Chapter Six: Business and Debt
What he did got around the entire family soon enough. Sarah included and that's why he gave the factory a wide berth for that day. He went back into Manchester city centre until night fell. Letting himself into the factory after closing time that same night. Not daring to grace his mother's house or answer Geoff's phone call. He had no money or nothing to get back to Canada with either. He had nothing there at all anymore. He was in a sort of limbo where he was only surviving on money he got on a daily basic. So with a sigh, he removed his coat, shoes, blazer, shirt and belt. He wrapped up his blazer inside his shirt like some sort of pillow. With only his trousers and vest on. He laid down on the couch which was very uncomfortable and with nothing else to use. He put his coat over himself like a blanket, setting his alarm early. This was like the car all over again. He fell asleep after an hour of positioning himself in a somewhat workable spot. How has he somehow got in a worst spot than before Carla put him in charge?
...
The factory workers had an early start. They waited outside gossiping and waiting for Sarah to come and open up. Fiz, Beth, Sean and Kirk in one corner with their hands in their pockets. Sarah quickly walking over with the key in hand which got her a sarcastic "Finally" from some of the factory workers. The sound of the door opening and the hustling and bustling awoke Stephen up suddenly. He swore under his breath as his alarm hadn't gone off! He knew he would have no time to get away before somebody came round the corner. And that's exactly what happened as Fiz and Beth's voices got louder and louder as they walked towards the lockers. Stopping when they saw him...
"Oh" Fiz simply said in slight shock as she watched him force himself up. Still wearing nothing but his trousers and vest.
"Well...I didn't ask for this" Beth spoke which just made Fiz smirk under her breath.
Soon everybody else came around and watched as he put on his shoes and belt. He could see them giggling among themselves. Sarah however was deadly silent as she looked at him with disappointment. She knew this meant he hadn't even tried to make it up with gran yet. Yes, she knew he sold her gran's car without asking. It was just not on, was it? Overnight, he suddenly looked pathetic to her. Even more so now.
"I didn't know men under 70 still wore vests" Sean commented which just got more giggles from his peers.
"Well he's almost pushing 70, isn't he?" Beth asked rhetorically.
Stephen muttered something else under his breath. Putting on his shirt and then his blazer. Though the damage was already done. Sarah turned back around as she asked to see Stephen in the office. The factory workers gossiping some more as they reached their lockers. Getting ready for another working day. That was something to talk about all day now. Fiz being the only one in the group with a tiny bit of sympathy but not enough for her to not find it a little funny.
"He must be going through the works" Fiz said when the office door closed.
"Well yeah. That is obvious...He slept in here for the night. You wouldn't do that out of choice" Beth replied.
"He's done something bad I think" Fiz guessed correctly.
In the office room meanwhile. Stephen found himself getting questioned by Sarah (who for the first time was serious with him). The tables have turned from the Milan days. Yesterday everything seemed great but now he's destroyed it all. One mugging and he's back to square one. Heck! He's worse than square one, the blocks have all tumbled down.
"Gran's really upset. You had no right selling her car...Why didn't you just ask one of us?" Sarah asked with concern.
"I don't know. I'm in a rut and I can't get out" Stephen admitted.
"It doesn't make any sense though. All that money you spent on gran and Sam's cruise. The money you gave to us...You promised to pay Elaine back, was that just a lie?"
"It wasn't my money"
"Well yeah I know that now! Me and Michael wanted a business done legally and without any red tape"
"I tried to warn you. I tried to get you off the scent but you wouldn't listen"
"So it's my fault?"
"Yes. Yes it is" Stephen replied with his hands firmly on the desk.
Sarah just scoffed as she turned around. The audacity she thought and his warnings obviously weren't direct enough. She turned back around when she heard him shuffling the papers around and gave him a warning of her own as she pointed towards him with her finger...
"You are burning down all your bridges, Stephen. All of them"
"I don't have any bridges, Sarah. I lost everything in Canada and Spain. I never would have sold mom's car if I had a choice. But I had no choice"
"How did this happen?"
"Long story short. I had a bad investment and a fraudster in my company. Word got to Gabrielle, she blamed me and we argued. I took some money from her and she demanded it back. Now I have nothing because everything I had was given to her"
"But that doesn't explain how you managed to buy a cruise for two people and give me twenty grand! That doesn't explain anything!"
"I had debts, Sarah!"
"Oh right. Well that's just wonderful...So you thought you would lie for months and month? You stole from Elaine. You know you're never getting it back!"
"Well I can because I still have this place, don't I? Your company will help us all. Won't it?"
"You think I'm still going to let you near my company?"
"Well yes because I helped make it happen. I have shares in it, don't forget. Thanks to Carla being completely incapacitated. And you aren't exactly a businesswoman, Sarah"
"I'm going to tell Carla and Michael all about this and let them figure it out" Sarah replied which made the mood shift.
She was about to get her phone out to ring Carla. Stephen quickly walking over as he grabbed it. Telling her not to phone her and that this should stay between them only. Sarah just scoffing as she went to take her own phone back but Stephen wasn't willing to give it. He's said too much and he was at a dead end. Without these profits, he has nothing at all.
