I took a sharp breath and violently shook off the security guard's grip.

Then I pulled out my phone and dialed 911.

"Hello, police? I want to report a crime.

"The Aetherton branch is illegally withholding a client's funds.

"A critically ill patient is being denied surgery because of it. Someone could die!"

The police arrived quickly.

Leading the team was an older officer. The moment he saw the scene, his brows knotted tightly together.

"What's going on here? Who made the report?"

I raised my hand, my voice hoarse with anger.

"I did. My family member is in emergency treatment right now. We urgently need this money for brain surgery.

"The bank card is mine. I know the PIN, and I have my ID.

"But this teller maliciously froze the account and refuses to process the withdrawal."

Officer Tanner took my identification and the hospital's payment notice, checking them carefully one by one.

Then he glanced through the call records on my phone and the critical condition notice from the hospital. His expression immediately turned serious.

He walked to the counter and knocked on the glass.

"Miss, everything here looks legitimate.

"This is money for a life-saving operation. Hurry up and process it.

"Don't delay something this serious. If someone dies because of this, you won't be able to take responsibility."

To everyone's surprise, Carmen simply twirled the pen in her hand lazily.

"Officer, do you even understand banking procedures?

"Our system flagged this account as high risk, so it's high risk.

"If we release the funds and it turns out she's involved in fraud, who's responsible for the losses? You?"

Officer Tanner was momentarily speechless. When he spoke again, his tone had hardened.

"The facts are clear, and the evidence is right here. The hospital is waiting to save a life. Can't you make an exception for an emergency?

"What kind of system matters more than a human life?"

Carmen pouted, putting on an innocent, aggrieved expression.

"There's nothing I can do. These are regulations from head office. If I violate procedure, I could lose my job.

"I really do sympathize with Ms. Nolan, but rules are rules."

As she spoke, she even dabbed theatrically at the corner of her eye.

"Ms. Nolan, please don't blame me.

"I'm only trying to protect your family's assets.

"What if some pretty boy scammed you? Mr. Young works very hard to earn this money too."

The moment those words came out, the atmosphere around us shifted again.

"So she's the bank president's wife?"

"Then how does this teller dare talk to her like that?"

"Unless... someone powerful is backing her."

Officer Tanner had clearly caught the hidden barb in Carmen's words.

He glanced at her, then at me.

"Enough with the nonsense.

"If the system locked the account, then find someone with the authority to unlock it."

"Where's your supervisor? Call your manager out here."

Carmen shrugged helplessly.

"The manager's away at provincial training.

"The only person with authority to unlock it now is Mr. Young.

"But Mr. Young is currently meeting an important client. He specifically said no one is to disturb him."

She looked at me with naked provocation in her eyes.

I bit down so hard on my lip that I tasted blood.

Time ticked by second after second.

And every second could be the end of my mother-in-law's life.

I could not keep wasting time fighting with her.

Once again, I pulled out my phone and called Karl.

Normally, he really would be busy at this hour.

In the past, I never dared interrupt him at work.

He always said that when a man was focused on building his career, the thing he hated most was a nagging woman bothering him.

But today, even if the sky collapsed, he was going to answer this call.

The phone rang for a long time.

So long that I thought it would disconnect automatically.

Finally, he picked up.

Karl's voice came through, impatient and irritated, deliberately lowered as though trying not to be overheard.

"Jane Nolan, what the hell is wrong with you?

"Didn't I already tell you this morning that I'd be in meetings all day?

"What could possibly be so important that you had to call right now?

"Can't you be a little more considerate for once? Stop making trouble for me all the time!"

The moment I heard his voice, tears burst from my eyes.

This was the man who shared my bed.

While my mother-in-law was fighting for her life, all he cared about was me causing him inconvenience.

I took a deep breath and forced my voice to steady.

"Karl, I'm in the lobby of your bank."

"My mother had a brain hemorrhage. She's in the hospital being resuscitated. We urgently need two hundred thousand.

"That intern teller, Carmen Sanders, froze my account.

"I need you to call her right now and tell her to unlock it."

There was a two-second silence on the other end.

However, what came back was not panic.

It was something colder. Deeper disgust.

"Jane, if you're going to make up excuses, could you at least make them believable?

"Mom was perfectly fine when she went out to buy groceries this morning.

"How did she suddenly end up with a brain hemorrhage?

"Are you trying to check up on me again?

"Or are you deliberately causing trouble because Carmen is here?"

I was trembling with rage, gripping my phone so tightly I could barely hold onto it.

"Karl! Do you seriously think I'm that kind of person?

"The critical condition notice from the hospital is right in front of me!

"If you don't believe me, call Mom yourself!

"Her phone is at the nurse's station right now!"

Karl let out a cold laugh, his voice dripping with contempt.

"That's enough. Stop acting. You just want to take money back to your family, don't you? Your brother needs money again? Buying a house this time? Or a car?

"Jane, I've tolerated you for a long time already. The little bit you secretly send them usually, fine. I let it slide. But today? You actually dare to pull this?

"Do you even know who I'm hosting today? City officials. My promotion depends on this meeting!"

I shouted into the phone, tears finally spilling down my face.

"Karl! That's your mother! Your own mother is lying on an operating table waiting to be saved!

"If you have even a shred of conscience left, come downstairs and see for yourself!

"Or at least call Carmen and tell her to release the funds!"

Maybe it was the desperation in my voice.

Karl paused, sounding briefly shaken.

However, at that moment, Carmen suddenly moved behind the glass counter.

She picked up the internal phone line and dialed a number.

The next second, Karl's voice turned icy cold.

