Why family members always scam money ?

-----

My aunt was in a car accident and admitted to the ICU. My cousin begged me, crying, for 400,000 yuan to cover her life-saving surgery. Tears streaming down my face, I went to withdraw the money, but a single sentence from the bank manager sent me from hell to heaven.

My aunt was in a car accident and admitted to the ICU. My cousin knelt before me, sobbing uncontrollably, begging me to pay 400,000 yuan for her surgery.

My aunt and I are very close; she's always been the one who doted on me since I was little. My heart ached terribly, and without hesitation, I rushed to the bank.

But just as I was about to withdraw all my savings, the bank manager's words plunged me into an icy abyss.

"Sister, your aunt just withdrew 500,000 yuan in cash from me last week, saying it was for your cousin's wedding house. How could she not have money for treatment?"

My hand, holding the bank card, froze in mid-air.

The constant warmth of the VIP room in the bank suddenly vanished.

I sat frozen on the soft leather sofa, feeling no warmth, only a chill that shot from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.

"Manager Zhang, what did you say?"

My voice was dry, as if it had been sanded.

"You mean, my aunt, Wang Xiumei, withdrew 500,000 yuan in cash from your account last week?"

Manager Zhang was the account manager at my bank; he was a reliable and steady person.

He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, a professional, gentle smile on his face, but his tone was unequivocal.

"Yes, Ms. Lin, I remember very clearly."

"It was Ms. Wang Xiumei herself. She came over last Wednesday afternoon."

"She said the money was for your cousin Li Hao to buy a wedding house outright. She chatted with me happily for a bit, saying that you wouldn't have to work so hard anymore."

Buying a wedding house for my cousin.

You wouldn't have to work so hard anymore.

These words were like a rusty, dull knife, cutting back and forth in my heart.

My brain was buzzing and reeling.

All the good things my aunt had done for me since I was a child flashed before my eyes. My parents passed away early. My aunt took me in, cooked me hot meals, and bought me pretty floral dresses.

She would gently stroke my head and say, "Don't be afraid, Wanwan. From now on, Auntie's home is your home."

After I grew up and started working, every time I came home, she would hold my hand, feeling sorry for me struggling alone in the big city.

She was the person I trusted and relied on most in this world, besides myself.

But just an hour ago, her son, my cousin Li Hao, knelt at my door, his face covered in snot and tears.

"Sister, Mom was hit by a car. She's in the ICU now. The doctor said it will cost 400,000 yuan for surgery, otherwise they won't operate!"

"Please, sister, you have to save Mom!"

"Mom has always loved you the most. You can't just stand by and watch her die!"

His cries were heart-wrenching; every word struck my heart like a hammer blow.

My heart ached so much I could hardly breathe. I didn't even have time to put on a coat; I grabbed my bank card and rushed out the door.

But now, Manager Zhang's words were like a bucket of ice water, chilling me to the bone.

Five hundred thousand yuan in cash.

For a wedding house.

Four hundred thousand yuan for surgery.

ICU treatment.

These words swirled and collided wildly in my mind, weaving a huge, absurd web.

I felt like a joke trapped in the center of this web.

My phone vibrated frantically in my bag; I knew without looking that it was my cousin's desperate call.

One call, two calls, three calls.

I gripped the phone tightly, my knuckles turning white from the force.

The caller ID that had once caused me so much heartache now seemed utterly ironic.

For the first time, I didn't answer.

"Ms. Lin, you don't look well. Are you feeling unwell?"

Manager Zhang's concerned voice pulled me back to reality.

I took a deep breath, forcing down the turmoil in my heart, and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"It's nothing, maybe...maybe there's a problem with the card."

"I'll go back and check it first, then come back tomorrow."

I stammered these words, then grabbed my bag and fled the bank.

The cold wind outside stung my face like a knife.

But that pain was nothing compared to the anguish in my heart.

I wandered aimlessly, finally sitting down on a park bench.

The winter park was desolate and cold, just like my current state of mind.

I finally took out my phone, ignoring the string of missed calls, and opened the calculator.

My total savings, no more, no less, exactly four hundred thousand.

This is the hard-earned money I've saved up over six years of frugal living.

Why did they specifically ask for 400,000 yuan?

That's all my savings.

Why is it that after my aunt withdrew 500,000 yuan, we have no money left?

Where did the 500,000 yuan go?

Since it was for my cousin's wedding house, and now that a life is at stake, why couldn't they use it to save him first?

My mind raced, piecing together all the details I'd overlooked.

I remembered my cousin, Li Hao, twenty-four years old, always idle and without a proper job.

A while ago, he suddenly showed off his newly bought limited-edition sneakers and the latest phone on social media.

At the time, I thought he'd finally matured and found a job.

I also thought of my uncle, that man who always favored boys over girls and found fault with me in every way. This morning, he actually called me—a rare occurrence for him—feigning concern and subtly inquiring about how much money I had saved.

A terrifying thought, almost tearing me apart, began to fester in my mind.

This might not have been an accident at all.

This wasn't a life-saving measure.

This was a meticulously planned scam targeting me.

A trap, tailor-made for me by my most beloved aunt, my "closest" family member, designed to drain me of my last drop of blood.

I sat on the cold bench, trembling like a leaf in the autumn wind.

No.

I don't believe it.

I don't believe that woman who hugged me and said, "Your aunt is your mother," would scheme against me like this.

I need to go to the hospital.

I must see it with my own eyes.

I need to ask her myself if this is all true.