Robert McAfee; The New Student Trillionaire

Chapter 4

“Can you imagine this pauper trying to wear a Rolex watch while he can't even afford his school fees? How delusional!”David told his brother who was laughing so hard at Robert's situation.

The whole mall stopped to watch while some people brought out their phones to make content, others were muttering within themselves about Robert's situation “ I wish this guy had just stayed within his class” one passerby said but her friend responded “Can't he buy expensive things if he has the money to do so.”

“ I don't think that he's here to buy the watch but to steal it “Bucky yelled after overhearing the conversation between the shoppers.

 The mall crowd let out a loud “Ahhhhhh”

Robert was so embarrassed by the whole scene created by the Orlando twins but he didn't say a word.

Clara got to the scene as soon as she heard the commotion

“I saw this watch first and I want to buy it but this…

Whatever he's called, is trying to intimidate me to drop it, “ Bucky complained to Clara as he tried to drag the watch from Robert.

There was a struggle between the Orlando twins and Robert over the watch but they snatched the watch from Robert and the mall staff- Clara supported them.

Clara turned to Robert and asked “ do you know how much this watch cost!” 

Looking at how poor Robert looked she doubted if he could even afford the watch.

Robert was angry; he didn’t like the way the mall staff, Clara, had spoken to him. By this time, the school social media platform was already buzzing up, people were commenting, liking, and following the scene. The Orlando twins were getting the attention they wanted.

“Now the Twine group will notice them for sure.” Bucky said to himself. 

David raised his voice. “Everyone here knows who Robert Hyman is. The guy who couldn’t pay tuition last semester. The guy who almost dropped out. He’s a scammer and a con-man. That’s what he is, and he can't buy that watch, he is only here to steal it.”

Robert was angry and said “I can afford the watch,” he said slowly. “I could afford to buy the most expensive watch in this entire store if I wanted to.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

Even Clara hesitated.

The mall became very quiet and everyone looked at themselves surprised by the bold statement Robert just made.

Just then, David snorted, breaking the silence. 

“Let's allow this so-called rich kid, pay for the watch.” David told his brother with hopes that they would ridicule Robert a bit.

““No, no,” Bucky added, eyes gleaming. “Don’t let him off the hook with that watch. He said he could afford the most expensive. Let’s see him prove it.”

Clara looked unsure. “That would be the Audemars Piguet Royal Eagle... Costing a hundred and fifty million.”

Robert took a deep breath.

He knew that the Orlando twins had deceitful plans so he said” I am not buying the watch again. Since you guys want it do badly then you should get it” 

Robert was irritated by their behaviour and dropped the watch and turned to leave but he was interrupted again by Bucky who insisted that he must buy it.

Clara also highlighted that according to the store policy, once an item is removed from the shelf, it must be bought by the person that removed it.

 The mall lit up with voices chanting for Robert to buy the most expensive watch. This was a more expensive watch from a different brand, costing about a hundred and fifty million dollars, over five times the amount of the first watch. Bucky asked the mall attendant to get the watch from the shelf, and in no time, the attendant, Clara, was holding the watch in front of Robert.

“Fine,” he said.

Clara’s lips parted in shock. “Excuse me?”

“I’ll buy it.”

The crowd gasped. The noise of phones snapping pictures grew louder.

Bucky’s laughter erupted. “Yes! Let him embarrass himself.”

Clara vanished behind the glass counters and returned with a velvet case. Inside, the Royal Eagle gleamed with quiet menace—diamond-encrusted, its silver frame slick like liquid light. She placed it gently on the counter.

This was no simple watch; one look at it, and anyone could tell that the price of the watch was quite expensive. 

“Card?” Clara asked, trying to suppress her sneer.

Robert pulled his black card from his back pocket.

That stopped everything.

The mall gasped because a black card was no ordinary card and only those whose net worth surpasses three hundred billion dollars had this card. 

Even David’s mouth hung open for a second.

“A... black card?” Clara repeated, swallowing.

Robert handed it over.

She hesitated—unsure, perhaps doubting it was real—but eventually swiped it on the terminal. 

