Chapter 5 I’m Here To Pay Rent
One month’s salary from her part–time cleaning job would give her two hundred bucks. Taking away how much she had to spend on household upkeeping, where would she find the money to spend on something as luxurious as skincare?
Aneira hesitated in taking it in front of him. Neil’s hand was outstretched as he waited for her to take the box.
A few seconds went by before she finally reached out and accepted it.
Neil was quiet after that.
He had abused Aneira so much in his first life it would take more than a few presents or promises to restore their relationship.
The only way to regain her trust is to pay his debts and turn a new leaf!
Neil looked down at the sweet little child in his arms.
His daughter was so precious. Her chubby cheeks were so adorable.
But she was all skin and bones. She almost looked malnourished.
During his past life, he had left Aneira and the children to fend for themselves. Aneira had to find odd jobs to keep from starving.
But her meager wage was barely enough to feed the children pickles and carrots.
Neil kissed his daughter’s face.
“Yivi, how does a roast chicken sound for dinner?”
“Yes! Chicken!! Yivi loves chicken!”
Used to having pickles and carrots, the two–year–old girl’s eyes shone with excitement when she heard they had roast chicken.
Neil glanced at Luca.
His son loved roast chicken. But still being wary of Neil, he kept his distance.
Aneira chose to speak up.
“No! I’m not going to fall for your lies again, Neil! I’ll handle the children’s meals. I’ll make sure nothing ever happens to them!”
She was still afraid of him!
They had been together for more than three years, and he had never thought of her and the children!
Neil moved Yivi onto the couch. He stood up and solemnly said.
“Ancira, firstly, I’m going to pay off how much I owe the casino. That way, you can call your mother and tell her that she needn’t worry. Don’t worry. I’ll be home before you know it! We’ll just need to make it to the tenth. After I win the competition and get famous, we’ll have money!”
Without waiting for a reply, Neil turned and left the room.
Aneira stared blankly at him.
There was something different about Neil!
Neil made his rounds at the underground casino.
Cesar Dunbar, the casino owner, was known for his wolfish smile. Smoking his cigarette, he cackled when he saw Neil.
“I heard about you winning the competition. Looks like we have a celebrity in our midst!”
The people around him chortled.
Tony, the man in charge of collecting debts, was the only one who did not laugh at him. Tony eyed Neil carefully.
Neil handed over a thousand dollars to him.
“Here’s the thousand bucks I promised you, Mr. Dunbar. I’ll do my best with the rest of the money I owe you.”
Cesar laughed uncontrollably. “Sure! Just don’t forget about me once you’re all famous!”
Neil ignored the underlying meaning and sarcasm in Cesar’s words.
“I have but one request. Please don’t hurt my wife and children! I’ll pay you back your million dollars! Not a cent less! Do what you want with me if I don’t do it!” He said calmly.
This WAS the second time he had begged for his family’s safety.
Cesar was a smart man.
He immediately understood that the man before him was repenting and turning over a new leaf!
Cesar had heard what was being said about Neil.
Neil came from the big city!
His father was in business, and he came from a well–off family. His family was worth tens of millions!
But his father went bankrupt. He drugged himself with pesticide to escape. And Neil was reduced to living in this small county town.
Life father like son. The apple doesn’t fall far.
If Neil had inherited his father’s talent in business, that would mean there’s a big possibility that he would succeed!
If he succeeded and made friends with some important people…
And if Cesar had wronged him, that would mean the end of the casino!
Cesar gave him a strained smile.
“Okay then. I give you my word. Men, you heard what I said. No one is to touch Neil’s family!”
“Yes, sir!” More than a dozen of his men barked.
Neil left the casino.
Tony walked him out and gave him some advice.
“Cesar is a sly man. He may treat you well now, but that won’t always be the case. Be careful and quickly pay him back what you owe him. Otherwise…”
He didn’t go on.
Neil understood that Tony was looking out for him.
Many of the casino’s customers had disappeared without a trace. Rumor has it that Cesar was behind it.
There were even stories about organs being sold on the black market.
“I know.”
Neil suddenly thought of something.
“What time is it, Tony?”
Glancing at his watch, Tony said, “Couple of minutes to six. What’s wrong?”
“Stand here. Don’t cross the road until ten past six. Trust me!” Tony calmly replied.
Tony stared at him in bafflement.
Neil left in a hurry.
Tony turned and looked at the intersection before him. The light for pedestrians was still red, indicating that he should not cross.
He waited for it to turn green.
He knew that Neil was being sincere.
Let’s wait ten minutes more.
When it turned six on the dot, the light turned green. The intersection was quiet. Tony felt like Neil had pulled a fast one over him.
That brat…
Before he could swear, a van hurtled in his direction and crashed into an electric pole across from
him!
There was a large dent in the front of the car!
If Neil had not tipped him off, he would have crossed the road!
How… How did Neil know that there would be a car accident?
Could he be psychic?
After settling matters at the casino, he went to the BBQ joint on the street corner and bought two large roast chickens from them.
In 1997, the cost of a roast chicken in a small town like this would be about eight bucks.
One was for Aneira and the children. The other was for their landlady.
After coming to Cloubury, Neil’s mother had chosen to live with a relative of theirs. Her days. were spent helping them with their work.
Neil and his family rented a house in the town.
The kind landlady had taken his wife and children under her wing and cared for them like they
were her own.
Neil quickly made his way to the landlady’s house.
“Ms. Healy, I’m here to pay rent!” Neil announced himself familiarly.
Ms. Healy, his landlady, stared at him blankly.
Neil knew Ms. Healy pitied Aneira for marrying a good–for–nothing guy like him. She glared daggers at him whenever she saw him.
He should thank his lucky stars that she was not yelling at him!
Without saying much, he forked up a thousand bucks. Along with the roast chicken, he placed them on the table.
“This is the rent money, Ms. Healy. Thank you for being so kind to Aneira and the children.”
She glanced at the cash in surprise.
Where did this gambler get this money?
“Don’t worry, Ms. Healy. The money is perfectly fine! I’m making it my life’s mission to treat Aneira well from now on!” He quickly added.
Accepting his sincerity, Ms. Healy picked up the stack of cash and counted it.
One thousand and not a dollar short!
The house she rented Neil was built by her own family. Over time, the house had become old, and the furniture was worn. The house wasn’t very big, maybe sixty to seventy square meter
square.
She sympathized with Aneira and her children. And gave them a deal of eight hundred a year.
With the current rental market, rental prices were about a thousand a year, even in the city.
“That’s more than what we agreed on.” Ms. Healy looked at him suspiciously.
Could he be planning something?
“We haven’t paid you for this year’s rent yet. I’m paying for half a year and another half in advance! The extra two hundred is for you to buy food to nourish yourself.” Neil explained himself earnestly.
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