Chapter 78 In Deep Shit

When Sabrina stepped out of Parker's ward once more, Ada was already long gone. She sat next to the ward entrance and dialed Barry's phone number. She dialed his number twice, but there was no response, and eventually, the calls were automatically disconnected. Sabrina took a deep breath and found herself praying that her brother was just involved in some wrongdoing and not in a life-threatening situation. Finally, on the third call, Barry picked up. His voice sounded frantic as if he were running, and the background was filled with the sound of rushing wind. The frantic and unfamiliar surroundings heightened Sabrina's anxiety. What in the world was Barry doing? And where was he? "Sabrina, help! I'm in deep shit. I owe a lot of money! Please help me," Barry pleaded. The mere words sent Sabrina's blood pressure soaring, and she felt a surge of anger. She was this close to hanging up the phone and leaving her foolish brother to face the consequences alone. "How much do you owe?" Sabrina asked, her voice trembling with anger. "100,000 dollars." The number shocked Sabrina. What on earth had he done to accumulate such a staggering debt? "Tell me, did you have your eye on my apartment from the beginning? You knew I was going to sell that apartment to pay for Grandpa's medical bills, and yet you dared to do this?" Sabrina questioned. Come to think of it, did Barry also squander the money she had sent him for Parker's treatment? As the situation had already reached this point, hiding the truth was no longer an option. Barry's tearful voice on the phone did little to elicit sympathy from Sabrina. "I really didn't mean for any of this to happen, but those people, you know, they threatened to break my arm if I didn't pay up. I had no choice but to do that. Besides, the money I got from the loan only covered the principal of my debt. This 100,000 dollars is the interest. If I don't repay it today, the debt will only grow!" Barry explained. Barry had borrowed money from loan sharks? What a stupid, stupid thing to do! Sabrina felt her world darken as she comprehended the magnitude of their troubles. "Why did you borrow the money? I can't believe you borrowed money from loan sharks. Do you think our family is rich? How could you be so irresponsible?" Sabrina's fumed. Barry was now filled with regret. He couldn't comprehend how he had gotten himself into this mess. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. They convinced me to have a little fun, and I thought it would be fine. I never expected to lose so much. Can you help me, please? I know you can sell the apartment for a maximum of 150,000 dollars, and we only need 100,000 dollars. Can you help me repay the interest? Please!" "I used my entire savings over the years to purchase my apartment. You know how important it is to me. It's not just a place to live; it's our family's home. I had planned to bring Grandpa here to live. How could you even think of selling it?" Sabrina questioned. How could Barry be so reckless? He wasn't a kid anymore, and he should've known better than to rack up such a huge debt and gamble away their future. Unless… he was not being honest about this? "We can always buy another house, but I only have one life. If you can't raise 100,000 dollars for me today, I'm really going to die." Barry pressed on, convinced that Sabrina wouldn't let him down. Sabrina was infuriated with her brother, yet, as Barry had suspected, she couldn't ignore him. "Where are you right now? And where is my apartment deed? Someone has already expressed interest in the apartment. If possible, I'll sell it immediately," Sabrina reluctantly agreed. Fortunately, there had been inquiries about the apartment recently, making a quick sale possible. Otherwise, it would have been nearly impossible to sell it so quickly. Barry's delighted voice came through the phone, but it didn't bring any relief to Sabrina; it only intensified her anger. "The deed is with me. I'll come back right away. Have the potential buyer come over, and we'll finalize the deal today." Hearing Barry's excited voice, Sabrina couldn't help but feel uneasy. She responded in a gloomy tone. After ending the call, Sabrina had no mood to go inside and talk to her grandfather. Her grandfather had lived a long life and possessed a personality that felt stifling to both her and her brother. If her grandfather were to learn about this situation, it would undoubtedly provoke his anger. Her brother's previous actions had already upset her grandfather, as evidenced by his recent hospitalization. She didn't want to deal with any more upsets. Additionally, with Marcus present, Sabrina didn't want to discuss family matters in front of an outsider. She waited outside for some time to stabilize her emotions before adjusting her expression to appear relaxed. When she finally entered Parker's ward, the atmosphere had improved somewhat due to the conversation between Marcus and Parker. "Grandpa, my company just called, and they need me to work overtime tonight, so I won't be able to have dinner with you. How about you and Marcus have dinner together instead?" Sabrina proposed. Originally, she didn't want to trouble Marcus, but with him around, she felt a bit more at ease, especially considering the difficulty of keeping this situation a secret. Marcus, always quick to take action, responded, "Sure! Parker, let's have dinner together. I know a great restaurant nearby. I'll go order some food for us right now." While Marcus stepped aside to a corner to place the food order, Parker, feeling somewhat awkward, spoke up, "Why do they need you to work overtime all of a sudden? Have you been working a lot recently? You don't look well, did you get enough rest last night?" Sabrina's smile, which had been hard to maintain, faded when she heard her grandfather's concern. She replied, "It's quite normal to have to work extra sometimes. Grandpa, you go ahead and have dinner with Marcus. I'll head to work now." Just then, Marcus had finished making his phone call. Sabrina had a brief conversation with him before hastily leaving. Marcus suspected that Sabrina's hasty departure had something to do with Barry, so he discreetly sent a message to Curtis. Then, he sat down with Parker, attempting to divert the old man's attention away from the family's troubles.