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Home / Imagination Short Story / Trash for Her Debts / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of Trash for Her Debts: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

11 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Dad, do you have a fever?"My daughter, Elyse Day, reached out her chubby little hand, trying to touch my forehead.I grabbed her hand, and something in my chest twisted painfully.A year ago, her hands had still been soft and plump. Now there were faint calluses on her palms. You didn’t get hands like that without living carefully, counting every dollar, just like her mom.I’d failed them.I used to look down on the two of them for being cheap. Even buying an ice cream meant comparing prices at three different stores before committing.Now I understood. Alisha West, my wife, had been preparing for the family’s collapse all along."Kiddo, I’m not sick." I rubbed my temples. "I just… finally figured things out."At that, Alisha and Elyse exchanged a glance, then quietly went back to flattening cardboard boxes.The comments drifted across my vision again.[Oh? The spendthrift Kayden Day’s changing his ways? Yeah right. He’s definitely faking it to trick her into buying him som

Chapter 2

I woke up early the next morning.Standing in the walk-in closet, staring at rows of custom suits and limited-edition watches, my chest tightened like it was being carved open.Every single one of these had been a gift from Alisha.Holidays, anniversaries, whether real or made-up, it didn’t matter. Even some random date I casually threw out, she’d remember and celebrate it for me.People said she was stingy, but the truth was, she was only harsh on herself. When it came to Elyse and me, she never held back.And now… these gifts were our only shot at turning things around.I had to sell them. I had to get rid of everything.I spent the entire day listing them on resale platforms. I priced them low—way lower than they were worth—because I needed cash, fast.The same limited-edition pieces that once sat untouchable at the top of the market were now getting snapped up like discount produce at a street stall.As I watched the balance in my account climb, I finally felt a flicker of

Chapter 3

The veins in my forehead throbbed as panic surged through me. My voice cracked mid-sentence."Don’t restructure it! Please don’t do it!" I shouted into the phone. "I have money! I sold my watches and my sports car. I still have shares! Don’t let Alisha go bankrupt! Don’t let them take her to jail!"There was silence on the other end for a full ten seconds.It was so quiet that all I could hear was my own ragged breathing."Mr. Day?" Xavier finally said, hesitantly. "Are you… alright?"I was frantic, pacing like a man on the edge, nothing like the composed, entitled version of myself I used to be."Mr. Shaw, I know you’re a good man. Please help Alisha. As long as you can protect her… I-I’ll step aside! I’ll let her go to you!"As long as she’d be okay, I didn’t care about being her husband anymore because right now, all I did was spend money. I was useless.Xavier sounded capable, like someone who could earn and save money and take care of her.The line went completely silent.

Chapter 4

That night, lying in bed, I couldn’t sleep again.I kept thinking about the man the Live Comment Feed mentioned: Xavier.Curiosity got the better of me.So the next morning, when Alisha left for work as usual, I followed her. She didn’t drive that day. Instead, she rode a bike.Watching her long legs awkwardly fold onto that tiny seat, my heart cracked. Was she really cutting costs down to gas money now?I threw on sunglasses and a mask, fully disguised, and grabbed another bike, trailing her from a distance.By the end of it, my legs felt like they were about to fall off. Someone like me, who wouldn’t step out without a luxury car, was now pedaling like I was in the Tour de France.Finally, she stopped in front of a place that looked painfully cheap. A small, no-frills burrito stall.Not long after, a man in business attire walked over. Short hair. Sharp. Efficient. He held a stack of documents in his hand.It was Xavier.The comments immediately exploded.[A date at a budg

Chapter 5

Her gaze dropped to the bike beside me, which I hadn’t even bothered to lock properly, and her brows furrowed again."I… I came out to experience real life!" I blurted, grasping for an excuse to cover how pathetic I looked."Experiencing life involves digging through trash?" Alisha pointed at the overturned garbage can by my feet. A few empty plastic bottles had rolled out onto the ground.An idea hit me.If I was already this deep in, I might as well commit. There was no way I was admitting I’d followed her because I felt insecure.There was no chance of that. My pride mattered more than anything."Yeah! I’m collecting bottles! So what if I am? I’m not stealing. I’m doing this for the family!"The more I talked, the more frustrated I felt, my voice rising as I squared my shoulders. "Alisha, if you think I’m embarrassing, just say it! Once your debts are paid off, I won’t owe you anything either. We’ll have a clean divorce!"The diners around us had all stopped eating, staring

