Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 41 - Chapitre 47

The bankruptcy filing happened on a Tuesday morning.Eric's lawyer called at eight. "The paperwork is being filed today. Once it hits the courts, it becomes public record. The media will pick it up within hours.""I understand," Eric said."I am sorry it came to this."Eric hung up without responding.By noon, it was everywhere. Every business news channel. Every financial website. Every social media platform."TechCorp Files for Bankruptcy: Founder Eric Harper's Billion-Dollar Failure""From Success Story to Cautionary Tale: The Fall of TechCorp""How Eric Harper Destroyed His Own Company in Six Months"The television in the penthouse was on. Eric could not stop watching even though every channel made him feel worse.A business anchor sat at a desk discussing the bankruptcy. "This is one of the most dramatic corporate collapses we have seen in years. TechCorp was valued at over a billion dollars just eight months ago. Today it is worth nothing."They brought in an expert. An older ma

The doorbell rang on a Saturday afternoon. Eric and Nyla were packing the last boxes. They had to be out of the penthouse in three days.Nyla answered the door.Lisa stood there. Designer dress. Expensive jewelry. Perfect hair and makeup. She looked radiant."Lisa," Nyla said. "This is unexpected.""I heard about the bankruptcy. I had to see it for myself." Lisa walked past Nyla into the penthouse without being invited. "Wow. You really are packing. I thought maybe the news was exaggerating."Eric came out of the bedroom carrying a box. Stopped when he saw Lisa."What are you doing here?" he asked."I came to see how you are doing. And also to say thank you.""Thank you?""Yes. For being such a mess. For destroying your own life. Because if you had not, I might have actually ended up with you." Lisa laughed. It was bright and cruel. "Thank god I dodged that bullet."Eric just stared at her. No reaction. No emotion. Like he was looking at a stranger."Nothing to say?" Lisa asked. "No b

The moving truck arrived three days later. Not to move Eric and Nyla's belongings to a new home. To take everything to auction.Men in uniforms walked through the penthouse tagging items. Furniture. Appliances. Everything that had not already been sold."This is it," Eric said. "This is really it."Nyla was packing their personal items into two suitcases. The only things they were allowed to keep. Basic clothes. Toiletries. A few photos."Where will we go?" Eric asked."I told you. My father said we could stay at the mansion temporarily.""For how long?""I do not know. Until you figure something out."Eric sat down on the floor. The couch had already been taken. "I have nothing. No money. No job. No prospects. Who is going to hire me now? I am famous for destroying a billion-dollar company.""You will find something.""Like what? Flipping burgers? Stocking shelves?" Eric laughed bitterly. "I was a CEO. Now I cannot even afford rent."The movers took the last of the furniture. The pen

Eric's brain could not process what she was saying. "I do not understand.""Which part?""Any of it! You came back to me. You said you wanted to fix things. You said you loved me!""I said a lot of things to make you trust me. None of them were true.""But the marriage counseling. The conversations. The nights you held me while I cried about the company. All of that was fake?""All of it."Eric felt like he was going to be sick. "How? How could you fake that for months?""It was surprisingly easy. You wanted to believe I still loved you. So you did.""This cannot be real. This has to be some kind of breakdown—""Stop saying that!" Nyla's voice was sharp for the first time. "I am not having a breakdown. I am telling you the truth. The truth you are too stupid to accept.""The truth that you destroyed my company? That you worked with Cameron to ruin me?""Yes.""But why? I apologized! I tried to make things right!"Nyla laughed. It was cold and bitter. "You apologized? You think sorry f