A billion dollar secret

CHAPTER ONE After so much unrest and many hours of wait to receive any kind of information regarding the condition of the goods being transported from China to America for his company Rhodes Cycles, Mr Connor Rhodes finally heard his phone ring, it was a call from the director of his company’s shipping department, mixed feelings as he stared at his device before summoning the courage to answer the phone call “Situation report sir, after over eight hours of the break in transmission from the communication centre giving reports for all three cargo ships heading down from the East China Sea, it appears that a category five hurricane storm raged across the pacific in the early hours of the morning which is believed to be the cause for the break in transmission. Although the storm appears to have subsided nearly two hours ago, the transmission network remained displaced and thus the communication centre out of reach. Acting on the last piece of information we got concerning the location of the ships, we were told that the ships had just entered the North Pacific Ocean. Delegates from the nearest Ocean Service Corps station were sent to inspect the northern coast of the ocean. After hours of intense search, they have issued feedback that there were no signs of any of the ships; it appears that the raging storm capsized all three of them, and they got sunk.” His phone slipped from his fingers and almost so did his soul from his body, he was on the verge of bringing to life the most ground-breaking invention the motorcycle industry and the world had ever seen, a project he was so entirely confident in that he invested all of his company’s fortune in a bid to recover and expand when the projected products hit the market “well? It was fun while it lasted; perhaps it is a curse to dream big, this is the reward I get”, Mr Rhodes said to himself while laying down on the brown sofa in his living room. Unsure of how he transitioned from pacing around to lying flat on his back, he kept trying to wrap his head around the news he just received. He didn’t know what to think or what to do; he kept striving hard to keep in the pending outburst of frustration and anger so he wouldn’t cause anymore damage or perhaps do something harmful to himself in anger. One palm over his forehead, the other outstretched and his legs wiggling unstoppably “Hey Dad, I’m home”, his daughter Catherine spoke as she walked into the house, hearing her voice he immediately got up and snapped at her “how do you know I’m home?” Catherine gave him a very confused look; she wondered why her father would ask such a ridiculous question, “Answer me!! How! Do you know? I’m home!?” he yelled. Catherine now looking more confused than she initially was but however, managed to answer “Because your car is parked in the garage?” she said “My car? What Car?” he asked. “your silver Chevrolet Equinox, that’s your car” Catherine was getting more confused with each word but still trying her best to figure out what exactly is going on with her father “the silver equinox? That’s not mine; it’s your mother’s car” her dad answered again. “Okay, what is going on here? Dad! What is the problem? What’s the matter with you?” Catherine began to seek clarity, her questions brought about a momentary relapse to her father’s dysfunctional state of mind “Oh my God, I am going crazy” her father yelled having realized he’s been saying things out of order. “Dad, you’re not crazy. Well, I would assume you are if you don’t tell me what exactly is happening here” Catherine responded, “They’re gone Catherine, they’re all gone, all three of them, they’re gone”. Her father spoke with a subtle, feebly tone “what or rather who is gone? And where did they go? Explain to me, I’m confused” Catherine spoke distortedly, she had instantly gotten a hint of what her father might be referring to but she hoped for the good of their family individual lives respectively, that it wouldn’t be the case but it was exactly as she had thought “The cargo ships, they’re all gone, all three of them, a hurricane storm sank them all” her father replied. Catherine was immediately dumbstruck; everything the company had was invested into the procurement of the goods in their latest shipping, which means that the company was potentially facing closure and bankruptcy. A business loan was taken to supplement the funding for the trade with some of their family assets used as collateral, it simply meant a lot of problems on the horizon, greater than she could ever imagine. She has been one of the sales representatives of the company for about six months, a role she picked up to gain valuable experience in the marketing field before returning for her master’s programme in two months. She was in fact returning from a distribution trip with her colleagues in the marketing team; they’ve just pushed out their remaining old products into the market in preparation for their next round of production, which would no longer