Jay-Jay's POV
"Marianne doesn't know about this, so keep your voice down," Drew said as he continued folding the clothes.
We deliberately slowed down our movements so we could talk properly. I wasn't sure if Yuri could hear us since he was busy playing chess. But he's smart, so I knew he could handle facing a champion.
"You mean, the debt she left you reached 39 million? It should only be 9 million now, but because of the shark loan, it ballooned to 15 million?" I repeated what he had told me.
He nodded while shaking the clothes he was holding. "I don't know where that shameless person is or how he can still keep making debts even after hiding."
"Where did he even spend the money?"
"Gambling and... men," he answered before putting the basket back inside their house.
My jaw dropped at his answer. He wasted that much on gambling and... wait, what?
Drew returned carrying an empty basket. He continued what he was doing and I remained there still thinking about his last words while holding the same piece of clothing I last picked up.
"Don't you mean women?" I corrected, but he shook his head.
So I hadn't misheard him earlier.
"Men. I caught them several times before, but since I was still a kid back then, I didn't really understand it," he explained casually, as if he was talking about something ordinary.
The memory of his reaction when Kit confessed in front of the class suddenly came back to me.
"Is that why you got so angry at Kit back then?"
He paused and took the clothes from my hand. I handed them over and let him fold them neatly.
"Everything came rushing back when he confessed. I couldn't control my anger, so I said those things to them. I regret it now," he explained.
I knew they had already made up back then. I also didn't see any anger or irritation in him whenever he looked at the couple. Unless, of course, he and Mayo got on each other's nerves again.
Drew then moved on to the blankets. I helped him take them off the clothesline, shake them out, and fold them.
I glanced at Yuri and the others when I didn't hear any noise coming from them. Both of them were deeply concentrated. Only a few chess pieces had been taken from each other and it seemed like it took minutes before they made a move and played.
It really is a complicated game. Truly made for smart people.
I stared at Drew's mom for a moment before turning to him. "I know this is a personal question but… your mom, what happened to her?"
"That's not really a personal question. A lot of people already know about it. She was even in the tabloids before because of her condition." He stopped what he was doing and looked at his mom. "I thought she could handle everything. She sold our properties, insurance, business—even her pension was used to pay off the debts. Then on the day of my graduation, she didn't show up. When I got home, only Marianne was there. We didn't know she was already having mental problems and had gone missing. Good thing there was a kind person who brought her to the Police Station. Unfortunately, there was a reporter there who recognized her."
He looked off into the distance and wiped his face. I was about to stop him from continuing the story, but he gestured for me not to speak.
"I can accept that she got sick, but the mockery from people… that's what I can't accept. It made the headlines:'Former Filipino Chess Olympiad Representative Loses Her Mind.'I didn't know what to do back then. We had no one to turn to. Every day, reporters would knock on our door, debt collectors would harass us, and even our own relatives stole from us."
And he carried all of that alone. He found his own ways, to support his sister and his Mom, as well as pay off the debts left to them. That was what we didn't see in him because we completely thought he was using what he borrowed from us for gambling. I didn't even realize I was already crying.
Now I understand why he always answered that the reason he gambled was to pay off debt. Because that was really what he was doing. That's where he was getting money. I thought he was just answering that so we would stop questioning him about the money he borrowed from us.
We tried to calm down and stop crying. I wiped my face using my palm. While he used the sleeve of the t-shirt he was wearing to wipe his face.
My snot was everywhere.
"Believe me, I really didn't intend to put you in danger. If I had any other choice back then—even if it was harder or it added to my debt—that's what I would have chosen. I was just so exhausted from thinking and looking for someone to ask for help… Forgive me."
I smiled while trying my best to hold back my tears. I took a deep breath before speaking. "You're such an asshole. You should've just talked to me. You should've come to me too."
"Why? Would you have lent me millions?"
"Putangina mo," I replied, and he laughed. "Of course we would've found a way."
"Who would you ask? Keifer?"
I laughed a little. He was exactly the person I thought of, who could shell out millions. Our reactions were a mix of crying and laughing. It looked like he was finally able to breathe easier in these moments, even if only temporarily. As long as he doesn't do it again, we won't have any problems.
I'll punch him myself, if he ever repeats betraying me again.
"If possible, just tell everyone the truth. Because what we all thought was that you created those debts from gambling," I said and he nodded while wiping his face.
"I'll try. I'm also ashamed. I don't want them to think that I'm just playing the victim so I don't have to pay my debt."
"If you were really getting money from gambling to pay debts, then where did you take the 5,000 you borrowed from me?" I asked.
