Chapter 7
Nick Herty had barely fallen asleep after staying up all night when the banging on the door startled him awake. With messy hair and sleepy eyes, he groaned.
“Who the hell is knocking at this hour? Can’t a person get some sleep?” he grumbled.
I was in the kitchen making breakfast but poked my head out to tell him to open the door, all while straining my ears to listen.
As soon as he opened the door, a group of burly men with tattoos flooded in.
“Why are you guys here so early? Didn’t I tell you to wait for the call?” Nick Herty was clearly caught off guard.
1/8
Chapter 7
+ 5 Points
“We’re here for the money” one of the men puffed out a cloud of smoke.
“I know you’re here for money, but I’m still alive! You guys are too early. Come back when I contact you” Nick Herty said, trying to stall.
“Are you trying to dodge us? You want to skip out on the debt?” The man was visibly annoyed, hearing for the first time that he’d waited for someone to die before asking for money, thought Nick Herty had tricked them and slamming a flower vase off the table in frustration.
“Do you have any professional decency? Showing up early and smashing things? Wait here, I’m going to file a complaint!” Nick Herty snapped back.
At the noise, my son and mother–in–law
2/8
Chapter 7
+ 5 Points
emerged, each insisting they hadn’t invited
anyone.
“Uh… Heh, you guys must’ve made a mistake, Nick Herty quickly backpedaled.
“No mistake. Your wife owes us money and you’re her husband, so we’re here for you to pay up,” the man shot back.
Nick Herty was left dumbfounded. At that moment, I walked into the room, and he immediately shoved me forward.
“Talk to her about it, I have nothing to do with this,” he said, pushing me to the front.
I staggered slightly from the shove, feeling that familiar sting of betrayal. Nick Herty was always like this–selfish and quick to throw me under the bus when things got tough.
3/8
Chapter 7
+ 5 Points
I trembled, my voice shaking, “How did you find us? I told you I’d pay you back.”
“Repay the money? You owe us ten million! Where are you going to get that kind of money? That’s why we came straight to your family to get it from them,” one of the men said with a sneer.
My mother–in–law let out a shrill scream upon hearing the amount.
“What? Ten million?! You little bitch, how did you borrow so much money?! Where’s the money?!” she yelled.
I feigned tears and began explaining, “My cousin introduced me to an investment project. They didn’t want to join, but I didn’t think she would deceive me, so I invested a little. After I started making a profit, I kept
4/8
Chapter 7
+ 5 Points
investing more, and everything was going well. But then, after putting in all my money, I suddenly lost it all. I didn’t dare tell the family, so I borrowed money to cover the hole.”
I paused, my voice trembling, “But I didn’t know it was a loan shark, and in just half a month, the interest piled up to ten million.”
“You damn woman! How dare you borrow from loan sharks?! Watch me kill you!” Nick Herty
roared, seething with rage. He grabbed a broom to hit me.
The burly man snatched the broom from his hands, kicked him down, and started beating him.
“Pay the money!”
Nick Herty howled in pain, rolling on the
5/8
Chapter 7
+ 5 Points
floor. “Ow, ow! I don’t have any money! She’s the one who owes, go beat her!”
My mother–in–law was frantic, running in circles. “Don’t hit my son! My
daughter–in–law has money! The house is
hers!”
The man scoffed, “This house has already been mortgaged to us. After the house, you still owe us ten million!”
“Hmph, no repayment? Then smash everything!” he shouted.
His lackeys grabbed whatever was nearby and began tossing it around the room. The burly man continued to strike Nick Herty mercilessly.
My mother–in–law tried to stop them but was knocked to the ground, begging the man to
6/8
Chapter 7
+ 5 Points
stop hitting her son.
“Please, please, don’t kill him!” she pleaded.
Meanwhile, my dear son, seeing things had gone south, had already hidden away.
I pretended to feel heartbroken as I watched my husband getting beaten, crying continuously.
“Stop! Stop!” I cried out, my voice full of feigned desperation.
“It’s my debt! It’s all me, not them! You can come for me, just stop hitting my husband!”
The burly man smirked. “As long as you two aren’t divorced, he’s responsible for helping you pay off the debt. If you have no money, then of course we’ll go after him.”
7/8
Chapter 7
+ 5 Points
Nick Herty, hearing this, shouted, “Divorce! We’re getting a divorce now!”
“Yes, divorce!” my mother–in–law grabbed my hand and forced me to sign the divorce
papers.
“Write it quickly! You’ll take all the debt!”
E
