Chapter 2 - The Uncashed Check
I was eating a cold turkey sandwich in the basement breakroom two hours later when the door swung open.
Standing in the doorway, flanked by two massive security guards, was Victoria Sterling. She had washed her face, and her pristine corporate mask was back in place, but her eyes were still red.
"Mr. Vance," she said, her voice steady.
I stood up, wiping my hands on a paper towel. "Ma'am. Is the boy alright?"
"He's asleep in my private suite," she said, stepping into the dingy room. She gestured to the guards, who stepped back into the hall and closed the door. We were alone.
Victoria walked over to the cheap folding table and slid a piece of paper across the laminate surface.
It was a cashier's check. Made out to Arthur Vance. For exactly $1,000,000.
"I keep my promises, Arthur," she said. "The experts told me he needed to be institutionalized today. You brought him back in three minutes. Take it."
I looked at the check. A million dollars. It would pay off my mortgage. It would secure Marcus's specialized care for the rest of his life. It was life-changing money.
I picked up the check, folded it precisely in half, and handed it back to her.
Victoria looked stunned. "Is it not enough? Do you want stock options? A promotion?"
"I don't want your money, Mrs. Sterling," I said quietly, sitting back down. "I didn't calm your son down for a bounty. I did it because I'm a father. And thirty years ago, when my son was screaming in a grocery store, a stranger sat on the floor with him and hummed until he could breathe again. I'm just paying off a debt."
Victoria stared at me, the check trembling in her hand. For the first time in her life, the billionaire CEO had met a problem she couldn't buy her way out of, and a man she couldn't purchase.
May you like
"Who are you, Arthur Vance?" she whispered.
"I'm the guy who fixes the plumbing," I smiled gently. "Now, if you'll excuse me, the third-floor toilets are acting up."
