Debbie's marriage had collapsed. And it had fallen apart in a way that shook her to her core. She thought they had the perfect family. Her husband was an executive in a financial planning firm. They had two beautiful children, ages eight and six. With her husband's six figure income, Debbie could devote much of her time to volunteering in the community for causes that she felt deeply about. But then one day, out of the blue, her world came crashing down.
Someone from her husband's firm called her at home. Angrily, he demanded to know where John, her husband, was. As far as Debbie knew, he was at work. The colleague informed her that he had been fired weeks ago. And now an audit of his accounts showed a very large amount of money was missing. Debbie learned that since his termination, he had been leaving in the morning. But he was only pretending to go to work. She had no clue what he was really doing. She tried frantically to reach him on his cell phone. It went straight to voice mail. When she looked in his closet, her heart sank. It had been emptied. He apparently was now a fugitive from justice, and he had abandoned his wife of twelve years.
In a panic, Debbie rushed to their bank. To her horror, she was told he had withdrawn most of the funds from their joint accounts the prior day. Her husband had left her destitute, with two young children to care for. Debbie had not been employed since college She had not needed to. Her husband had been an excellent provider. It quickly dawned on Debbie that her life, as she had known it, was over. She was able to obtain an interview with a firm for that very afternoon. It sounded promising. Little did she know that it would turn into a nightmare.
Pin Oaks Business Services was advertising for someone to deal with clients in international trade. Debbie had studied international trade in college. Her husband had dealt with overseas accounts and she had tried to help him a little. Maybe that would be a good fit for her.
The building, which was no more than a few years old, was located in an upscale industrial park. The marble sign at the entrance read, "Pin Oaks Business Services." Upon entering, Debbie was met by a pleasant receptionist in a well-appointed office area. Smiling, the receptionist introduced herself as Janet, and told her to take a seat. Mr. Thornton was expecting her and would be with her shortly.
Soon, a well-dressed man that Debbie guessed to be in his early fifties strode through the door from the back offices. Warmly shaking her hand, he began, "Hello Debbie. I am John Thornton. Come on back and let's have a talk." He ushered her back to his office. Entering, he closed the door behind him and motioned for Debbie to take a seat.
Moving to his chair behind the desk, he first put his hand to his mouth, as if engaged in deep thought. Gazing intently at his applicant, he saw that she was strikingly attractive. She was actually what some might classify as a "trophy wife." Mr. Thornton was impressed.
He began the interview with, "So, Debbie, tell me a little about yourself."