The Devil's Fortune

The words hit Marcel like a slap across the face.

"I'm done pretending to love a loser."

Olivia Hart stood in their cramped living room, designer bag slung over her shoulder, looking every bit the star she now was. The blockbuster contract papers sat on the coffee table between them like a death sentence. Marcel froze in the doorway, still in his delivery jacket, keys dangling from his fingers.

He laughed.it sounded false" If this is a joke Olivia cut it, it's not funny"

Olivia frowned "I'm dead serious Marcel, Im not doing this with you anymore"

"What?" he managed, voice cracking.

Olivia let out a sharp laugh, flipping her perfect hair. "You heard me, Marcel. I signed the deal today. Big studio, lead role, the works. I don't need you dragging me down anymore."

He stepped closer, heart hammering. "Dragging you down? Liv, I've been paying for everything. Your classes, the auditions, that fancy wardrobe you said you needed. I work three jobs so you can chase this dream."

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "And that's exactly why we're over. Look at you. Twenty-six and still smelling like restaurant grease and cheap cologne. I told my new agent about you and he actually laughed. 'Your boyfriend's a what? A delivery boy who cleans offices at night?' Pathetic."

Marcel's stomach twisted. Heat rushed to his face. "I did it for us. You said when you made it, we'd finally..."

"Us?" She cut him off with another mocking laugh. "There was never an us, not really. I needed a placeholder, someone to foot the bills while I hustled. And you were so eager, always smiling like a dumb puppy. 'Whatever you need, Liv.' God, it was exhausting pretending to care."

He swallowed hard, eyes stinging. The room felt smaller, the walls closing in. All those late nights, skipping meals, ignoring his own exhaustion just to see her smile. "I love you. Doesn't that count for anything?"

Olivia grabbed the contract off the table and waved it at him. "Love doesn't pay for penthouse views or red carpet walks. This does. I'm moving on. Don't call me. Don't text. And lose my number."

"Olivia...."

She brushed past him, heels clicking on the cheap linoleum. At the door she paused, glancing back with a pitying smirk. "Maybe get a real job, Marcel. Or don't. Either way, we're finished."

The door slammed. Marcel stood there, staring at the empty space where she had been. His chest ached like someone had punched through it. He sank onto the couch, hands shaking as he picked up the crumpled contract pages she left behind. The ink blurred. Three years. Gone.

He didn't cry. Not yet. Instead he pulled on his work shirt, grabbed his keys, and headed out. The restaurant shift waited. Bills didn't stop just because your world ended.

The dinner rush at Bella Vista was brutal as always. Marcel moved between tables on autopilot, notepad in hand, forcing smiles for customers who barely looked at him.

"Table seven wants the special, extra garlic," he muttered to the cook through the window.

"Got it," came the gruff reply.

His phone buzzed in his pocket during a brief lull. Unknown number. He stepped into the narrow hallway by the bathrooms and answered.

"Hello?"

A low, gravelly voice filled his ear. "Marcel Kane?"

"Yeah, who's this?"

"Debt collector.You've been ignoring our calls"

The man at the other end said

Marcel swallowed hard. Beads of sweat already forming on his forehead. The Man continued "Your old man owed us big. Two hundred grand, plus interest. You ignored the notices."

Marcel's grip tightened on the phone. "My dad? He's been dead for years.i already told you, I don't know anything about..."

"Doesn't matter," the man interrupted. "You inherited the debt, boy. And since you won't pay, we took collateral."

Ice shot down Marcel's spine. "What are you talking about?"

A muffled scream echoed in the background. Then a girl's voice, weak and terrified. "Marcel? Help me..."

"Lily?" Marcel's blood ran cold. His sister. "Lily! What did you do to her?"

The man chuckled. "She's with us. Pretty little thing. We left her with a few fractures to remind you we're serious. You got twenty four hours to come up with the cash or she loses those legs for good."

Marcel's vision tunneled. "Please, don't hurt her. I'll pay whatever. Just tell me where..."

"Old warehouse district. Dock 17. Hurry. She's bleeding pretty bad."

The line went dead.

Marcel didn't think. He ripped off his apron, ignored the manager yelling his name, and bolted out the back door. His beat up car roared to life. He drove like a madman, weaving through traffic, horn blaring. The city lights blurred past. Lily. Sweet, smart Lily who was supposed to graduate college next year. The only family he had left.

He skidded to a stop outside the rundown warehouse, tires screeching. The place smelled of rust and decay. Marcel grabbed a flashlight from the glovebox and ran inside, heart pounding in his throat.

"Lily!"

His voice echoed off metal walls. Then he saw her.

She lay in a pool of dim light near some crates, wrists tied, face bruised and swollen. Her legs... God, her legs. Twisted at horrible angles, bones clearly shattered beneath torn jeans. Blood soaked the concrete.

"Marcel..." she whispered, barely conscious. Her eyes fluttered open, full of pain and fear. "It hurts... so much..."

He dropped to his knees beside her, hands hovering uselessly. "I'm here. I'm right here. Hold on, okay? We're getting you help."

Tears finally came as he fumbled for his phone to call an ambulance. The hurt from Olivia's words faded under this new nightmare. But deep down, a cold rage started to build.

This wasn't over. Not by a long shot.