The Fast Rising Billionaire

You Don't Have Enough Money

Alone on the bed with his thoughts, Christopher began to think about the dinner that was coming up between his wife and Rivera. From the drop in he had gotten at his desk, he knew that Rivers had ulterior motives to seduce his wife. 

There was the possibility that he was lying, or just bluffing, but knowing Rivera, the intent was very present. With a sigh of irritation, at Rivera, at himself, and the entire situation, he got up and opened the door, walking into the dining area with a wide smile on his face. 

The rest of the family was gathered at the table, and as he walked in, they all went silent, turning to look at him. The tension was palpable enough to cut through with a knife, and he took his seat beside Laura, still smiling. 

As dishes were passed and everyone took on the amount of food they could finish, Christopher noted that he was getting a number of furtive stares. Thinking nothing of it, he ignored, and began to eat. 

The regular conversation of everyone asking how the others' days had gone ensued, and they all have details about each other's days, with Christopher willfully giving them the least amount of details he could possibly give. There was no way he was going to let them know of the ultimatum and the fact that he was about to lose his job. 

Laura, unfortunately, did not share the same sentiments, and told her parents everything very freely, including the ultimatum and the. nuisance that had threatened both of their jobs earlier that day. 

Not one to waste time, Melody, Laura's mother poked at him. “Of course he would eat comfortably. A poor man always eats, even better than the rich man. Christopher, I am not one to beat around the bush like everyone else here has been doing to you. I would like you to divorce my daughter as soon as possible.” 

“Mom, no!” exclaimed Laura, hissing through her teeth. 

Ignoring her, Melody pressed on, “you have not met our financial expectations. You do not make enough to take care of my daughter, and I am uncomfortable with you even being with her anymore. You are dragging her down. Praise You, the deadline we set for you is almost up, Christopher. You haven't even started earning what we asked you to. You're barely bringing home a thousand dollars a month. That's not enough to support one person, let alone two!"

“Yeah!” added Jim, Laura's brother. Unemployed, he of all people should not have had the gut to add into the criticism, but covered under the umbrella of his parents, he spoke freely. “You don't make enough money to take care of my sister. What, you're only bringing home a thousand a month? That's not even enough for me to buy enough cigarettes to smoke in a month!"

Ignoring his wife and son, Austin, the man of the house, made a suggestion. “I see you fuming, and I hear my daughter muttering to herself. Perhaps if you want a silent meal or the comfort that you anticipate, you should move out.”

“Dad!” exclaimed Laura, unable to believe what she was hearing. “You know that we can't. What you're doing makes no sense to me. You were the one who said that if we needed your help we should come to you and ask you. Why can't you two just drop it?” Laura asked quietly. "Let's just try to have a peaceful meal." 

Austin responds sharply, "You want a peaceful meal? Alright then, it's time for you to move out with your foolish husband."

“But-” 

“Listen, no buts,” said Austin, sneering, “your husband has had a difficult time with the marriage. He does not like it at home.”

Allowing her fork to talk for and clatter to her plate, Laura protested her outrage. “Dad, are you joking? Do you want us to move out? Why? This house is big enough for all of us. It doesn't even take much from you to accommodate us.  It wouldn't cost you anything. to put up with us for a little while longer. Just till we get back up on our feet.” 

“And when exactly will that be?” asked Jim, looking at her. “Even my girlfriend makes a lot more than your husband.”

Laura had always held a deep disdain for her brother's partner, and she took that as a cue to finally let out some of her frustrations. “That woman? The same one that asks you for money for every single bill? She is asking for far too much, and you are not even married just yet. If you both get married, you're going to bankrupt mum and dad since you're both leeches.” 

“Careful,” warned Jim, “be very careful, Laura. You're talking about your future sister in law. It's my Rory you're talking about. You need to lose your attitude about her. I don't know what she ever did to you. Besides, you are already married, and your life isn't any better than anyone else's. Just because you are married to a loser doesn't mean that is what is going to happen to me.

Surely, you don't expect the entire family to stand behind a loser  just because he is married to you.”

Setting down his spoon, Christopher turned over to his wife and gave her thigh a quick squeeze under the table. Drawing comfort from his touch, she settled down and pointedly ignored her brother when he kept talking 

Irritated by the drivel going on all around him, Austin finally yelled at them, slamming both of his palms against the table. Everyone looked over at him and frowned, as he said. ”Enough! I may have two children, but you are a woman and you have married a bum. There really is no helping that. You no longer have our last name, but your brother does. We will be leaving our house to him when we pass. Laura, you already earn more than enough to support yourself right now, so it's not like the bits you make are insufficient to tide you over. You don't need our help to get on your feet.” 

“But-” she began, silenced by Christopher finally speaking up, 

“Laura, baby. Please, don't argue with them, okay? They might be right. It's okay if they no longer want us here and ask us to find our own place. All we need to bank on is ourselves. It's okay. Don't yell. Your brother's trying to start something, and I know you hate it when you fight with your parents. 

I don't want a situation where you fight with them and stop talking and it's all because of me. They are right. I haven't been pulling my own weight, but I'm working on it right now. It's okay. ” 

“Did you even hear the way they were speaking to you? Someone needs to let them know that it's not okay to speak to you like that. You don't even deserve that kind of treatment, you're trying. And they can afford to help!” 

“If they don't wish to, that's okay too. We will be okay, okay?” asked Christopher. 

“Okay," responded Laura, a weak smile on her face.