From Zero To Trillions

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

"Honey," Sabrina said, her voice soft but sharp, "why don't we just forget about this mess? Let's have a good time tonight. We should go now." As she spoke, she moved closer to Kelvin, snuggling into his side. She then whispered something in his ear that Austin couldn't make out.

Kelvin smirked, a knowing look on his face. "You little sexy pine," he replied, his voice low and husky. "You can't wait to moan my name, can you?" His hand then went to Sabrina's backside, giving it a firm squeeze.

Sabrina let out a little laugh, clearly enjoying the attention. Kelvin then reached into his pocket and pulled out some American dollar bills. He carelessly tossed them towards Austin. "Hey, you! Instead of just sitting there like a dummy, why don't you actually earn your keep? Here's two thousand dollars. Go get us some drinks and you can keep whatever is left over."

"That's right," Sabrina added, a smug look on her face as she glanced at Austin. "You heard the man. Pick up the money and get us our drinks.”

Austin's eyes burned with a furious anger as he stared at the money lying on the floor. Kelvin had thrown it at him like he was some kind of servant.

He had been with Sabrina for four long years. Four years! And it seemed like today was the day he finally realized he never truly knew the woman he called his girlfriend. All that time, she had never even let him kiss her, let alone touch her like he pleased. But here she was, right in front of him, kissing a guy she had just started seeing.

And Kelvin! Kelvin had the nerve to throw money at him, treating him like he was worthless. It was a slap in the face, a deep insult.

Austin stayed still for what felt like forever. Kelvin's words hit him hard, like a heavy weight pushing him down. The bar went quiet, so quiet you could almost hear people breathing nervously nearby. He felt everyone looking at him, judging him. He could just imagine what they were thinking, the mean whispers that seemed to float all around him. And honestly, he couldn't even blame them. What had just happened looked pretty sad.

But the people staring didn't know the really sad part. It wasn't just that Kelvin had thrown him money, like he was some kind of servant, to buy them both super expensive wine– two hundred dollars a glass cup! No, the truly awful thing was that Austin was actually thinking about keeping the extra money.

If he took that leftover cash, he could finally pay all the bills that were piling up, the rent he owed that kept him awake at night.

Kelvin's voice cut through his thoughts, sharp and cruel. “Well? Are you just going to sit there like an idiot? Pick up the damn money and go get our drinks! Or are you planning on getting fired right now?” Kelvin smirked, a nasty, mocking smile that made Austin’s stomach clench.

Austin’s jaw tightened. Fire raged in his chest, hotter than any anger he’d ever felt. He wanted to scream, to grab Kelvin and wipe that smug look off his face. But something held him back.

He slowly rose to his feet, his gaze fixed intently on Sabrina. "Sabrina," he began, his voice carrying a weight of unspoken emotion, "I truly hope, with all my being, that you never come to regret the choice you've made today."

Sabrina's laughter was sharp and devoid of warmth. "Regret? What foolishness are you speaking of? Do you honestly believe for even a moment that I would ever look back with sadness at leaving a pathetic, penniless excuse for a man like you?" Her words hung in the air, cold and cruel.

Before Austin could respond, Kelvin stepped forward, his face a mask of fury. "How dare you speak to her in such a vile manner!" he roared at Austin. "Consider yourself finished here! I will personally ensure you never work here again!"

Austin took a long, steadying breath. His eyes flickered between Sabrina's dismissive smirk and Kelvin's enraged glare. Then, a strange calm settled over him. "Why don't you just get the drinks yourself, Kelvin?" he said, his voice surprisingly level. "Because I just quit." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving a stunned silence in his wake.

The moment Austin stepped out of the bustling bar and into the quiet of the evening, the carefully constructed composure he wore crumbled. He walked with heavy steps back to the cramped one-room apartment that had been his reality for far too long.

He tossed his worn bag onto the floor, the sound echoing in the small space. Then, a guttural cry escaped his lips, and he began to strike the wall with his fists, again and again. How could he have been so foolish? Why had he let his pride get in the way? He could have just swallowed his anger, served the drinks, pocketed the extra cash – money he desperately needed to pay off his mounting debts. Now, he was jobless and still trapped in the same suffocating financial hole. Despair washed over him, heavy and suffocating.

He fell heavily onto his bed, the memories of Sabrina crashing over him like a stormy sea. Their promises, once whispered with such heat and feeling, now echoed in his mind as cruel jokes. He remembered the day he first saw her, a sweet and gentle girl he'd rescued after a terrible accident. He'd even given his own blood to save her life. After that, they were always together, Sabrina his constant support.

But then, three years ago, everything had started to shift. He'd pushed himself to the limit, working every job he could find to pay for her university fees. As she met new people, a coldness had begun to creep into her eyes, her words. He'd felt it, a growing unease, but he'd never imagined she could be so heartless, so brutal, as she was at the bar tonight, breaking him into pieces with her words.

It wasn't the first time he'd been hurt by those he loved. Even as a child, life had been unfair. His mother had died giving birth to him, and his father, a respected man in business (though not as wealthy as the powerful Kelvin family), had raised him with love. But when Austin turned sixteen, his father fell gravely ill and passed away. Suddenly, the rest of the Parker family saw him as nothing but an unwanted burden. They'd cast him out, forcing him to survive on his own.

To keep a roof over his head and pay for his own studies, Austin had taken any work he could find, no matter how backbreaking or dirty. He'd spend his days at a bakery, cleaning and scrubbing, then rush off to care for elderly people. And when night fell, he'd work at a noisy bar, the smell of spilled drinks and loud laughter clinging to his clothes, all to earn enough to simply exist

"Beep!"

The sudden sound of a message broke the heavy silence in his small room. Austin didn't want to look at his phone, didn't want to face the world, but then another "Beep!" pierced the quiet.

With a frustrated groan, he ran his hands through his messy hair and finally picked up the device, giving it a quick, uninterested glance. But as his eyes focused on the message, his breath hitched. His face twisted in utter disbelief.

"Your account ending with 0894 has been credited with $7,000,000,000."

"Account: 004****894"

"DT: 12\02/2025 9:30:40PM"

"CR Amt: 7,000,000,000."

"Bal: 7,000,000,000."

"Seven... seven billion?" Austin whispered, his voice barely audible. A weak chuckle escaped his lips. "This has to be some kind of sick joke." First the scam calls, now this ridiculous message.

He stared at the unbelievable numbers on the screen, his mind refusing to accept what his eyes were showing him. But just then, a sharp knock! knock! knock! echoed from his door.