Chapter 3 - Declined
I didn't leave the airport. I wanted to watch. I needed to see the exact moment his reality shattered. I walked over to the VIP lounge balcony, ordering a black coffee from a nearby vendor. I stood by the railing, completely hidden in plain sight. Down at the check-in desk, the agent was scanning Jack's passport. Then, she asked for the credit card to cover the baggage fees and luxury taxes for their European trip. Jack handed her his sleek, heavy metal black card. The one he loved to flash at restaurants. The one I paid the bill for every month.
The agent swiped it. She looked at her screen, frowning. She swiped it again. "I'm sorry, sir," the agent said, her voice carrying up to me. "This card is declining." "That's impossible," Jack snapped. "Run it again. Or manually enter the number." She did. "Still declined, Dr. Walker. Do you have another form of payment?" Jack aggressively pulled out a different card. A gold one. Declined. He pulled out a blue one. Declined. His hands were visibly trembling now.
The blonde woman crossed her arms. "Jack, what is going on?" she asked, her sugary voice turning sharp. "Nothing, Chloe, just a banking glitch," he lied. Even now, he was lying. Carol stepped forward, looking utterly offended. "Well, just call your bank, Jack! Don't let this woman embarrass us in front of everyone." He pulled out his phone again. He wasn't calling his bank. He was calling me. My phone buzzed. I watched him hold his phone to his ear, his eyes scanning the terminal wildly. He looked like a trapped animal. I let it go to voicemail.
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Suddenly, Ashley's phone rang loudly. She answered it, looking annoyed. "Hello? Who is this?" I watched her expression shift from irritation to sheer confusion. "What do you mean, property management? What lease violation?" She paused, her mouth falling open. "Seventy-two hours to vacate? Are you insane? I've lived there for three years!" Carol turned to her daughter. "Ashley, what's wrong?" Before Ashley could answer, Carol's own phone chimed with an email notification. Carol pulled her reading glasses from her designer purse. She looked at her screen. She gasped, clutching her chest. "My house..." Carol whispered. "The bank... they're calling in the mortgage in full. Today."
Panic was spreading like a virus among them. The perfect family vacation was disintegrating before they even made it past security. Chloe, sensing the chaos, took a step back. She looked at Jack, who was frantically swiping through his phone, trying to access his bank apps. His face was pale, slick with sweat. Every account was locked. Every asset was frozen. The life he had stolen from me was actively dissolving in his hands. He looked up, desperate. And for a brief, fleeting second, his eyes scanned the upper level. He didn't see me. But I saw him. I raised my coffee cup in a silent toast. Bon voyage, Jack.
