REVENGE OF JASON LUTHER

Chapter Two: The Ultimatum

Jason’s fingers tightened around the strap of the delivery bag. The rain kept falling, cold and relentless.

“Melissa…” His voice cracked despite his effort to hold it steady. He swallowed hard, hating the desperation that crept into his tone. “Please. We’re married. We took vows.”

Melissa stared at him for a moment.

Then she laughed.

Not a nervous laugh.

A sharp, mocking one.

“Vows?” she repeated, shaking her head in disbelief. “Jason, I married you because my mother thought it would be good publicity for the family foundation.” She raised an eyebrow as if recalling something mildly amusing. “Remember that article? ‘Rotterdam Heiress Marries Working-Class Hero.’”

Her smile widened slowly.

“That was the whole point,” she continued. “A beautiful charity story. And you were so desperate to pay for your dying mother that you agreed to everything without asking questions.”

Jason felt the air leave his lungs. “You said you loved me,” he whispered hoarsely, the words trembling as they left his lips, as if speaking them alone might shatter the fragile hope still clinging to his chest.

Melissa didn’t even blink. “I lied,” she replied flatly, her voice calm and emotionless, as if she were correcting a minor misunderstanding instead of destroying a man’s life.

The words struck Jason harder than any slap.

For a second, he actually swayed where he stood.

Melissa casually brushed a strand of damp hair away from her face, her expression relaxed and almost bored, like this entire confrontation was nothing more than an inconvenience.

“And here’s something else you should know,” she added calmly, tilting her head slightly as if delivering casual news over coffee. “I’m pregnant.”

Jason’s head jerked up so fast it hurt.

“You’re what?” he blurted out, staring at her in disbelief, his mind scrambling desperately for another explanation. Maybe he had misheard. Maybe the rain had distorted the words.

Beside her, Richard chuckled softly.

“I know you heard her clearly, Jason,” Richard said with smug amusement, his tone dripping with arrogance, “but in case that delivery job has finally ruined your hearing, I’ll repeat it for you.”

He stepped forward slowly, his polished shoes crunching lightly on the wet gravel as he closed the distance between them.

Soon they were standing face to face.

Richard looked down at Jason with the quiet superiority of a man who knew he had already won.

“Melissa is pregnant,” Richard said deliberately, his voice smooth and confident as he delivered the final blow. “And the baby is mine.”

Jason didn’t react immediately.

The words seemed to hang in the air between them, heavy and unreal.

Then, slowly Jason turned his head and looked at Melissa.

Rainwater dripped down his face, but he didn’t wipe it away.

“Melissa… is this a joke?” Jason asked weakly, his voice cracking as a desperate, foolish hope crept into his tone. “Tell me this is some kind of sick prank.”

Melissa laughed softly.

“I am not joking, Jason,” she replied with a small, satisfied smile, gently rubbing her stomach as if already cherishing the life growing inside her. “I am pregnant with Richard’s baby.”

She took a step closer to Richard and slipped her arm through his, leaning against him comfortably.

“We’re getting married in three months,” she continued proudly, lifting her chin as she spoke. “And we’re going to have a family. A real family with money, status, and a future.”

Jason’s numb fingers slowly loosened.

The delivery bag slipped from his grasp and dropped to the ground.

The expensive containers inside burst open the moment they struck the wet driveway, the eight-hundred-dollar meal exploding across the polished stone in a messy splash of sauce, steak, and shattered packaging.

For a few seconds, no one moved.

Rain hammered down on the driveway, washing streaks of red sauce and grease into the puddles forming around Jason’s boots.

Richard lowered his gaze to the ruined food.

Then he looked back up at Jason.

The faint amusement that had been on his face was gone.

Now there was only irritation.

“You need to leave,” Richard said coldly, his tone sharp and commanding as he adjusted the cuff of his expensive jacket. “Before I call security.”

Jason let out a harsh laugh.

“Security?” Jason shot back, his voice rising with disbelief and fury as rain streamed down his face. “You’re fucking my wife, and you’re threatening me with security?”

Richard didn’t even flinch.

Instead, he slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek black phone, glancing at Jason the same way someone might glance at a noisy stray dog.

