A Man Called Revenge

Chapter 5: His Last Breath

 The day was bright, and the sun had barely kissed its light on the surface of the earth. But Gary was already getting dressed up. He was standing in front of a mirror adjusting his tie. Next, he took a shoe polish and polished his shoe to make sure it was coal black and sparkling.

 First impressions mattered—everyone said so. And today, he needed to nail one.

 He was interviewing for a cashier gig at The Sun Firm, one of the city’s big dogs. A lifeline. 

 When he got to the living room, everyone was already having the breakfast that he had prepared earlier, and the laughter in the room suddenly died down. His presence was a fly in their soup, especially for Madam Ann, who glared like he’d spat on her plate.

 “Where you off to this early, all dolled up?” she sneered. “Got a job as a—uh—”

 “Janitor?” Rose chimed in, smirking.

 Donald piled on, “Garbage man, maybe?”

 “My grandmother needs to perform a surgery, and it costs $450,000. So I am going to get interviewed in The Sun Firm. And unless you are helping me, I please ask that you stop with the laughter.” 

 Madam Ann instantly hushed everyone. “Of course, Gary. I am willing to help you. You have been a pain in my ass, but you are my son-in-law after all. So, I am willing to give you the $450 grand if you agree to divorce my daughter, Evelyn, and leave our lives forever!” 

 She slammed a folder on the table like she had always had it with her. Gary reached forward to pick up the folder, and he opened it. 

As expected, ‘Divorce Agreement’ was boldly written at the top of the paper. 

 Gary was not surprised, but he just could not understand. What in the world? Did they really desire to get rid of him so much? Was he that useless? 

 He glanced at Evelyn. She shoveled food into her mouth, eyes blank, like he wasn’t even there. The woman he’d married was gone—replaced by a stranger who’d screwed Kage in their kitchen. Yesterday’s betrayal flashed: her half-naked, him gloating. He’d sworn then— never forgive her, never touch her again.

 But this offer? It dangled like a rope in a pit. What was the point of this sham marriage anyway?

 Madam Ann slapped down another paper—a cheque, $450,000, crisp and real. Gary snatched it, his heart racing. This was it—Lola’s surgery, right there in black ink.

 “Sign that paper and that money is yours, Gary Wang.” Ann said. 

 “Yeah, we don’t even want to see your stinking face around here, asshole. Go on, sign that fucking document before your grandmother dies!” Enrique blurted out, food still in his mouth.

 “Watch your mouth, Enrique. I am not the one eating ass for a living,” he replied coldly, staring deeply into Enrique’s soul like he could rip it off from his body.

 Enrique lunged forward, red-faced, but his mother’s sharp “Sit!” yanked him back like a dog on a leash. It only proved true what Gary had said: A grown man in his thirties, still her lapdog. Pathetic!

 As much as he would love to grab a pen and sign that document right then and there, something sour twisted in his gut. He needed to be sure that this was his last resort. Madam Ann was known never to keep to promises. She had dangled carrots only to yank them away. 

 What if he signed and she laughed in his face, and the cheque was void? He’d be left with nothing—no money, no wife, no dignity, and worst of all, his grandmother’s life hanging in the balance.

 He grabbed the folder and slid it into his bag. “Give me till evening to make a decision,” he said flatly. 

 “Well, you better do, Gary, because this offer only lasts till evening.” Madam Ann said. After one final glance at Evelyn, Gary dashed out of the house.

 He drove to The Sun Firm, tires humming, pulling up at 7:45 sharp. Sun Firm was a massive one. They dealt basically with electrical energy and sold the best electrical fittings in the country. From massive electrical grids like transformers and line towers to smaller products like generators, Solar powered systems, and EVs.

  As soon as Gary got into the company, the sight hit him like a brick: hundreds of applicants snaked around the block, all hungry for the same gig, clutching their files like they were not going to leave the firm until they had secured their place. His stomach sank.

 What chance did he have? He had no connections and nobody to stand in for him. He was all alone in the mighty firm.

 Seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours, and Gary had lost hope. He looked at the time on his phone. It was already 8 pm. He had been waiting in the line for a whole day. He had not cleaned the house or made dinner for the Lancasters. He would definitely be punished.

