I stepped into the house, my head aching from a night spent in a brothel. At the same moment, my entire body smelled like trash.
Yes, I was tumbling down the rabbit hole, but there was nowhere to hide my humiliating shame.
Three months ago I was on top of the world but three months later the wolves had decimated a booming company with the potential to employ thousands and generate a large amount of revenue for the country down the pit latrine.
My father was still clinging to the company’s shards, while I was on the edge of giving up. It was not worth it, I had lost the majority of my property, or should I say all property, even the property that I had before I took over Gentex.
The company was definitely cursed and anyone who tried to go against it or stole it and was doomed to lose everything.
Because of the tainted Nelson name, no one was interested in doing business or buying my property. People didn’t want to be affiliated with our name, even though the Thalia allegations and case were dropped because there was no sufficient evidence.
I would have liked to sell at full price but I was fortunate to find a last-minute buyer. However, I was forced to sell at a cheap price because I was in a tough spot. It was painful to watch everything I had worked for and sacrificed so hard for falling before my eyes.
If Thalia was still alive, I’m sure she would be laughing at me wherever she was.
I staggered to the stairwell, where I found Jessica seated at the top of the final step. She had one of those icy stares that would make any man tremble and fall to his knees. She was hurt but there was nothing I could do.
I was hurting too and she was not the only victim in everything like I had earlier assumed. We were all victims, her for marrying me while I was a victim for agreeing to get tangled in my father’s quest for revenge.
But something was strange, I always imagined walking into the house one day and finding her packed and gone, yet she was still at my side for mysterious reasons. I had a feeling my father had a long conversation with her because for unknown reasons she always followed whatever my father told her.
“What’s up?” The stillness was broken when she spoke. “I have prepared breakfast In the kitchen,” she added.
I locked my gaze on her; she never made breakfast, was a bad cook, and despised being in the kitchen. Something was wrong, but I didn’t want to find out what it was, I had already had enough drama for three months.
“Thank you,” I answered, “but I’m not hungry.” I could see her eyes becoming colder and her face shrinking up, she did not like my reply.
“Gentex will rise again after we pay the last lawsuit, but I don’t see that happening with your stupid behavior!” She screamed and hurled a glass of wine inches away from me. I clenched my cheek and took a deep breath.
She took graceful steps down the stairwell to where I was standing. She shrieked inches from my ears, “There has to be something for me at the end of this nonsense!”
I chuckled and said, “I don’t know what lies my father planted in your head, but let me formally inform you that the company is already in the dirt but if your standards have dropped you are free to hang around,” I said as I turned to face her.
It was typical of Jessica, she was only hanging around for the money though I had expected her to jump off the burning ship earlier. Whatever my father promised her was probably huge.
She raised her hand and smacked me across the face with it. “Is that what I get?” She screamed. “I’ve been with you through all of this nonsense while you cheated on me with hookers and your idiotic lawyer!”
I hid my face behind my hand, embarrassed. The slap was exactly what I needed; it jolted me back to reality in some strange way. My aching head suddenly stopped.
“Is this the package I’ll be receiving, Josh? Would you mind responding?” she inquired.
I answered, “You deserve better,” and I proceeded up the stairwell. It was the first time she had confronted me and cried.
I could hear her crying as I closed the door to the bedroom. She always avoided my presence by hiding in her room.
My father had said something to her and I was curious to find out what. Why was he even out of the country without my knowledge? He’d said nothing about looking for investors outside of the country.
I called his number again, and he said he was in Russia and didn’t feel the need to tell me about his new miracle plan.
I was supposed to sit my horny ass at the pubs I frequented while he sorted out the mess, according to him I was the one that got my company into trouble, and to be honest, he was to blame for everything.
Looking back through history, every company he was associated with eventually went bankrupt.
He didn’t even need a friend to outsmart him this time. He was well aware of the irony. Maybe that’s why he wasn’t harsh with me; he was blaming himself deep down, but I was preoccupied with my own problems.
I stood in front of the mirror, observing my weight gain. The pressure was getting to me, and I was carrying more physical weight than I had ever carried before. My stomach was starting to flip-flop. Jessica was behind me when I heard a chuckle.
While blowing out some smoke, she said, “You’ve gotten obese.” I had no idea she smoked; it was the first time I was seeing her do so, and it could have been the tense few months that got her smoking.
I shifted my gaze to the mirror in front of me. I didn’t like what I was seeing, and I was beginning to acquire man boobs as a result. To say the least, the scene was revolting.
I needed to start watching what I ate and going to the gym, but could I pay my previous, high-priced bill with my restricted budget? I had no intention of downgrading or any intention of mingling with the underprivileged. I planned to get some gear and train at home.
I put on my towel and went to the bathroom to shower. I had to expel the noxious odor from my system and rethink my strategy. The good part was that my fifty-plus one shares were intact.
I needed to make sure of that by changing my behavior. Jessica was right and if she was staying we needed to work on our marriage so that we can have an heir.
My father was going to sell his soul to the Russians even for cheap change so that the company could breathe and all I needed was to get my wife pregnant.
