Billionaire, Let's Divorce! by BELLA

DENNIS

I slammed my fist on Cole's desk, causing everything on top to rattle.

"What the hell do you mean you can't find him?"

"Did I hear you well or have I suddenly developed an ear problem?"

Cole shrank back. His eyes were wide with fear and remorse.

"I'm sorry man, I've tried everything. James just...disappeared without a trace after taking all our investments."

Rage boiled inside me. I grabbed Cole by the lapels and shoved him against the wall.

"You're supposed to be the expert! You vouched for this guy!"

"I know, I know," Cole sputtered, hands up defensively.

"Believe me, I'm just as gutted as you are. I lost every penny too!"

I sneered.

"Yeah? Well it's a lot easier for you to be casual about losing pocket change. I put in $100,000 man! Do you have any idea how much I sacrificed for that?"

The memories flooded back, of all the rights I had to part with to raise that money. I thought that if the investment paid off, I could buy a whole new collection and more. Now all I had to show for it was NOTHING. Letting go of Cole, I ran shaky hands through my hair. I started pacing, mind racing over how I could possibly make this right. The bars were doing well, but not well enough to absorb that steep a loss quickly. "I'm ruined..." I muttered, then whirled on Cole again.

"This is on you! You talked me into this scheme with your big dreams about life-changing profits!"

Cole flinched at my booming voice.

"I didn't know he was going to run a damn Ponzi scheme! The backgrounds, documentation, it all checked out!"

paperweight from the desk and hurled it across the room. It shattered against the

her head in, alarmed.

the woman to shrink

I fought for control. I lifted my

me there's still a way to track this bastard down

only shake his head

man. He covered his tracks

the desk with an animalistic bellow, raining papers and

grabbed a crystal decanter from the liquor cart and heaved it against the wall, shattering it

and slammed

splintered. I ripped my suit

parking lot

down my face.

knuckles turned white. I exploded with a strangled cry of anguish, pummeling the wheel over and over until my hands

"Stupid...fucking...idiot!"

another bone-jarring

be

the pain radiating through my hands chased away any hope of waking up. It was all too

slumped forward to

on the

me.

I owned and liquidated nearly every asset to raise

of a bitch," I spat at my own reflection in the rearview

just had to chance it all for more. For what? To get played like

an instant because of my greed and one man's deception. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying in vain to somehow make

had gambled

and tried to compose myself enough to drive home. I fumbled

didn't turn. It was stuck fast,

as I wrenched the