The Eighty Million Pound Game

By Beth Song

Are you well equipped for the struggle of a sudden divorce, and wealthy and worldly success? No one is.

Derek, a young city asset manager, feels emotionally and physically crushed when he is informed by his beloved wife of five years that she wants an instant divorce. In his destitution, Derek meets Abdul, a Middle Eastern billionaire who takes tremendous interest in this devastated victim and tries to lure Derek into taking multi-millions in funds in exchange for his soul.

Derek is determined to get revenge on Amy and his boss Jake in order to gain his dignity back. He will do whatever it takes.

Can he resist Abdul’s temptation? Will he pass the multi-stage tests that Abdul has deliberately designed for him? Can he really make a couple of billion in six months? After everything, is it really worth it?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beth Song
• Release date: Nov 25, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310819889

Book preview

Derek was a very good-looking man, tall, 6’2", broad shouldered with brown hair. He had been fancied by girls since he was in school; one of his biggest problems was dealing with all of the attention. People thought he was shy; he denied it. It's not that he couldn’t talk to girls or look them in the eyes. Most of the time, he felt there was nothing to talk about and nothing in their eyes could keep him attracted.

He was always confident in his appearance. After graduating from Oxford, he landed a very good job working for the city’s biggest asset manager. At the time, he thought the world was his oyster and there was nothing to stop him from achieving his dreams.

Once he became an asset manager, he began to realise ninety percent of the staff there were like him: tall, strikingly good-looking and ambitious. He believed he was competing with the elite. Fine, let’s see who could be the best.

This asset manager was somewhat different from any other company. They needed a lot of analysts, and Derek was one of them. His job was to study data and make the best deals. At 5’7", the boss was the only short guy in the office and gave orders to a bunch of six-footers. But Jake was fierce and brutal when it came to deals; sometimes, the level of risk that he was willing to take made the rest of the six footers gasp. But he got things done. There was no argument about that.

Jake was so good and had been in the asset management business for nearly twenty years. In this cutting edge industry, Derek knew he couldn’t compete with him right now.

Good looking guys are sometimes softies, that was what his boss always joked about when he gave them their monthly bonuses. Twenty of them just looked down at the floor or looked at each other with a bitter smile.

Well, sugar coating is done. It's time to go back to work. That was what Jake liked to say after he finished his monthly pep talk. They looked at each other again. If this was sugarcoating, nothing else was bitter. But as soon as they went back to their desk, opened the little envelope and looked at the number printed on the tiny pink sheet, they knew they were happy. He got things done; the insult was nothing compared to five or even six digits printed on their paper.

Derek knew he wouldn’t be as good as Jake for sure; maybe good-looking guys were weak.

Hi, Dek. Did you hear the news? Brad asked Derek.

No, Derek stared at his paper, not taking his eyes off it.

Brad pushed his arm to get his attention. As soon as Derek looked at him, he made his index and middle finger into the shape of scissors. What? Cut? Derek asked him.

Yes, big time, Brad whispered.

Why? Derek still didn’t get where this was coming from.

Did you not read City AM this morning? The ground is shaking; the regulations changed, Brad looked even more serious.

Doubt it. I didn’t see that much change in the market. Did you? Derek still couldn’t believe it.

It's all over the paper, man, City AM, Financial Times, the industry is slowing down. Commodities are collapsing. China is down, and you can see from our bonus numbers, they have been reduced dramatically. We might not have this envelope this time next month. Brad looked worried.

Oh, come on, pick yourself up, bro. We will be fine, Derek turned his chair and faced his desk. Rumours, rumours, all the rumours, the whole market was based on fundamentals or, in other words, rumours.

Brad patted Derek’s shoulder to get his attention again, and this time, he moved his chair closer to Derek’s desk, I just overheard our boss’ boss whisper to Jake at lunchtime today, and I heard him mention a fifty percent cut. Brad looked damn serious.

What, fifty percent? You must be joking. That’s half of the floor, no way! Brad had finally gotten Derek’s attention. Ten percent maybe, but definitely not fifty percent, Derek said.

Well bro, you got to believe this time. I heard it’s the sure thing. Brad lowered his head when he saw Jake walking towards them.

Derek thought he took the news quite well, but on his way home, he couldn’t think of anything else but this. He had recently bought a beautiful home in Ealing; it was a stunning four-bed semi-detached house. He only paid thirty percent, and nearly half of his salary went to the mortgage repayment every month. If he lost his job, it would be a devastating event for Amy and him.