Chapter 6

"What?!"This time, I was the one completely stunned."Mr. Day, Ms. West carried out a large-scale asset restructuring recently," Xavier explained, his tone calm but edged with professional restraint."It’s because the seller of this private island required full cash payment, and the transaction window was very short. To avoid disrupting the company’s normal cash flow, Ms. West had no choice but to liquidate some non-core assets."And… well, cut back on her personal spending."He glanced at Alisha’s slightly faded T-shirt collar, and there was unmistakable respect in his eyes."Ms. West said this was meant to be a birthday surprise for you, so it had to remain confidential. So even when her cash flow was tight enough that she was eating $2 lunch boxes, she repeatedly reminded me not to say a word."My mouth fell open. My jaw nearly hit the floor.The comments exploded.[??????][This isn’t how the story was supposed to go! Wasn’t she supposed to go bankrupt and end up on the

Chapter 7

When I got home and saw the empty walk-in closet, a wave of sorrow hit me."My Patek Philippe, my limited-edition Rolex, and that Vacheron Constantin I waited two years to get…" I slumped against the glass display case like a lifeless gecko, completely hollow inside.Elyse walked in with her hands clasped behind her back. Behind her, Alisha did the exact same thing."Dad, don’t be sad." Elyse pulled out a crumpled plastic bag from her pocket. Inside were coins she’d been saving. "This is my secret stash. There’s $7.50 total. You can have it. Go buy your watches back."Looking at her wide, sincere eyes, my heart melted."Sweetheart…" I reached out, deeply moved.Alisha suddenly stopped me. "Hold on."She pushed up imaginary glasses on her nose, her expression sharp as she looked at Elyse. "Elyse, you earned this $7.50 last month running errands for me, didn’t you? According to our household agreement, that’s your labor income."And you want to use that to buy your dad’s watches?

Chapter 8

To thank Xavier, I decided to invite him over for dinner.When Alisha heard I was hosting, her first reaction was, "Let’s just eat at home. Food outside is too expensive, and they don't use good ingredients. Xavier’s picky. He only eats discounted groceries."I was stunned.Since when does only eating discounted food count as being picky?That evening, Xavier arrived right on time, carrying a bag of strawberries with bits of dirt still clinging to them."Mr. Day, I picked these myself at a strawberry farm. I made sure to choose the biggest, reddest ones. They might look a little dirty, but they’re definitely fresh and sweet." He handed me the bag with complete seriousness.Wow, what a down-to-earth man.At the dinner table, the atmosphere was strangely harmonious.Alisha and Xavier seemed like long-lost soulmates who had finally found each other."Right now, pork prices are artificially high," Alisha said. "I’ve found that going to the market in the evening is better than in t

Chapter 9

After that night, Xavier and I became good friends.One evening, just before the end of the workday, I waited outside West Star Holdings' office. The moment I spotted a familiar figure, I walked up with a grin."Xavier! I’m here to pick you up!""You’re early, Kayden. Been waiting long?""I just got here too. Let’s go grab dinner first. My treat!"Right as I said that, Alisha stepped out through the revolving glass doors. The moment she saw me, the tension on her face melted away. "Honey, what are you doing here so early? What do you feel like eating? I’ll take you—"I slung an arm over Xavier’s shoulders. "Babe, you’ve got the wrong idea. I’m here to pick him up."There’s half a plate of bolognese left in the fridge from yesterday. Just microwave them for two minutes when you get home. Don’t waste electricity cooking."Alisha’s hand froze mid-air. Her expression visibly cracked.The comments floated by.[LOL! Ms. West: Turns out I’m the clown.][Kayden came to pick someone

Chapter 10

Two hours later, I walked out of the restaurant clutching my stomach."Xavier, how did you even find this place? That was incredible!" I rubbed my belly, sighing. "All those years chasing status… I wasted so much money for nothing. From now on, I’m done being that kind of reckless spender."As we talked, we passed by an exhibition hall. Inside was a futuristic display filled with mech models, drawing in a crowd of teenage boys.I noticed Xavier’s steps slow down. His gaze landed on a limited-edition Gundam model, and for just a moment, there was a flicker of something boyish in his eyes; it was something like longing.Just as quickly, he pulled himself back together. Logic took over again."Let’s go. It’s just a mass-produced plastic product. Manufacturing cost doesn’t exceed $7, and they’re selling it for $140. There's no resale value whatsoever. It’s purely a cash grab."He turned to leave.This time, I grabbed him. "Xavier, your math checks out. But you missed one thing.""W

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