Bank Yelled at Me for a Warning? I Left Grinning

I had just left the bank after withdrawing some cash for the New Year’s holiday when I noticed the amount on my passbook didn’t add up. After carefully double-checking the balance on the slip and the fifty thousand in my hand, I turned right back around and went to the teller who had served me. I held up the receipt, trying to be helpful. “Excuse me, I think there might have been a mistake with my transaction.” She instantly flew off the handle, pointing a finger right at my nose. “Don’t you understand the policy? All transactions are final once you leave the counter. It’s your responsibility to count it here!” I quickly waved my hands, trying to explain. “No, that’s not it. If you just look again, I was supposed to withdraw fifty thousand, but you’ve put it down as…” The teller cut me off, her voice dripping with impatience. “The form you filled out clearly states that the bank is not responsible for discrepancies once you leave the counter.” “You signed the slip yourself, didn’t you? You confirmed it.” “If everyone who withdrew money could just walk out and come back saying the amount was wrong, do you think the bank would just hand over more cash?” I stood there, stunned. No wonder she was so defensive. She thought I was trying to get more money from her. But the problem was that I had withdrawn fifty thousand, and my passbook said I had deposited fifty thousand. … “What are you still standing there for? Are you deaf?” The teller, Brenda, yelled into the microphone while nonchalantly filing her nails. “There’s a long line behind you. Show some courtesy.” The security guard in the lobby overheard the commotion and came over. I couldn’t help but laugh. Seriously. In my entire life, I had never seen someone trying to give money back to a bank only to be treated like a nuisance and practically swept out the door. I didn’t give up. I pushed the receipt slip further through the glass slot. “Teller 035, let me confirm with you one last time.” “If the bank makes an operational error resulting in an incorrect amount, is it still ‘final once you leave the counter’?” Brenda didn’t even glance at the slip. She couldn’t be bothered to lift her eyelids. “Are you a broken record?” “Can’t you see the huge sign on the wall?” “Once you step away from this counter, whether you have too much or too little, it’s your problem.” “Those are the rules. Understand? The rules!” She emphasized the word “rules” with a sneer, her face a mask of arrogance, as if she owned the bank herself. I took a deep breath and nodded. “Fine.” “You said it yourself.” “The rules are the rules. I’ll abide by them.” I took back my receipt, folded it neatly, and tucked it into my pocket. Brenda scoffed. “Broke people are always so much trouble.” “Security, keep an eye on her. Don’t let her cause any more scenes.” The guard gave me a shove. “Go on, get out of here. Don’t be an eyesore.” I let myself be pushed out of the bank lobby. Outside, I glanced down at the black plastic bag in my hand. Inside was fifty thousand in cash, crisp and red, fresh from the vault, still smelling of ink. I pulled out my passbook again. And opened it to the last page. The bold, black print from the machine was crystal clear: 【DEPOSIT: 50,000.00】 【BALANCE: 150,000.00】 I originally had a hundred thousand in savings. I had intended to withdraw fifty thousand. But that idiot Brenda had processed a “deposit” instead of a “withdrawal.” I looked back at the bank’s grand, golden entrance. And at the metal plaque hanging in a prominent spot: 【CASH IS FINAL ONCE COUNTED AND ACCEPTED. THE BANK IS NOT RESPONSIBLE AFTER LEAVING THE COUNTER.】 I used to think those words were domineering. Now, they looked like the most beautiful words in the world. Since you want to play by the rules, I’ll play by the rules. I didn’t go straight home. Only a fool would do that. Bank systems might be slow, but they weren’t stupid. Sooner or later, they would catch the error. Once Brenda realized her books didn’t balance, her first move would be to freeze my account. I was in the right, but battling a bank in court could drag on for a year or more. I couldn’t afford that. I walked into the commercial bank next door. I pulled out the fifty thousand in cash. “I’d like to make a deposit.” The teller smiled at me like a blooming flower. “Of course, ma’am. One moment, please.” A few minutes later, the fifty thousand in cash was a digital number in my new bank account. But that wasn’t enough. I took out my phone and opened the mobile banking app for the first bank. Staring at the “150,000” on the screen, I didn’t hesitate. I initiated a transfer. The entire amount. The money went into a third-party custody account, territory managed by the securities commission. If the bank wanted to freeze it, the paperwork would be a nightmare. By the time they navigated that maze, I would have already withdrawn the money, converted it to gold bars, and buried it in my backyard. With that done, I finally felt the pangs of hunger. I found a random place to eat. I was halfway through my meal when my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar local landline number. I had a pretty good guess who it was. But I didn’t answer. The buzzing stopped, then started again. Stopped, then started again. A relentless, nagging ghost. I didn’t answer, not because I was scared. It was because I was eating. Answering the phone during a meal is bad for digestion. Especially when it’s to listen to a mad dog barking. I finished the last piece of meat and let out a satisfied burp. The phone was still ringing. This time, it was a mobile number. I leisurely took a napkin, wiped my mouth, and finally answered. Before I could say a