It starts with a handshake.
You’re having a bad week. The Weight is heavy. The Heat is loud. Then, a guy shows up in a sharp suit and offers you a deal.
“Here,” he says. “Take this drink. Take this pill. Place this bet. It’ll take the edge off. You can pay me back later.”
So you take the loan. And for a few hours, you feel like a King. The pain is gone. The noise stops. You think you found the solution.
But then the morning comes. And The Vig shows up to collect.
The Loan Shark Mathematics
“The Vig” isn’t just the substance; it’s the Price.
In our world, Addiction acts exactly like a street-level loan shark.
- The Principal: This is the temporary relief you get. The buzz. The high.
- The Interest: This is the hangover, the shame, the empty bank account, the angry wife.
The problem is the math. You borrow 4 hours of relief, but The Vig charges you 24 hours of misery.
You try to pay him off. You say, “I’ll just have one tonight to settle the nerves.” But The Vig doesn’t accept partial payments. He takes the “one,” and then he takes the rest of the bottle, and then he takes your weekend.
You Can’t Negotiate
Most men try to negotiate with The Vig. They think they can manage the debt.
- “I’ll only drink on weekends.”
- “I’ll switch from liquor to beer.”
- “I’ll just look at the site for 10 minutes.”
Listen to me: You cannot negotiate with a shark.
He doesn’t want your money. He wants your life. As long as you keep making payments (using), he owns you. He controls your schedule. He controls your wallet. He controls your mood.
Default on the Loan
There is only one way to beat a loan shark who charges 100% interest: You have to stop paying.
You have to default on the loan.
It’s going to be ugly. When you stop paying (get sober), The Vig is going to send his enforcers. You will feel withdrawal. You will feel the urge. You will feel the pain you were trying to numb in the first place.
Let them come.
Stand your ground. Accept the pain of withdrawal as the cost of buying back your freedom. It is better to suffer for a month while you break the contract than to be a slave for the rest of your life.
Cut the Line
If you are currently paying The Vig, you are bleeding out. You might think you’re hiding it, but the Family sees the books. We know the look in your eyes.
Don’t fight this guy alone in an alley. He’s too strong.
Come to The Safe House. We have men in there who have defaulted on the debt and lived to tell the tale. We can show you how to cut the line.