be possible giving the current state of events. The Rhodes cycle may well and truly be over. The news reached Catherine’s mother, Vanessa Rhodes, who. Soon heading one of the departments in the company, soon the news began spreading across the city of Chicago, IL. Mixed reactions from all corners of the city; while friends and family grieved for their loss, rivals and foes rejoiced over the downfall of one of the leading forces in the state. It remained to be seen what would become of the company. Business experts believed that despite the huge loss, it was likely for the company to still be salvaged because such a firm-standing organization wouldn’t be without customary protection against business risks, while neutrals and other speculators feared the worst, including the owner of the company himself, Mr Connor Rhodes. Time went by, hours turning into days, days turning into weeks and weeks turning into months, the clock ticked away gradually and soon the state of things only got worse; 98% of the workers of Rhodes Cycles were laid off without any compensation. Soon agents from the money market began demanding, their repayments with threats to take control of the assets used as collateral. Revenue from the final batch of sales was used for settlement of the highest ranking 2% of the staff of the company and to offset some of the loans, an amount that only accounted for a mere 35% of the total company liability. With so much still to be sorted out and their lives as a family being greatly affected, the pressure was only getting higher and more unbearable for the Rhodes family, particularly for their 24-year-old daughter, Catherine, and when she could no longer handle it, she called her parents' attention to a possible solution she had thought of within herself. She sought the best time to speak to them and what better time than before dinner when everyone was present? “Mum, Dad, I want to speak with both of you. I know this may sound a bit absurd, but I couldn’t think of a better solution for myself. I’m beginning to lose my mind, seeing everything that has happened to our family in the past few months and watching my life come to a halt. My batch has begun their master’s programme but here I am unable to progress. I understand the reason behind that, but every time I walk on the streets people talk, they point fingers and make fun of me, they say things and, as much as I’ve tried to ignore their voices, it seems to always stick with me. I can’t get them out of my head. I need a break; I need to go somewhere else, a place where I can be a normal person, somebody only a few people or even nobody knows. Perhaps I would be able to get my life together and maybe find something worthwhile to do with it, a place with no pressure whatsoever. I believe this is the best solution for me and for my wellbeing as a person”, Catherine explained. “Why would you want to leave this city?” Catherine’s father objected. “This is your home; this is where your family is” he added. “Home is where we have peace. As a matter of fact, those were your exact words to me when you took us away from Florida when I was thirteen. And for eleven years, Chicago has been my home, a place where I’ve grown and flourished, but after this recent turn of events, I’m afraid it’s not that place anymore. Please Dad, I have to leave. Hopefully, someday, I’ll find it fit to return here”, Catherine pleaded. “Catherine my dear, if this is what will work for you, then we will allow you. You’re not that thirteen-year-old girl anymore, you’re now a grown woman. But where do you intend to go, and you know we’re very limited on resources right now, how do you intend to make this possible?” Catherine’s mother asked “I’ve made arrangements; I’ll be moving to San Diego. I’ve reached out to some of my friends from college over there and a couple of them are willing to accommodate me till I’m able to settle in properly”, Catherine explained. “Catherine, you don’t have to do this, you don’t have to leave, we’re your parents, we’re here for you, we can get through all of this together, as a family” Catherine’s father pleaded with her, but her mind was made up and. Understandably so “I’ve made my decision Dad, there’s no changing that, I’ve been under your care and tutelage all my life. Maybe it is time I experienced life on my own” Catherine responded. “It is true that I cannot stop you, you’ve made your decision, but one thing you should know is I am not in support of it. You can go on to take whatever step you want to” Catherine’s father added. Catherine resisted the urge to speak further; she presumed nothing she said would make her father give his support, just as nothing he said would make her go back on her decision. It appeared both parties had reached a mutual consent within themselves. No one said anything further, including Catherine’s mother couldn’t afford to lean to either side. They all concentrated on finishing their meal, and soon they retired to bed for the night.