The Rise of the Trillionaire

Devan blanched as he read the words on the letter before him. “Nooo!” He yelled as a mixture of negative feelings engulfed his being. Why was everything going wrong with him? Was he under some kind of curse? The last two weeks have been the toughest in his life so far. With the loss of his job which was his only sense of purpose as well as his only source of income, he had managed to live through everyday thinking of how miserable his life was. Searching for a job had automatically become his next priority and everyday as he walked the streets of New Orleans, he wondered where he had gone wrong to be thrown off the chart of the employed persons in the country. Now in front of him was a rejection letter from a company he had aced all of their interviews and held unto the certainty that he was off the job market. “Why?! What sort of a f****d up life do I have?!” He cursed in exasperation. “I’ve spent most of my adult life working for these ungrateful bunch of humans only to be the first to be thrown out due to redundancy! And now, I’m deemed overqualified with my loads of experience?” He questioned, in annoyance as he crumpled the paper and stamped on it with his feet. “What am I going to say to Lissa now?! I was too certain about getting this job and boasted about it to her and my friends! I will become the butt of their jokes now!” He grumbled as he began to trot to the bus station. If only he knew the worse scenario awaiting his return home, he would care less about his becoming the butt of the jokes made by his friends. “Hello pretty lady...” Devan’s voice boomed through the walls of the sitting room calling out to wife who was in the rear of the house. “Lissa...” He cooed as he offed his shoes and made his way to their bedroom, his legs still clad in a pair of socks. “Where are you?” He called, his voice a little louder but Lissa stayed put in her position on the bed. The bedroom door flung open revealing Devan’s worried face and Lissa who looked like she had been crying for a long while. Her eyes were puffy and she was sniffling consistently. “What’s it honey?” Devan asked as he rushed to her side. “You’ve been crying?” He continued in shock as he drew out the handkerchief from his pocket and began wiping her tear-streaked face. “It’s done. This marriage is over, Devan!” She spoke hysterically which forced Devan to recoil. As his tired mind tried to understand the gravity of her words. “Wh-What did you just say? What does that mean?!” His voice quavered as his tone dropped. How worse could this day get? My wife doesn’t want me too? Lissa wiped her tears and took a deep breath before turning to face him fully. “There’s nothing we can do, Devan. My parents don’t want us together. They’ve gotten me involved with another man...” “What?! That’s terrible! You’re still my wife!” Devan yelled as his chest heaved rapidly. Rage couldn’t define how he felt about the actions taken by her parents. He’d always known that her parents weren’t in support of their union but not to the extent of asking them to divorce? That was far from being “uncalled for”, it was outright barbaric! “You have to sign the papers, Devan. Your protests won’t change anything. I’ve been pleading with them for few days now but they won’t burge. Mum brought the drafted papers this afternoon and I’ve been crying ever since!” She explained in a croaked voice while skilfully avoiding Devan’s intent gaze. He took her hand in his and urged her to look at him, “We will fight for our love! We will have kids together! I won’t let your parents take away the only thing I have from me! I love you and I don’t need their approval to be with you. Do you need it?” Devan questioned, searching her face for answers. Lissa slipped her hand from his and looked away. “But we live in their house, Devan and now you don’t have a job. How are we going to survive without their help?” “Oh come on! That shouldn’t bother you? Trust me! I will figure something out.” He blurted out, frantically. His eyes darting from one corner of the room to another as if in search of something. “When will you? It’s been two weeks since you lost your job and I’ve not had my smiling husband since then.” She responded and Devan gave her a quick smile. “Come one, honey! I still smile at you every morning while you make me coffee? We are destined to be together forever, baby! Even your parents can’t come in-between us!” He reassured as he wiped tears off her cheeks with his thumb. “What if we are not for each other? We’ve never had a smooth marriage? From my parents refusal to our dependency on them due to your meagre income and then you lose your job?!” “Don’t think that way?! Everything is under control! Beautiful marriages always have a rough start! This is our rough start!” He encouraged as he clutched her palm and looked deeply into her eyes. Lissa sighed and broke off their eye contact. “I wish my parents saw all these you’ve just stated, Devan. You need to sign the papers before they get back!” She concluded, pulled her hand away from his and walked into the bathroom. Devan scoffed at the envelope sitting at this side of the bed waiting on him to sign them. He shook his head. He was going to fight for his marriage. He couldn’t let Lissa go that soon?! He really needed a plan and taking a walk would grant him enough mental stability for that. “I’ll be back!” He said, loud enough for Lissa to hear as he picked up his suit and dashed out of the room. “Mummy, daddy! I need him out of my life! I had to force tears and pull all tactics to tell him that you guys were forcing me to do it but he kept being his usual positive self!” Lissa spoke in exasperation as she let her frame slump into one of the sofas in the sitting room. “But Lissa...” Her mother began with a calm tone but immediately swallowed her words at the raise of Lissa’s hands. “I want a real man! Who can effortlessly take care of my needs, father our children, take me out for fancy dinners and live independently?! Or don’t I deserve that?!” She asked as she threw quick glances at her parents. “Donald is ready to give those and even more to me! He’s not a weakling! He’s hot and can satisfy me in bed. I’m tired of this misery called marriage and I’m more than ready to escape!” She demanded with fiery eyes. “We will enforce our decision and put more pressure on him to leave...” “Really, Lissa?! I thought you said it wasn’t your will? Why did you lie to me? I know I’m not man enough but I’m ready to change?” His tone changed to a pleading one when his father-in-law wouldn’t stop glaring at him fiercely. His face was scrunched up as he battled the impending tears from falling. He didn’t want to give them the pleasure of seeing him cry. “You heard it all? That’s better! I’m sure you’re now aware that you’re not needed here, Devan! Leave me the hell alone!” She shrieked, making Devan jump back in fright. “What a weakling!” She spat. “I’m no weakl...” His words were caught in his throat as the sharp sound of his ringtone permeated the air. A confused look crossed his face as he reached for his pocket. “Answer your damned phone! Your ringtone is annoying!” His father-in-law yelled at him as he fished out the screaming device from his pocket. The number on the screen made sweat break out on his forehead in anticipation.