I was still upset about that 5,000. But what can I do if he really didn't have anything? Even if I got mad at him, if he had nothing to give, it wouldn't change anything.
"Entrance fee and initial bet. I was supposed to win big that time, but Tiger caught me. So, I almost got beaten up which is why I had to call a friend. And because I was so scared, I called you," he explained and laughed.
That's why Yuri and I ended up rushing to Kingsground. Even now, remembering that still scares me—especially Yuri's fight in the ring. Then again, the whole place really had a terrifying vibe. I only found out later that Kuya Angelo's friend's business was illegal. That's why we could enter freely even though we were not suppose to—they weren't following any rules.
Tiger's face really screamed "illegal."
There was just one thing Drew said, that puzzled me.
"What do you mean you got caught?"
He scratched his head. "The truth is, I kept winning at gambling because I was cheating with the cards."
I grimaced and almost hit him on the back of the head. Gambling was already dangerous, and he was making it worse by cheating.
"Are you stupid? You're really going to get beaten up doing that!"
He quickly dodged when my hand went up. He also signaled me to keep quiet in case we were heard inside the house where his sister was.
"Why? Gambling is already rigged anyway, so I just played along," he reasoned.
"Then you shouldn't have gambled at all."
"Money comes faster in gambling, but I also had some side hustles." We turned to look at his Mom because she started clapping. She looked pleased because she found a worthy opponent in playing chess.
"Haven't you taken your mom to a psychiatrist yet?" I asked Drew. He let out a deep sigh.
"I already did, but I can't afford her medicines. Her pension should've helped, but a big part of it goes to paying debts, and what's left is for our daily expenses here at home. We even moved to the maid's quarters so our electricity bill would be smaller, but we still run short sometimes."
That's why even though their house was big, they weren't living in the main house. But the place they're staying in now is okay. He was just being practical.
"I feel like, I'll never finish paying off the debt," he added. "Sometimes I even want to look for my dad just to punch him."
He said and chuckled slightly. I knew he was still resentful toward his Dad. Who wouldn't get angry at what he did. He left a massive debt and dumped the burden of paying it, on them. If he really wanted to leave, he should've just gone without making their lives harder.
He's the same as Keifer's father. I hope my Papa isn't like that. I hope he doesn't cause me any headaches.
"Let's finish this or we might not get it done," I said, pointing at the two remaining blankets.
He just laughed and continued what we were doing. We finished folding everything, and he carried the basket of folded clothes inside the house. I approached Yuri, who was still deeply focused on their game. I wanted to laugh at him because he looked extremely stressed while thinking about his next move.
Drew also came back out after setting down what he was carrying. We were in the middle of watching the chess match when we suddenly heard a loud banging on their gate. Even from a distance, we heard it clearly, followed by male voices calling out for Drew.
"Who's that?" I asked, but before anyone could answer, Drew called his sister.
"Marianne, Mom!"
Marianne rushed out and immediately grabbed her mom by both arms, but she resisted. I had no choice but to help and follow where they were going.
"Play, play, play," their mom said, on the verge of tears.
"Ma, there's an opponent outside. Let's hide first," Marianne coaxed, fear clear in her voice.
It was obvious she wasn't going to cooperate, so I joined in persuading her.
"Let's play hide-and-seek first," I said and their Mom looked at me.
She seemed to listen and stopped resisting. We went straight to the big house. The back door leading to the mini-kitchen and dining area was open. The mother and daughter hid in one of the rooms, but I chose to stay behind and peeked outside through the crack of the closed window.
Yuri stood beside Drew, waiting for the visitors to arrive. It didn't take long before they appeared. A group of men covered in tattoos on their arms and necks. They looked like the type who wouldn't think twice about hurting someone.
Who the hell are these guys?
"Kid, it's the deadline for your payment," said one of the men holding a cigarette.
"I just paid, didn't I?" Drew replied.
"We increased the interest for this month. You still haven't paid the interest on your installment."
What kind of scam is this? So Drew was indebted to them too, but they were taking advantage of him. This must be what they call a shark loan. They pile on insane interest rates.
One of the men tried to put his arm around Drew's shoulder, but Drew shrugged it off and stepped away.
"You said you'd only increase the interest if I missed payments. I haven't missed any," Drew said angrily.
"Kid, my profit from you is too low because your interest rate is too small. I'm practically losing money since you'll be paying this debt for years."
"You can't just raise the interest like that. Your lending business is already illegal, and now you're cheating on the interest too," Yuri interjected. I slapped my forehead.
