The Declined Card

Rhea was sitting on the large, expensive sofa in the Singhania mansion. She was holding a glass of red wine. She looked at her phone and smiled widely. She was looking at diamond wedding rings on the internet.

"Finally," Rhea whispered to herself. "I am going to be the new Mrs. Singhania."

She looked around the huge living room. She hated the dark curtains. She hated the old carpet. "I will throw all of Kiara's cheap things away tomorrow," she thought. She imagined Kiara crying on the streets right now, begging for food. The picture in her mind made her feel very happy.

Suddenly, the front door opened. Aryan walked in.

Rhea jumped up with a big smile. "Baby! You are back early!"

But when she walked closer to him, her smile completely vanished. Aryan looked terrible. His expensive grey suit was dirty and torn at the shoulder. His tie was loose. His hair was messy, and there was a red mark on his cheek from falling on the street. He looked like he had been in a street fight.

"Aryan? What happened to you?" Rhea asked, stepping back.

Aryan didn't answer her. He walked past her directly to the home bar. He poured himself a large glass of strong whiskey. His hands were shaking violently. He drank the whole glass in one second.

"Aryan, talk to me!" Rhea said loudly. She touched his arm. "Did you have a car crash? Is your sports car okay?"

Aryan looked at her. His eyes were red and tired. "The car is fine, Rhea," he said in a rough voice.

Rhea sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God. Look, baby, I was looking at some wedding rings today. There is a beautiful diamond ring from Paris. It only costs two million dollars. Can you buy it for me right now? I want to show it to all my friends on social media."

Aryan stared at her. He couldn't believe his ears. His entire company was burning down, his life was destroyed, and she wanted a two-million-dollar ring?

"I can't buy it, Rhea," Aryan said quietly.

Rhea frowned. She looked very annoyed. "What do you mean you can't? You are the great CEO of the Singhania Group! Two million is just pocket money for you. Tell me the truth. Did that cheap girl Kiara steal some of your money before leaving?"

"Don't take her name!" Aryan suddenly shouted. The empty glass in his hand almost broke.

Rhea stepped back. She looked genuinely scared. "Why are you screaming at me?"

Aryan covered his face with his hands. He felt dizzy. "You don't understand, Rhea. Everything is gone."

"What is gone?"

"Kiara," Aryan whispered, looking at the floor. "She is not an orphan. She is the sole Heiress of the Rathore Empire."

Rhea stared at him in complete silence for three seconds. Then, she started laughing loudly. "Aryan, are you drunk? Kiara? The Rathore Boss? That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life."

"It is the truth!" Aryan yelled. "She stopped all our supply chains! She just canceled all my bank loans! She threw me out of her own building like a dog!"

Rhea stopped laughing immediately. She saw the pure fear in Aryan's eyes. He was not joking.

Suddenly, Aryan's phone rang loudly in his pocket. It was an unknown number. He picked it up slowly.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Singhania," a cold voice said. It was the head bank manager. "This is a courtesy call from the Imperial Bank. As per our new orders, all your business and personal accounts have been frozen."

Aryan's heart stopped beating. "Personal too? But... but my own money..."

"You owe us fifty million dollars, sir," the manager said smoothly. "Until you pay the full debt, your credit cards, debit cards, and bank accounts are locked. Have a good day."

The line went dead.

Aryan dropped the phone. It hit the wooden floor with a loud noise.

Rhea quickly picked up her own phone. She opened her shopping app. She tried to buy a cheap lipstick using Aryan's premium black credit card, just to check.

A red error message popped up on her screen. Transaction Declined. Account Frozen.

Rhea's face turned completely white. She looked at Aryan with wide eyes. "Aryan... your card is not working."

Aryan fell on the sofa. He put his head in his hands. For three long years, Kiara lived in this house quietly. She never asked for money. She never asked for diamonds or cars. She only wanted his love. And he threw her away for a woman who only checked his credit card limit.

"I didn't leave Paris to live with a poor man!" Rhea screamed, throwing her wine glass on the floor.

Aryan didn't say a word. He just sat there in the quiet room.

"We are finished," Aryan whispered to himself. "She is going to destroy everything."