Chapter 5

This company was nothing but a shell, set up by Ethan and Jenny to scam their way into high-limit credit cards.

They faked employment and income documents, scamming the bank out of a 1.7 million credit line.

It was straight-up credit card fraud. It was a serious crime.

My heart was pounding like crazy in my chest.

This wasn't simply some petty family squabble, or them sponging off me, or scheming for my retirement fund.

This was two reckless maniacs, pulling me down into the abyss right along with them.

I forced myself to stay calm and kept going through the statements.

Every horrifying charge felt like a sharp blade, scraping at my nerves.

The first big charge came three days after the card was opened.

It was a 200-thousand POS transaction.

The merchant was Regalis Grand Hotel.

My breath caught in my throat.

Regalis? Gambling. The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning.

There was more.

Almost every few days, there was another big international charge, each one for tens of thousands.

Every single charge was made in Regalis or Las Luces.

Mixed in were a few online wire transfers, each for hundreds of thousands.

The payees were all listed as tech companies.

I'd been around money all my life. I knew exactly what these transactions meant.

It was a bottomless online gambling platform.

Ethan was going all in.

In three months, he burned through every last cent of that 1.7 million credit line.

But that wasn't all. I also noticed a few "credit card payback" records.

For a brief moment, Ethan actually won some money and managed to pay off a bit of the debt.

But it didn't last. Soon, even bigger amounts vanished, and the debt kept snowballing.

By the end, all that remained was a chilling, negative 1.7 million staring back at me.

Ethan was at the end of his rope.

What would a gambler do when he had lost it all?

He would pawn everything he owned, from household stuff and valuables to the house and the car, and in the end, even his own family, trying to fill that bottomless pit.

I was the last and the biggest target left.

My 700 thousand in savings was the only thing he saw as his lifeline.

When he handed me this maxed-out credit card, his intentions couldn't have been more obvious.

If I so much as checked the balance, he could flip the script and accuse me of stealing his card, or claim all those gambling debts were mine.

He could even fake evidence and frame me as the real gambling addict.

Then, the bank's collectors would be after me, and legal summonses would come pouring in like snowflakes.

I was only a powerless retiree. How could I possibly fight back against them?

My 700 thousand would be wiped out in a flash, frozen and drained. My house would be foreclosed and auctioned off.

I'd be driven to ruin, my name dragged through the mud, and left with absolutely nothing.

Meanwhile, Ethan and Jenny could slip out unscathed, leaving me holding the bag for all the debt and branding me the villain.

What a ruthless, twisted chain of traps.

I closed the browser and printed out all the bills and company registration info. Three sets in total.

I put each set into a separate sealed bag.

I stared out at the pitch-black night, with all fear drained from my eyes, leaving only a calm as cold as ice.

They wanted money, didn't they?

Alright. I would give them a chance to take it.

That would be, if they lived to spend it.

*****

The next morning, I got up early.

I didn't go for my usual morning walk in the park.

I took extra care with my appearance, slipping into a dark, elegant dress that made me look steady and dignified.

I applied a light touch of makeup, enough to look refreshed, but with a hint of fatigue and concern between my brows.

Then I dialed Jenny's number.

The phone rang for a long time before she finally picked up.

Her voice came through, full of impatience. "Hello? What do you want?"

She sounded so cold, like she was talking to a total stranger.

My heart didn't sting anymore.

I sniffled, my voice trembling and choked with emotion. "Jenny. It's Mom. I've been thinking all night, and I was wrong.

"I shouldn't have lost my temper with you, and I really shouldn't have hidden things from you."

My voice was full of regret and vulnerability.

The line went quiet.

Jenny was obviously surprised by how suddenly I'd changed.