Chapter 4
Eddie shouted instinctively, "Screw it. We don't have any money."
The property management staff looked uncomfortable. "Mr. Fisher, if you don't pay, we'll have to cut off your water and electricity. That's the policy."
Eddie was about to lose his temper when another call came in.
It was the bank calling.
They wanted him to pay off that credit card bill of over 70 thousand.
Right after, Devon's phone rang.
It was a reminder about the game console he'd bought on installments. His monthly payment was due.
In an instant, the Fisher family, used to having everything handed to them, found themselves drowning in bills.
It finally hit Eddie.
When Rosie left, she didn't just take the savings of 70 thousand.
She took away the lifeline this family depended on.
That 960-thousand-dollar debt wasn't just a warning.
It was a death sentence.
The next day, the Fisher family was a total mess.
The property management called like clockwork every hour, demanding payment.
The bank's credit card texts were getting more and more threatening.
Devon's game console installment had started racking up late fees.
The Fisher family was like a giant cruise ship suddenly dead in the water, left high and dry.
Even surviving had become a problem.
Tessa wanted to buy groceries, but after searching the whole house, she only managed to find a few crumpled ten-dollar bills.
Devon tried to order takeout, but when he opened the app, he realized his linked bank card didn't have enough balance.
Eddie puffed on cheap cigarettes, leaving the whole house choked with smoke and gloom.
He couldn't figure it out.
He really couldn't.
He didn't get why Rosie, who'd always obeyed him for over twenty years, suddenly turned into a heartless demon who didn't care about her family anymore.
"No way, I'm not letting this slide," Eddie shouted.
He crushed his cigarette hard into the ashtray.
He muttered, "She thinks she can hide and everything will be fine?
"Isn't she working now? I'm going straight to her office.
"I'm going to confront her in front of all her coworkers and bosses and ask her how she could treat her own father like this.
"I'm going to make sure she can't show her face at that company again. I'll see her lose her job for good.
"Once she's out of work, let's see what she's got left to throw at us."
The idea hit Eddie like a bolt of lightning, snapping him out of his haze.
To him, this was the cruelest and the most effective trick he could pull.
Rosie's job was her lifeline.
As long as he had that leverage, she'd have to play by his rules.
Tessa thought Eddie's plan made sense.
She agreed, "Yeah. Let's find her bosses and let them hear our side.
"What kind of daughter does this to her parents? That's heartless."
Devon was so excited that he slapped his thigh. That's genius, Dad.
"Let's get her fired. She'll be begging us to take her back, crying her eyes out.
"And when that happens, she'll have to cough up the cash."
The three of them were grasping at straws, desperate for anything that might save them.
They were oblivious to how pathetic and foolish their so-called "brilliant plan" really was.
Eddie put on his most presentable jacket.
He stood in front of the mirror, rehearsing his tearful accusations again and again.
He even mapped out how he'd collapse to the floor and throw a full-blown tantrum.
He was dead set on causing as much of a scene as possible.
The bigger the spectacle, the more Rosie would be shamed, and the easier it would be to break her down.
He strutted out the door, head held high and full of swagger.
He hopped in a cab and headed straight for the most impressive office building downtown.
It was Evergreen Group.
That was where Rosie worked.
It sounded like a prestigious place.
Eddie had only seen it from the outside, but he'd always bragged to anyone who'd listen that Rosie was a big shot executive in there.
But in reality, he'd never set foot inside.
He strode into the lavish lobby, only to be stopped by the receptionist.
"Sir, do you have an appointment?" the receptionist asked.
Eddie cleared his throat, acting like he owned the place and showing off his seniority.
"I'm looking for Rosie Fisher from your company," he said. "I'm her dad."
The receptionist smiled politely at him. "Of course, please wait a moment. Let me check for you."
She tapped away at her computer for a moment, then looked up with an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry, sir, but there's no one by that name in our company," she said.
Eddie was stunned.
He yelled, "What? No way! That can't be right.
"Rosie Fisher from the Design department. She's been working here for years. How could you not have her on record?"
The receptionist double-checked the records, but still shook her head apologetically.
"I'm really sorry, sir, but there's no Rosie Fisher here. Maybe you've got the wrong company name?" she said politely.
Eddie was getting desperate, his voice rising. "There's no way I got it wrong. It's definitely Evergreen Group.
"Are you hiding her? Tell her to come out and see me."
His yelling brought the lobby security over.
Two guards in uniform approached, looking serious.
"Sir, please calm down. Don't disrupt the company's business," one of them said firmly.