"I just can't accept it," she said, "if the guarantor had given us time to turn things around and allowed us to apply for a loan extension, then our new product could have hit the market in time, and there would still be a glimmer of hope. We were just one step away, just one step... I don't even know where your dad is now. Although the workers are saying he fled because he's guilty, I know your dad—he wouldn't run. I'm just worried..."
Mrs. Stone wiped her tears, fearing that her spouse might do something desperate in his despair, leaving her and her daughter to fend for themselves. What would they do then?