"You're being silly, Sarah. You don't know what you're talking about. Carla will just laugh at you" Stephen insisted.
"Then you won't mind me ringing her?" Sarah nervously asked.
"We're family. Please Sarah, this is all I have. Without this, I have no money and won't ever work in business again. It will ruin me"
"Then just get a normal 9-5 job like everybody else. I'm sorry but it's for your own good. You can't keep living like this"
"Sarah! Why are you intent on ruining me? After everything I did for you...Giving you that job in Milan despite you planting drugs on David. I gave you a chance and this is how you repay me?"
"This is to try and help you"
"I don't need your help! I know what I'm doing...Now please tell me you're not going to ring Carla and ruin me? I will get laughed at"
"It's not going to ruin you! I don't want to ruin you but the fact is that you lied to us all. Carla has a right to know that her new business manager isn't up to the job right now. This isn't the end. You can build yourself back up-"
"You stupid girl! I can't build myself up...That's what I'm trying to get through to your head!" Stephen snapped.
Sarah had never saw him so angry before as she stepped back. Telling him she will talk later when he calmed down. Stephen saw red again and lifted up the phone, only stopping himself when he recalled happy memories of her as a child. He thus slammed the phone down and shoved past her instead. Storming out of the factory and away from the street. He left behind a very shocked and worried Sarah as she felt her shoulder from his shove.
...
"If I find him first. He's going to feel my hand on the back of his head" Adam exclaimed.
"Don't say that, Adam" Sarah pleaded quietly.
She went to Adam not long afterwards for help and comfort. She felt at a lost of what to do. Michael was dealing with Carla thankfully as he was informed of the basics. So she went to Adam for comfort, he had his arm around her; could see how upset it had made her. Sarah had flashbacks to Callum the moment she was shoved.
"I don't care if he's your uncle. Nobody shoves past you like that. He wanted to do worse from the sound of things" Adam softly replied.
"He wouldn't have" Sarah maintained.
Adam just shook his head at the mere thought. Sarah was just wondering where he went. She felt bad for doing this which is why she didn't tell them everything, just that Stephen had bad debts and shouldn't be running a business due to the state he's in. She just relaxed further, Adam giving her a kiss on the top of her head. She didn't deserve to feel like this, not after all the support she gave him. The factory lot were going to gossip about this for weeks now. The door opened as Gail walked in, making the couple break apart. Sarah felt her mother giving her a hug as she heard the news.
"It wasn't that bad" Sarah spoke up as she felt her mother's tight hug.
"It was bad enough for you to call us, Sarah. Now he may be my brother but you are more important" Gail assured her.
"Exactly my feelings. He had no right to shove her and shout at her. She was just trying to help" Adam chimed in.
"Mam's going to be so upset. She's already upset about the car business" Gail said.
"She can charge him for that" Adam told them.
"No. She won't press charges, Adam. He's her son...I mean, I can't say anything. I use to defend David over all sorts but he was a teenager. What's Stephen's excuse? I dread to know" Gail replied.
...
The man himself had gotten a bus back to his mother's. Stephen unlocked the door to the house. Desperate to spin a story to keep him afloat, he couldn't lose Audrey too. Audrey heard the door and had a feeling that it would be him. Too bad for him that Gail already called her. The version of events Sarah gave everybody was that Stephen has money problems and no business left. She promised to tell Carla and then he shoved her before storming out. That was the truth after all in the nicest possible way.
"Mom. Listen-"
"I know Stephen. Gail told me...How could you? You known Sarah since she was a little girl" Audrey began.
"I lost my temper and I shouldn't have. I'm not in that bad of a state. I just got a few loose ends to tie up"
"Would you have done this to Joyce?"
"What?"
"It's a simple enough question. Would you have took Joyce's car and sold it behind her back when you were living with her in Canada? The woman who brought you up. You remember her?"
"I wasn't in this state back then. It's a dumb question" Stephen insisted.
Though it clearly hit a nerve and both knew the answer would have been no. He never would have done anything to the woman he called mom for the first twenty years of his life. Audrey could tell by his reaction that the mention of her name still made him sad because he missed her dearly.
"Malcolm would be disgusted. He never raised you like this" Audrey told him.
"Please don't mention dad"
"Why not? Does it remind you when you had morals? I use to talk to Vera about her Terry and thought, how did good parents like her and Jack raise such a lying crook" Audrey paused as she quickly backtracked..."Don't turn into Terry, please"
"Looks like you think I already have"
"Stephen, please don't do anything stupid. I want to help you. I'm telling you all this because I want to help. I know I haven't been there but let me be there now" Audrey pleaded.
Facing him now head on as she grabbed onto his good hand. Stephen just nodding as he knew he had nowhere to go or no other options. All he had was the wills of his biological parents but was it worth it? He thought about his adopted father Malcolm, the one who brought him up and the man he thought of as his dad. He recalled the final moments in his mind but quickly erased them again.
"Thank you mom. I promise I'll make you happy enough to call me your son again" Stephen spoke.
"Promise?"
"Promise. I'll sort myself out"
...
TBC