“Jonas,” Richard said calmly into the phone, his voice smooth and businesslike. “I have a situation at the front door. Aggressive delivery driver. Come and handle it.”

Jason’s chest tightened as rage surged through him like fire.

“No,” Jason said sharply, stepping forward through the puddles as water splashed around his boots. His voice trembled, but his anger was boiling now. “You don’t get to just—”

He never finished the sentence.

A heavy hand suddenly clamped down on his shoulder from behind.

Before Jason could react, the grip tightened and yanked him backward with brutal force.

Jason barely had time to turn his head when a thick fist drove straight into his stomach.

“Ugh—!”

The impact crushed the air out of his lungs.

His body folded forward instantly, pain exploding through his ribs as he gasped helplessly for breath that wouldn’t come.

A tall security guard stood behind him, his face blank and professional as if beating someone was just another routine task.

“Easy there,” the guard muttered coldly, tightening his grip on Jason’s shoulder. “You’re done talking.”

Jason was still choking for air when another shadow moved. The second guard stepped in from the side and swung his fist without hesitation.

Jason’s head snapped violently to the side as the punch smashed into his cheekbone.

Bright sparks burst across his vision.

The metallic taste of blood flooded his mouth instantly.

Jason staggered sideways, barely keeping his balance as his motorcycle helmet slipped from his fingers and clattered across the wet pavement.

Behind the guards, Richard watched everything calmly. One arm rested loosely around Melissa’s waist as they stood beneath the entrance canopy, completely dry while the rain poured down on Jason.

Melissa didn’t look shocked.

If anything, she looked entertained.

“Don’t damage him too badly,” Richard called out lazily, raising his voice just enough to carry across the rain. His lips curled slightly with amusement. “I don’t want a lawsuit.”

The first guard snorted.

“Relax, sir,” the guard replied confidently, tightening his grip on Jason’s jacket before shoving him hard. “We know how to handle trash.”

Jason stumbled backward.

His boots slipped on the rain-slick stone, and he crashed down onto one knee with a painful thud.

Cold water splashed around him.

Pain shot through his leg.

“Should’ve just dropped the food and left,” the guard muttered with quiet contempt as he looked down at him.

Jason slowly wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

His cheek burned.

His stomach felt like it had been crushed by a hammer.

But worse than the pain was the humiliation burning inside his chest.

The second guard suddenly grabbed Jason by the collar and hauled him roughly back onto his feet. “You heard the boss,” the guard growled impatiently, shaking him slightly as rain dripped from Jason’s soaked jacket. “Time to go.”

Jason struggled weakly against the grip.

“I’m not finished—” Jason started angrily, trying to pull free.

The guard’s knee slammed violently into his ribs before he could finish the sentence.

Jason cried out in pain.

The force of the blow knocked the strength out of his legs. He collapsed again, this time crashing hard onto the cold pavement. His palms scraped painfully against the rough stone as he tried to catch himself.

Rainwater mixed with the blood dripping from his split lip, spreading across the driveway in thin red streaks.

Behind him, Richard let out a small sigh.

“This is exactly why people like you don’t belong in places like this,” he said, shaking his head with mild irritation. “No class. No self-control.”

Melissa leaned slightly closer to Richard, her voice soft but sharp enough for Jason to hear.

“You should have just delivered the food and left,” she said with a faint smile. “That’s all you were ever good for.”

The guards grabbed Jason again.

“Get him out of here,” the taller guard muttered impatiently as he hooked a rough hand under Jason’s arm and began dragging him across the wet driveway.

Jason’s boots scraped helplessly against the stone.

The second guard grabbed the back of his soaked jacket and pulled him along like dead weight.

Jason barely had the strength to resist.

Pain pulsed through his ribs with every breath.

His head throbbed from the punch, and blood kept dripping from his split lip, mixing with the rainwater streaming down his face.

The mansion lights grew farther behind him as they dragged him toward the tall iron gate at the end of the driveway.

Finally, the guards stopped.

“Here’s good enough,” the taller one said dismissively as he released Jason’s arm.

Without another word, they shoved him forward.

Jason collapsed onto the wet pavement with a heavy thud.

Cold water splashed around him.

A second later, his motorcycle was rolled forward and dumped beside him carelessly, the metal frame clattering loudly against the ground.

