All Chapters of When a Life Is Worth Only 100 Bucks: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Holding Mom's urn, I returned to the country alone to handle the funeral arrangements. Aunt Sharon, Mom's sister, helped me with the wake."Where's Alicia?" Aunt Sharon asked. "Why didn't she come back?""She's still on a peacekeeping mission…""That again? She didn't bother saving your mom when she got kidnapped, and now she won't even come back to help with the funeral! If your dad hadn't rushed into the fire to save her back then, she would've already…"Your dad died saving her, and now your mom is gone, too. Will she only be satisfied when our entire family is gone?" Aunt Sharon broke down.The harsh light of the hall stung my eyes. A photo of my parents had been placed on the table. My chest throbbed painfully. It felt like someone was hammering burning hot needles into my heart.I reached out to hold Aunt Sharon steady. My throat caught. In the end, I couldn't bring myself to tell her the truth."Alicia has an urgent mission to complete. She'll be back once the mission is

Chapter 2

As I stared fixedly at the screen of my phone, a scene from years ago popped into my head. I remembered the way Alicia had cried at Dad's funeral and promised him she would take care of me for the rest of my life in his place.I could still remember the light in her eyes back then, but the light now shone on someone else.It was as if my phone had turned into a pile of bricks. I could barely hold onto it.With shaky fingers, I checked the comments on the post. I wanted to write something, but all I managed to type was a string of gibberish.Her second last post had been a photo of her and Randall holding glasses of red wine. The caption read, "Cheers to not spending 100 dollars on a cab."It was posted on the same day that Mom was killed, after the ransom deadline passed.Out of nowhere, I let out a hollow laugh that seemed to have been squeezed out of my chest by force. My fingers almost bore into the screen as I typed out, "That strapped for cash, huh? I'll give you an extra 20

Chapter 3

"Shut up!" I grabbed Randall by the collar and pinned him to the ground. "You think I didn't want to?" I roared, my voice so dry and hoarse that it sounded like it'd been torn straight out of my chest.Even if I had to go sell off every single thing I own, including my organs, I would've done anything I could to get Mom back. I would willingly sacrifice my life just so she could live for one more day.But I was abroad in Fangoria, thousands of miles away from home. How could I have possibly raised the ransom money in just three days?My throat tightened as I recalled the suffering Mom went through before she died.However, Alicia suddenly rushed up and shoved me to the side. "What the hell are you doing, Gregory! Randall's right. If you'd just—"She stood defensively in front of Randall, glaring at me in fury."You want to sell off my parents' old house to pay off the debts of some random man? My, my. My parents are so lucky to have you as their daughter-in-law!""Don't be so

Chapter 4

"There's nothing going on between Randall and me," Alicia said. "He's just a childhood friend. I'm only helping him because—""Get lost!" I snapped icily as I threw her hand off me. "I don't care what you two are. It's none of my business what kind of sordid things you've done behind my back. I don't give a damn about the lengths you're willing to go to for that loser."Alicia's expression froze."Fine! So be it, Gregory! You want a divorce, huh? You're getting one! Don't come begging to get back together with me after that!" she screamed in humiliation before grabbing Randall off the ground. "Let's go!"I stood alone in the garden, taking in the house. Then, I slowly started cleaning up the mess. From now on, I would remain here to keep the memory of this house alive.…"Mr. Kane, the Fangorian court says there's still some key information missing from the evidence we've provided. Please come over as soon as possible. It's best if you can clarify things in person."After the ca

Chapter 5

My blood was boiling. Every cell in my body was ignited with the burning desire to rip Alicia and Randall into pieces.The agonizing pain of my broken ribs nearly suffocated me. The overwhelming hatred burned so fiercely that my organs felt like they were on fire.At that very moment, Alicia strolled over to me."Why are you being so stubborn, Gregory?"Blood rose in my throat as I glared at her. "The nerve of you to come here, Alicia…"With a sigh, she crouched down and reached out as if to wipe the blood from my face, but I jerked my head away."I had no choice," Alicia declared. "If Randall doesn't pay off his debts, they will really beat him to death."Randall came over and poked his head out from behind her. His eyes were red, and he sounded as if he were on the verge of tears as he cried out, "It's my fault, Gregory, but they'll kill me! I know you hate me, but please save me this once. I'll pay you back in the future. I'll buy the old house back!"Alicia said impatiently