 Then, a voice from a speaker called out, “All applicants, please return to your homes. Interview resumes tomorrow. Note that only 5 people are what The Sun Group needs for the job openings, so, reduce your expectations. Goodnight!”

 Gary broke down. What now? The doctor’s threat sounded so serious. If anything were to happen to his grandmother, he would never forgive himself. She had been his rock, his mother, and his father since he was a young boy. He never knew his parents, and Lola had taken him in from an early age.

 Gary yanked the folder from his bag, taking out the divorce papers. He was left with no choice. He grabbed a pen, clicked it open, and pressed the pen to the paper, ink bleeding into the first stroke. 

 Finally, he engraved his signature onto the paper. It hurt him to know that he had accepted defeat, that he had lost his wife. He could have fought harder to retain their marriage. But there was no need. She no longer fulfilled the role of a wife and their agreement was almost over, really. 

  Besides, he would rather be defeated and make sure his grandmother gets the treatment she needs than allow his pride to get in the way.

 Gary walked out of the hospital and began to drive back home. He was out of gas, so he stopped by the gas station to pump his car up. 

 The station was unusually quiet and empty. Even at this time of the night, people could be seen filling their tanks, grabbing a can of beer from the nearby shop, or even just chatting. But this time, it seemed like Gary was all alone.

 Suddenly, four cars pulled up in front of Gary. These were not regular cars, they looked like they belonged to the Senate or some wealthy fellow. Gary did not give two thoughts about it. He needed to return home fast and make dinner before the family would add to his punishment severely.

 “Gary Wang!” A voice called out gently but deeply. The voice was thick and eerily fearful. Which powerful man in New York knew him by name? Had he committed a huge crime?

 The person began to walk down towards him, holding a walking stick in his hand, and his face was covered with a hat. “We meet again, boy!” the person said and raised his head. 

 It was Kage. Kage Howard. And Kage was not alone. Coming out from the other cars were some men dressed in black suits and covered in masks.

 “You filthy rat! You dare lay your hands on me and think you could go free, huh?” Kage roared, stomping his feet on the ground. 

 “Your hat doesn’t match your coat, asshole. Get a better designer!” Gary said calmly, trying to open the door of his car, but one of the men brought out a taser gun and tased Gary, sending him to the ground, convulsing.

 “You will never amount to nothing, Gary Wang! Tonight, you will understand that your life is in my hands, and I can take it or leave it. And for being a disrespectful dog, I will take it.” Kage reached for Gary’s bag and grabbed the folder inside of it. 

 He read the document and then smiled.

 “You idiot! I knew you’d sign. Thought Ann would pay you shit? That she gave a damn about your grandma? You’re divorced now, but the debt still chains you. You’re their slave forever!”

 Gary’s eyes widened. A scam—he’d known it, deep down. And he’d fallen anyway.

 “Kill him, boys,” Kage ordered, turning away.

 Gary tried to fight back but to no avail. One punch landed on his jaw, the other on his eye, another on his ribs, knocking the air out of his lungs. His vision blurred, and the taste of blood filled his mouth. The men in black suits weren’t amateurs—they knew exactly where to hit, how to make pain last longer, how to keep him conscious just enough to suffer.

 Gary collapsed onto the pavement, his breath shallow. He could hear Kage laughing in the background, the sound distant yet so clear. This wasn’t just about revenge—this was humiliation. A message.

 One of the masked men cracked his knuckles. “Boss said to make sure he’s dead.”

 Gary coughed, spitting out blood. His mind was racing. Was this how it ended? Beaten to death in a gas station parking lot, with no one to remember him except a grandmother who might not even live to hear the news?

 He wanted to get up and fight, but his body was disfigured. He could no longer feel his limbs. The pain he felt was excruciating, like his body had been cut into pieces with a cutlass. His eyes were slowly shutting.

 “Light up the station and let us get out of here now!” Gary heard.

 But just before he passed out, he could see another convoy of cars pull up. It was vague, really vague. Maybe the police? 

 The last thing Gary heard before he finally shut his eyes was someone running towards him, screaming out the word, “Master!”