Rex Michaels stumbled awkwardly as he made his way home, so engrossed was he in his own world of self pity and personal resentment that he did not notice the petite figure standing in the middle of the garden.
One looking closely at him could make out his impressive cheekbone and well defined jawline just from his silhouette. He was 40yrs old, and well built.
Years of living the good life and moving in esteemed circles taught him comportment, that was before the tables turned on him.
These days, his piercing gray eyes were clouded with intoxication and his jet-black curly hair was disheveled from him repeatedly running his unsteady hands through it.
He continued stumbling until he almost bumped into the figure of his mother-in-law, recognizing her presence at the last minute.
"What was Ethel doing standing in the middle of the garden at this time of the night? Weren't they all at that private hospital?" he debated within himself.
"Watch it son," he heard her blurt out in a hurry as she quickly stepped out of the way. "Yes, it was her, no doubt. What was she doing here and why wasn't she with them tonight?" more of the questions came at him.
He rubbed his blurry eyes and studied her reflection more clearly. Her gray hair packed into a bun at the top of her head had a few tendrils framing her flushed oval face, she looked every inch her age of 55.
Her brown eyes appeared dark in the night and they were fixed on him with a worried expression, she was following his unsteady gait as she studied him.
"What did she want now? He wanted to be left alone. Was that too much to ask?" he thought to himself angrily.
"Let's go inside, no need standing here out in the open like this," he heard her say. She turned slowly on her heels and walked away from him in the direction of the house.
He shrugged and followed her. She didn't go inside but sat down on the porch in one of the armchairs he had ensured were placed there for relaxation.
She gestured for him to sit down and he did. "I need to catch my breath anyway," he reasoned, completely oblivious to the pain and confusion etched on her face.
"Matt was discharged home today from the hospital just in case you are wondering about my being at home. He asked for his daddy several times, son, and, I advise that you check on them before you go to bed," he heard her say.
Rex was thinking about how to recover all that he had lost almost three years ago as he studied the beautiful garden, recalling how he had employed the services of a skilled Korean who had transformed it into a masterpiece.
"I was Rex Michaels, a billionaire, a philanthropist, the envy of my peers, I made waves from a very humble beginning. Now, this is what I have been reduced to, a has-been," he lamented silently.
A multitude of waves stemming from years of bitterness,self pity and depression enveloped him like it always did, whenever he reminisced on the past, completely overshadowing anything else.
"Did you hear anything I said dear?" his mother-in-law's stern voice cut through his gloomy thoughts.
"Didn't you say Matt is fine now? That's great news, I would like to retire to bed now," he announced, struggling to get to his feet.
"Please let Lindsay help you. Don't shut her out. They need you, we all want to see the old Rex," she cried out.
Laughing with glee, he replied, "The old Rex, you say? You spoke my mind Mrs Goldwin, that's exactly what I have been trying to do. Nobody can help me except myself," he announced and he walked away from her.
Making his way to his bedroom, he staggered his way there, opened the door and went inside, closing it after him.
Not bothering to undress he fell into bed and slept groggily, completely overpowered by the effect of the alcohol, forgetting his problems temporarily.
By the early hours of the following morning, he was completely sober but spotting a raging headache which did nothing to calm his nerves.
Just the year before, he had gone to see his personal physician who had been on his payroll and was the medical director of the private hospital his family used, Rex had been told that his blood pressure was borderline.
The constant headaches which began when his business started to deteriorate had finally forced him to seek advice.
He was told to be careful or risk ending up with hypertension. Now he wondered if perhaps he was hypertensive given the severity of the headache.
"Tough luck," he said to no one in particular and shrugged his shoulders, if he fell ill he had no money to buy his medications and he couldn't care less."
Just then there was a knock on the door and without waiting for an answer, his wife walked into the room.
She looked tired and very unhappy and he felt a pang of guilt realizing that he could no longer give her the life he had accustomed her to.
The worst was when he looked at his children, "how could they possibly love and respect him if he could not buy them surplus gifts like he used to," he thought.
"I have decided to go and look for a job Rex, I am fed up with watching you trying to destroy this family because you don't want my help," she announced.
"I don't want your help, I have told you a dozen times. Just as soon as I find the root of my misfortune, I will recover my wealth and continue from where I stopped," he replied.
"And if you insist on continuing on that path then perhaps you no longer need me after all Lindsay," he announced as he got out of bed and headed for the bathroom.