"Carmen just reported the situation to me. She said you brought police officers here to cause trouble and verbally abused bank staff.

"The system flagged suspicious fund activity. Risk control intercepted the transaction. Carmen did the right thing. She's simply doing her job.

"As the wife of a bank manager, you should be setting an example. Not taking the lead in violating bank regulations."

I listened in disbelief.

It felt like I was hearing a stranger speak.

"Karl... you believe her over me?

"You're willing to let your own mother die because of some intern?"

His voice carried that familiar, superior coldness.

"Carmen followed procedure.

"If the system made a mistake, then file an appeal through the proper channels.

"Stop making a scene and embarrassing yourself.

"Take the police and leave immediately. Don't disrupt my meeting. Otherwise, don't blame me for forgetting we're husband and wife."

The call ended.

I stood there frozen, phone still in my hand.

Behind the bulletproof glass, Carmen looked at me and burst into smug laughter.

"See? I told you. Mr. Young is a man of principles.

"If he says no, then it's no.

"And stop trying to scare people with all this mother-in-law drama.

"Everyone knows you're just trying to cover your brother's debts again."

Officer Tanner stood nearby, shaking his head the whole time.

Even he probably had never seen a husband this heartless.

"Miss... maybe we should try another bank?

"Or borrow the money from relatives and friends first?"

I slowly shook my head, my gaze turning colder by the second.

Borrow money?

Two hundred thousand. Where was I supposed to get that on such short notice?

Besides, this was my money.

Why did I need permission from other people just to withdraw my own savings and save someone's life?

I wiped the tears from my face.

Then I looked through the bulletproof glass and locked eyes with Carmen.

"So you're really refusing to process it?"

Carmen raised an eyebrow, completely fearless.

"It's not that I refuse. The system refuses.

"I'd love to help you, but there's nothing I can do.

"Why don't you just wait here?

"Maybe after three to five days, risk control will automatically lift the restriction."

Three to five days?

My mother-in-law wouldn't survive another thirty to fifty minutes.

I slowly turned my head toward the fire extinguisher in the corner of the lobby.

Since reason would not work.

Since calling the police was useless.

Since even my husband could not be relied on.

Then don't blame me for losing my mind.

I rushed forward and grabbed the red fire extinguisher by the wall. The heavy metal canister felt ice-cold in my hands, just like my heart.

A wave of screams broke out around me as the crowd stumbled backward. Even the security guards went pale, clutching their batons without daring to come closer.

"What are you doing?! Put that down! Put it down right now!"

Carrying the extinguisher, I walked step by step toward the counter.

Through the glass, I locked eyes with Carmen. Terror was written all over her face.

"Carmen, I'll ask you one last time.

"Are you processing it or not?"

She clearly had not expected me to actually go this far. She shrank back instinctively, but her mouth was still stubborn.

"Y-you dare smash up a bank?

"That's a serious crime! You'll go to prison!

"Security! Call the police! Grab this crazy woman!"

"I'm not afraid of prison!" I screamed so hard my voice sounded like something crawling out of hell itself.

"If my mother dies, I'll drag every single one of you down with her!"

Bang!

I swung the fire extinguisher and smashed it hard against the bulletproof glass.

The deafening impact shook the entire lobby.

The glass did not shatter, but white cracks spread across the surface.

Carmen screamed and crouched down with her hands over her head, trembling uncontrollably.

The alarm grew even shriller, piercing through the entire building.

Just as I raised the extinguisher to strike again, an angry roar exploded from behind me.

"Stop! Jane, have you gone insane?!"

The door to the VIP room burst open.

Karl strode out, surrounded by a group of sharply dressed executives. His face was livid, fury practically pouring from his eyes.

Clearly, I had completely ruined his 'important meeting.'

He stormed over, snatched the extinguisher from my hands, then shoved me hard.

I staggered backward and slammed into the metal waiting chairs.

"Look at yourself!

"You're acting like a damn shrew!

"Showing up with police officers wasn't enough? Now you're smashing counters too?

"Do you have to destroy my reputation before you're satisfied?"

The moment Carmen saw Karl, she rushed out from behind the counter in tears and threw herself into his arms.

"Mr. Young... I was so scared...

"I was only following procedure, but she..."

Karl patted her back gently, his voice full of concern.

"It's okay. I'm here. No one's going to touch you."

But the second he turned toward me, his expression became razor sharp.

"Jane, apologize to Carmen.

"Right now. Immediately."

I pulled myself upright using the chair and suddenly laughed.

I laughed so hard tears came out.

"Apologize? You want me to apologize to her?

"Karl, look at the time.

"It's been twenty minutes since I called you.

"And fifty minutes since I walked into this bank.

"Do you even understand what that means?"

Karl waved his hand impatiently.

"Enough with the nonsense. You just want money, don't you?

"To buy your brother a house, you'd even pull a stunt like this?

"You even cursed my mother with a brain hemorrhage. How can you be this vicious?"

He pulled a bank card from his wallet and threw it at my face.

"There's five thousand on it. Take it and get out. Stop embarrassing yourself here."

The card scraped across my cheek before falling onto the floor with a sharp clatter.

At that exact moment, my phone rang again.

The ringtone sounded unbearably harsh in the dead silent lobby.

It was the hospital.

My hands trembled as I answered and turned on speakerphone.

The doctor's exhausted, grief-stricken voice echoed clearly throughout the hall.

"Ms. Nolan, we regret to inform you..."

"The patient, Helen Walter, suffered severe intracranial bleeding. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

"She was pronounced dead one minute ago.

"Please come to the hospital as soon as possible to process the death certificate."