word, Brenda’s hysterical shriek erupted from the other end. “Catherine! You bitch!” “Are you tired of living?” “Bring that money back to me right now! Now! Immediately!” I didn’t get angry. I picked my teeth with a toothpick, my voice calm. “Who is this?” “Stop playing dumb! It’s me from the bank! The one who helped you this afternoon!” Brenda’s voice was trembling. I could tell she was on the verge of a breakdown. “Oh, it’s you,” I replied nonchalantly. “Is there something I can help you with, Teller 035?” “Cut the crap! I made a mistake this afternoon! I gave you too much money! No, I deposited it wrong!” “You bring it back to me right now, or I’m calling the police!” “That’s a hundred thousand dollars! It’s a huge amount! If I report it, you’ll go to jail!” I held the phone a little further from my ear. The woman’s voice was grating. When she finally stopped screaming, I spoke slowly. “Miss, are you sure you’re not mistaken?” “I tried to confirm with you multiple times this afternoon.” “You said all transactions were final once I left the counter.” “You even said it was a dream to think you’d correct any mistakes.” “What’s the matter? Is it nighttime already? Time for dreaming?” There was a stunned silence from her end, followed by even more frantic screaming. “I was just angry! Don’t take it so literally!” “Let me tell you, Catherine, you can’t just take the bank’s money!” “This is unjust enrichment! It’s a crime!” “If you don’t return the money, I’ll make you regret it!” I laughed. “What a coincidence.” “I have a big appetite. I can handle anything you throw at me.” “Since you’re calling it a crime, go ahead. Call the police.” “Let them come and arrest me.” With that, I hung up. And blocked her number. You want the money back? There’s a way to ask for things. That condescending tone was not it. I’ll eat a lot of things. But I won’t eat a loss. The next morning, I went to work as usual. As I entered the lobby of my office building, I saw a crowd gathered around the reception desk. In the center of it all was Brenda. She wasn’t wearing any makeup today. Beside her stood a middle-aged man in a suit. That was Mr. Harrison, the branch manager. I’d seen him strolling around the bank lobby before, hands clasped behind his back like a landlord surveying his domain. There were also two police officers. Brenda’s sharp eyes spotted me the moment I walked in. She lunged toward me like a starving wolf spotting its prey, letting out a guttural cry. “That’s her!” “That’s the thief!” “Officers, arrest her!” She charged so fast she almost crashed into me. I sidestepped neatly. She stumbled past, nearly face-planting on the marble floor. The commotion drew the attention of everyone in the lobby. It was the morning rush hour. Colleagues, coming and going, all stopped to watch. The receptionist gasped, covering her mouth. “What’s going on? Who’s saying Catherine stole money?” “No way. She’s always so honest.” “You can’t judge a book by its cover. The bank is here. It must be true.” Whispers buzzed around me like flies. Brenda regained her balance and turned, pointing at me, her finger practically touching my nose. “Catherine! Have you no shame?” “You took the bank’s money and won’t return it! You can run, but you can’t hide!” “Give the money back right now, in front of everyone, and make a public apology, and we’ll let this go.” “Otherwise, I’ll make sure you can’t work in this company anymore!” Her loud accusations made even passersby turn and stare at me. Mr. Harrison adjusted his suit and stepped forward, his expression all business. “Ms. Chen, is it?” “I’m the bank manager.” “Yesterday afternoon, due to an operational error by one of our employees, there was an abnormal fund movement in your account.” “This constitutes unjust enrichment.” “We’ve brought a letter from our lawyer. We hope you will cooperate and return the funds.” “Otherwise, we will be forced to take action.” He spoke in a sanctimonious tone, blaming an “operational error” and threatening “action,” conveniently omitting Brenda’s behavior from the previous day. The police officers approached. The older one looked at me, then at the manager. “Are you Catherine Chen?” I nodded. “I am.” “The bank has filed a report alleging that you have illegally possessed their funds. Is this true?” Before I could speak, Brenda shrieked, “It is! The security cameras have it all! She knew the money was wrong and took it anyway!” “This is theft! It’s fraud!” I looked at her coldly. “Brenda, you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t just say whatever you want.” “You accuse me of stealing. What did I steal?” “You’re the one who handed me the money from the counter.” “You’re the one who printed the slip and had me sign it.” “The entire process was legal and compliant.” “How is that stealing?” Brenda was shaking with rage. “You knew it was a mistake! You even came back to ask about it!” “That proves you knew!” “Knowing and not reporting it, and taking advantage of the situation, that’s a crime!” I laughed. Loudly. So loudly that everyone around me looked confused. “That’s right, I came back to ask.” “I came back out of the goodness of my heart to remind you that you might have made a mistake.” “But what did you say to me?” I took out my phone. And played a recording. I turned the volume up to the maximum. The lobby fell silent. Only the sharp, condescending voice of Brenda echoed through the space. 【Don’t you understand the policy? All transactions are final once you leave the counter.】 【You signed the slip yourself…】 【If everyone who withdrew money could just come back… do you think the bank would just hand over more cash?】 【Get lost! Don’t hold up the line!】 The recording was short. But it was explosive.