Chapter 35 Can You Afford It?

Victor said with respect, "Mr. Davis, I'll take you there myself."

They rolled up to this old, beat-up apartment complex.

Victor pointed. "This is it, Mr. Davis. We ain't going in; don't wanna freak 'em out."

Victor and his crew, looking all tough, hung back outside.

William knocked on the door.

A middle-aged dude with a rough face and a limp opened up. "Who the heck are you?"

"Are you Kieran Ward?" William asked.

Kieran nodded. "Yeah, that's me. And you are?"

Just then, a middle-aged woman, Ruby Ward, popped out. "Who's this?"

William explained, "Like, twenty years ago, you saved my mom, Eden. She crashed at your place for a month."

Kieran's eyes lit up with recognition.

He said, "You're Eden's kid? Man, you've grown. Come on in."

The couple ushered William inside.

William scoped out the tiny place, approximately 430 square feet, noticing its age and ancient furniture, indicating the Ward couple's evident struggle.

He offered, "I'm here to thank you for saving my mom."

These folks had saved Eden's life; he had to show some gratitude. But the Wards were completely clueless about the magnitude of this favor. After all, William was the Dark Lord.

The Wards sighed, "Take a seat. Eden was in such bad shape when we found her."

They started recounting the whole rescue story.

William's fists were clenched the whole time.

He asked, "Mr. and Mrs. Ward, where did my mom go after she got better?"

Kieran was about to answer when the door swung open.

"Mom, Dad, I'm home!"

A young girl strutted in, decked out in limited-edition designer gear. Her outfit, shoes, and bag were worth a small fortune, and with the bling, it was at least $14,000. She looked totally out of place in this shabby home.

William was puzzled.

The girl, Jessica Ward, noticed the stranger and asked, "Who's this?"

Ruby said, "Jessica, come here. This is William. Remember I told you about Ms. Torres who stayed with us? This is her son."

William stood up. "Hey, I'm William. I came to thank your folks for saving my mom."

Jessica quickly sized William up. Being all about luxury brands, she tended to judge people by their attire. Seeing William looking like a complete scrub, she lost interest in him in a flash.

She said, annoyed, "You came to thank us empty-handed? Seriously?"

William smacked his forehead. "My bad, I was in a rush and completely forgot."

The Wards waved it off. "No biggie."

But Jessica sneered at William. "Please! You couldn't even afford one of my bags. What could you possibly give us?"

Kieran snapped, "Jessica, watch your mouth."

Jessica pouted. "It's true. I thought he'd give us some cash. I want this bag that costs $11,000."

Ruby scolded, "Didn't you just buy a $4,000 bag last week? Why do you need another one? Don't you get our financial situation?"

Jessica glared at William. "What are you staring at? Can you afford it? My family saved your mom's life. Shouldn't you be giving us tens of thousands of dollars in gratitude?"