I never expected such a tough welcome back from my time in the service😔

Daniel comes home after a year of military service, hoping to surprise his sister on her wedding day. But instead of welcoming him happily, Margaret glares at him and orders him to leave immediately.

Daniel hailed a taxi as he exited the airport, barely able to contain his excitement. It had taken much pleading with his seniors in the Army to get this one-week break for his little sister’s wedding. But he had made it happen.

After their parents’ deaths, Daniel always felt responsible for Margaret, even after she became an adult. He was looking forward to her wedding because it was a chance to bridge the gap between them. They both knew how distant they’d become as adults.

The taxi stopped outside the venue. Daniel entered the restaurant, clutching Margaret’s favorite lilies, and spotted her in a wedding gown at a table, her husband, Gary, by her side…

“Hello, sis!” Daniel exclaimed happily, approaching her.

Margaret’s face twisted with anger. “How dare you come here after what you did, Daniel?” she fumed as she sprang to her feet.

Daniel was confused. “Wh-what did I do?”

“Stop playing games, Daniel!” she snapped. “The vault…Mom and Dad’s inheritance for us…It’s gone!”

Daniel listened in shock as Margaret narrated how she’d wanted to take their mother’s jewelry from the vault before the wedding but found it empty. Since nobody but Daniel and Margaret knew about the vault, Margaret suspected Daniel was the one who emptied it.

“You better leave now, Danny. We’ll sort this out later!” Margaret said hurtfully as she began returning to her seat.

But Daniel grabbed her hand. “I didn’t take anything, Maggie! How could you even accuse me of that?”

“Stop it, Daniel,” Gary stepped in. “Don’t ruin your sister’s big day. And please, leave now.”

Extremely hurt and confused, Daniel left the venue. He checked into a motel for his temporary stay.

The next day, Daniel visited the bank where the vault was. He approached the customer assistance desk and inquired if he could get the vault’s access history.

The woman at the desk asked for his details and revealed the vault was accessed on the 15th of the last month by Mr. Goodwin’s son. Daniel was shocked because he was away at the time.

“Can you tell me who authorized it? Were any documents signed?” he asked.

“Yes. The papers have a digital signature from D. Goodwin,” the woman said, looking at her screen. “And a bank associate witnessed the access.”

“Someone must’ve impersonated me! I need to check the CCTVs.”

“Sorry, sir. We can’t allow you to access it.”

“Look, this isn’t a typical situation,” Daniel said and discretely slid $1000 toward her. “Over half a million dollars have disappeared, ma’am. Please.”

The woman paused for a while, then accepted the money. “Fine. But prepare another $200 for the security guard outside the video room,” she said.

Ten minutes later, Daniel was in the recording room.

“What date and time are we looking for?” the guard sitting before the screens asked.

“The 15th of last month. Around late afternoon,” Daniel replied.

The guard typed something on the keyboard and frowned. “Strange,” he said. “The footage from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. that day is gone.”

“What? Who can access and modify these recordings?”

“Basically, every security guard on duty and certain bank officials,” the guard replied.

There wasn’t much he could do now, so Daniel exited the bank. He was standing on the sidewalk, thinking about his next step, when he happened to turn around and see a familiar face through the bank’s glass door. Gary?

Things started making sense to Daniel.

Gary worked at the bank. He could’ve easily accessed the vault, emptied it, and then deleted the footage.

“Didn’t know you worked at this bank, Gary,” Daniel sarcastically remarked, approaching him.

“Ah, Daniel!” Gary was composed, but Daniel could sense it was a facade. “What brings you here?”

“Isn’t it strange that the bank you work at, which houses the vault that only my sister and I know about, was emptied? And now the footage from that day is gone too.”

“Come on, Daniel. You’re connecting dots that don’t exist.”

“You expect me to believe it’s all a coincidence? Half a million dollars are gone, Gary! And I will get to the bottom of it! Wait for it!”\

Daniel left the bank and drove home to Margaret. When he arrived, he noticed the lights were off and the curtains were drawn. Margaret’s car was not in the driveway, which meant she wasn’t home. He parked his car across the street, looked for the spare key where it was always kept, and found his way in. He hoped to find something that would prove Gary was lying.

Daniel started searching Gary and Margaret’s bedroom. He looked under the sofa and searched the bedside tables, but nothing.

He went through the dresser, and while he was going through the top drawer, his finger brushed against cold metal. He retrieved it to find his mother’s watch. Daniel now had proof that Gary had accessed the things inside the safe and immediately called Margaret.

Within 20 minutes, she was home.

“Recognize this?” he asked, holding up the watch as she entered. “This was in the vault, Maggie! Proof that Gary is playing games with us! He probably left it lying around because he didn’t know its value. It even has the engraving, so it’s clearly Mom’s!”

“Are you serious, Daniel? First, you sneak into my house, and now you accuse my husband of theft?” she yelled.

“Technically, it’s my house too…Basically, it’s our house, Margaret! He only moved in here with you!”

“Fine! You’re right about that, Daniel, but you are so wrong about Gary!” she fumed. “Gary bought that watch for me! I was extremely upset when things went missing. I told Gary about it, and he bought a copy of Mom’s watch from a pawn shop!”

“Wait, but—”

“He bought that, Daniel. Stop dragging Gary into this mess. Get the hell out of here!”

