Cloud Stories

Chapter 1-1: Money

Growing up, I dreamed big. My father was a largely successful man, saying himself that he had "fulfilled his goals". Growing up he was scarcely around; constantly busy and working. I loved my father don't get me wrong but he wasn't a huge part of my life until I reached 16 years old, Before then he was someone I saw late at night and was usually asleep.

I decided that I'd learn his ways, he said that he learned what he learned from his father before me. My grandfather who lived until I was 12, was an insanely smart business man; with a net worth of 500 million by the time he was 35. My dad was always in awe of his accomplishments and overall success. I would later learn that he was unhappy with his business at the tail end of things, and my father took it over when he retired at 74.

These men in my life made sure I had a great education and an easy, happy upbringing for me. My mother sadly passed away shortly after I was born and he made sure as his only son I would be treated well and got respect when I deserved it. Money was never a big issue obviously. When I was 26 fresh out of university I was put into my father's business as vice president of the board. My father at the time was very sick and his future in the company was being debated amongst the board and share holders.

Everyone in the business however was doing their most to make sure I wasn't put as ceo once he was gone; many of the companies finest were really waiting for the power play. Then my father retired early at 64 but still was heavily in the business politics and made sure I would be put in charge by the time I was 30. However, when I was 29 my father died due to complications during surgery.

I wish I could've saw the trickery going on before I was booted from the company. My father's will mysteriously disappeared during a torching of one of our storage warehouses which contained important documents both my father and grandfather had written over the years meant for the next in line of the family. I was demoted from vice president to head of PR, then from that I kept getting demoted. Luckily I had owned stocks in the company so even with the lower pay I had enough to keep my father's fortune alive and well. The new ceo was my boss originally, him being the president of the board.

My father's company by the time I was 35 was small in the shadow of what it had use to be and was in decline. I knew that i needed to pull out my stocks before they got worse and I had a return of 567.2 million, the stock beforehand was 2.3 billion. After pulling out I was fired due to budget cuts, at 37 I was unemployed after being let go of a company that should've been mine. I'm 53 now and the business with my grandfather's name has filed for bankruptcy after the last ceo had invested money in a technology proven out of date by the time the product was released. My family name was disgraced all for more money and control.