were going to call you about it today. But you called us! So it’s working out perfectly.” He smiled and I wondered why he thought I had so many handbags.
Johan left the room then came back in with a bunch of papers just as Martha came in with my handbag and more champagne. I opened the bag and peered inside. There was my wallet with all my IDs in, and there at the bottom was my cell phone. I reached into the bag and pulled it out.
“My cell phone was in here.” I held it up for Johan to see.
“Well, it didn’t ring. I suppose you must have used your other one.”
I looked down at my phone. What did he mean, my other one?
“So, this is the paperwork to say that you’re joining Vast Investments as a client, and then also paperwork indicating which investment portfolio you want your funds to be transferred into, and then the last is just that you are giving us permission to transfer all your funds, the total of fifteen million, three hundred and sixteen thousand Rand and ninety-seven cents, to be specific.
“Sorry . . . WHAT?” I choked on the bubbles of champagne. “That must be a mistake, I don’t . . . why would I . . . um, that’s . . . no!”
Johan looked panicked and then scanned the papers in front of him. “Oh I sincerely apologize. You’re absolutely right. Your money is currently in two separate accounts—there is that other two million in your transactional account—but I understood you wanted to leave that there, as you regularly draw on the interest. Have I misunderstood, do you want the full seventeen million transferred across?”
“Uh . . .” I blinked at this man a few times in shock. “Can I . . . see those?”
“Sure.” He pushed the papers across the desk and I cast my eyes down. And there it was, in black and white. All those digits, so many digits, belonged to me and I had no idea why the hell I had so much money. I downed my glass of champagne and, this time, I asked Martha for another one.
Who the hell was I?
CHAPTER 37
I swayed tipsily across the open-plan office, my feet zigzagging across the floor, and still no one looked up at me. Even when I stopped in the middle of the floor and hiccupped loudly, no one looked up at me. I pushed the door to the stairwell open and thundered down the stairs, three at a time, almost losing my footing as I went.
“Heeeyaa, Cynth—” I slurred as I passed her on the stairwell yet again.
“Zen!” she said, but didn’t look up at me, even though I was now sliding down the stairs with my back pressed into the wall, hiccupping as I went. I barged into my office and looked around once more. If coffin-chic was a decorating trend, this room would win an award. I looked at the phone on my desk and a desire to make a call suddenly consumed me. I dug in my pocket for the number, slumped down onto the desk and dialed. It only rang once before Andi picked it up.
“Hello,” she said.
“It’s me.” My voice stuck on the “s” sound. “I know who I am. My name is Zenobia and you and your cards were totally wrong about me! And I just wanted to let you know that. Wanted to let you know that you sold me a pack of lies and gave me false hopes and made me think things that were not real, and made me wish for things that I can never have, which is super-mean of you, if you think about it!”
There was a long silence on the phone, and when I couldn’t take it anymore I whistled into it like Chloe might do.
“Helllloo?” I called.
“I’ve been expecting your call,” she said, and I burst out laughing. Without me meaning to do it, the laughter started to sound strange, as if it were bordering on crying. I slapped my hand over my mouth to stop the sounds.
“Why have you been expecting my call?” I asked, rolling my eyes.
“I had a dream about you,” she said.
I tutted loudly and then hiccupped.
“Are you okay?”
“NO! No, I’m not okay. How can I be okay when I thought I was one thing and it turns out I’m something else entirely? What did you say? Adventurous, approaches each day as if it’s an adventure, opportunities and love ahead!