A Bank Clerk Mocked Me for Being Poor—Then My Son Asked, 'Will Withdrawing 8 Billion End This?

I take it that you are a single parent. You probably don't have a lot of money. All right, just wait your turn.

Back up, back up. Upon observing that I was a single parent, the bank staff treated my son Tyler and me with contempt when we went to take out some cash. We were then forced to wait for hours, which made the situation worse.

"If we withdraw the 8 billion we have deposited, we could shut this place down," right? Tyler said in a whisper. Just as I was about to lose my rage, we both smiled mischievously at that.

"This shirt is my name. I live with my husband, Rick, and our recently kindergarten-age son, Tyler. When we were in college, I got to know Rick.

I was studying for law school at the time; Rick, a student at T University’s medical school, was likewise occupied with his clinical rotations. We both went to a singles party to take a break from our studies, but we had no idea how this chance meeting would shape our lives. That day, we clicked and exchanged numbers.

We were studying together at the library by the following week. The tuition was reasonable because my university was a national one; however, I wanted to take the bar exam, so I needed to save money for law school. Rick's wallet wasn't exactly full because he was too occupied with medical school to work much part-time.

The majority of our dates were studying at the library or each other's houses, with the occasional lunch break in between. However, I treasured each day I had with Rick. It was four years later when I passed the bar exam in my last year of law school.

Additionally, Rick passed his medical licensing exam. After our training sessions ended, we were married. We were both working for a while: him as a doctor and me as a new lawyer.

We couldn't even keep our house organized because of how demanding our careers were; it was a mess all the time. I wanted to provide healthy meals for Rick, but I was unable to do it with my job alone. Our trash bags were frequently stuffed with empty lunchboxes and frozen food packages.

Rick never complained, regardless of how much I neglected the housework. He was too busy to assist, though Rick had to work nights as a doctor, while I didn't frequently stay up all night. We seemed to have been running together since our days of rigorous study.

We were fortunate to have a child ten years into our marriage. "We don't want you to quit," said the legal firm where I worked. "Even if you are on leave, we will continue to pay your lawyer registration fees.

Please return after child care is under control. " But Rick also hoped for this, deeply engrossed in his arduous work. I therefore made the decision to halt my legal profession.

I stayed in the law firm until my cases were resolved; after that, time began to pass shockingly slowly. At last, I could concentrate on Rick, our house, and our soon-to-be kid. Our lives changed from being busy to having time to take care of our home.

Our child was born, and we named him Tyler. Tyler was a bright kid. By the age of two, he could read and write all the letters in the alphabet.

By the time he started kindergarten, he could read an analog clock and would start reading the news on the computer with Rick. On our way to and from kindergarten, he would explain the news to me. I was astonished by his rapid growth, but Rick just smiled and said, "I think it's normal.

" According to Rick's mom, Rick was the same as a child. Perhaps the peak of my life was those peaceful years spent as a stay-at-home mom, raising young Tyler by Rick's side. When Tyler was five, in winter, our family went skiing.

It was a beautiful sunny morning, perfect for skiing, but in the evening, just as we were about to head home, the weather turned bad. As we were hurrying back, Rick said, "I see something like a hat in the snow off the course. Someone might have fallen; I'll go check.

" I had a bad feeling, but knowing Rick, who worked in emergency medicine and always put saving lives first, he couldn't just ignore it if someone was in trouble. So, I didn't stop him. If only I had insisted he stay, but it's too late for regrets now.

As Rick approached the snow pile, a fierce blizzard hit, blocking our view. I was doing my best to protect Tyler in my arms, and when our vision cleared, Rick was nowhere to be seen. The rescue team arrived quickly, but Rick, who had lost his breath and body warmth to the snow, had already passed away.

I couldn't even cry under the fearfully blue winter sky; they had cleared again. I stood frozen, holding Tyler. Rick, who had just been laughing and skiing with us, was no longer there.

All the memories from when we met until now raced through my mind like a flickering slideshow. Rick was earnest, intelligent, and always straightforward. In front of my stunned self, Tyler did not cry.

"Dad tried to help the person who lost their hat," right in front of the lost hat. Five-year-old Tyler understood everything. "Yes, he did try to help," I whispered, lost for words.

