I Can Be Your Nightmare, Mr. Ex

Chapter 17

That morning, the cloudy sky seemed to reflect Sonny's heart. He stood in front of the mirror, straightening his dark blue suit, slightly faded and a little shabby.

It didn't mean he didn't have a better suit than the one he was wearing now. But, now, he had to show himself as a man who was almost bankrupt and in great difficulty.

His face still looked tired, after making peace with Elsa, which turned out to drain his energy because he was not used to swallowing his own pride to apologize first and it turned out to be tiring.

However, this time there was a little determination burning in his eyes. Today he would face a meeting that could determine the fate of his company, and himself.

The investor's head office building stood majestically in the middle of the city. Sonny's steps felt heavy as he stepped into the meeting room.

There, five people with serious faces were waiting, they were representatives of the investors who had invested large amounts of capital in his company.

A middle-aged man with glasses, Mr. Jermaine Lex, opened the meeting in a flat voice. “Mr. Kendrick, we didn’t call you here to make small talk. We want an explanation of why the profit distribution for the last two quarters was not in line with projections.”

Sonny nodded slowly, trying to hold back the shaking of his hands. “I apologize for the late report. The company has experienced some operational constraints and the market is also sluggish. Some of our major projects have been delayed due to external factors.”

“External factors?” the voice of Mrs. Sylvia Harrington, the only woman in the room, sounded sharp. “Mr. Kendrick, we know the market situation. But your company is increasing expansion capital without board approval. You took a big risk, and now the loss is borne by all investors.”

“And worse,” continued Mr. Dennis Leon, a young man who had just joined last year, “there are indications of non-transparent finances. Several major expenditures do not have detailed reports. We ask for an independent audit.”

Sonny was petrified. An independent audit? That would mean the entire bookkeeping would be peeled clean. And he knew that some expenditures were indeed not recorded neatly. He was too busy taking care of impromptu projects and trying to save cash flow.

“I admit, there is chaos in the internal management. But give me time… I am formulating a restructuring plan. I have started cutting expenses, and I will look for new investors to fill the liquidity gap,” he said, trying to sound convincing.

However, the faces in front of him remained cold. Mr. Jermaine Lex leaned back and sighed.

“We are giving you three months, Mr. Kendrick. In that time, we want to see real improvements: complete financial statements, improved cash flow, and a market recovery strategy. If not, we will withdraw all capital and take this matter to court.”

The words hit like a sledgehammer. Sonny could only nod.

“And one more thing,” added Mrs. Sylvia Harrington. “If you are unable to resolve this by the specified time limit, then the investors have decided to seize the company’s assets to replace our losses. That means there is a possibility that you will have to hand over the company to us to be converted into cash that will then be distributed to the investors, at least to return our initial investment first.”

Sonny's breath hitched. "You mean... I have to let go of my company to pay you all?"

"I know this must be difficult for you. But it is a strong option if there is no significant change in the next month," said Mr. Dennis Leon with a straight face. "Our money is stuck in your company, Mr. Kendrick, because at first we believed that you could fulfill your promise to give us significant profits according to calculations. Besides, in fact, what we get is also not greater than other companies, if we invest there."

"To be honest, Mr. Kendrick, the investment we made in your company, is more based on trust, because all of us are connected to your father or grandfather. We know that they are the ones who built and raised your company, and we rely on the trust that you will also be like them in managing the company," said Mr. Gawin Malloy, a middle-aged man who always looked calm and did not talk much.

Sonny fell silent. Cold sweat poured down his back and armpits. He had known that he would face a difficult situation with these people in front of him, but he had never expected that the difficulties would reach this extent.

He could not imagine if his company was seized by the investors and used as collateral to pay off debts. Then, how would he live?

The meeting ended without further ado. The investors were really firm and their decision was final as they had told Sonny.

Sonny stepped out like a man exhausted. The outside world looked gray, just like his mind.

In the car, Sonny opened his cell phone and reread Elsa's letter that he had photographed, intending it as a reminder. He held the cell phone tightly.

"If I fail... not only will I lose the company, but my family too," he whispered.

Suddenly his cell phone rang. An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen. Sonny usually did not like to answer calls from unknown numbers, but this time he did, hoping that it might be from someone who could help him, whoever it was.

Sonny slowed down the car and pulled over when the road was a little quiet.

"Hello?" he answered weakly.

“Sonny? Oh Sonny,” his mother’s voice sounded panicked.

Sonny looked at his phone screen in confusion. Why was his mother using a foreign number?

“Mom? Is that you?” Sonny asked in confusion. “Why are you using a different number? Where’s your usual number?”

Ariel Kendrick cried in confusion. “I turned off my phone. I can’t take it anymore. They’re terrorizing me all the time.”

“W-what? Who’s terrorizing you?” Sonny asked even more confused. “Can you stop crying for a moment and explain to me what’s going on?”

There was a moment of silence.

“Mom?” Sonny called anxiously. “Are you still there? Hello?”

“Y-yeah,” Ariel replied. “They’re… They’re, uh, debt collectors.”

Sonny stiffened. “Debt collectors?” he said sharply. “Why did they do that and what did you do with them? Do you have debts? Did you borrow money from loan sharks?”

Ariel burst into tears. "Th-they made me unable to stop. The offer was very tempting and I thought, in the end, I could pay them back. I didn't know that the debt I took on would grow even bigger and I couldn't afford to pay it back anymore."

Sonny felt like his head was going to explode. He massaged his temples and clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white.

"Mom, why did you borrow money? Is the money I give you every month, your share of the company, not enough? I haven't even fulfilled my obligations to the investors properly lately, but I still give you your share," Sonny said in a low, straight tone.

Ariel sobbed and her voice trembled as she answered, "I know, but what you gave me is not enough. I need more. You know that I have many activities and my friends are all from the elite. There's no way I'm going to lower myself, not following them because I don't have enough money."

"Gosh," Sonny muttered.

"At first it was just a small game, without money, just for fun, but after a while, everyone started giving something to bet and after things got exciting, we moved to a real place and that's where I started to sink. They even facilitated easy money lending without any conditions," Ariel said in a stuttering voice.

Sonny's hands and feet felt cold, hearing his mother's story.

"Mom, I don't understand. What did you do that made you spend so much money that you had to go into debt?" Sonny asked in as calm a tone as possible. "What place are you talking about?"

Silence again. Only Ariel's sobs could be heard.

"MOM!" Sonny snapped.

"Casino! Blue Orchid Casino!" Ariel answered shakily.

The phone slipped from Sonny's hand.