The rain continued to pour over the city streets as Julian stumbled out of the office tower. He didn't even have an umbrella.
He pulled out his secondary backup phone—a cheap prepaid device he had bought at a gas station—and dialed Chloe's number.
She picked up on the second ring, her voice frantic and laced with tears.
Chloe: Julian! Where are you?!
Julian: I just got fired... Arthur took over the entire company.
Chloe: I don't care about your company right now! The police just left my apartment!
Julian: What?! Why were the police at your apartment?!
Chloe: They served me with a subpoena! Vanessa's lawyers are suing me for alienation of affection and grand larceny!
Julian: Grand larceny?! What are you talking about?!
Chloe: The gold dress! The jewelry you bought me last week! The lawyers proved it was purchased using Vanessa's credit line!
Julian: Just give the jewelry back, Chloe!
Chloe: I can't give it back! The police took it as evidence! And my father kicked me out of the house!
Julian: Meet me at the hotel on 4th Street. We need to plan our next move.
Chloe: What hotel?! With what money?!
Julian: I have two thousand dollars cash in my wallet! We can figure something out!
Chloe: Two thousand dollars?! Are you insane?! I wear shoes that cost more than two thousand dollars!
Julian: Chloe, please! I need you right now!
Chloe: Stay away from me, Julian! You ruined my life! You told me you were rich and powerful, but you're just a parasite living off your wife!
Julian: Chloe, wait—
The line went dead as she slammed the phone down. Julian stared at the tiny screen, hearing the empty dial tone echo in his ear.
He sank down onto a cold concrete bench outside a closed coffee shop, the rain soaking through his expensive clothes, turning his dark suit into a heavy, soggy mess.
A few feet away, a large digital billboard flashed high above the street corner.
The screen displayed a breaking news headline: Julian Miller Ousted from Miller Logistics Amid Multimillion-Dollar Fraud Investigation.
Below the text was a picture of Julian from a charity gala six months ago, looking handsome, proud, and wealthy.
He covered his face with his hands, letting out a ragged, desperate sob as the cold rain washed over him, realizing that in less than twelve hours, he had lost his home, his career, his status, and his freedom.