“Next time,” the guard said coldly as he wiped rain from his forehead, “don’t come back.”

The two men turned and walked away without another glance.

Jason lay there on the pavement, breathing heavily as rain continued pouring down on him.

The iron gates slowly slid closed with a heavy mechanical hum.

Through the bars, he saw movement near the mansion.

A moment later, the deep purr of an engine broke through the rain.

A sleek black Bentley rolled down the driveway.

Jason didn’t need to see the license plate to know whose car it was.

The headlights swept across the driveway as the car approached the gate. For a brief moment, the bright beams washed over Jason’s broken figure lying on the wet pavement.

Inside the car, Richard sat comfortably behind the wheel, one hand resting lazily on the steering wheel as the powerful engine purred beneath him.

Beside him sat Melissa, her diamond earrings shimmering softly in the dashboard light as she glanced at her phone, her manicured fingers scrolling through messages.

Neither of them looked at Jason.

Not once.

The Bentley rolled past him.

The tires sliced through a shallow puddle.

SPLASH

Dirty rainwater sprayed across Jason’s body, soaking him even further as he lay motionless on the ground.

Richard didn’t slow down.

The car glided through the iron gates and turned onto the dark street beyond the mansion.

Jason stayed there on the wet pavement for a long moment, staring up at the dark sky as rain struck his face. Then suddenly, his phone vibrated inside his pocket. The sound felt strangely loud in the empty street.

Jason slowly reached into his jacket with trembling fingers and pulled it out. Blood dripped into one eye, making the screen blurry as he squinted at the caller ID.

Doctor Patel.

His heart skipped.

Jason quickly answered the call, pressing the phone to his ear with shaking hands.

“H-Hello?” Jason croaked weakly, his voice hoarse and barely recognizable.

“Mr. Luther?” a calm voice said on the other end. “This is Dr. Patel from Metropolitan General Hospital.”

Jason forced himself to sit up slightly, ignoring the sharp pain shooting through his ribs. “Yes,” he replied anxiously, wiping blood from his eye with the back of his hand. “Yes, this is Jason. What happened? Is my mom okay?”

There was a brief pause.

Then the doctor spoke again, his voice careful and serious.

“Mr. Luther,” Dr. Patel said gently, “I’m afraid I have urgent news about your mother.”

Jason’s heart clenched painfully. “What happened?” he asked quickly, panic creeping into his voice. “Is she okay?”

“I’m very sorry,” Dr. Patel continued with quiet sympathy, “but her condition has deteriorated rapidly over the last hour. We need to perform emergency surgery immediately.”

Jason’s stomach dropped. “What do you mean immediately?” he asked, his voice tightening with fear.

“If we don’t operate within the next hour,” the doctor explained carefully, “her organs will begin shutting down.”

Jason’s chest felt like it had been crushed.

“O-Okay,” Jason said quickly, struggling to his feet before his injured legs suddenly buckled again. He fell back onto the wet pavement with a splash. “Okay… do it. Please do it.”

There was another pause on the line.

Then the doctor spoke again, slower this time.

“The surgery costs eighty-seven thousand dollars,” Dr. Patel said carefully. “Do you have insurance or any way to cover the cost?”

Jason’s mind went blank.

“I…” Jason tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come.

Rain continued pouring over him as he sat in the middle of the empty street.

“I don’t have that kind of money,” Jason finally whispered, his voice breaking. “Please… there has to be something you can do.”

“I’m truly sorry,” the doctor replied quietly, genuine regret in his voice. “Hospital policy requires payment upfront for procedures like this.”

Jason’s hands tightened around the phone. “This isn’t elective!” he shouted desperately, his voice cracking with raw emotion. “She’ll die!”

“I understand how difficult this is,” Dr. Patel said gently, sounding helpless. “But my hands are tied.”

Jason’s breathing became shaky.

“If you can secure the funds within the next hour,” the doctor continued softly, “we can proceed with the surgery.”

The pause that followed felt endless.

“Otherwise…” Dr. Patel finished quietly, “I’m very sorry.”

The call ended.

The screen went dark.

Jason slowly lowered the phone, staring at it like he didn’t understand what had just happened.

His mother was going to die.

Unless he found eighty-seven thousand dollars…

Within the next hour.