I Will Never Financially Recover Novels & Stories

Leaning back against the couch, I simply stared at Adrian impassively, not touching the glass of water he had placed down. When he saw that, he bit his lip and wasn't able to contain his tears any longer. "Winnie… I thought that I would never get to see you again in this life… Who would've thought that I would run into you again today…" Wiping his tears, he continued in a choked voice, "Did you know? After our family went bankrupt, we were saddled with a debt worth several million dollars. Our debtors would come knocking on our door every other day, demanding that we pay them back.

“Then how did you end up like this?” Ethan didn’t hesitate to fabricate. “My ex-wife divorced me and took most of my fortune,” he said bitterly. “The heartbreak pushed me into gambling and drinking. That’s how I went broke. But I’m seeing a therapist now. Once I kick the gambling and stop drinking myself into oblivion, I’ll be back on my feet. I’ll start making serious money again.” He leaned in, voice low and coaxing. “You’ve always treated me well. When I bounce back, I’ll make you my personal assistant. You’ll be earning seven or eight figures a week. My assistants used to make even more than that.”

There was no money and only a heap of debt. My company declared bankruptcy, and all the employees lost their jobs. I watched them walk out with tear-stained faces, not telling them that there was no place left for them in this industry. Sophia had already warned the other business owners. Those employees were all blacklisted for their disloyalty. It would take repeated rejections before they started regretting betraying me. After divorcing Harry, I returned to my parents. My work kept me busy, and I had no time to think about what had happened in the past.

The creep might just have second thoughts about trying to cop a feel again. I cringe at the memory. I still remember every second. Some nights, my brain loves to replay those horrible ten seconds as if to remind me that I still have feelings. That I've been wronged. Mistreated. Humiliated. Victimized. But, no. I refuse to feel like a victim. Nope. Not now. Our one and only family business is in the red. About to go bankrupt, in fact, if we don't do something drastic soon. I don't have the luxury of taking a couple days off.

“I promise I will get it fixed and I will pay for the doctor and my treatment.” “I thought you said that you are poor”, he responded cocking an eyebrow at me. “I didn’t say I was poor. I am actually financially stable just… I’m just not where I want to be that’s all. He shrugged and then nodded. He then got up. "Rest you need your body to recover we talk some more later.” I had been fighting the heaviness that was threatening to engulf me. I finally just gave in.

“Heart attack. No warning. No chance to say goodbye or prepare or understand. Just gone one Tuesday afternoon. Collapsed at his office desk, dead before the ambulance arrived, before anyone even realized something was wrong. Left us with debt. Mountains of it. Bad investments he’d hidden from my mother for years. Gambling debts he’d kept secret, money borrowed from dangerous people. Credit cards maxed out buying things we didn’t need to maintain an appearance we couldn’t afford. A second mortgage on our house that my mother didn’t even know existed. Secrets that destroyed us financially while everyone thought we were successful and stable.” He stopped pacing, staring out the window without s

I won’t ever let myself be fooled that way again. I still want to get my revenge on Mike, but first I’ve got to try and salvage what’s left of my life. I have to go to the police and see if I can resolve these financial issues… I can’t have a baby if I’m bankrupt, and I can only pray the police will help. ________________________

But that was a fat lie. The money he’d get from the sale wouldn’t even fix anything. It will only cover the debt to some extent. Not entirely. Not with the way the market has been and inflation. Not with the way he spends, always trying to patch things with band-aids when surgery was needed. If I who wasn't book smart knew all of these, then what happened to the guru? He was sinking, and instead of grabbing onto a life jacket, he was setting fire to the boat.

So he said, and I trust him. I tuck my hands in the pockets of my coat and inhale deeply. I have no friends to run to for money, all my accounts are shut, my dad can't help me, my husband can't help me either, and I can't take a loan as that will mean me borrowing millions to catch up with the others, and that will result in me giving the company a huge financial blow.

Some of my most precious jewelry, family heirlooms, and symbols of my past, have slipped through my fingers in my futile attempts to win. As I sit alone, I replay the conversation with Adam over and over. His words cut deep, his decision to ban me from the company fund stinging like a betrayal. After losing Eva, now I’m losing my financial security too. No retirement funds, no safety net. The enormity of my situation crashes down on me, a wave of regret and frustration threatening to drown me.