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Life had taken a tremendous upswing for Marty. With a rare opportunity to receive a second chance at success, he refused to allow failure to defeat him. With a tremendous amount of hard work, frugal spending and wise decisions, Marty had once again accumulated savings nearing seven figures. His focus was no longer on living in a prestigious home, driving the finest automobiles, and dressing in the most desired clothing.
Although his line of business called for him to be well dressed, and display an air of wealth, all that he had amassed was purchased with a newly found respect for money. He came to the understanding that the enjoyment of living a lavish lifestyle could only come after the hard work to secure financial freedom was put in.
Marty also learned to contain his emotions, which proved to be invaluable. Because he was back in the commodities trading business, he was forced to move among the same circles as some of his former friends and colleagues.
Marty and Vincent had been invited to a special black tie event. Although he wasn’t interested in attending, he knew there would be high-positioned people present. With a little coaxing from Vincent, Marty agreed that not only would it be sensible to connect with them, but it would also be a good decision to allow people who witnessed or heard about his fall to see the clean, sober and ambitious new, Marty Frankel. He could not permit any harbored feelings to interfere with his ultimate plan.
Vincent observed his friend make a one hundred eighty degree turn for the better. The trust and faith that was shared between them allowed them to help one another in ways beyond their imagination. Marty’s teachings helped him grow intellectually, becoming superior to all who were at one point on the same level.
They arrived at the event via limousine, decked in tailored black tuxedos. All of the other men in attendance donned the same colored suits with subtle variations. It was nearly impossible for one man to be distinguished from the other. The women’s attire, however, was more enticing. They were casually dressed in expensive gowns and evening dresses of different colors and styles, along with exquisite jewelry.
The majority of the men and women at the gathering were egotistical, opportunistic snobs whose only concerns were personal gains. Because Marty was now aware of their motives, the advantage had shifted to his side.
There were a few people who shared whispers while cutting disdainful eyes at him. On the other hand, there were also men and women who offered pleasing smiles of approval and genuine handshakes. The varied reactions kept Marty edgy and tense. He did his best to conceal his nervousness as he greeted his peers. Vincent took notice of his brittle demeanor and pulled him aside.
“Marty, you have to relax.”
“What do you mean, Vince? I’m okay.”
“No, you’re not! The confidence I’m used to seeing in your eyes isn’t there. The way you’re walking and talking is not assertive. Your handshakes aren’t firm. Damn it, you have to show these people that you’re not the drunk that everyone heard about. Hell, you’re better than the Marty they knew before the scandal.”
Vincent kept his voice low enough for only Marty to hear, but the intensity made his message very clear.
“You’re absolutely right,” Marty admitted, regaining his composure.
“You have a one up on everybody here. You’ve experienced life at both the top and the bottom. Now you’re on your way back up. You have intelligence, passion and an understanding. Allow it to exude. Let them see the flame in your eyes!”
“You got it, Vince.” Reinvigorated by their conversation, Marty pulled himself together. Within an instant he seemingly morphed into a confident, ambitious and energetic man of promise. The new aura he began to emit caused many who graced his presence to become intrigued by this man whom they’d heard about through gossip.
Vincent led Marty to a small congregation of powerful men. The man controlling the conversation was Andy Merola, the vice president of Global Financials, one of the top five trading firms and also one of Goldman’s fiercest competitors.
After being introduced, Andy didn’t hesitate to ask Marty for his insight regarding a debate the group was having concerning the fluctuation of crude oil prices. Resisting the urge to become repressed, Marty offered his opinion, which he backed by data he happened to accumulate while researching the same topic days before. All of the men, including Andy, were completely blown away by Marty’s knowledge.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Jack Goldberg approached the gathering. “Good evening, gentlemen.” He received handshakes from a few of the men. Marty and Andy, however, returned Jack’s greeting with a nonchalant head nod. The tension was immediately evident.
Jack looked over to Vincent. “So, this is who you’ve been spending your time with? This can have a negative impact on your future with Goldman’s.”
Vincent refused to respond. People saw Jack as a business-oriented man of success. Marty, Vincent, and now Andy saw a back-stabbing, conniving, and manipulative man who knew no boundaries when it came to obtaining more power. “I must say, Marty, you look well. I’m glad to see that you’ve made a turn around,” Jack said.
“Thank you,” Marty responded evenly without displaying a hint of the anger that was boiling over inside of him. “I’m glad I made a turnaround as well.” Marty’s bright and confident smile displeased Jack.
During Marty’s tenure at Goldman’s he always went above and beyond protocol. Although he followed orders, he often did more than he was instructed to do. Any other supervisor would have seen Marty’s loyalty and ambition for what it was, but not Jack. However, Jack viewed Marty as a potential threat to his position. This brought Jack to the conclusion that Marty had to be obliterated. All of his power needed to be removed. Jack devised a plan that stripped Marty of his job, money, home, and his reputation. Jack thought he had destroyed Marty, but he had returned like cancer.
Jack’s companion strutted up to him carrying two flutes of champagne. “Thank you, sweetheart.” He accepted one of the glasses with a slight grin.
“Gentlemen, this is my girlfriend, Kate. Marty, I’m sure the two of you have met.”
This was the first time Marty had seen Kate since she abandoned him. His heart sank to the pit of his stomach. The love of his life had given her love to the man responsible for plotting his demise. Marty did his absolute best to contain his emotions.
“Good evening, Kate.”
Kate was noticeably stunned. The last person on earth she expected to see at the event was Marty. She was told that he was nothing more than a homeless drunk, but he stood before her in opulence. Kate lowered her head as the realization set in that she was a simple pawn in a complex game.
“What’s the matter, Marty? You look a little flushed. Would you like a drink?” Jack offered Marty the champagne glass with a devil’s smirk.
“Thanks, but no thanks. I’m staying away from anything that’s bad for me.” Marty’s words were a direct shot at Jack and his former wife. At that moment, Marty swore that he would not let either of them get away with their ultimate act of betrayal.
After accomplishing his goal of belittling Marty in front of the others, Jack grabbed Kate’s hand and led her away.
The encounter threw Marty completely off balance. There was no way he could remain at the gathering knowing that Jack and Kate were there. He began to excuse himself from the others when Andy stopped him.
“Marty, I don’t know everything about your past, but I do know that Jack orchestrated your downfall. I admire your courage to come back. If you ever need my assistance, just give me a call.” Andy reached into his pocket and produced a business card. Marty accepted it.
“Thanks, Andy, I really appreciate it. You will be hearing from me...”