Chapter 5: Ruin and Revenge

Half a month after the divorce, the factory’s cash flow dried up. Lila offered to inject more capital. Travis was desperate, grateful for the lifeline. But soon, Lila’s stake rose to 45%, and Travis’s shares were diluted.

When she offered to invest again, he refused, afraid she’d take over. That was exactly what we wanted. Checkmate. The cash flow problem was orchestrated by Lila.

Travis tried to patch things up—selling shops, borrowing from friends—but it wasn’t enough. Just as he was at his wit’s end, a lifeline appeared. He didn’t know it was a trap. Dead man walking.

Through a friend, Autumn got one of his old classmates to help. They organized a reunion, inviting only the “elite.” Travis loved it, feeling important. Big man on campus.

The classmate flattered him, and soon they were “brothers.” After a few drinks, they started gambling. Travis wasn’t an addict, but he loved to bet. This time, he was desperate.

Everyone threw their car keys on the table—luxury cars, except for his F-150. He didn’t care. Travis started small, won a few rounds, then got bold. He bet his truck—and lost it in a single hand.

He was upset but kept playing, losing another ten grand. The three of us watched from the sidelines, grinning as he emptied his pockets. Payback.

Just as he was about to try again, someone yelled, “The cops are coming!” Everyone scattered. It was a false alarm, but his money and truck were gone for good. No going back.

Now desperate, he went back to Maple Heights to scrounge up money. We’d already set up a surprise.

Travis had status in town—people owed him money. But times had changed. While Lila was dealing with him in the city, Autumn and I spread rumors that he’d gone bankrupt. The neighborhood ladies ran with it, and soon everyone believed it. Rumors fly.

When Travis returned, a crowd waited at his house—all there to collect debts. Some had lent him a few hundred, others thousands. With his factory in crisis and no truck, he had nothing.

The debt collectors threatened to tear down his house. Chaos erupted. Travis just stood there, helpless. Finally, his parents handed over their life savings to pay off the biggest debts. His reputation was shot. Ruined.

While he was floundering, Autumn brought me along to visit. I went reluctantly. Travis glared at Autumn, but when she showed him a stack of bills, his eyes lit up.

“My parents said you’re short on cash. I have a few thousand here—take it, maybe it’ll help,” Autumn said.

He was confused. Didn’t see it coming. Autumn added softly, “Our son is still with your family. I don’t want him to suffer.”

He snatched the bag. “That money was mine to begin with.”

Some people never change. I was furious, but Autumn whispered, “Relax, this is the final blow I’ve been planning.”

She put on an Oscar-worthy performance, reminiscing about the good old days, how hard things had been, how the kids were bullied after the divorce. She was good. It was heartbreaking—if you didn’t know who you were dealing with.

Travis wasn’t moved. Autumn didn’t expect him to be. She handed him a business card. “This is a relative who does loans. If this money isn’t enough, you can try him.”

Travis let his guard down. He figured Autumn was still the same pushover. He didn’t realize she was now a wolf in sheep’s clothing. His mistake.

Not long after, he called the number. That night, Autumn texted: “He borrowed $50,000.” We shared a smile. Victory. Travis, thinking his problems were solved, signed the loan agreement.

The next day, Lila cut him off. Before he could process it, Autumn showed up, driving his old F-150. He snapped, beating and kicking her. She waited until people pulled him off, then called 911, went to the city hospital, and got a medical report. She knew what she was doing.

With that and a lawyer, she sued Travis for over $30,000 in damages. Oh, and the $50,000 loan was still in her hands. Most of that money ended up with Autumn, legally and rightfully. Finally.

Autumn’s beating wasn’t part of our plan—she added that herself. Later, she told me she drove the F-150 to provoke him. She didn’t care about getting hit again—as long as it destroyed him for good. Worth it.

A few days later, Autumn received a share transfer contract: Lila handed over her 45% stake in the factory. Combined with what Autumn got in the divorce, she now owned over 50%—the majority. Did Travis think he could still collect dividends? Not anymore. Once Autumn had control, she forced him to sell off the rest at a loss.

The factory and shops he was so proud of were gone. He was left with nothing. Well, almost nothing—he still had his house. Not for long.

But the final blow was the $50,000 loan. With his shares and truck gone and $30,000 in damages paid out, Travis was ruined. At first, he didn’t realize how bad it was, still strutting around town. But a month later, the lenders showed up at his door.

In just one month, his loan ballooned from $50,000 to over $60,000, and kept growing. Travis had no money and didn’t care. The lenders were loan sharks—they hung around his house all day, playing cards outside, claiming they were “protecting” their debtor.

His family couldn’t take it. They cracked. Driven to the brink, they sold his remaining factory shares to pay off some of the debt. But he couldn’t keep up with the interest, and his debt kept climbing. The once-glorious house became a place everyone avoided.

His parents broke down under the stress. Travis, after losing everything, started losing his mind. I heard he was eventually hospitalized after repeatedly exposing himself in public. Rock bottom.