Michael spent almost the whole day watching Billy in the crystal ball. He watched as Billy drove his car to work, feeling a pang of envy with every turn of the wheel. Michael was far from owning a car; he didn't even have money to buy himself new clothes. He watched Billy enter the Sky Piercing Tower, where Mason Holdings' offices were located. Inside, Billy talked to the pretty women who seemed to bow to him.

"Money can give you everything," Michael muttered to himself, bitterness seeping into his voice. He believed Billy's appearance was terrible, and the only reason those girls chatted with him like that was because he was the boss's son.

Michael watched Billy work on the computer, his fingers flying over the keyboard in a flurry of code. It was all incomprehensible to Michael, who didn't understand a thing about programming languages. Sometimes, out of sheer boredom, he made Billy open the office window and spill water out of it to wet a random passing civilian. It was like he was Billy's god, controlling his every move.

Needing a break, Michael decided to go drink some water in the kitchen. There he found his mother sitting at the table, sorting money into small piles of tens and hundreds. There was so little of it.

"Hey Mom, what’s going on?" Michael asked, his curiosity piqued.

She looked up, her face etched with worry. "I’m counting the last of the money we have."

“This is all that’s left?” Michael asked worriedly.

“Sadly, yes. It’s the last $230. I’d like to say don’t worry, everything will be okay,” she stood up and walked towards Michael, placing her hand on his shoulder. “The truth is we can’t afford to live on this. The bills are high, the grocery is expensive, and I owe Pastor Jeff four thousand dollars.”

Michael was shocked when she mentioned Pastor Jeff. “A few hundred dollars, what for?” Michael was confused.

“It’s the money that I used to pay for your mechanics trade. I didn’t want to worry you about it, that’s why I didn’t tell you.” She brushed his shoulder. Michael fell into silence. In his mind, this was all his fault. It made him feel even more useless.

“There’s also something I want to tell you,” she looked at Michael, who was now looking down, guilt on his face. “I think we should move back to your uncle’s house.”

“What? No way!” Michael erupted as soon as he heard those words. “I am not going back to that bastard’s house.”

“Son…”

“No way, Mom. I am definitely not going there. I’d rather starve,” Michael added vehemently.

“I too don’t want to go to Stan’s house, but we’ve got no choice. We can’t afford to live here anymore,” Eleanor tried to make Michael understand.

"We have no choice," she replied, her voice trembling. "My job barely covers groceries and bills. At Stan’s, we'd live for free and only help with his tavern."

Frustration and anger boiled inside Michael. He couldn't stand the thought of living with Stan, who always brought women in and out and who, when drunk, would cuss at them, calling them leeches who were good for nothing. They had lived with him once before when his mother was unemployed after Michael's father's death, and it had been a nightmare.

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Michael returned to his room, feeling useless and angry. He hated how his mom was feeling, and he hated how he was feeling. He looked at the crystal ball and envied Billy’s life even more.

Billy's life seemed perfect—money, comfort, and respect. Michael's life was the complete opposite. He sat there, thinking about this one thing. He didn't know if he should do it or not. He paused for a while, the weight of his decision pressing down on him.

Finally, he decided to do it. He grabbed the bone and whispered to it, "Send $100 to account number ***8 **** ****." He recited his account number, then watched the crystal ball intently.

Billy entered a trance-like state, took out his phone, and began tapping on it. Michael's heart pounded in his chest, his breath catching in his throat. He watched as Billy unlocked his phone, entered the app, and made a few taps and touches.

A notification sounded, and Michael's phone lit up. His heart raced as he picked it up and read the message: "You've received $100 from account number..."

Michael had just committed a crime. That’s all he could think. The weight of his actions sank in as he stared at the notification, knowing he had crossed a line. He felt a mix of exhilaration and guilt, unsure of what he had just unleashed.

He sat for a few minutes staring at the notification. His heart pounded. He had just committed a crime, and the reality of it was sinking in. The notification was still glowing on his phone, a constant reminder of what he had done. He shouted his mom's name impulsively.

"Mom!" he called out, his voice echoing through the small house.

"Yes, Michael?" she replied from the kitchen.

He wanted to give her the $100, to ease some of their financial burden, but a sudden wave of panic washed over him. How would he explain where the money came from? He couldn't keep saying it was from Billy; his mom would start to get suspicious. Quickly, he made an excuse.

"Uh, never mind, Mom! I called you by accident!" he said, trying to sound casual.

"Okay, dear," she responded, her voice tinged with concern but not pressing the matter further.

Michael sighed in relief and returned to his room. He realized he had made a mistake by acting on emotion. He had sent himself the money but forgot that it would still show up on Billy's phone. He hadn’t even made Billy remove the transaction history or delete the message. Just as he was processing this, his phone rang. It was Billy.

Michael’s heart raced as he picked up the call. He couldn't control Billy for everything; it would make him suspicious and start thinking he had gone mad. Michael knew how emotional Billy was. He'd probably check himself into a mental institution if things started happening too strangely.

"Hey, bro, how's it going?" Billy asked, sounding casual but with a hint of confusion.

"Nothing much, you?" Michael replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

"I'm fine. Just saw a message on my phone saying I sent you $100. Did you receive any money?" Billy asked, his confusion evident.

Michael’s mind raced. He needed to come up with something quickly. "Oh, yes, thank you, bro. I thought you had forgotten about that gift you promised me. It's crazy, though, that it took you a month to give it to me."

Billy was confused. "What gift?"

"What do you mean, what gift, bro? Remember you promised me $100 last month for my birthday? My birthday came and went, but I received no gift from you. It's crazy that it's only now that you give me the gift, a month after my birthday."

Billy hesitated but then gave an awkward, fake laugh. "Oh, right! Sorry about that. Happy belated birthday, bro. I was just messing with you. Enjoy your gift." He gave more fake giggles.

Michael thanked him, and Billy ended the call, still unsure of what had just happened. But since it was just $100, it didn't hurt his pockets much. Michael had just lied through his teeth, and surprisingly, it had worked. He remembered that Billy had indeed forgotten his birthday back on May 22. Michael hadn't held any grudges about it, never even mentioned it to Billy until now, where he edited some details to fit his story.

Billy believed he had willfully given Michael the money, and since it was a small amount, he didn't pay it much mind. But Michael realized the gravity of what he had done. He knew he could potentially use Billy to make more money so they wouldn’t have to live with Stan, whom he despised. But if he were to send himself a large sum, he couldn't make up a believable excuse. Billy would ask for the money back, and if it kept happening, he might even think it was fraud and involve the police.

Michael spent an hour juggling his thoughts, trying to come up with a solution. Then, finally, an idea struck him. It was so obvious he called himself stupid for not thinking of it sooner.