Chapter 5 - The Aftermath
The luxury sports car Bradley had proudly parked in the VIP valet space was gone by the time he stumbled out of the clinic's front doors. It had been repossessed by a flatbed truck exactly twelve minutes after the corporate freeze went into effect.
He was forced to stand on the crowded New York sidewalk in the middle of a sudden, torrential downpour, his expensive shirt soaking through, his hair plastered to his forehead. He had no money, no company, no penthouse, and the perfect new family he had sacrificed his soul to build was nothing but a calculated lie.
Tiffany had refused to even leave the clinic with him, her sister arriving to pick her up through the back service elevator, leaving Bradley to face his mother and sister alone.
"Bradley," Evelyn wept, clutching his wet arm as taxis splashed muddy water onto their shoes. "What are we going to do? Where are we going to live? The country club fees are due tomorrow!"
"Shut up, Mom!" Bradley snapped, pulling his arm away in a burst of childish, impotent rage. "Just shut up!"
He looked down at his phone, his fingers trembling as he dialed a number he had deleted from his favorites list three months ago. He dialed my number.
The call went straight to a pre-recorded international roaming message: The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable or outside the network coverage area.
He tried to text.
“Sarah, please. We need to talk. There’s been a massive misunderstanding with the business. For the sake of Connor and Madison, you can’t just leave me with nothing. I’m your husband.”
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A tiny red exclamation point popped up next to the bubble instantly: Message Not Delivered. You have been blocked by the recipient.
He stood there under the gray, weeping sky of Manhattan, a man who had believed he was a king just one hour ago, finally realizing that he was nothing more than a ghost in a world he no longer owned.
