Richard went to visit his daughter to celebrate his eightieth birthday, but when she opened the door, she was in tears and quickly sent him away. Sensing something was wrong, Richard’s suspicions were confirmed when he peeked through her front windows. His fingers tapped nervously on the steering wheel as he drove, reflecting on how Deidre used to visit every Thanksgiving, a tradition that had stopped after his wife’s funeral. Now, they only spoke on weekly calls.
When Deidre appeared in the doorway, Richard spread his arms wide. “Surprise!” he called out with enthusiasm.
“Dad? What are you doing here?” Deidre asked, tears streaming down her face.
“I came to celebrate my big eight-o with you!” he replied, his voice faltering as he noticed her distress. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
“It’s nothing,” Deidre quickly wiped her tears. “I wasn’t expecting you, and now isn’t a good time. I’m really sorry, Dad. I have work to do. Let’s catch up later, okay?”
Deidre closed the door, leaving Richard hurt and confused. Something wasn’t right. Refusing to leave, Richard snuck around and peered through her windows. Inside, two rough-looking men stood in her living room.
“Nobody,” Deidre said in a shaky voice. “Just some kid playing a prank.”
“Back to business then,” one of the men said. “You’re six months behind on your loan repayments. Mr. Marco’s losing patience.”
Deidre pleaded for more time, but the man ominously mentioned that people who owed Mr. Marco didn’t live long. He pulled out a gun, causing Richard to freeze in terror, but eventually, the man holstered it and instructed his partner to search the house for valuables.
As the men ransacked the home, Deidre sobbed on the floor. Richard’s heart broke, knowing his daughter needed help. After the men left with several of Deidre’s belongings, Richard quietly followed them to a rundown building downtown, which seemed to be a bar. Steeling himself, he entered the building and approached a group of men seated around a table. One of them, who Richard guessed was Mr. Marco, stood to confront him.
“I’m here to discuss Deidre’s debt,” Richard declared.
Mr. Marco smirked. “She owes $80,000 and hasn’t paid a dime.”
Richard, shocked by the amount, offered his savings—$20,000—but it wasn’t enough. Mr. Marco then proposed an alternative: Richard could help smuggle a car across the border. Reluctantly, Richard agreed, knowing he had no choice if he wanted to save his daughter.
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