Retribution

What doesn't belong to her will never be hers.

After completing his sister's task, Fang Hao tactfully left.

On a sunny afternoon, with a gentle breeze blowing, a disheveled figure emerged from the police station. His uniform was wrinkled, his face unshaven, and his entire body reeked of sweat. This man was none other than Manuel, who had caused a scene at Zuri's birthday party and had been taken away by the police. Since it wasn't a serious crime, he was released after a few days.

Manuel spat towards the police station in frustration. "Damn, what bad luck."

He headed directly to the slums in the western suburbs to find Rhea.

Seeing Manuel, Rhea turned to run.

With a few quick strides, Manuel blocked her path. "Why are you running?"

Terrified, Rhea backed away. "What do you want?"

"I'm just here to collect the remaining money. It's time you paid up."

"You didn't complete the task. Those ladies didn't pay me, so where am I supposed to get the money for you?" Rhea cowered in a corner, looking at him fearfully.

"I don't care. I did everything you asked. If it didn't succeed, that's not my problem. I even spent a few days locked up because of you. You owe me for those days too," Manuel demanded arrogantly.

"I have no money. If you want money, go to them. If you try to hurt me, I'll call the police."

"Call the police?" Manuel sneered, stepping forward and yanking Rhea by the hair, throwing her to the ground and pressing his foot on her. "Rhea, don't think I won't hurt you. Get two thousand dollars ready by next month, or you'll regret it." Manuel swaggered off.

After he left, Rhea scrambled up from the ground, her eyes red with anger.

"Zuri, it's all your fault!" she muttered through gritted teeth.

After a night of drinking and revelry with his friends, Manuel staggered down an alley, clutching a beer bottle and humming. Suddenly feeling the need to urinate, he relieved himself in a corner and prepared to leave. He sensed someone behind him and turned around, but saw no one in the dark alley.

He continued walking, but the feeling of being watched crept up again. He turned abruptly, but still saw nothing.

"Who's there?" he shouted.

The alley remained silent.

"Damn it," Manuel cursed.

Then, a low, sinister laugh echoed, chilling him to the bone.

Manuel's body tensed, and his eyes widened. "Don't come near me! I have a blessed charm on me," he shouted to bolster his courage.

A tall, shadowy figure appeared ahead, cloaked in black, face hidden under a hood, moving closer with each step.

Manuel screamed and turned to run, stumbling over a bottle and falling. The black figure kept approaching, and Manuel's screams grew louder.

A cold, mocking laugh cut through the air. "Manuel, long time no see."

Hearing the familiar voice, Manuel stopped screaming and looked up in surprise.

"You? How is it you?"

He couldn't believe it was Zuri standing before him.

Zuri smiled at him, her beautiful face looking eerie in the dim light.

Manuel's heart raced as he met her unsettling smile.

The flickering light made her face appear twisted.

"Are you human or a ghost?" Manuel stammered.

"What do you think?" Zuri chuckled.

Manuel scrambled to his feet, wanting to escape, but felt a heavy pull on his collar, choking him.

He turned around but saw no one; his collar was snagged on a wooden post.

Scanning the area, he found no sign of Zuri.

"I must be seeing things," Manuel muttered, hiccuping from the alcohol.

He continued walking, only to see a shadowy figure reappear, floating towards him without any legs.

"Ah!" Manuel screamed, "A ghost!"

He turned to run but crashed into a wall, splitting his head open.

Catching a glimpse of the shadow creeping closer, he scrambled away, shouting, "A ghost!"

No matter which way he ran, he kept hitting walls, the shadow always behind him.

His screams echoed in the alley, sounding like someone possessed, repeatedly running into the same wall.

After two hours, Manuel collapsed, convulsing and foaming at the mouth.

As he lay there, a pair of calm footsteps approached and stopped beside him. A figure looked down at his twitching body, then turned and left.

The night is the source of fear.

The night is the end of pain.

The next day, on her way home, Rhea saw Manuel being carried back by others. From the neighbors, she learned that Manuel had gone mad after encountering something eerie in the demolition area.

Rhea's gloom lifted. "Serves him right!" she thought. "Too bad he didn't die. If only he had died of fright."

In high spirits, Rhea hummed a tune.

Just then, a neighbor approached her. "Rhea, you're finally back. Your father suddenly collapsed and vomited blood. He's been taken to the hospital. You need to go now. Your mother is waiting for you."

Rhea's smile vanished instantly.

At the hospital, she found her mother and brother outside the operating room. They seemed relieved to see her.

"Rhea, you're finally here," Mrs. Liu said, gripping her daughter's hand.

"Mom, what happened to Dad?" Rhea asked anxiously.

"The doctor said it's a stroke. What are we going to do? If he falls, our family is done for. Where will we get your brother's tuition and our living expenses? And his medical bills?" Mrs. Liu despaired, clutching Rhea's hand tightly.