I wonder if I need to look for another job right away, he pondered as he walked out of the tube station. His house was twenty minutes walking distance from the station; he still had time to think whether he should tell this to Amy.

Amy also worked in the city as an HR manager; she had a good-paying, stable job. Stable, this was the most important thing. The jobs in the city were never stable, and a little blow of the wind from the regulators or from the market could be a tornado to them.

If he did lose his job, at least Amy’s salary could cover the mortgage, and the two of them still had some savings to last for at least six months to a year if both of them were out of jobs at the same time. It was well-planned thanks to Amy’s financial skills. If he did tell this to Amy, it could be too many worries for her; besides, it was just a rumour, not a sure thing. Derek decided to keep it to himself.

When he opened the door, Amy was already at home. She sat on the couch in the dark, and it looked like she was crying. Oh, gosh, I hope she hasn’t been laid off. That would be awful. It was the first thing that jumped into his mind as he walked towards Amy.

What’s wrong baby, are you not well? Derek asked as he sat next to her. Anything wrong at work? Derek knew he had to strike the conversation. Amy burst into tears and laid her face in her palm to cover most of her face, but Derek could still see tears running down from her fingers. Derek felt awful. I hope nobody died, was the next thought that jumped into his head.

He had to let Amy cry; he sat there waiting patiently for Amy to resume. They had gotten married four years ago, and the last time he saw Amy cry like this was when her uncle died. Derek moved a bit closer to Amy and softly patted her shoulder.

After a few moments, Amy started to sob. Derek knew Amy was about to talk. I am…I’m pregnant, Amy whispered. Derek’s heart first bounced with joy, then sank as soon as he realised that he might be out of a job soon. It was great news for them to have a baby; they did try very hard two years ago, but failed miserably. The doctors told them to relax considering they were a young newlywed couple.

There would be an additional cost for sure, but Derek knew with his experience, he should be able to land his next job soon enough.

That’s great news, baby. Why are you crying? I’m happy to hear it. Aren’t you happy to have our first child? Derek tried to soften the tone to assure Amy that he was fine and happy with the news.

Amy cried again and said, but, but, she couldn’t finish the sentence.

I know it’s going to be difficult, especially for a first-time mother, but trust me, we will be fine. I’m happy. Aren’t you happy? Derek softly rubbed her shoulder to comfort her. It must be tears of joy. Derek was nearly sure they were.

But, but the baby isn’t yours, Amy finally said it. Derek felt his blood turn cold; he felt like his head had just been kicked by a big foot. His mind was totally empty. It was like having a Swedish sauna. First it was roasting hot, then you suddenly jumped into the icy water, and froze your intestines. He stared at Amy and half opened his mouth. He couldn’t talk. He sat there for nearly five minutes without a word, as if he suddenly turned into a statue. Even his eyes couldn’t blink; he tried and failed. He tried to blink again. This time, it worked, but it hurt. He felt like he was slowly being regenerated from stone; he could feel pain all over as if he had just come back from a twenty-six-mile marathon.

Who’s the father? that was the first question that jumped into his head. Amy quickly looked at Derek, then looked down at her hands. She looked ashamed. She couldn’t look Derek in his eyes.

Jake, she whispered.

My boss, Jake? Derek felt a punch to his face; his skull was destroyed, glued back, then got smashed again.

Yes, Jake, I love him.

Derek slowly moved to the other couch and sat away from Amy. Derek stared at the coffee table. He felt dizzy. His throat was itchy. His eyes were dry.

I love him, and he loves me. He is in the divorce process, and once I divorce you, we will get married. We love each other. Amy’s voice echoed in Derek’s ear; Derek could hear the words, but they circled around in his head and wouldn’t go away.

I went to see my doctor, and I am three months pregnant. I want a divorce, Amy said firmly. Apparently, she had thought it through. This was a death sentence to Derek. She looked at Derek and waited for his reply. I will give you everything we have, the deposit, the house. I am not asking for anything from you; Jake has agreed to give you two hundred thousand pounds if you agree to sign the paper this week.

Life was full of drama. Derek didn’t know if he wanted to cry or laugh. He covered his face with his hands. Losing a job is one thing. It was liveable. But losing heart to his boss was a bit too much. It hurt his ego. He couldn’t talk, just breathed and tried to organise his thoughts.

