Part 2The $100k Bonus and the $800k Bill

My father, Johnny Reed, was a scholarly man. Mom had relentlessly pursued him, and I was born from their union. Eventually, he couldn’t take it anymore and decided to divorce her. The reason I didn’t stay with Astrid back then was precisely because I couldn’t stand her constant violence and underworld dealings. Astrid, with tears in her eyes, had promised me she would clean up her act.

All these years passed, and I never imagined her old crew would still be running their rackets – and now they’d kidnapped me! If I hadn’t been studying abroad for so long and my eyesight hadn't been an issue, I would have recognized her sooner. Shocked and furious, I blurted out,

“Ramona Flowers, are you blind? How dare you kidnap me!”

The punk-rock girl paused for a second, then slapped me. “You’re asking for it! Do you think you can just call Ramona by her name?” With that, she raised a whip to strike me.

Ramona quickly stopped her, looking wary. “How do you know my name?”

Thinking she’d recognized me, I shouted, “Because I’m Astrid Vance’s son!”

“Let me go right now, or if my mom finds out, she’ll have your head!”

The moment I said it, the wariness on Ramona’s face turned into a mocking laugh. “You? You think you can pretend to be Astrid’s son? You’ve got a death wish!”

I was speechless. “I am Astrid Vance’s son, Julian Vance!”

Ramona grabbed my collar, scoffing. “During dinner, your girlfriend clearly called you John Reed. Do you think we’re deaf?”

I quickly explained, “I really am Julian Vance. My dad took my mom’s last name when they got married, so I shared hers. After they divorced, I changed it back to my dad’s!”

Ramona had been my mom’s confidante back in the day; she had to know my father’s name. But to my shock, the next second, Ramona slammed a club into my knee.

“Astrid and Johnny are deeply in love! They would never divorce!”

“If you dare spread rumors again, I’ll rip your mouth out!”

I gasped in pain, suddenly remembering that my mom had kept the divorce a secret from outsiders. She was afraid people at school would gossip and affect my studies. It seemed that secrecy was now costing me dearly.

Just then, someone handed my phone to Ramona. A flicker of hope ignited within me. If she saw my lock screen, she would surely recognize me. But Ramona held the phone, comparing my face to the picture for a while, then spat at me.

“I can’t believe I fell for your tricks again and again!”

“You think if you Photoshop a picture with Astrid, I’ll believe you?”

“Little Julian was dark-skinned and stocky! A pretty boy like you, trying to impersonate him!”

With that, Ramona raised the club again, ready to strike. It was true that I used to be a round, chubby kid. But after high school, I joined a weight loss program, shed fifty pounds, and revamped my hairstyle and wardrobe. My greatest joy used to be hearing people tell me how handsome I’d become. Now, I found myself in a darkly humorous situation.

As the club was about to descend, a bespectacled man next to her suddenly stopped Ramona. “Ramona, could this punk be one of Astrid’s kept men?”

“If you harm him, what if Astrid comes looking for answers?”

Before he could finish, Ramona glared at him fiercely. “Are you trying to get yourself killed too? Astrid and Johnny are known as a model couple! How could she keep a pretty boy?”

“Now, even if he pays the bill, he’s not leaving!”

“I hate nothing more than home-wreckers like this!”