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!"

I grabbed a glass paperweight from the desk and hurled it across the room. It shattered against the

her head in, alarmed. "Everything okay, Mr.

roared, causing the woman to shrink back in terror before scrambling

desk as I fought for control. I

way to track

only shake his head

covered his tracks

desk with an animalistic bellow, raining

heaved it against

stormed out and slammed

frame nearly splintered. I

parking lot

down my

a strangled

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

with another

to be

chased away any hope of waking up. It

forward to

forehead on

me. I sold off

and liquidated nearly every asset to raise that

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

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

squeezed my eyes shut, trying in vain

had gambled everything...and

to drive home.

stuck fast, defying my increasingly

I wrenched the key