Debt to Pay

All eyes turned to Boner as he spoke, walking over to Christian. “Maybe you’ve been living in your perfect little world for long enough, but in real life? Things are not sunshine and rainbows. Especially not in the life of a mafia. You should know that, shouldn’t you. Don’t you still attend school like a good boy~?”

All around her, Rebecca could notice some light sighs and head shakes from a few people watching the interaction. Was this normal in a mafia? For someone to disrespect their leader in such a manner? Shouldn’t someone stop him?

“Boner. What did I just tell you earlier?” Retchet warned, in which Boner scoffed at.

“Ah, come on. You can’t really be telling me you’re all scared of him? Regardless of who he is in the surface world, in the underground that is the mafia- especially for people like us- that means nothing here.” Boner then leaned closer to Christian and, to Rebecca’s astonishment, took a few whiffs at him. “Heh. He even smells like a weakling. A spoiled brat like him… can just get lost!” Next anyone knew, Boner threw a punch at Christian. While Rebecca paled in worry at the occurrence, she was puzzled to notice others around her remained calm at the sight. Emotionless even, with some looking displeased.

“So…” Rebecca suddenly heard, raising more disbelief from her. “I take this to mean you want out, don’t you?” Upon taking a better look, Rebecca noticed Christian did not look fazed by the punch at all.

She was not the only one shocked by this, as Boner was also in disbelief to see his punch not affect the teen as he had assumed. Before he could even pull his fist back, Christian grabbed his wrist in a vice grip- surprising the older man with his grip strength- and slammed him down to the floor. While Boner was feeling a bit dazed from the slam, Christian was far from done, as he slammed his other hand down on his face, clutching it.

“I don’t know who you think you are. I couldn’t care less if you think so little of me simply because of my blood or because you think it’s too early for me to take any mantle of leadership,” he began. “However, if you truly wish to take my place that badly, have the strength to back it up.” Christian proceeded to lift the man off the floor, only to send him back down with an axe kick to the face, leaving the man in a bloody mess, unconscious. “Otherwise, just drop dead.” At those last words, he turned to the men around him. “Someone, dispose of this garbage. Or you will be next.”

“Yes, Lord Christian,” many around him answered, with a handful already moving to get rid of Boner.

Christian turned to Rebecca and Retchet, already frightening the former. “As for her, take her back where she belongs. And drag that bastard, Harold, here. Tie him up and drag him out the car, if you have to. He has played this stalling game of his for long enough. It’s time he pays back the money loaned to him. Be it in cash, or in his blood.”

Upon hearing him say such cold thing from his mouth, Rebecca snapped herself out of her shock and lowered the gag. “W-Wait, please!” she cried out, getting his attention. “Please, just buy me! I’ll pay back everything my father borrowed from you!”

“You? Pay back for what he has borrowed?” Christian questioned. “Forget about it. You won’t even be able to pay back a dime.”

“You don’t know that! Whatever the amount he owes, I’ll-”

“Do you even know how much he owes me?” At that question, Rebecca remained silent. Realizing that- though she knew her father owe some money- she did not know how much that amount was. “Show her.”

“Yes sir.” As soon as Retchet responded to the demand, he took out a slip of paper from his person and unfolded it, handed it to Rebecca to see. “This is how much your father has borrowed from us this month.”

Rebecca looked to the bottom of the paper, and was quite surprised by the amount shown. “It’s… a little much, sure. But I’m sure I can work it-”

“You are mistaken,” Retchet interrupted. “This is what he borrowed. For this month.” He took out another slip of paper and handed it to her. “This is for last month.”

Rebecca took a look, and was even more baffled by the amount. “He has been borrowing approximately this amount every month for the past ten years. And he was able to pay back the money in the first four years, and then paid back the amount in installments in the three years after that. Barely making the cut in the latter two of the three years. And up to today, he had been behind in his payments. Now, with the monthly late fee, this is how much he owes.”

He took out another slip of paper for Rebecca, who shakily took it into her hands as she replayed information of her father’s debt. Ten years? He had been borrowing from the mafia for the past ten years? When he was released from prison, it was ten years ago, and in that time, her mother was the one working. Providing income for the family. Not only that, but for the four years since his release, Rebecca often heard her mother ask her father if he knew what became of some of the money she had saved up, resulting in the beating.

‘It couldn’t be, could it?’ she wondered, having yet to unfold the paper in her trembling hands. ‘The money Mom saved up. He used it for them?!’

If she had thought about it, it would make sense. Not only did she doubt her mother would ever misplace the money she saved up, or misuse it, but even the money she saved from her part-time jobs... Rebecca could've sworn she had been getting less than usual. And even her funds in her bank... She couldn't check often as she was more focused on her school work, but she did notice a drop in numbers from time to time. She had been meaning to ask the bank about it, but never found the time to. Was it also because of...?

Rebecca swallowed down the lump forming in her throat, and unfolded the paper. Her eyes widened upon seeing the amount displayed on it. Left so speechless, she dropped the paper in shock.

“You see now?” Christian asked her. “Your father may have offered to sell you to us to pay off his debt, but you will never pay it off. You're not even willing to help pay. And that will be nothing more than a waste. Someone ought to show him that when a person wants things to be done, they want it to be done right. And that he cannot keep running from his problems.” To Retchet, he once again ordered, “Take her to her home.”

“I’ll pay it.” Both men stopped when those words left Rebecca’s mouth. “My father’s debt… I’ll pay it off.”