game had just taken her first turn.
