Chapter 3 - Blood Money
The community hall erupted into panicked murmurs.
I stared at my father in complete shock.
His face had turned the color of ash.
He closed his eyes and let out a long, defeated breath.
I begged him to tell me that Victoria was lying about the contract.
My father softly confessed that he had been desperate to save my mother's life.
He had signed a blank agreement with a notorious loan shark who turned out to be Victoria's husband.
Julian burst into a cruel, triumphant laugh.
He mocked us, saying that the gardener was about to be put back in his proper place.
The commander stepped forward and calmly inspected the piece of paper in Victoria's hand.
He signaled to a man in a sharp grey suit standing near the military trucks.
The man introduced himself as the chief legal counsel for the Armed Forces.
He adjusted his glasses and demanded to examine the document.
Victoria confidently handed it over, boasting that it was notarized and ironclad.
The lawyer read through the faded ink with a cold, expressionless face.
Julian stood beside his mother, already calculating how he would spend our newfound wealth.
He whispered to me that I could still be his wife if I begged for forgiveness.
I spat at his feet and told him I would rather die in poverty.
The military lawyer finally looked up from the ancient contract.
He calmly stated that the document was indeed legally binding under state law.
Victoria cheered loudly while my heart sank into my stomach.
The lawyer then raised a single finger to quiet the room.
He revealed that there was one specific clause that Victoria had completely overlooked.
The debt would be rendered void if the lender was found guilty of causing the borrower's medical emergency.
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The lawyer pulled a classified medical file from his briefcase and slammed it onto the altar.
He announced that my mother did not die of natural cancer, but from targeted radiation poisoning.
