REAL OR FAKE?

Elvis could understand that it was Leslie who gave the security such an instruction. 

It was getting dark, almost 8 p.m. Elvis needed a place to rest his head until the next morning. He tried calling his closest friend and colleague at Toner Associates, but he couldn't reach him on the phone.

He walked up to the company where he was yet to be sacked, if he would be given a place to lay his head for the night. After all, he still worked for them.

After walking down the road, he arrived at Jensen's Company.

Mr Klein, what are you doing here at this time of the night?" the gatekeeper asked.

Even though Elvis was a familiar face in the company and known as a cleaner, he wasn't expected to be seen around the company premises at that time of the night.

Mr. Jones, please, I need a place to sleep for the night. Can I sleep in the company's lounge until dawn?"

"No, please. I was told not to let anyone in after the working hours."

"But I work here, and you know me well. I just need a place to sleep for the night; that's all." Elvis tried to explain.

"Wait a minute, don't you have a house?! Or from where do you come to work every day?" The gateman asked, looking at Elvis suspiciously.

"I was sent out by my wife," Elvis tried to explain.

"That sounds ridiculous. It means your wife has been the one providing housing for you all this time. Oh... what a stony-broke man," the gatekeeper remarked sarcastically, shaking his head.

"Don't insult me, fool. You're no better than me," Elvis snapped as he walked away, feeling tired and frustrated. Now, the whole world seemed to be against him.

"God, isn't it better that I die now? What the hell am I living for?! My life is utterly useless!" Elvis screamed in the dark with tears rolling down his cheeks.

He thought of how he had been treated, all because he was poor. He flashed back to how he had been humiliated and sent out of Mr. Dwayne's party like a madman. He also thought of how the Dwayne family had always mocked him.

As if that wasn't enough, Leslie had brought a man into their matrimonial room without feeling any sense of remorse.

He felt depressed and devastated as he burst into bitter tears. The whole world seemed to be against him. He dragged his feet by the roadside until he finally found a place to lay his head till dawn.

Not too long after, the rain started to fall heavily. It rained heavily that night and Elvis was severely drenched by the rain.

He cried bitterly, wondering why life was so cruel.

At 6:00 a.m. Elvis was awakened by his phone ringing. He glanced at it and noticed that the call was from an unknown number.

He reluctantly picked it up, not in the mood for any conversations. "Hello," Elvis managed to say.

"Hello, young master. I am Hansen Young, the special assistant of Mr Klein Paul, the sole owner and director of The Grand Empire."

"What?"

The Grand Empire was a big outfit that owned several large companies and investments in Rockview City and Elvis wondered why he was being contacted by the Special Assistant of such a big empire.

"Young Master, your Uncle, Mr Klein requests for your presence."

Intrigued, Elvis was speechless. He did not even know that he had an Uncle somewhere.

He was brought up in the orphanage since his parents died when he was just two years old.

Confused and curious, Elvis asked the caller why his uncle wanted to see him.

The middle-aged man paused for a moment before replying, "Young Master, I'm sorry, but I cannot disclose the details over the phone.

However, I assure you that it is of utmost importance."

Intrigued yet wary, Elvis reluctantly agreed to meet his uncle.

As soon as he ended the call, a notification popped up on his screen, causing his eyes to widen in shock. It was a message stating that one billion dollars would be deposited into his bank account as soon as his bank account detail was sent.

"How on earth can this be true? I'm sure this must be some kind of joke!" He thought.

He didn't have a bank account yet because he had never had any reason to handle huge amounts of money. His salaries were usually paid to him by hand.

Before he could fully comprehend the situation, his phone rang again. It was the stranger from before.

"Mr Elvis, I apologize for the confusion, but the text message you just received is true. You would be sent 90% of the value of sales acquired by the Klein family in a month, from one of their major investments in Rockview City - The Brand," the stranger explained.

"Your Uncle is currently in charge of The Grand Empire, and 'The Brand' is one of the companies under it, so he asked me to send 1 billion dollars to your account. All I'm waiting for is your account details."

Elvis was dumbfounded. He felt he was in a dream he would soon wake up from. He tried to rub his eyes and tap himself but it was sure that he was in the real world.

The Brand was a prestigious development project in Rockview City that had been making headlines for its remarkable success. How could he not have known all this time that he was from a wealthy family?" He thought to himself.

And why was his uncle just reaching out to him and acting so generous, after all these years? What did he want in return? Elvis wondered.

"I'll send it to you," Elvis managed to say.

"Okay, then. Mr Klein will be expecting to see you at his house by 4 pm today. I'll be sending you his house description as soon as I end this call.

Before I forget, he asked you to go and check The Elites' Estate on Berkeley Street. You now own the estate and you could go over to inspect it, before seeing him in the evening. Please, do have a nice day." Then the call ended.

Within a short while, Elvis received a message with his Uncle's house description. He was overwhelmed with mixed emotions upon hearing what his Uncle's special assistant had told him.

Only the very wealthy in Rockview City lived in the Elites' Estate. Many rich people couldn't afford a house there. To believe that he now owned it felt more like a dream.

Elvis also thought about the 1 billion dollars cash promised him, so he picked up his bag and rushed to the bank to open an account.

On one hand, he felt grateful for his uncle's generosity and kindness.

On the other hand, he couldn't help but wonder if this was just a way to distract him from his troubles or gain something from him in the future.

Nonetheless, he decided to open an account to see if the money promised him was real or fake.