Daniel was furious as he left the house. He knew Gary was lying. It was time to teach him a lesson, Daniel decided.

Daniel drove to a local gas station and purchased a disposable SIM. Then he called Gary, pretending to be a collector of rare artifacts. He disguised his voice to sound older and more refined.

“…Word has reached our circles that you possess a unique watch. Sir, that watch would complete my client’s collection. He is offering $200,000 for it,” he said.

“Well, I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Gary said after a long pause. “And I’m not interested in whatever it is.”

“The price is negotiable if that’s the concern, sir,” he said. “What do you think?”

But Gary didn’t fall for it. “I’m not in the business of selling personal items,” he said sharply, “especially not based on unsolicited calls. So goodbye!”

Gary hung up. But from his voice, Daniel could sense that the mention of $200,000 had shifted Gary’s perception of the watch’s worth. He knew the lure of such a sum would play on Gary’s mind. And indeed, a few days later, evidence that the seed had sprouted came in the form of a phone call.

Daniel received a call from his friend Tom, who worked at one of the major auction houses in the city. “You remember that watch you were obsessing over? I guess your mom’s? You found it at your brother-in-law’s house or something?” he said. “Well, guess what popped up in our inventory?”

Daniel’s pulse quickened. “The watch? Mom’s watch?”

“Yeah! Someone anonymously brought it in. Wants it evaluated and possibly auctioned. Thought I’d give you a heads-up.”

“Perfect, Tom! Thanks!”

Daniel now knew that Gary was caught in the trap. It was time for part two of the plan. Daniel drove to the bank and mortgaged his house. This was his only way to get the money he needed. Then he visited a store and bought himself the clothes he would need to blend in with the crowd at the upcoming auction.

At the auction, Daniel took a seat, careful enough to keep his identity hidden. He was there for the watch’s auction and to catch Gary in the act of selling it.

Daniel was nervous as the bidding for the watch began. The initial amounts were modest, but they climbed steadily. Daniel held his breath, waiting for the right moment to jump in. But just as he was about to raise his paddle, a voice called out a huge bid from his right.

“$75,000!”

Glancing sideways, he caught a glimpse of a well-dressed man whispering to a woman beside him. The woman’s eyes sparkled with desire for the watch, her fingers tapping her husband’s arm as if urging him to go higher.

This was not a part of Daniel’s plan. He had assumed he’d face competition, but not like this. His thoughts raced. He had mortgaged the family home, leveraging his entire legacy on this gamble. If he lost now, it would all be for naught. He took a deep breath, mustering courage from deep within, and said:

“$300,000! And that’s my final offer.”

The man hesitated, looking at his wife, her eyes filled with a mix of longing and caution.

“Go higher,” she whispered, almost pleadingly.

Just as Daniel felt the weight of despair crushing him, he saw the man whisper to his wife. She looked disappointed but nodded. They didn’t bid further.

The auctioneer repeated the last bid, glancing around to ensure there were no other challengers. “Going once,” he started, and Daniel’s grip tightened on his paddle.

“Going twice…And sold!”

Daniel heaved a sigh of relief.

“This way, please. The seller is eager to complete the transaction,” an attendant informed him as the auction ended.

Daniel hesitated for just a second before pushing through the curtains. The room was softly lit by an ornate chandelier, throwing shadows on the baroque walls. It was the sight of the man seated behind the table that made Daniel’s brows arch. Gary looked up, and their eyes locked.

“Surprised?” Daniel’s voice was cold.

Gary’s face turned pale. “Daniel??” he croaked. “This isn’t what it seems.”

Gary suddenly lunged to his side, knocking over a vase. He sprinted toward a window, but it was jammed.

“There’s nowhere to run, Gary!” Daniel approached him. “Just stop!”

But Gary wasn’t listening. He turned, scanning the room, and spotted an ornate fireplace poker. Grabbing it, he brandished it towards Daniel, panting heavily.

“Stay back!” he hissed.

Before the standoff could escalate, the sound of heavy boots reverberated in the hallway. The door burst open, revealing two police officers. Seeing them, Gary’s face contorted with despair, realizing he was trapped. “No! This isn’t how it was supposed to go!”

Detective Martin, whom Daniel had briefed earlier, strode in. “Mr. Miller, drop the weapon. You’re under arrest.”

“You thought you were the smartest one, Gary. But the truth always catches up,” Daniel said.

As Gary was taken away, Daniel saw Margaret at the entrance.

“Daniel…” she began, approaching him. “I came here to confront you. I found out about the house. But now…seeing this…”

Daniel pulled her into a hug as she sobbed and regretted doubting him. “It’s OK, Maggie,” he whispered. “It’s OK. He tricked you into it. It wasn’t your fault.”

“How could I have been so blind, Daniel?” she sobbed. “All this…under my nose?”

“Look, the truth is out now, and we’ll get through this together, OK?” he said, pulling away from her. “We’ll get everything back, so don’t worry. And yeah, I forgive you. Family is all about forgiveness, Maggie. We falter, we make amends, and then we rebuild.”

“Thank you, Daniel. And I’m-I’m sorry,” she cried.

“Don’t thank me. Just promise me one thing: never doubt your family without knowing the whole story. OK?”

Margaret looked at Daniel in tears and nodded, knowing this incident had strengthened their bond and dissolved past misunderstandings.

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