Chapter 0003

Jason's eyelashes fluttered open and he found himself staring at the beautiful golden chandelier that he knew so well. Without looking around, he instantly knew that he was in the Hara living room.

"The dumbster is awake." He heard John, his brother-in-law, inquire and he quickly tried to sit up.

His body ached all over, and he suddenly remembered all that happened at the warehouse. "Ouch." He touched his head and realized that it was bandaged.

"They did quite a number on you, didn't they?" He spun around to see Gwen mocking him, he felt his heart twinge in annoyance but there was nothing he could do.

"Hey, look over here." Charles, his father-in-law said and he turned towards him. It was then that he noticed that the whole family was in the living room, waiting for him to wake up so that each person would dish to him their plate of insults. "What were you doing that you got beaten up like this? Don't get me wrong, it's not that I care, but I just wanna know."

Jason opened his mouth to speak but he first looked at Amara to see what her reaction would be if he told them that she sent him. Unfortunately for him, Amara was idly picking at her nails and didn't seem to care about what he said.

He looked back at his father-in-law and saw that the man was staring at him intently, probably expecting a reply, so he sighed and said in embarrassment, "Amara sent me to the gangster's den to steal a jewel for her."

Charles' instant reaction to Jason's declaration puzzled the younger man., he just raised an eyebrow in surprise and turned to the rest of the family. Suddenly, as if they had rehearsed it, they all burst into unbridled laughter, grabbing their bellies and rolling around as they pointed mocking fingers at Jason.

It was so embarrassing for Jason that he stayed as silent as a rain-drenched chicken and kept his eyes glued to the ground. His only silent wish was that the floor would just open up and swallow him that instant.

"Wait a minute..." John managed to say amidst laughter, "...you said that Amara told you to do what?"

Jason knew that it was a rhetorical question aimed at making fun of him so he kept mute.

"It's either you've got a big problem up there," Charles tapped his head, "or you're just bold enough to lie before me and my family."

"B...But I'm not lying!" Jason tried to defend himself,

"Don't bother to explain anything, it's not like anyone cares whether you get yourself killed or not," Charles said and waved him off.

"Nice joke there, boy!" John complimented him with a big slap on the back that almost knocked him off the chair. If it was on an ordinary day, maybe the slap wouldn't have hurt but since his body still ached from the beating, this slap felt like he was hit with a tractor.

Jason watched in shame as the family members laughed at him while they walked out. He turned around and didn't miss the nasty glare that Amara shot toward him.

****

Amara's Room.

SLAP!

Jason's head hung to the side as Amara slapped him across the cheek.

"What do you mean you did not get the jewel?" Amara asked angrily, "You mean you got beaten like this and you didn't get the jewel? Oh my God, you're such a waste of a man."

"Please, it's not my fault, they were so many. I couldn't steal it while they were there." Jason pleaded,

"Forget it! No jewel, no money," Amara spat, then added, "and my decision is final!"

At this point, Jason knelt before her, his eyes were already glistening with unshed tears. "Please, my lady... Please, the money I'm asking for isn't for me, it's for my mother. You know, she's terminally ill, and I want her to live a bit longer. Please, my lady, please help me save my mother. Just this once. Please. I promise not to ask for anything again"

"Hahaha," Amara laughed mirthlessly, "Wonders shall never end! A man begging a woman for money to save his mother?! You are so useless! I'm fed up with all this bullshit. Get out of my house now!"

"Please just lend me the money, I promise to pay you back as soon as I can." Jason tried to push his luck,

"How exactly will you pay me back? You have no money, you don't have a job either. So tell me, how exactly do you think you'll pay me back?" Amara shot at him, she was seething with irritation.

"I...I...I.."

"Shut the f**k up! Just shut up!" Amara fired and glowered at him, "Now you're going to do me a favor."

"Another favor? Look where the last favor landed me?" Jason shot back and pointed to his bandaged head.

"No no no you don't have to worry about this one," she said with a sneer, "the flavor is just to get out of my house, a useless man like you can do that at least right?"

"W...w..what do you mean?" Jason stuttered,

"You better go and find a way to pay your mother's bills and stop bugging me," she riled, "and if you don't get out of here in the next five minutes, I'll call security to bundle you out."

"But you're breaking the contract!" Jason yelled,

"Who cares?" Amara rolled her eyes and started to walk toward the door,

"Is that how it is huh?" Jason shot back, "It's okay! You can act however you want now but I promise you, one day you'll regret your actions towards me."

Jason's words seemed to have infuriated Amara because instead of giving him the five minutes that she promised, she rushed out and angrily told the security men to go in and push him out of the house.

After getting pushed out, Jason dusted his clothes and went to the hospital to see what he could do about his mother's bills.