Losing It All
As a result of losing everything, Bobby was absolutely devastated. A lifetime of hard work came to an end in an instant for him.
His financial situation was dire, so he looked for a way to make some money.
In his search for a chance to change his fortune, he stumbled upon an opportunity that seemed too good to be true.
He Had It All
An ambitious corporate executive, Bobby Stevenson was hardworking and successful. Coworkers respected him and viewed him as a valuable employee.
He and his wife, Jenna, were expecting their first child together. Having everything he wanted, he was content.
In spite of this, Bobby soon noticed that the cracks were deepening.
An Important Day
It was business as usual for Bobby as he got ready for work. Seeing that it was a formal suit and tie kind of job, Jenna ensured that his shirt and suit were pressed.
Today he had a meeting with the executives that was very important.
As he thought he was finally getting that promotion they had hoped for, he wanted to look his very best to impress them.
Nervousness
After Bobby arrived at the office, the secretary quickly ushered him to the boss’ office. Despite his greeting, she didn’t really look at him. Her gaze was fixed on the ground.
In the boardroom, Bobby was welcomed by four men seated around the table.
There was a noticeable sense of nervousness in his manager. Did Bobby get the promotion he hoped for?
Bad News
In an unexpected development, Bobby was not prepared to hear the news. He would be laid off as the company filed for bankruptcy.
He didn’t need this. He believed that he was going to be able to keep his job for many years to come because his company was doing well.
The thoughts racing through his head became more and more intense. He and Jenna had just begun renovating the baby’s room in the house. They were facing a difficult situation.
He Couldn’t Believe It
Bobby was shocked by the news. A lifetime of hard work and loyalty went to waste. The only thing they planned to give him was his severance pay and a referral letter.
They weren’t able to look him in the eye. Putting up a fight was pointless.
It was over. Leaving was the best course of action. He packed up his belongings and left.
Things Were Not Looking Good
After being laid off, Bobby had to find a new job. It had been several months since he had been employed, and he was struggling financially.
The bills he had to pay were paid from his savings.
Despite his efforts, the local job market was grim. The pay he was making at the company wasn’t comparable to anything he could find. It wouldn’t be long before Bobby’s luck changed.
A Promising New Opportunity
Bobby was skimming various newspapers trying to find possible job opportunities when he spotted an advertisement for something he had never considered.
The job was as an IT specialist for a construction company. In addition to offering a great salary, it looked interesting.
A change of career would be beneficial to him. But Bobby would have no idea that his nightmares were just beginning.
Tough Times
As a result of Bobby’s layoff, Jenna and he had to halt their nursery renovations.
They talked to the contractor and informed him that Bobby had been laid off, so they couldn’t move forward with the renovations.
A surprising answer was given when they asked if it was possible to get their deposit back.
No Empathy
As the money had already been spent on the nursery’s materials, the contractor was rude and insisted they could not get their money back.
Jenna then requested that the materials be delivered to them so that as soon as they were ready, they could begin construction again.
Once again, they received a strange response.
Still No Building Materials
The contractor had promised to deliver the materials in a couple of days, but to Bobby and Jenna’s dismay, they hadn’t seen the materials yet.
They decided to leave it for now as Bobby would be starting his new job at the building company soon, and he wanted to focus his energy and put everything into this job.
Bobby would soon discover that it would not be easy.
The New Guy
Everything went smoothly on the first day. Bobby was welcomed as a member of the team, and he even got his own office.
He met the rest of his colleagues at lunchtime, and everyone seemed to be really great, down-to-earth people.
Bobby felt like he made the right decision by accepting this job. Or so he thought.
Great Work Environment
Bobby was happy going to work every day. The atmosphere was great, and he had made friends with the other IT guy, Joe, and the accountant, Robert.
The three of them would talk for hours, and it seemed they had a lot in common.
They were the same age and married, and each had a young kid. Bobby fit in just perfectly.
Lunchtime Talk
Every day, Bobby, Joe, and Robert would take lunch outside and talk about sports and current affairs.
They even set a date to watch some live games together.
Then they started talking about the company and how and when they each started working there. Then they heard a loud yell. Bobby would soon discover something disturbing.
A Disgraceful Scene
All three of them got up. What had they just heard? They walked into the warehouse and saw something that would leave them shocked.
The boss, Mr. Jenkins, was reprimanding one of the warehouse workers.
It was bad. He screamed at him like he was a child, and Bobby felt bad for the guy. He decided to do something.
