Chapter 12

“Oh my God.”

“Your father is a talented actor, but a very bad investor. One afternoon a little over two years ago now the corporate directors of the company all started dumping their shares before the market closed. If I was managing his portfolio, I would have advised him to immediately sell his entire holding in the company and he could’ve got out in time, broken even or just taken a small loss. After the closing bell the news was announced that the results of the Phase 3 Trial proved inconclusive and the FDA was not approving the sale of their cancer drug in the United States. The stock dropped 65 percent in after-hours trading before the market even opened. Instead of biting the bullet and selling, your father kept dumping the money from his margin account back into the stock, buying it during the free fall, thinking he was getting it at a bargain price. When the additional bad news of the lawsuit against the company broke later that day, that the company’s pharmaceutical sales reps were illegally paying doctors a fee each time they prescribed the drug, the stock was hit hard, dropping another 25 percent and the company was eventually forced to file bankruptcy. Fidelity is now collecting his residual checks to pay off what he owes in the margin account and he, of course, was unable to make his monthly mortgage payments on the condo. Apparently he called your mom to borrow money, but she was either unwilling or unable to help. He called me, desperate to sell the condo, but he owes more on the property than its current market value. I helped him renegotiate the loan and I’ve been paying off the mortgage myself.”

“Mr. Williamson…”

“If the property goes through foreclosure and sells at a distressed price, it will bring down the value of the entire building.”

“Are you planning on selling?”

“No. You see I’m not just worried about the declining value of my individual home; I’m worried about the entire investment. I own it…”

“You own… the entire building?”

“Yes. I bought it and had it renovated about ten years ago and have been selling the units ever since. I assure you I gave your father a very fair price on the condo when he purchased it four years ago and it is still in his name. Since I’ve made a living as a problem solver, Ms. Mauricio, I came up with a plan to rent it out and send him the checks to his post office box to give him some income to live on until he gets back on his feet, while I’ve been covering the entire mortgage payments myself.”

Bella Lisa looked up at Williamson and wanted to thank him for his generosity, but quickly stifled the impulse within her.

“In about two months, after he’s finished paying off his obligations to Fidelity Investments, both of you can move back into your home. Then, with your help in managing his financial affairs, a portion of his residual checks can be directly deposited to Bank of America to cover the mortgage while the rest could be deposited into an account that only you would have access to. I’m sure we can get him to sign off on the plan. He will have avoided the public scandal of a bankruptcy that would have been disastrous for his acting career and we would have saved your home and inheritance from foreclosure…”

“Mr. Williamson, I don’t know what to say. It’s very kind of you to save us from losing our home.”

“It was my pleasure.”

“What about the $350,000 we owe you?”

“He was hoping to land a lucrative acting job to settle the debt, but nothing has panned out for him so far… Ms. Mauricio, I’ve made no secret today of my affection for you. As an older man, I know I would have had little to no chance to be able to get to know you. I’m sure if I tried in the conventional way, arranging a meeting, asking you out on a date, etcetera, you would have taken one look at our age difference and politely declined. I could think of no other way to be close to you, at least for one week. After a week, I promise to wipe your Father’s debt off the books and as I mentioned, if you like the job, you can stay on and continue working for my company…”

“I see.”

“Look, I know this is a lot for you to take in, my attraction to you, your father’s financial ruin and debt. All I’m asking for is one short week out of your life, to get to know you, to have you near me—”

Bella Lisa turned to face Williamson, her arms knotted across her chest.

Williamson tried the keep his eyes from drifting down to her breasts.

“So let’s see if I understand the situation. Due to my father’s stupidity, he has agreed to pimp his daughter out to you in repayment—”

“I wouldn’t exactly put it in those—”

“Do you view my body as an object, like a stock that can be bought or sold at your whim?”

“Of course not.”

“I assure you, Mr. Williamson; my honor cannot be purchased at any price.”

“And I assure you, Ms. Mauricio, it is against my honor to force or coerce a woman to have sexual relations with me. That is something that I have never done, nor will I ever do. There are several women among my acquaintances that would enjoy the pleasure of my company. Unfortunately, ever since I’ve developed this unhealthy and painful obsession for you, I’ve lost interest in all other female companionship. If you would please read the section on page 3 of the contract in front of you that I have highlighted, it explicitly states that under no circumstances are you required during the week of your employment to touch me in an intimate way.”

“I don’t need a contract to tell me who I can or cannot have sex with. Oh my God, I didn’t think it was possible, but you’re worse than my last boyfriend!