Why Jake? finally he knew where to start. He felt like grabbing the apples, the tray and the whole coffee table and smashing them into Jake’s fat, short, sweaty face. He never knew why short guys were always hairy and sweaty. He couldn’t picture his beautiful, elegant Amy walking hand-in-hand with that shorty.

Why Jake? he repeated his question. He breathed heavily; Amy looked at his face. It turned from blue to red as if his head was about to explode. She wanted to give Derek some time to calm down and time to absorb what she had just said. Why Jake? Derek repeated the third time; his voice got deeper each time he asked. For the third time, he could feel the words squeeze from between his teeth.

He loves me, Amy said.

I love you too, Derek protested. I wouldn’t have married you if I didn’t love you. I married you. We bought a house together, and we wanted to have a family. Derek felt his throat get tighter.

I know, but with Jake it's different. He understands me. He cares for me. I feel safe with him, Amy told Derek the real reason for her departure.

Safe, you mean money? Derek scolded. Losing love to money was nothing, and it didn’t hurt as much as lost love to love.

No, it's not like that. You have too many female friends. They are all beautiful and smart. I know you are just friends, but still, sometimes I feel uncomfortable. But with Jake, I never need to worry about that. For the past year, we never had one argument because of this. Derek felt better. Amy was insecure, and this made him feel a bit better than the alternative.

So how long have you two been together behind my back? Derek asked.

Just over a year, Amy replied. Yes, we first went out after last year’s Christmas party.

Derek lowered his head. He felt he was the biggest idiot in the whole world. He remembered vividly when Jake asked him if he would bring his wife over to the Christmas party. He thought maybe not, but since Jake asked and everyone else brought their family over, why not. He didn’t want to stand alone with all the other couples around. What a mistake.

Derek knew this was a dead end conversation. Amy was pregnant with Jake’s child. Jake was getting a divorce, and they would get married. Derek sighed. What more to say? Nothing. No matter what he said, it was finished with Amy. The golden couple that everyone admired was no longer golden.

Well, how much did you say Jake would pay? If this was a business talk, then let’s talk business.

Two hundred thousand.

No, not enough, you are married to me but pregnant with his child, and he divorces his wife for you. This would ruin his career. He will be out of a job because of this. Half a million, and I will sign the paper tomorrow. Derek felt that he had gained a little bit of dignity.

Fine. Jake thought you would ask for that much anyway. Amy accepted instantly. Suddenly, Derek felt he should have asked for a million instead. But you can’t go back to the office; Jake said he can’t work with you in the same office anymore, Amy quickly added an appendix.

Really? So how the hell could he work with me for the past year then? Is it really just one year for the two of you? Derek felt his anger coming back.

Yes, but I don’t want to talk about it again, Amy said, and quickly turned her head towards the fireplace.

What time tomorrow? Derek asked. He wanted to finish this as quickly as possible.

This is the solicitor’s business card; he will wait for you in his office at eleven. Jake said you don’t need to go back to the office anymore; he will make sure you receive your final pay tomorrow. Amy handed him a card.

Derek stood up, straightened his back and raised his head; he lost a wife, but he still had his dignity. They did the cheating; it was not his fault. They had been married for five years; maybe it’s time to make a change. Derek was sure that if he walked out of this house without a wedding ring, he could get twenty numbers for other girls in one night.

Life had to go on.

Chapter 2

Derek had to admit that although Jake stole his wife, he was still the most efficient man on earth when he walked into the solicitor’s office. All the papers were ready for him, Jake and Amy were there waiting for him. The two men made no eye contact; there was nothing to be said. Amy told Derek as soon as he sat down on the chair that half a million had been transferred to his bank account that morning, so all he needed to do was to sign the divorce papers.

Derek took out his phone and checked his bank account. Yes, there was a stunning five with five zeros behind. He put his phone back into his pocket then looked at the papers in front of him.

Mr. Williams, please sign this divorce paper and also the mortgage paper.

Derek quickly read through and signed all of the papers in half an hour. When he walked out of the solicitor’s office, he knew he needn’t worry to rush into the next job for a while. Nevertheless, when he went back home, Amy wouldn’t be there. He felt chill, hurt and homeless. The house was his. It was made of brick and stones, and nobody would be there.