An Altercation
Bobby walked up to the boss and told him to rather speak to Jerry in private. He said it wasn’t professional to air his grievances in this way.
Mr. Jenkins turned to Bobby. He looked annoyed and wondered why he had intervened.
He told Bobby to mind his own business and get back to work. This wouldn’t be the last time Mr. Jenkins would be angry.
A New Friend
The next day Bobby invited Jerry to have lunch with them. He was a nice guy, and they decided that he could use some time off from the stress of the job.
They asked him when he started with the company.
It seems Jerry was a new guy, just like Bobby. But then Joe and Robert would say something that would leave Bobby confused.
The New Guy Times Four
Bobby found out that Joe started the day before him, and Robert started the day before Joe. They were all new guys.
Was this a new company? Had they just started up?
But Bobby was so sure that the job ad said the company had been around for over 20 years. What was going on here?
A Familiar Face
It was Wednesday morning, and Bobby was busy trying to fix the company’s computer system when someone walked past his office.
He got up and called after the guy. When the guy turned around, he was so sure that he had seen him somewhere before.
He looked very familiar, but Bobby just couldn’t remember where he had seen the guy.
Disgruntled Workers
The four of them were sitting outside for lunch when they heard something that would make them question everything.
The builders were loading the truck to go do a job, but they were complaining about not having enough materials to do the job and that it would be poor quality.
Bobby knew this was the start of bad things come.
Game Day
When the weekend came around, Bobby invited the guys over for a bbq and to watch the game at his place.
It would be a great time to forget about work.
They were standing around the fire when Robert confided in them and revealed something that would make them stop what they were doing and listen.
The Confession
Robert told them that Mr. Jenkins asked him to do something illegal in the accounting books. He really didn’t want to, but he was threatened, and he needed the job.
He said he secretly recorded the conversation just in case things went awry for him.
The guys told him they understood and didn’t hold what he did against him. It wasn’t his fault that the boss was crooked.
Disgruntled Customers
It would be a day like any other at the office. Bobby would be trying to figure out the system, and everyone else would be busy with their jobs.
Then they heard a loud voice. The boss came walking into the warehouse, and behind him was a man so angry that Bobby thought they had to call the police.
The man was shouting about wanting his money back for no work being done to his house. This sounded all too familiar to Bobby.
A Day To Remember
What exactly was going on at this company? It had hardly been a week, and they had witnessed so many strange things. They weren’t prepared for what they would see next.
Mr. Jenkins had walked into the warehouse sporting a black eye.
He didn’t care that everyone was looking at him. He just went about his business. Bobby saw that he was coming his way.
A Visit From The Boss
He knocked on Bobby’s office door and let himself in. Then he sat down, and Bobby wondered what was going on.
He just wanted to know if Bobby had settled into the new job.
Bobby asked him what had happened to his eye, and he said that he had a little accident with the bathroom cabinet at home. But Bobby knew that was not a bathroom cabinet accident.
Were Their Jobs Safe
Bobby and the guys discussed the boss’ black eye during lunchtime. They all agreed that it was a punch that made that shiner.
Were they safe in this company?
It seemed there were a lot of unhappy people, and Bobby was sure it was the angry customer from the day before who had roughed up Mr. Jenkins.
Time To Dig
They guys made a plan. It was time to start looking at what was going on in this company.
Joe did some detective work on his side, and Robert looked at the accounts.
By the end of the day, they were able to find some damning information on Mr. Jenkins and the company. It would be something unexpected.
The Discovery
Joe discovered that the company did exist for more than 20 years. But it kept changing its name.
It moved from state to state. Robert found huge amounts of money that had been paid to the company.
Then it would be sent to Mr. Jenkins’ personal bank account. But this would not be the worse part.
Scammer
Bobby would find out that Mr. Jenkins was the same guy that scammed him and Jenna out of their building materials for their nursery.
He had shaved his head and grown a mustache. No wonder he always wore sunglasses, and this would explain why Bobby recognized one of the builders.
Bobby and the guys concocted a plan to get back the scammer.
The New Company
They reported Mr. Jenkins to the labor department and the police. It seems he was wanted in five different states. Bobby and Jenna never got their building materials, but there was something that Bobby did to put their minds at ease.
Bobby, Joe, Robert, and Jerry started their own building company and hired all the guys from Jenkins’ company. They were happy to work for honest, upstanding guys. Mr. Jenkins would have to pay back all the people he had scammed. Bobby was only too happy to tell Jenkins that he owed him money too.
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
