“Ruth, are you really going to abandon me?” Louisa cried. “I am your mother. No matter how hard it was, I chose to give birth to you…”
She never imagined that one day she would be abandoned by her own daughter.
Saul looked troubled but chose to comfort his wife first. “Alright, Louisa, don’t cry. I understand Ruth’s decision. Let her go. This is all Ryan’s fault. It’s my incompetence that has dragged you both down.”
He spoke with guilt, hoping for Ruth’s forgiveness. But Ruth only responded with a cold sneer, “You’re not incompetent; you’re a useless man who lives off women!”
For years, it was her mother who worked to support him. Without her, his meager earnings from scavenging wouldn’t even cover medicine, and she had to work for her stepfather’s family too.
Saul’s face turned dark with anger. “If I hadn’t taken you in, who knows where you’d be wandering now.”
“Ruth, how can you say such heartless things?” Louisa was easily swayed by his words and began to blame Ruth for opposing her stepfather.
“Ruth, you’re so ungrateful! You got to go to school because of Saul’s decision. How can you treat him like this? His poor health isn’t his fault, and he’s been working honestly all these years without taking a day off.”
Listening to her mother’s accusations, Ruth felt like laughing. Yes, her stepfather had been working, but his meager income went towards his medicine and supporting his useless son. What did they get in return?
She wanted her mother to wake up and leave this bottomless pit. Now that she was grown up, she could provide a better life for them. But Louisa’s foolishness made her an outsider; it seemed her mother and stepfather were the real family.
Since that was the case, Ruth decided she didn’t need Louisa as a mother anymore. It was all Louisa’s choice.
“I got into school through my own efforts. It has nothing to do with him or you. If Ryan is your son, then go help him pay off his debts. I’m leaving!”
She felt exhausted. She could have graduated smoothly, found a decent job, and escaped the harsh poverty of her past. But Ryan ruined everything.
Ryan continued to curse at her back, “You bitch! Did you do this on purpose? You didn’t even ask your friends for money. Wait until I get out; I’ll teach you a lesson!”
“Do whatever you want,” she thought. But first, he had to survive Ibrahim.
As Ruth turned to leave, Ibrahim chopped off Ryan’s hand without a word.
“Ahhh!” Blood splattered everywhere, and Ryan fainted at the sight of his severed hand.
“Fainted?” Ibrahim sneered. “You think it’s over?”
The Gilliam family’s methods were far from over. Ibrahim ordered someone to bring a basin of saltwater and poured it on Ryan’s wound.
The intense pain woke Ryan up. “Dad, Mom… help me! It hurts so much…”
“Ryan! How are you?” Louisa couldn’t bear to look at her stepson’s condition. Saul urged her to get the money quickly.
“I… I have no money… I gave you $600 last time; that was all I had.” That money was meant for Ruth’s work clothes after graduation.
Saul’s face turned vicious when he heard there was no money. “Can’t you ask your boss for an advance on your salary?”
That would be $6, 000 at least. He thought Ibrahim might let them go if they got the money.
Louisa didn’t dare tell him she had been fired and owed compensation for burning a customer.
“Answer me!” Saul slapped Louisa hard.
Ruth couldn’t help but look back. She saw her mother kneeling and begging Saul not to be angry.
Finally, Ibrahim revealed the truth. “Your wife’s mistake caused heavy losses at our restaurant. So now you owe $360, 000.”
The words felt like a death sentence.
Louisa sat crying helplessly while Saul threatened her, “If Ruth doesn’t pay this debt, I’ll divorce you and send you back to the red-light district.”
“No! I’ll make Ruth pay…”
Poor Ruth hadn’t even left the junkyard when men in black grabbed her and threw her into a luxury car.
She struggled and kicked but got no response.
They threw her into the trunk and drove off.
Louisa cried bitterly as the car left. “Ruth, I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
“What’s the use of saying that now? Let’s go before we’re next!” Saul dragged her away to pack their things and flee with the injured Ryan.
Meanwhile, Ruth was cramped in the car trunk, struggling to breathe amidst the engine noise and gasoline smell.
Her mind was clear despite the physical torment.
Where are they taking me?