The Almighty Garbage Collector: Reclaiming My Throne

Out into the Rain

The heavy leather shoe pressed down on my foot with immense force. Young Master Babajide leaned in close, his breath smelling like expensive wine. The diamond necklace he had just given my mother-in-law sparkled under the bright lights of the hall, mocking my poverty.

"I will count to three," Babajide said with a cold smile. "If your name is not on those papers by then, I will make one phone call. The directors of Apex Hospital listen to my family. They will turn off your sister’s oxygen machine before midnight. Let us see how long she survives in the dark."

My body shook. A wave of pure panic rushed through me. Ife was only fourteen. She was the only person in the world who loved me for who I was. Every single day, she fought hard just to stay alive in that hospital bed. I could bear any insult, and I could let people step on my face, but I could never let them hurt my little sister.

"Do not touch her," I said, my voice trembling. "Please. Leave Ife out of this."

Ronke stepped next to Babajide and crossed her arms. Her face showed no pity at all. She looked at me as if I were a stray dog blocking her path to wealth.

"Then sign the papers, Tunde," Ronke said. "Stop wasting our time. Look around you. On the big screen over there, you can see how real successful people live. That is the world I belong to now. Not your world of garbage bags and empty pockets."

I turned my head slightly and looked at the giant television screen on the wall of the hall. A live business news program was playing. A beautiful woman in a sharp midnight-blue suit was walking out of a massive corporate building, surrounded by dozens of bodyguards. The news text below her read: Ms. Alabi, CEO of Alabi Global, completely destroys rival tech company in a single day.

The reporter on the screen explained how Ms. Alabi had used cold, calculated moves to bankrupt her enemies without showing a single drop of mercy. She was famous for her brilliant mind and her complete lack of fear. She was the most powerful woman in Lagos City, a legend who controlled billions of dollars. Watching her on the screen made the immense gap between the rich and the poor feel even more terrifying. The rich could destroy a person's entire life with a single signature.

Are you looking at a real queen because you know your own wife is about to leave you?" Babajide said with a loud laugh. He removed his shoe from my foot and kicked the white envelope toward me. "Sign it now, trash man.

I knew I had no choice. My marriage was already dead. Ronke had chosen money over loyalty a long time ago. With shaking fingers, I picked up the silver pen from the table. I placed the divorce papers on my knee and wrote my name at the bottom of the page. The moment the ink dried, Ronke snatched the document away from me. She held it up like a prize, her eyes shining with greed.

Finally, Ronke said, turning her back to me completely. "Mom, it is official. I am no longer tied to a poor nobody.

Mrs. Bello clapped her hands happily. Good! Now we can celebrate for real. Tunde, your presence is making the air in this room smell bad. Get out.

I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth and stood up. My legs felt weak, but I needed to leave this place. I needed to run to the hospital to check on Ife and make sure she was safe from Babajide’s threats. I turned around to walk toward the exit, but two massive bodyguards suddenly stepped in front of me. They looked like giant stone walls, blocking the doors completely.

Did I give you permission to walk out of the front door?" Babajide asked from behind me. He walked over, his hands in his pockets, looking incredibly amused. A garbage collector does not belong on the marble floors of this mansion. You came in through the back, and you will leave through the back. But first, you need to pay for ruining my mood.

Before I could move, Babajide signaled his men.

One of the giant bodyguards grabbed my collar and pulled me forward. A heavy fist slammed directly into my stomach. The force of the blow knocked all the air out of my lungs. I dropped to my knees, gasping for breath, my vision turning blurry. The second bodyguard grabbed my arms from behind, pinning me down so I could not move or defend myself.

This is what happens when you try to stand in the way of your betters, Babajide said, standing over me.

The guests in the hall did not try to stop them. They raised their expensive phones, taking videos and laughing as if they were watching a funny show. Ronke stood next to her mother, sipping champagne, completely ignoring my pain.

The bodyguards dragged me across the floor toward the back exit. Along the way, one of them violently pulled my cheap canvas shoes off my feet.

You do not deserve to wear shoes in this neighborhood, the guard said, tossing them away.

They opened the heavy metal back door and threw me out with all their strength. My body slid across the wet ground, scraping against the rough stones. The heavy door slammed shut behind me, and the sound of the lock clicking carried through the air.

A violent rainstorm was raging outside. The cold water drenched my clothes within seconds, washing the blood from my face. I lay there in the dark, naked feet sinking into the thick, freezing mud. I looked up at the sky, feeling a deep, heavy weight in my chest. I had nothing left. No money, no home, no wife, and my little sister was in a hospital bed waiting for medicine I could not afford.

Right next to me was a large black dumpster. The rain had knocked over a plastic trash bag that had leaked onto the ground. Inside that bag, I saw a flash of brown. It was my hand-carved wooden lucky charm, the one Mrs. Bello had thrown away. It was the only thing I had left in this world.

I dragged my bruised body through the mud, reaching my hand into the wet garbage. My fingers wrapped tightly around the smooth wood.

The moment my skin made contact with the charm, a sudden, blinding gold light flashed directly before my eyes. A sharp, loud electronic chime rang out inside my brain, stopping the sound of the rain completely.

`[System Bound! Divine Scavenger System Initialized.]`