I was tightly hugged by Tyler. "Mom, I will help you. I will protect you.

" From then on, a huge void opened in my heart. Tyler, true to his words, stayed by my side, smiling, helping out with his little hands, and gently asking, "Are you okay, Mom? " He tried his best to protect me, but I realized that it was my responsibility to truly protect young Tyler now, without Rick, who was always with us.

It's my duty. To protect Tyler, this realization filled me with an indescribable fear of the unknown future. Rick, having been a doctor, left us with some inheritance, but Tyler was only 5 years old.

I couldn't predict how much money would be needed in the future. Considering his intelligence, he might want to become a doctor like Rick, but the inheritance wouldn't cover the cost of medical school. I wished I could immediately return to working as a lawyer, but balancing a full-time job while raising young Tyler seemed daunting.

I wanted to at least work part-time to earn some living expenses, but my health had deteriorated since Rick's passing, making even that impossible. I felt anxious seeing our savings account dwindling day by day. "Don't worry, Mom.

I will protect you. I'll grow up fast, and it's all going to be okay. " Tyler's reassuring hugs were my only solace.

Since he quickly read through any book I gave him, constantly buying new ones would be expensive. So, we frequented the local library, allowing him to read plenty of books. By the time Tyler graduated from kindergarten, he had become proficient in writing foreign languages typically learned in high school.

Learning foreign languages expanded the range of books he could read. Tyler, devouring books of all genres, had become much more knowledgeable in various subjects than I, who only knew about the law. Amid a life at rock bottom, having lost my loving husband and with no one to rely on, Tyler's growth was the only ray of light.

Years passed, and Tyler turned nine. His passion for reading books remained unchanged, but there was a big change in my life. When Tyler entered fourth grade, I returned to work as a lawyer.

I had always loved my job and had a decade of experience from my 20s, working tirelessly. A month after returning, I got back into the swing of things and was able to handle my work. By this time, my health, which had often faltered since losing Rick, had finally stabilized, and the nightmares that woke me up in the middle of the night had lessened.

Still, balancing my job as a lawyer with household chores was challenging. I was barely managing the bare minimum, like preparing meals and doing laundry for Tyler. I had no time for myself; my makeup routine was just hurriedly applying foundation in the office bathroom in the morning.

At night, I often fell asleep without removing my makeup, and my wardrobe was limited to suits for work and a few old casual clothes, making me look much older than I was. I even declined a college reunion invitation, feeling embarrassed about my current state. I returned home with a heavy heart that day.

When I opened the door, I found Tyler sitting in front of a brand new computer, his eyes sparkling. "Tyler, what's with the computer? " I asked.

"I won this! Remember the quiz show I participated in on TV? I kept it a secret until the broadcast, but I won, and this computer was the prize.

Cool, right? " "You won! You should have told me sooner!

That's amazing, Tyler, just like your dad! " I hugged Tyler, who was sparkling with excitement. This computer marked the beginning of a new phase in Tyler's life.

A year had passed since he received the computer as a prize from the quiz competition. Since that day, Tyler spent almost all his time at home on the computer. At first, I helped him with the operations, but that was only for a day or two.

Then he started buying specialized books from bookstores, rapidly absorbing knowledge. He was always quick at reading, and now that I was working, I could afford to buy him many books. Tyler's study desk quickly became filled with books on programming languages.

I had only focused on law, so I knew nothing about computer development languages like Java or C++. Seeing Tyler so immersed and shining in this field made him seem almost otherworldly to me, as if he wasn't my own child. "Rick, Tyler seems to have inherited your knack for the sciences," I caught myself talking to the night sky sometimes.

Tyler would even read my old college books, thinking about his future. I no longer felt the terror I had right after losing Rick. Tyler would carve his own strong path in life and society; I was sure of it.

Every year on Rick's death anniversary, we always visited his grave, and this year was no different. While walking to the bank to withdraw money for Tyler's new computer, a man suddenly bumped into me from behind, causing me to nearly lose my balance and fall. The man was wearing an unusually glossy long coat and had a tacky, oversized watch that he was flaunting.