Why did you have to speak? You were only supposed to stand there and support.
The men were obviously irritated by him. The one holding the cigarette gave Yuri a nasty look. He stepped closer to him, but Yuri—with his red hair—didn't flinch.
"Kid…" the man with the cigarette said, pointing at Yuri's hair. "Are you a cosplayer? Why is your hair like that?"
He reached out to touch Yuri's hair, but Yuri was faster. He blocked the hand and twisted the man's finger. The man screamed in pain and dropped his cigarette.
"Hey, Yuri! Let him go!" Drew shouted, trying to intervene.
The men surrounding them became alarmed. They attempted to approach, but the loud painful scream from the man Yuri was holding, stopped them in their tracks.
"Don't you dare touch me with your filthy hand," Yuri said.
He looked at the men and then at Drew. When his gaze returned to the man in front of him, I finally saw his expression clearly. He looked completely remorseless, as if twisting the man's finger meant nothing to him. I saw the old Keifer in him—the Keifer who used to enjoy brawls and breaking his enemies' bones.
The only difference was that Yuri seemed to care even less. No hesitation about what he was doing, no concern about whether this would endanger him or Drew, no regard for the consequences.
What the hell was happening to him? I had never seen him like this before.
"What's your problem, kid? Don't you realize what we can do to you?" one of the other men growled.
Yuri glanced at him briefly, as if he were beneath him. He was calm, but his gaze was deadly. I couldn't help but feel a chill.
"Listen here, let's make a deal," Yuri said, lifting one leg just enough to reach his sock.
Everyone, including the men, watched curiously as he pulled something out. When he raised it, even I felt alarmed. A black pocket knife.
"Yuri!" Drew called out, trying to stop him, but Yuri ignored him.
What was he planning? Should I step in?
Yuri raised the knife for everyone to see, then pointed it at the hand he had been twisting.
"I'm not getting involved in Drew's debt—I don't have the money to help him anyway. But here's what I want you to do: keep the same interest amount—"
"You don't make the rules here!" the man in his grip shouted furiously.
Without even looking, Yuri stabbed his hand. I clapped a hand over my mouth in shock. Drew staggered back, and so did the others. Blood immediately dripped onto the floor.
Fvck, what did he just do?
I was thankful that Marianne and her mom were hiding. They probably wouldn't have been able to handle seeing this.
"I said, let's make a deal," Yuri said and pulled out the pocket knife again.
The man could only scream and groan in pain. I felt a mix of fear and worry, and I knew Drew felt the same. Why do I feel like this is also his first time seeing Yuri like this?
"Keep the same interest rate for Drew's debt, no increases. Because the moment you do so, I will cut off one of your fingers for every interest increase you make." He waited for the man to answer, but only groans could be heard from him as he struggled to pull his hand back.
Yuri raised an eyebrow while waiting. It had only been seconds, and he already looked extremely impatient. He pressed the pocket knife against the man's finger, ready to stab, just as the surrounding men were about to rush in. The man finally answered.
His face was a mess of snot and tears as he repeatedly said he agreed. Good thing he finally answered. I was already about to run out to stop Yuri.
Even though it seemed impossible to stop him.
"Are you an idiot? You don't know what these people are capable of!" Drew angrily told him.
He laughed. "And they don't know what I'm capable of either."
He let go of the man's hand. A few of his companions approached and helped him stand. Before the man could utter any threats, Yuri immediately cut him off.
"Don't even try. I will visit your office to seal our deal. If you don't comply, I'll cut off your entire hand."
The men could only glare in response. They left without doing or saying anything else.
Was that it? They were scared of Yuri?
There were so many of them, and they were all bigger than Yuri, yet none of them fought back or even tried to charge at him. This red-haired guy doesn't even look that intimidating. Compared to Keifer and Kuya Angelo, he actually looks like the nicest one. So why did they leave without saying a word or putting up a fight?
I opened the door and slowly walked towards them.
Drew looked visibly drained by what had just happened. He was even pulling at his own hair while staring at the men who had left.
"How did you do that?" I asked Yuri, my tone accusatory.
He looked at me innocently, before hiding the pocket knife behind him. "Luck, I guess."
"They didn't even fight back against you?"
"Because they'll come back for him—or for me," Drew said, looking completely stressed out.
"They won't do that. I'll handle it," Yuri replied.
We all turned toward the big house when we heard things falling inside. Drew immediately went in through the back door. I was about to follow him when I noticed that Yuri hadn't moved from where he was standing.
"I'll just wash my hands. I'll follow after," he said, gesturing for me to go ahead.