The machine beeped. But this was an unfamiliar sound; the spectators wondered within themselves, “maybe this was the sound the machine made whenever a black card was used on it.”someone commented. 

But just then, Clara spoke. She informed Robert that his transaction was unsuccessful, as the machine read transaction failed. 

She scoffed, louder now. “Sir, I think this card is either fake or stolen.”

“What?” Robert whispered.

Clara snapped her fingers. “Security!”

A pair of uniformed guards stepped forward from the side.

“Wait…” Robert began, but David cut in.

“Told you all. He’s a fraud. I knew someone like him couldn’t pull it off.”

Robert’s eyes widened; he asked her to swipe it again, his thoughts running wild. Could it be, could he have been dreaming, was this all an illusion.

The attendant swiped the card once again, and it still made the same sound: Transaction Unsuccessful. 

“Security, get this thief out of here” Clara ordered the security to throw Robert out.

But just before the security could lay hands on him, a voice called out from the crowd. 

“What's going on?” The mall manager asked, a stern, dark-skinned woman in a navy suit, strode forward.

Clara, eager, turned toward her. “madam, he tried to use a black card. Failed transaction. I believe he’s stolen it. He was also harassing our customers…”

The manager lifted a finger. “Let me see the card.”

Clara handed it over, and as soon as the manager saw the surface, her eyes narrowed.

“Did you use the premium terminal?”

Clara blinked. “N-no… I used the standard one.”

“You fool.” The manager spun on her heels and retrieved a sleek, black device from the backroom. 

This time the manager took the card from Clara and swiped it in the premium terminal and a familiar beep echoed through the mall.

The transaction was successful.

 Clara shivered because she had disrespected an exclusive customer because of his dressing and this would cost her job.

The hall was now quiet again. 

“Was Robert a billionaire?

how did he get his hands on a black card and was he really able to pay for a hundred and fifty million dollar watch without shaking”. The Orlando twins argued that it couldn’t have been Robert who made the payment. 

Just then, the mall manager handed over the card and receipt to Robert.

The manager handed the receipt and card to Robert, bowing slightly. “Apologies, sir. Our staff should have been more careful.”

David stared in disbelief. “No way…”

Robert tucked the card into his wallet and slid the watch onto his wrist. It fit perfectly.

But Bucky wasn’t done.

“That card—what’s the name on it?”

He snatched the receipt from the manager’s hand and read it out loud:

 “Edward Jones.”

He burst into laughter. “See?! It’s not even in his name! He is a thief!”

The crowd broke into jeers.

“Thief!”

“Liar!”

The echoes of the hall were too loud and the manager had no choice but to confirm the card details herself.

Surprisingly, she saw the name on the receipt and slapped Robert loudly and threatened him that she would call the police to pick up the thief in their midst.

The hall manager brought out her phone in order to call the police number when she was interrupted by Bucky who suggested that she call Mr Edward Jones to the mail to deal with the criminal so that way, he would owe the mail a favour other than being owed a favour from the police.

 “ Yes, let's call the owner. The man named on the card—Mr. Edward Jones. He’ll deal with this properly. That way, we avoid bad press. I heard he worked for the ultimate family.”

The manager hesitated… then nodded. “Fine. Call him. But keep him in my office until we get answers.”

Two guards flanked Robert, who stood still, stunned by the slap, the humiliation, the judgment painted on every face around him.

 He could still hear the laughter as he was escorted past the crowd—some sneering, others wide-eyed with their phones out.

“ I am sorry for all the inconvenience Mr David and Mr Bucky” the manager said to the Orlando twins.

“That's fine, just pack the Rolex for me before he tries to steal what I want again” the Orlando twins requested 

Clara beamed. “Right away, sir.” as she immediately packaged the Rolex and handed it over to the twins.

The manager apologised for the whole inconvenience caused by Robert and assured them that he would be punished accordingly.

Shortly after the Orlando twins left, Meanwhile, in her office, the mall manager dialed

a private number. It rang once before connecting.

“This is Cynthia Blake, manager at Mavis Mall. Mr. Edward… I believe your black card has been stolen. We caught the thief.”