He then callously threw a comment over his shoulder, "Move it, you're in the way! " "What the—" I almost blurted out a complaint but held back, remembering that today was Rick's death anniversary. I wanted to avoid any trouble or foul language.

"Mom, are you okay? " Tyler asked, coming over. I hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, I'm fine. How about you, Tyler? That must have startled you.

" "Yeah, maybe that man was in a hurry, but I can't forgive him for bumping into Mom. " "Oh, you're so kind, Tyler, but don't worry, I'm okay. " "Welcome!

How may I assist you today? " When we arrived at the bank, we were greeted with such a warm smile that it blew away the unpleasant feelings from earlier. The receptionist, Cindy, as her nameplate read, listened to our needs, quickly prepared some paperwork, and handed us a number.

"We're a bit busy today, so there might be a short wait. Please have a seat on the sofa over there. " We sat down on the sofa provided.

"Wait, Mom, isn't that person? " Tyler exclaimed in surprise when someone was called up to the counter. "Oh yeah," I muttered.

In disbelief, the man who had bumped into me earlier was sitting there. "Give me those papers," he said. The bank clerk at the counter received our documents with an attitude that seemed like he didn't even consider us customers.

"I'll proceed with the procedures; just wait at your seat. " After scribbling on the documents, he handed them back as if shooing us away. I really wanted to complain, but I held it back.

It's Dad's death anniversary today; we shouldn't argue, I said with a smile to Tyler. "What, so you are a single parent and a son, right? People like you guys should wait their turn.

" I was shocked to hear such unbelievable words coming from behind. It was indeed the voice of the bank clerk from earlier. Tyler was also standing there with his mouth gaping.

"Tyler, don't worry about it; let's read a book," I said, patting his shoulder and taking out a book I had brought. I noticed Tyler looked visibly upset, but he nodded and started reading. However, no matter how long we waited, our number wasn't called.

At first, I thought it was because it was busy, but as I looked around, other customers who seemed to have arrived after us were being called and served. I thought it might be a misunderstanding, but it wasn't. An older man who had arrived just after us and sat on the sofa next to us finished his procedures and left.

Then, a businessman-looking man who had arrived after we started reading also completed his procedures and left. "Mom, let's be good today. If it were Dad, he would have waited quietly," Tyler stopped me as I was about to stand up to complain.

"You're right," I replied with a wry smile, opening my book again. It's ironic that I, a mother, was being reminded by her son. And so we waited for nearly three hours.

Even Tyler, usually so patient, started to get irritated as our number still hadn't been called. "Tyler, I'll go ask. Don't worry; I'll be polite.

I won't do anything Dad would dislike. " Tyler thought for a moment and then nodded. "Excuse me, we're number 57.

We've been waiting for almost three hours. " I approached the counter, trying to keep my irritation in check, and asked as politely as possible, "What? Three hours?

So what? It's busy. People like you poor folks are always last.

" "The poor folks? Yeah, you're a single parent, right? You probably don't have much money anyway, so just wait and go back to your seat.

" What? You're changing the order of service based on that? I was about to retort, forgetting the promise I made to Tyler, when suddenly I felt a tap on my back.

Turning around, there was Tyler, grinning broadly. "Mom, what happens to this bank if we withdraw all the 8 billion we have deposited here? " "What are you talking about?

8 billion? Tremon, kid! " I couldn't bear it anymore when they started mocking Tyler.

Just as I was about to speak out, suddenly the branch manager burst out of the back room with great urgency. It seemed like Cindy had relayed the message, as I could see her emerging from behind the branch manager. "Jimmy, what are you saying?

" the bank clerk looked startled. "Jimmy, how dare you speak to our customers like that? " "But branch manager—" "These people, these people are Miss Johnson and her son, who have been favoring our bank with their business.

" At that moment, Jimmy showed an expression of unmistakable surprise. "This lady? Miss Sher Johnson?

I had no idea! I mean, Miss Johnson, I am deeply sorry for the rudeness of our staff member, Jimmy, and for the long wait for your transaction. Please, come this way.

" He ushered us into a private room. "We are terribly sorry for the inconvenience. " Upon entering the room, Cindy brought us warm green tea and small sweets, and a staff member other than Jimmy promptly proceeded with our paperwork.

