All Chapters of When Gratitude Runs Out of Credit: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

"These clothes won't be easy to clean. Look at them. They're all covered in oil stains. How can a young woman like you be so messy? And look at this pair of pants! It's full of holes. I'd have to patch them all up. You young people are always so careless. If we don't help you guys patch your clothes, you'll end up walking around with your butt exposed!"Despite being in the middle of responding to my messages, after hearing that long rant, I had to stop what I was doing and stare incredulously at the woman operating the laundromat.I was a regular at Tom's Laundromat. It was conveniently located near my place, and the price was fair. I spent all my time at home drawing and rushing to meet my deadlines. Since I was constantly preoccupied with work, I usually got all of my laundry done here, save for my intimates.Who would've thought that a simple errand that I usually managed to get done without any hassle or stress would result in a lecture today?Narrowing my eyes, I studied the

I felt a chill in my heart as I retracted the hand I had placed on Benjamin's head.Back then, I had topped up 10 thousand into the membership card out of consideration for Tom's business. He was short-staffed and up to his ears in work, but he maintained a good attitude and made sure the clothes were properly cleaned.Be it my jacket splattered with oil paint or my jeans caked with mud, he could clean them all well without ever needing to take more time or charge more.With how good he was at his job, I hoped that he would be able to operate his laundromat for years to come. Therefore, apart from preloading my card, I also tried to help him whenever I could, but I didn't let Tom or his family find out about that.Dad was worried that if Tom found out my family owned all of the storefronts nearby, he would start getting ideas about me.As the memories of the past rushed back to me, I calmly replied, "Benjamin, it's good that your dad is about to get married again. However, you sho

I closed my eyes and recalled those few neighbors who had been talking about those rumors in the elevator.Over the phone, Dad's voice was firm as he replied, "I know you're lazy, Cassie. You're the type who'd prefer not to kick up a fuss. However, being good-tempered doesn't mean you should allow people to push you around. Go ahead and do whatever you want. I've got your back."Agreeing with Dad, I quickly went through the information Mr. Zeller sent to me while sketching the faces of the gossiping neighbors.Once everything was ready, I got changed and opened up my WhatsApp.I was going to ask Tom when he would be returning to the laundromat when the chat group caught my attention.Someone nicknamed Clarity had sent the message, "Good afternoon, my lovely neighbors! Fate has brought us together in this neighborhood. I would like to share some good news with you all."My son, Tom Payne, is a successful man with a house and a car to his name. He will be getting married at the end

Tom was so horrified that he almost dropped his suitcase.He hastily said to the wailing Clara, "Stop joking around, Mom. She's our biggest customer. What happened? Slow down and explain properly."However, Clara only proceeded to bawl even more loudly as she screamed, "Our biggest customer? Hah! She brought a bunch of hooligans into the store and claimed that the store belonged to her, and now, she wants to rent it out to someone else! She says we didn't sign a contract with her."Look at poor Benjamin and me! How can an old woman and a kid like us even dare to stop them? All we could do was let them push us around!"One of the movers wiped his sweat and hollered over Clara, "Hah! You didn't even dare to stop us, you say? Hey, man. Look at the scratches that old woman left on me. And look at the bite mark that kid left on my arm!"The man rolled up his sleeve to reveal several bleeding wounds.I nodded at Mr. Zeller who got the hint and said, "Since you got injured on the job, I

As Tom got nearer and nearer, I could no longer hold back my urge to vomit. In an instant, the fluid that came out of my mouth sprayed all over Tom's face. Some of it even got into his mouth."Why, you!"Stunned and infuriated, Clara wanted to slap me, but she ended up slipping and falling into a pool of vomit.I yanked the door open and waved at Mr. Zeller, who was rushing toward the vehicle. "I'm over here, Mr. Zeller!"From the day I moved out of the house, Dad installed a tracking device on my phone. At the time, I teased him for being too worried."I spend nearly all of my time cooped up inside the house anyway. Why would you ever need to track my location?"Alas, he knew better than me after all. The tracking device had saved my life.With a group of men in tow, Mr. Zeller hurried over to protect me. The men proceeded to haul Tom and Clara out of the vehicle in anger before giving them a good thrashing."How dare you try to set your sights on her? Are you out of your mind