The gossip outside grew even louder. Every whisper was about me.

That was when my mother walked in. Her face was pure disbelief. "How is that possible? Ronald, didn't you just give me that jewelry from the auction the other day?"

I suddenly remembered. We'd planned to grab dinner together after work today.

Adeline let out a mocking laugh. "Auction? He bought those with loan shark money!"

"Enjoy it while it lasts. You'll be crying soon enough."

"And thank God the baby in my belly isn't yours. At least my child won't be dragged down with the rest of you."

"What?!" My mother's face went white with shock. She grabbed Adeline's arm before she could leave. "What did you just say?!"

Adeline wrenched free with a look of pure disgust. "Are you deaf? I said the baby isn't your family's!"

My mother already had high blood pressure. The shove sent her stumbling backward.

She clutched her chest and crumpled to the floor.

I rushed forward and caught her. "Mom! What's wrong?"

Adeline spat in contempt. "Old hag's faking it. Probably trying to guilt-trip us into giving her money. Let's go. She's bad luck."

She hurried out with Peggy and Alex in tow.

My mother's face was ashen. She couldn't get a single word out. Her eyes slowly rolled shut.

I didn't think. I scooped her up and ran for the hospital.

In the ER, the doctor examined her. "She has hypertension. The emotional distress caused a dangerous spike in her blood pressure. She needs to be admitted for observation."

I stepped out of the room and called my father, who was overseas on business.

"Hello? Ronald?" His voice came through the line.

I told him everything.

Silence on the other end. A few long seconds passed before he spoke. "I'm booking a flight home right now. They'll answer for this."

"Take care of your mother. I'll handle the rest." He paused. "Alex Swanson and the Hardings. I'll deal with them too."

After hanging up, I sat by my mother's hospital bed and pulled up the credit card I'd authorized under Adeline's name. I revoked her access.

That card was supposed to be for groceries and daily expenses. I'd told her the monthly limit was ten thousand dollars.

What she never knew was that the card's real credit line was a hundred million.

My phone buzzed. Several messages from Alex, all on WhatsApp.

First, a photo of him and Adeline together, posing intimately.

Then a string of voice messages: "Hey buddy, real sorry about your situation. You're in way too deep, and I can't help you. But I hear delivering food pays decent. Might help you chip away at that debt."

"Plus all that running around might help you build some stamina, if you know what I mean. Adeline says you're useless in bed. That's why she came to me."

I didn't get angry. I laughed. "I never treated you badly. This is how you repay me?"

Alex burst out laughing. "Man, I thought you were actually some rich kid. That's the only reason I ever hung around you!"

"If I'd known you were just some loser borrowing from loan sharks to play big shot, I wouldn't have given you the time of day."

I didn't bother responding. I blocked him.

The next morning, I went home to grab a few things before heading back to the hospital to be with my mother.

The moment I opened the front door, there they were. Adeline, Peggy, and Alex, standing in my living room like they owned the place.

Adeline stormed up and slapped me across the face. "You've got some nerve showing up here. We agreed to go to the county clerk's office today! How dare you not show!"

Peggy kicked me for good measure. "I knew it. He never planned to go through with the divorce. He wants us to pay off that hundred million for him!"

I shoved them both away, jaw clenched so tight my teeth ached. "My mother is in the hospital because of you people, and all you care about is the divorce?"

Adeline let out a scornful laugh. "It's your mother who's sick, not mine. Why should I care?"

Alex tossed a divorce agreement in front of me. "I already drafted it. Just sign."

Adeline found a pen and threw it at me. "I checked with a lawyer. As long as I leave the marriage with nothing and don't take a single dollar, I won't be liable for a cent of your debt."

"Hurry up and sign. Don't hold up my wedding to Alex."

I almost laughed. I reached over and signed.

She was walking away from the marriage with nothing just to dodge the debt. That meant the billions in my family's assets would never touch her hands.

The moment I set the pen down, Alex grabbed my arm and tried to drag me toward the door. "Come on, let's get to the county clerk's office and make it official. Nothing in the world is more urgent than this."

I shook him off. "My mother has surgery today. I don't have time for this."

Peggy kicked me in the shin. "Quit whining! Even if your mother dropped dead today, you'd sign these papers first!"

They dragged me out the door, hauling and shoving me the entire way to the county clerk's office.

The whole trip, Peggy ran her mouth at full volume, telling anyone within earshot that I owed a hundred million dollars.

People on the street stopped to stare.

"Apparently the guy took out a loan shark's money. His own wife's divorcing him."

"I heard he even tried to pin his debt on his brother-in-law. Wanted to weasel out of paying."

"What a lowlife. No wonder his wife and mother-in-law want him gone. I'd kick him to the curb too."

The clerk adjusted her glasses and asked, "Have the two of you finalized the terms of the divorce agreement?"

Adeline nodded and slid the document across the counter. "It's all settled. I'm leaving the marriage with nothing."

I had no objections. We completed the process without a word.

The moment we stepped outside, a smile finally broke across Adeline's face. "I'm free! I love you, Alex!"

"The second the cooling-off period ends, we're getting married!"

She threw herself into Alex's arms and kissed him right there in front of everyone. "Thank God I found you. A fresh start. Otherwise that worthless man would've ruined my entire life."

Peggy was even bolder. She shoved me hard in the chest. "Get lost. My daughter is carrying Alex's baby now."

"From here on out, she'll be living the high life. Never has to look at your pathetic face again."

I couldn't be bothered with them. I turned and walked away.

Alex gave Adeline's waist a squeeze, then pulled out his phone. "Grand Oceanic Hotel. I need a table for a celebration dinner tonight at seven."

"Your finest prix fixe. And two bottles of the '82 Lafite."

He raised his voice on purpose, making sure every word carried to my ears.

After he hung up, Alex grinned. "Hey, Ronald. We're throwing a little party tonight. Want to join us?"

I drew a slow breath, turned my head, and looked him dead in the eye. "Get lost."

Adeline giggled, clinging to Alex's arm. "Don't tease the fool, babe. He's a hundred million in the hole. He wouldn't dare show his face anywhere."

"Probably won't make it through the night. Some collector will catch up to him and leave him dead in the gutter."

Peggy spat on the ground. "Good riddance. That's karma."

Right then, a crowd surged up behind us.

At the front was a hulking, shaved-headed man named Bruno, trailed by seven or eight guys covered in tattoos.

Bruno peeled off his jacket and bellowed, "You owe money, you pay up. That's how the world works!"

Adeline and Alex flinched at the sudden roar.

Peggy spotted the collectors and whipped out the divorce agreement. "He's already divorced from my daughter. Kill him, gut him, do whatever you want. It's got nothing to do with us."

Bruno looked baffled. He jerked his chin at the men behind him, signaling them to bring someone forward. "Why don't you take a look for yourself and point out which ones are your people?"

Tim was dragged in, his face a mess of bruises—purple and swollen—and he was screaming like a stuck pig. "Mom! Sis! Brother-in-law, save me!"

"I owe them a hundred million dollars! If I don't pay up today, they're taking me!"