I did as he asked because I knew he wouldn't want me to see his bloodstained pocket knife. I left him and entered the main house as well.
I immediately looked for Drew and Marianne. It wasn't hard to find them even though there were many doors — the interior wasn't that maze-like.
Drew was on the stairs going up. I followed when I saw Marianne enter a room.
"Ma!" I heard Drew call out.
I hoped nothing bad had happened.
I was panting by the time I reached the second floor. When I entered the room where the siblings had gone, I stopped in my tracks and stared at the scene. Nothing terrible was happening, but their mom was cleaning as if she were a normal mother.
"Andrew's room, it should be clean . . ."she said while trying to straighten the bedsheet. "That son of mine is so messy."
I scanned the entire room. It was obvious that the furniture — the bed, sofa, study table, and closet — hadn't been used in a long time. But strangely, the room was very clean and had very little dust compared to the outside and the hallway I had passed through. The walls and some furniture had faded colors, but everything was still in decent condition.
There was a picture frame on the bedside table, but the glass was broken, so I couldn't see the faces of the people in the photo.
"Andrew's room should be cleaned… it should be clean."
I looked at Drew and Marianne. Even without them saying anything, I could tell they were struggling with what they were seeing. Exhaustion was written all over their faces, but they couldn't do anything about it. I felt like they were silently wishing she would return to her old self or just get better.
Their mom stopped cleaning and walked out of the room. They immediately followed and tried to stop her, but she got angry at them, so they had no choice but to let her go. She entered the next room.
Just like the previous one, this room also had very little dust. There were many dolls and books inside a cabinet right next to the study table.
"Marianne's room is always clean, but it still needs to be cleaned," their mom said as she began wiping the bedside table.
She fluffed the pillows and straightened the bedsheet and blanket. She was muttering and whispering things that I couldn't really catch anymore because my attention was caught by the last room in the corner. The door was open, and I could clearly see the things inside.
I left them for a moment and peeked inside. The room was full of memorabilia. There was even a large photo of their mom. Big trophies already covered in dust and dirt. Boxes filled with picture frames, newspapers, and what looked like other documents.
She must have really been famous back then.
"Jay…" Drew called out to me before glancing at the room I was looking into. "Do you want to go in? It's a mess though."
I shook my head. "No, it's fine. I might just add to the mess, and it looks like it'd be hard to sort through all of that."
"It's messy because I was trying to find the title of the house and land. I was thinking of selling it to Keifer, but I couldn't find it," he explained while walking into the room, picking up scattered items and placing them in a box.
"Does Keifer know about your situation?" I asked. He turned to me for a moment before shaking his head.
"Not everything. I'm also ashamed to tell him the whole story." He scratched his head. "He's not strict with money, but he wants it to be used by the right person or in the right way. So yeah, I haven't told him everything. I'm afraid he might get angry."
I pouted. He was right about how Keifer handled money. I just couldn't understand why, when it came to my food, he seemed so quick to pull out his wallet. I remember borrowing money from him before, to pay Mykeliling after he humiliated Ci-N. He never asked me to pay it back, and I couldn't bring myself to remind him.
It was like the money he spends on me, seems like pocket change to him.
I wish I had as much money as he did.
"I think he'd understand. You're not the one who made those debts," I told him.
"I hope so," he replied before closing the door.
We walked away. Marianne and their Mom were no longer in the room we had left them in. We headed outside the house, where we found his sister picking up chess pieces from the floor.
"Where's Mom?" Drew asked.
"She's inside now. I already put her to bed. Hopefully she'll sleep."
Drew went back inside their house, while I chose to help Marianne pick up the chess pieces. After putting them back on the chessboard, we counted them to make sure they were all there. My eyes didn't miss the worn-out part of the board.
"This chessboard is really old. It's falling apart."
Marianne looked at what I was pointing at. "Oh yeah. But I heard this chessboard is lucky. Mom used to say it helped her win her first tournament."
I examined the entire chessboard. I removed the pieces before checking both sides. It seemed like the outer and inner parts weren't of the same thickness. I noticed earlier that this one looked thicker compared to the cheap ones from the market. From the outside, it looked bulky, but inside—where the chess pieces were placed—the space seemed very small.
Maybe it was just designed that way to make it more durable.
"What is it?" Marianne asked.
"I was just checking if the damage was worse than it looked, but it seems like it'll still last," I replied, and she accepted my answer.
We packed up the chessboard, and I let her take it inside the house. As she went in, she met her brother who was looking around.
"Where did Yuri go?"