"No no no no no no no no ....... NOOOOO!" Lionel Marshall shouted, holding on to his ticket. 

That was his last chance after spending his last dollar at the race track.

"FUCK!" he yelled as he slumped dramatically on the ground.

As the last race of the day, people streamed out, passing by the red eyed man with his head in his hands.

"Hey Lionel! The boss wants to talk to you" a man in a suit with two other guys walked up to him.

"Wait! Tell Tony I'll get the money! I need a week, no three days to get Tony his money" Lionel said in panic as he quickly stood up.

"It's Mr Ramone to you. You owe him today" the man said, surrounding him.

"Wait.. wait" Lionel said as he suddenly hit the middle guy and kicked the balls of the guy on the left. 

The thug on the right held his shirt as he tried to run off but he took off his shirt as the managed to escape. 

"Mother fucker! Get him! " the man with the broken nose yelled. 

Being a former athlete, he managed to outrun the thugs and hid himself in the nearby park. 

"Mona will help me. She has a stable job at her studio!" he said, referring to his ex-wife

He ran to her dance studio and walked up the stairs.

Looking through the glass door, he was stunned at the sight of his ex-wife teaching ballet to teenage girls.

Ramona Garcia, 29 was his childhood sweetheart. She was the head cheerleader while he was the football captain. Both were prom king and queen respectively.

After high school, they got married and he went off to the military and served in Iraq in hopes of getting a scholarship for a degree while she studied dance and was on broadway for a while. 

But he got injured in an ambush and was send back in a coma for half a year. 

Suffering from PTSD, he found it difficult to get or keep a job, but she was a faithful wife and supported him while he tried to recover. 

However, he got depressed and spiraled downwards into alcoholism and depression, and was especially addicted to gambling. 

Borrowing from all his friends and family and not paying back, they eventually all started cutting him off, leaving only Ramona who struggled to pay for his ever increasing debt. 

Finally, having to declare bankruptcy for a loan he took under his name, she finally divorced him. 

She was still as gorgeous as ever, dressed in her leotard that showed every curve in her body.

As he was about to open the door to enter, Paul the owner of the studio blocked him from entering. 

"You know you are not welcome here Lionel. It's best you go" he said. 

"No! She's my wife! I deserve to see her" he yelled

"Ex-wife. Please don't cause a scene" Paul said. 

But Lionel continued yelling and Ramona saw him and quickly came to the door. 

"What are you doing Lionel? You can't come here!" she said. 

"Please Mona! I need some money..." Lionel said.

"I knew it" Paul said "Out! Get out!" he said, pushing him away. 

"No.. Mona.. please... I need money" Lionel said, trying to push through Paul, who was a strong guy, especially since he was a dancer. 

"See me at my house. Please leave" Mona said, her eyes tearing up. 

"Why are you... " Paul started saying.

"Ok! See you at home" Lionel said, and showed Paul the middle finger as he left. 

Looking back, he saw Paul hugging the crying Ramona.

"Motherfucker. He was always eyeing my Mona" he said, before storming off

--

Later that night, Lionel stood in front of Ramona's apartment. This was once their joint home, but as a settlement for the divorce, she was entitled to the apartment since she practically paid for the whole thing by herself with no help from Lionel. 

Ramona walked in the dark, her head looking downwards as she approached Lionel.

"Here! That's all I have. Please.... don't come back anymore" she said. 

He looked in the envelope and c0unted the money. 

"That's not enough! They'll break my legs! Do you want that to happen to me?" Lionel started yelling at her. 

"That's all I have! I don't have any more. Why do you keep getting in worse and worse debt? You even bankrupted me!" she said back.

"You bitch! I paid for your dance school from my salary in Iraq! How can you do this to me?" Lionel yelled. 

"That's all I have! I'm only a bankrupt dance instructor! My bankruptcy makes me ineligible to any higher paying jobs because of you!" she said. 

"You... you.." he said, raising her hand at her.

He's never hit her before, but being so desperate, he suddenly reacted.

Seeing the fear in her eyes he paused and put his hand down.

"I'm sorry Mona. I.. I lost control. I've never hit you before, and never will.... you know that" he said. 

But looking at her eyes, fearful and disappointed in him, he couldn't take it. He picked up the envelop full of whatever money she had and walked off.

--

Two weeks later, he was scratching the lottery tickets he bought with his last few dollars. 

"Fuck it! Fuck fuck fuck!" he yelled in the sports betting shop, completely drunk and unable to even walk straight. 

"I know. I'll get more money from Mona" he said, walking off. Then he stopped, remembering their last encounter.

"She'll forgive me. She's my Mona!" he said, convincing himself as he stumbled to her apartment. 

It was already late at night as he approached her apartment and rang the bell. 

But as he was ringing the bell, Paul stepped out of the apartment, carrying a bag. 

"Paul... what are you doing here?" Lionel said. 

"You. You better stop coming to see Ramona" Paul said, looking at Lionel angrily. 

"Who the hell are you to say that to me?" Lionel said, slapping the bag from Paul's hand.

The bag dropped onto the floor and broke open, as Ramona's clothes including her bra, panties and toiletries strew all over the ground.

"You... why are you taking her personal stuff? That's my wife!" Lionel said, taking Paul to the ground and mounting him as he ground and pounded him. 

"You've always wanted her, haven't you? Where is she? Are you fucking her in your house?" Lionel yelled as Paul defended himself with his arms. 

But Paul managed to get Lionel off, as he was drunk and unbalanced. 

"You stupid idiot! Ramona is in the hospital because of you!" Paul yelled as he hit Lionel back. 

"Wha...what? What happened? Where is she?" Lionel said staring at Paul. 

"You don't deserve to know. She's not your wife any more. You are just bad news" he said, stuffing the clothes in the bag and storming off. 

"In... in the hospital.. because of me?" Lionel said, sobering up as he ran off