I Am The Richest Man Alive

Chapter Two - Loan.

Justin had his heart in his mouth when Tucson uttered those words. He was too confused to say a word. The last time he was this hurt and speechless was the night he lost his mother. The only discrepancy was that the tears in his eyes were yet to cascade down his cheeks. 

"Dad, aren't you being too cruel and unrealistic?" Lilly said. "Where do you expect him to get that ridiculous amount of money from? Where?" Lilly smacked her lips furiously. 

"I don't care where or how he gets the money. He can break the bank, I don't give a damn. If he doesn't get those tickets in twenty-four hours, he will sign a divorce paper. And I will send him back to the slump." Tucson threatened. 

"That's a great idea, Dad," Diana said. She was going to utter another word, but a glimpse at Lilly's huffy face made her alternate the words with a sigh. 

Justin flitted his gaze in trepidation. " Sir I.." 

"Don't say a word, you retarded, silly, poor piece of poop," Tucson interrupted. " Get out of my sight!" Tucson raved with an irked stare on his wrinkled face. 

Justin twinkled his eyes and walked away, his head buried in outright shame. 

"Dad that was harsh," Lilly grumbled. "Why would you do that, when you can pay for the tickets yourself?" 

"If that idiot loves you like he claims, he will get the money. Besides, I know he can't get it. Get ready to leave him for good." Tucson declared. 

"But dad ..." 

"Lilly, can I have my dinner in silence?" Tucson cut in. 

Lilly remained mute for a moment, staring into the eyes of everyone sitting across the table. A part of her wished her mother was going to say a word, but since none was forthcoming, it intensified her fury. 

Diana had an annoying look on her face. The only time the twenty-year-old is cheerful about anything is when she's talking about her rich fiance - Meeky Evans. 

"Fine," Lilly said coldly and stormed away. 

Diana clicked her tongue and mashed a spoon of pasta into her mouth. She purred delightfully with a mouthful and said, "His food isn't as poor as he is after all" 

**** 

"Are you sure you want to do this?" A man clasping a blunt growled close to Justin's ears. 

Justin was going to mutter a "Yes" but the horrifying look on the man's face made him nod instead.

Justin barely had up to a thousand dollars in his savings account. If he depends on his job to raise a hundred thousand dollars, it might take him many years.  

The only trick in the book was to find a means that'll be to an end. Borrowing from this loan shark was the first idea to hit his radar. 

After all, he loves Lilly so much. If this was the only thing he could do to make her proud for the first time and save his marriage. Then even Nelson Drogonuv's billionaire party can neither stop him nor rain on his parade. 

"Are you aware that the interest is a hundred percent? That means you will be paying back two hundred thousand dollars in a month?" The loan shark asked. 

Justin stood motionless for a millisecond, his mind straining to process the ridiculous information. But nothing mattered more than what's at stake already. His marriage. 

"Yes. I will pay you two hundred thousand dollars in a month." Justin asserted. 

The loan shark cackled. He limped closer to Justin. He lit up his blunt and let out a considerable amount of smoke on Justin's face. He grabbed Justin by the collar and yanked him closer as his breath pounded over Justin's face. "I will kill you. If you don't pay back my money," he roared. 

"I... I will not default." Justin stammered. 

The loan shark signalled one of his cronies and he came forward with a bag. He gestured for him to give the bag to Justin. 

Nervous and frightened, Justin opened the bag and a clump of cash caught his gaze. His heart missed a beat and his eyeballs dilated in shock. Not because he hadn't seen that amount of money in a while, but because Lilly will be proud of him for the first time in a while. 

"Get out," the loan shark yelled.