Frozen Funds, Dead Consequences

Since reason would not work.

Since calling the police was useless.

Since even my husband could not be relied on.

Then don't blame me for losing my mind.

I rushed forward and grabbed the red fire extinguisher by the wall. The heavy metal canister felt ice-cold in my hands, just like my heart.

A wave of screams broke out around me as the crowd stumbled backward. Even the security guards went pale, clutching their batons without daring to come closer.

"What are you doing?! Put that down! Put it down right now!"

Carrying the extinguisher, I walked step by step toward the counter.

Through the glass, I locked eyes with Carmen. Terror was written all over her face.

"Carmen, I'll ask you one last time.

"Are you processing it or not?"

She clearly had not expected me to actually go this far. She shrank back instinctively, but her mouth was still stubborn.

"Y-you dare smash up a bank?

"That's a serious crime! You'll go to prison!

"Security! Call the police! Grab this crazy woman!"

"I'm not afraid of prison!" I screamed so hard my voice sounded like something crawling out of hell itself.

"If my mother dies, I'll drag every single one of you down with her!"

Bang!

I swung the fire extinguisher and smashed it hard against the bulletproof glass.

The deafening impact shook the entire lobby.

The glass did not shatter, but white cracks spread across the surface.

Carmen screamed and crouched down with her hands over her head, trembling uncontrollably.

The alarm grew even shriller, piercing through the entire building.

Just as I raised the extinguisher to strike again, an angry roar exploded from behind me.

"Stop! Jane, have you gone insane?!"

The door to the VIP room burst open.

Karl strode out, surrounded by a group of sharply dressed executives. His face was livid, fury practically pouring from his eyes.

Clearly, I had completely ruined his 'important meeting.'

He stormed over, snatched the extinguisher from my hands, then shoved me hard.

I staggered backward and slammed into the metal waiting chairs.

"Look at yourself!

"You're acting like a damn shrew!

"Showing up with police officers wasn't enough? Now you're smashing counters too?

"Do you have to destroy my reputation before you're satisfied?"

The moment Carmen saw Karl, she rushed out from behind the counter in tears and threw herself into his arms.

"Mr. Young... I was so scared...

"I was only following procedure, but she..."

Karl patted her back gently, his voice full of concern.

"It's okay. I'm here. No one's going to touch you."

But the second he turned toward me, his expression became razor sharp.

"Jane, apologize to Carmen.

"Right now. Immediately."

I pulled myself upright using the chair and suddenly laughed.

I laughed so hard tears came out.

"Apologize? You want me to apologize to her?

"Karl, look at the time.

"It's been twenty minutes since I called you.

"And fifty minutes since I walked into this bank.

"Do you even understand what that means?"

Karl waved his hand impatiently.

"Enough with the nonsense. You just want money, don't you?

"To buy your brother a house, you'd even pull a stunt like this?

"You even cursed my mother with a brain hemorrhage. How can you be this vicious?"

He pulled a bank card from his wallet and threw it at my face.

"There's five thousand on it. Take it and get out. Stop embarrassing yourself here."

The card scraped across my cheek before falling onto the floor with a sharp clatter.

At that exact moment, my phone rang again.

The ringtone sounded unbearably harsh in the dead silent lobby.

It was the hospital.

My hands trembled as I answered and turned on speakerphone.

The doctor's exhausted, grief-stricken voice echoed clearly throughout the hall.

"Ms. Nolan, we regret to inform you..."

"The patient, Helen Walter, suffered severe intracranial bleeding. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

"She was pronounced dead one minute ago.

"Please come to the hospital as soon as possible to process the death certificate."