In fact, there is a deposit of 8 billion in this branch under my name. Of course, it's not money I earned as a mere lawyer. Tyler, utterly fascinated by computers and app development, struck gold with a game he and his friends created.

I had established a company under my name where the money was deposited. Tyler's teammates, mostly graduate students and freelance engineers, played a role in the development, but it was Tyler, still in elementary school, who handled the main part of the development. App development doesn't end with the release; it requires maintenance and frequent updates, which Tyler primarily handles.

Whenever simple legal knowledge was needed during development, he would read my law books to address it. Tyler, even as a child, has completely relieved me of financial worries and even gifted me with dreams. He mostly manages the deposits by himself; however, since bank transactions are mostly done online, we seldom visit the bank in person.

Moreover, I usually stop by the bank in the middle of work, dressed in formal suits. Today, we wore casual attire, so that's why Jimmy didn't recognize me. Perhaps he is new to this branch or simply not used to seeing unfamiliar faces.

Regardless, it's outrageous and highly disrespectful to treat customers differently based on their appearance. We requested the branch manager to retrain Jimmy for the sake of other customers and then left the bank. At the cemetery, I talked to Rick's grave about today's events with Tyler.

Unlike me, who tends to complain, Tyler always remains calm and slightly supports me. I also talked about the game app again, which I've been doing every visit. "Rick, Tyler's game, it's been half a year since its release and is still gaining subscribers.

Every time we release new skins or items, they have the best sales record. Tyler wrote the main codes for all of them, but I can't draw, so Mary does all the art," Tyler said. Happily, he loves computers and books so much that it makes it difficult for him to make close friends at school.

Working with his older teammates, helping each other to create something, must be especially enjoyable for him. He told me, "I can't discuss coding with my school friends, but with my development team, I can talk about even the most complex topics. He's even studying a new language now.

" As I reported with a smile, Tyler happily waved his hand and said, "Dad, I'll definitely protect Mom. It was really hard when you left us, but it made me want to work harder to protect her. That's why I thought of making an app and got motivated to write better code and study more.

" "I feel like I am who I am today because of you, Dad," Tyler declared in front of Rick's grave. "When I grow up, I want to help people who lost their partners just like Mom did. " He studied hard in middle and high school, maintained top grades, and went on to the School of Pharmacy at the same university as Rick.

He passed the bar exam and the medical licensing exam while still in university. Tyler passed the national medical exam at the same time as his graduation. His achievement of passing both the bar and medical exams garnered media attention, sparking speculation about whether he would pursue a career in medicine or law.

However, it seemed he had always planned to continue with the company he started. The company, which he founded in elementary school through the development of a game app, had been mostly inactive after middle school, but he decided to restart it in earnest after graduating from university. He then made a conscious effort to employ single parents at his company.

I also left the law firm where I worked and joined Tyler's company as the legal affairs manager. I was thrilled to use the knowledge and experience I had gained over the years as a lawyer in my son's company. Moreover, due to the company's policy of employing many single parents, overtime work was basically prohibited.

This allowed me to return home on time every day and slowly take care of household chores. Although I love legal work, having time to relax and focus on my personal life also seemed necessary. About a year after Tyler restarted the company, he mentioned that Cindy, the woman who had helped us at the bank that day, had come for a job interview.

It had been over a decade, but the moment they met, both instantly recognized each other with a surprised, "It's you from that time! " Apparently, the rude bank employee, Jimmy, was fired after the incident. Cindy, who had been harassed by Jimmy and had already submitted her resignation, also left the bank.

Since then, as a single parent with a daughter, she had faced many challenges, but those days finally came to an end. Cindy, always considerate and capable, became an indispensable executive secretary at Tyler's company. Tyler, Cindy, her daughter, and I go out for dinner once a month.

When the alcohol starts to hit, Tyler often says, "Truth is indeed stranger than fiction, and the most exciting. " It seems that Tyler, who never had any romantic rumors, had even invited Cindy's daughter to dinner. She also seems surprisingly interested in him.

Life is truly unpredictable. Today, as I headed home in the sunset after work, I spoke to Rick in my heart. "Rick, please continue to watch over Tyler and me.

" Then it felt like the first star twinkled in response.