Chapter 6

"That's impossible!" Alicia insisted. "Say that again!""It's true. I asked around and found out that no rescue team was ever sent out that day. The kidnappers killed her the moment the three-day deadline passed. The Fangorian court is already preparing to start the trial," the caller reported.Alicia's phone slipped from her hand with a clatter, the screen shattering when it hit the floor. She stumbled backward, her heels kicking up even more of the ashes."No… That's impossible…"She shook her head blankly before rushing up to me, questioning me, "Didn't you say everything was over? How could she be… He's lying to me, isn't he?"I slowly lifted my head, blood and tears blurring my vision. "Are you satisfied now?"Alicia became even more hysterical, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me violently. "Gregory! Why didn't you tell me!"Her nails dug into my flesh as she screamed, "You did it on purpose, didn't you!"I stared at her twisted expression before laughing. "Why didn't I

Chapter 7

Alicia stiffened. Suddenly, she began slapping herself, the crisp sound echoing all around. "I was wrong, Mom. I know I messed up… Please come back…"Ignoring her, I bent down and continued to collect all of Mom's ashes, my tears burning like molten lava as they fell onto the back of my hands. "I'm sorry, Mom. It's my fault for being so useless. Let's go home. This time, I'll definitely keep you safe."I held the bundle of ashes tightly in my arms, like I was cradling the most precious treasure in the world. Then, I staggered to my feet."Let's go home, Mom…"But just then, the warehouse doors were kicked open.The leader of the loan sharks stood at the entrance with more than a dozen thugs behind him, who were all sneering at us. "Trying to leave? Where's the money then?"Randall immediately hid behind Alicia, his voice trembling as he exclaimed, "Save me, Alicia. T-They'll kill me!"Alicia didn't move. She remained where she was, her fingers clenched so tightly they had turned

Chapter 8

The slap split the corner of Randall's mouth. Alicia's palm went numb, but she wasn't satisfied yet. She raised her hand to strike again when, from the corner of her eye, she saw me stagger."Gregory!"She instantly threw down the metal bat and rushed over to catch me. All of her earlier aggression was replaced by tender concern as she held me protectively.Dazed, I looked at her face that was inches away from mine. Her sweat-soaked bangs clung to her forehead. Her red, swollen eyes were full of worry. Blood clung to the corner of her mouth, a result of the earlier fight.For a moment, I saw a face that was lifted straight out of my memory—the face of a teenage girl tutoring me in the classroom after school."You got this question wrong again," the 17-year-old Alicia said as she tapped my forehead with her pen. "You're hopeless."My parents would always invite her to stay for dinner, reserving the juiciest piece of steak for her.The day Alicia got accepted into her chosen col

Chapter 9

On the way to the cemetery, the car was so quiet that even the sound of breathing could be heard.Alicia sat in the front passenger seat, her knuckles pale as she clasped her hands tightly in her lap. She made several attempts to speak before finally saying timidly, "Gregory, I know I messed up…""Save it."I stared out the window at the scenery rushing past. The fields were blanketed in snow, just like the day we went to the park behind the school to watch the first snowfall of the year together.She'd smiled so brightly at me back then, but now…Did it even matter anymore? What was done was done, and some mistakes could never be undone."From the day you chose not to save Mom, things between us ended for good."Alicia's breath caught sharply, as if someone had grabbed her throat and squeezed it hard."But…" Her voice was choked, and she started tearing up again. "I really—""Alicia." I cut her off, forcing myself to speak in the calmest voice I could manage, but my words wer

Chapter 10

I immediately threw myself back into the grueling task of gathering evidence for Mom's case. The process was far harder than I had anticipated.The kidnappers did a good job of hiding themselves. They didn't fear for their lives anyway, making their fortunes by kidnapping people in war-torn regions. They feared nothing and no one.To make matters worse, the local authorities were corrupt and badly run, unable to uphold even the most basic justice.I spent all my time collecting evidence. I hired the best lawyer I could find. I even went to the media and got the public to help apply some pressure.In the end, I succeeded.The day the court convened, I sat with the prosecution and watched as the court officers led in the once-arrogant kidnappers. They now looked glum and defeated, with no trace of their previous bravado to be found.When the judge read the final verdict, my hands trembled."The Court finds the defendants guilty on all charges. The defendants are hereby sentenced t

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