From Ruin, A Family's Rebirth

e mine until the chain broke. I remembered his dad losing his job at the old factory, the same one I was now leas

He was unemployed, living with his parents, going nowhere. I gave him a manager position,

y was a weapon h

general. He had a piece of paper in his hand, unfolded with a dramatic flourish

t the paper. He had t

es will be increased to fifty thous

ces pale. My current lease was five hundred a month per warehouse, a deal I' d made when they were rat-in

ing at the absurdity. "Chad, that' s in

aw an article online. A tech company in California just leased a warehous

tate in Silicon Valley. It was a lie, a deliberate, malicious lie, and he knew it.

"This is Harmony Springs, not Palo Alto. There' s

ns finally spoke up, his voice weak but trying for authority. "

nd then the town will have zero revenue from these warehou

eople murmuring. They hadn

anywhere. He' s making too much money to leave." He turned his glare back to me. "And that' s not all. Th

?" I asked, alread

s," Chad said with a thin smi

was about control. He wanted my business. He co

The word was q

did you

signed by you, Mayor. It' s iron-clad." I looked from Chad' s furious face to

their brief moment of doubt erased

city lawyers c

our town,

p or ge

a smug grin plastered on his face.

re reasonable. We' ll give you twenty-four hours to sign the new agreement." He leaned in, his v