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!"

desk and hurled it across the room. It shattered against the wall with a

secretary stuck her head in,

to shrink

I fought for control. I lifted my gaze

there's still a way to track this bastard

shake his

nothing, man. He covered his tracks

my restraint. I flipped the desk with an animalistic bellow,

decanter from the liquor cart and heaved it against the

and slammed the

nearly splintered. I ripped my

parking lot with

my face.

a strangled cry of anguish, pummeling the wheel over and over until my hands felt

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

another bone-jarring strike

be some

any hope of waking up. It was

slumped forward

on

me. I sold

every asset to raise

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

for more. For what? To

squeezed my eyes shut, trying in vain to somehow make this waking nightmare go away. But the throbbing

had gambled

myself enough to drive home. I fumbled the key

key didn't turn. It was stuck fast,

as I wrenched the