Chapter 15

When he arrived, Travis opened the door and stepped inside. The familiar warmth of home enveloped him, but he quickly noticed Debbie's voice carrying through the air. She was on the phone, animatedly chatting with someone.

"Must be those fuckers," he thought as he slowly approached the kitchen, making sure she didn't hear him.

"Don't you dare threaten me! My husband did no such thing! He worked for the bank!" she shouted in anger, her voice echoing in the small space.

After a second, hearing all the things they said, she shouted in frustration, "JUST LEAVE US ALONE!" She then dropped the call, her hand trembling slightly as she sighed, looking up and trying to hold back her tears.

"Is everything alright?" Travis asked as he walked in, concern etched on his face. Hearing his voice, Debbie immediately turned back with a smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Yes, everything is fine. Nothing to worry about," she said, her tone light but her expression giving away her distress.

"Yes, everything is fine. Nothing to worry about," she said. As he stepped closer, he could sense the tension still lingering in the air, the remnants of the heated conversation she had just been part of.

"It's nothing really, sweetie. Just them talking nonsense about your father."

"Does Dad owe them money or something?" he asked, his brow furrowing in concern.

"That's what they're saying, but we all know that's not true," she replied, her voice shaky but determined.

"How much money is it? I can help you pay it off, you know," Travis said, feeling a surge of frustration and protectiveness. Hearing this, Debbie immediately hugged him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder.

"No, don't worry, sweetheart. It's not a problem. Use that money to have fun and for your tuition. Don't worry about your dad, okay? I'll fix it. I promise," she said in a reassuring tone, her voice softening despite the weight of the situation.

He understood that she didn't want to make him worry, but the fact that she was in such a state pissed him off.

"I never thought I'd wage war on some Russians before," he thought, a mix of determination and anger brewing inside him.

She then smiled warmly, her eyes sparkling as she shifted the conversation. "Now, how was college? Did you make friends? Besides Erik, of course," she asked, genuine curiosity in her tone.

"I did. Nothing much different from the way it was a month ago," he replied, trying to keep his voice light despite the heaviness lingering in the air.

"That's great to hear! Also, you're so sweaty. Did you go to Aunt Diane?" she inquired, tilting her head slightly as she took a step back to examine him.

"Yeah. I helped her a bit. She told me to greet you, by the way," he said, feeling a little pride in being useful.

"Good. Now make sure you use the money responsibly, okay? Go change; dinner will be ready in an hour," she instructed, her voice firm yet caring. He nodded, appreciating her concern, and dashed off to his room.

Travis threw his bag onto the desk, the thud echoing in the quiet space. He quickly sank into his chair and powered on his computer, the familiar whirring sound filling the room.

"I need more money," he thought, a sense of urgency creeping in.

As he pondered over his finances, he suddenly recalled that his father had left money in the boat by the treehouse.

"How did I forget such an important thing? I need to go get it," he thought, determination setting in as he plotted his next move.

He began searching for investment brokers, and when he found a trustworthy app, he downloaded it. After that, Travis looked up companies with rising profits. He picked Apple and Amazon. Amazon was pretty self-explanatory; the company made money every single day. With Apple, they were about to release a new phone, so he knew he would profit from that.

He transferred all his money from the other account into both companies. Once that was done, Travis changed his clothes, but before doing so, he exercised for 30 minutes to clear his mind. He then took a shower and got dressed.

"Travis, dinner is ready!" his mother called.

He went downstairs and enjoyed a hearty meal. Afterward, he stepped outside and gazed at the tall treehouse, a smile creeping onto his face. He leaped over the wall and walked toward it.

"This place has many memories. Well, enough of that," he thought as he approached the treehouse.

He reached the boat and removed the wood covering it. Inside, he spotted a black bag. Unzipping it, he was shocked to see hundreds of thousands of dollars packed tightly within.

"This is more money than I could ever need," he thought, exhilaration coursing through him.

But he knew he had to come up with a plan to transfer all this cash. The alternate bank wasn't in his region, complicating things further. Grabbing the bag, he sprinted back to the house, carefully sneaking past Debbie and Jenny. Once in his room, he locked the door behind him.

"This is stressful. Where should I hide this? The closet? Yeah, that's a good place," he decided.

He took the money out of the bag and began counting it. After five minutes of intense focus, the total amount stunned him.

"Five hundred thousand! What the hell! This is way too much. I'm never going to be broke again," he thought happily, a grin spreading across his face.

He quickly took the money and hid it in various spots around his closet, stuffing some under his bed as well. While doing so, he discovered Jenny's panties tucked under the mattress, making him frown.

"I should return this," he thought, deciding to be the bigger person. He left his room and knocked on Jenny's door. When she opened it, he tossed the panties onto her head.

"You forgot these," he said, then returned to his room and locked the door. Jenny stood there, fuming, wanting to shout but ultimately holding back.

"Okay, I think I should wait for the money I invested. After that, I'll probably buy some shares from the bank in this town, which will make them angry, but I'll go incognito. When that happens, I'll set up a private account. The cash I have now will be my liquid funds for emergencies," he thought.

With a plan taking shape, Travis laid back on his bed, letting his mind drift as he slowly fell asleep.

.....

On the very next morning, Travis, our main character, woke up feeling extremely happy. He was practically as rich as could be for someone his age. Sitting up slowly on the edge of the bed, he gazed at the bright sun streaming through his window. Fueled by its warmth and beauty, he got up and stretched his body.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him, and he fell back onto the bed. After a few seconds, he shook it off, got back up, and began his morning workout routine. He focused on push-ups and sit-ups, feeling energized with each movement. As he exercised, thoughts of his newfound wealth and plans for the future motivated him to push harder.

Drenched in sweat, Travis got up and decided to take a hot shower. As he left the room with his toiletry bag, he walked down the hallway to the bathroom. There he found the door slightly open, which made him smile.

"Nice," he thought as Travis cautiously cracked the door open to peer inside.

TO BE CONTINUED