Derek took the tube to Oxford Street. He couldn’t be alone right now; he needed people around, Oxford Street was always full of people at any time of the day, very much like 42 Street in New York. He got out of Bond Street Station and suddenly merged into hundreds of people walking up and down the street. He felt safe when he was with people.

He walked slowly; he was out of a job, he couldn’t go back to his empty home, and he couldn’t talk to his friends. It was too dramatic; they wouldn’t believe him. He was married with a job yesterday and all of a sudden, in twenty-four hours, he was a single, jobless man. Who would believe it? He shook his head. Besides, it was too early for sympathy.

He knew he was smart. He was the top of his class and graduated with honours from Oxford. He was an asset manager. His CV spoke for itself, but still somehow, he felt that he was a total loser since yesterday. He was totally defeated by someone he considered inferior.

What tormented him the most was Jake. If only Jake was tall and handsome, but he was short and a bit fat, though he was smart with money. If only she had divorced him for someone he didn’t know, not his boss. This was not acceptable. He felt the pain grow in him and all of a sudden, he got a panic attack. He tried to stretch his neck to inhale some air, but he couldn’t. He didn’t have asthma, but he felt the same as an asthmatic in an attack. He opened his mouth and lifted his jaw as high as he could, but he couldn’t breathe.

Are you all right? suddenly a soft voice asked him. It’s a woman. Go away! Derek shouted in his head; he didn’t want to talk to a woman, not any women now. Do you need any help? Do you need an inhaler? the voice persisted. Derek quickly waved his arms telling her to go away. He clutched his chest with his hands and struggled to get some air. It didn’t work; he hoped he wouldn’t die on Oxford Street.

Someone pushed him to the railing on the side of the street then sprayed something into his mouth. He leaned on the railing, and gradually, he could feel airflow back into his lungs. He could breathe again.

Do you need to see a doctor? Should I call an ambulance for you?

The hell you will! Derek shouted in his head. He quickly pushed her arms away, didn’t look back and walked across the street.

He hurriedly walked into John Lewis and supported himself on the cosmetic counter; he felt extremely weak and needed a rest. A shop assistant walked towards him with a friendly smile,

May I help you with anything? He heard in a soft sweet voice. Derek didn’t look up; he struggled to hold himself up, You don’t look well. Do you need to take a seat? continued a concerned voice.

Why was everyone so nice today? Sympathy? I don’t need it. Leave me alone! Derek grunted. The girl quickly walked away.

This must be a heart attack, Derek thought. He was too young for a heart attack, but he knew something was not right; he didn’t sleep well last night. In fact, he couldn’t sleep at all last night.

Where should I go? Where should I go now? That was all he could think. When he finally walked out of John Lewis in half an hour, he felt the panic attack was over.

He walked aimlessly along Oxford Street. He needed to find a place to sit down. In five hundred yards, was the pub he had been looking for. He quickly walked in and found a couch next to the window at the back. He fell deeply onto the couch; he desperately needed to have a few drinks. Although he hadn’t eaten anything for nearly twenty-four hours, he did not feel hungry.

When the waiter walked towards him, he asked for ten beers. They were brought to him very quickly. He took one bottle and in two minutes, it was bottled up. He quickly grabbed the second one; it was bottled up again. He finished three bottles before he started to burst into tears. The waiter stood close by and watched him from the distance. The waiter knew that it was not the right time to come over and talk to Derek. He held the fourth bottle in his hand and laid his head on the top of the bottle then burst into tears. He needed to have a good cry; beer was the only thing that could assist this.

It was about two o’clock in the afternoon; the pub was nearly empty. He wanted to indulge himself and let the tears run for as long as they could. He felt so relieved after twenty minutes of crying; he felt the pain in his chest was diminishing.

Life must go on; yes, life must go on. But how? He asked himself. Suddenly, his phone rang. It was Brad. He quickly switched off the phone. He couldn’t talk to Brad now. He wouldn’t want to tell anyone that his wife had gone off with his boss, and they would have a baby and get married. It was a man’s ego.

For the rest of the day, he couldn’t think, he didn’t want to think, all he did was drink. The waiter did remind him when he ordered the second batch of beers.

You have drunk a lot today sir. Do you need any help?

Just bring the beer, Derek grunted. If diamonds were a girl’s best friends, then alcohol was his best friend.

When he woke up the next morning, he found himself asleep in a comfortable bed. He looked around. It was a hotel; it looked like a hotel. He couldn’t remember how or when he got