The Night My Wife Left, I Made $500 Trillion From Crypto

The invitation

Ethan sat stiffly on the edge of the worn-out sofa, his eyes fixed dreadfully on the invitation lying on the coffee table like a coiled rattlesnake.

The card featured golden text that read Sterling High School — Class of 2015 Reunion.

Ten years have passed since his high school graduation, and all their old classmates are coming together for a single night to reminisce about the glory days.

A snort escaped him. The 'glory days' were nothing but a myth to him now. He was once the star quarterback—the golden boy known for his rocket arm and a scholarship to a Division I school.

That felt like a lifetime ago, a story about a completely different person.

He tore his gaze from the invitation and back to his laptop screen, where red and green candlesticks were dancing crazily across the chart software. He was trading a volatile altcoin, a risky bet into which he had poured the last of his savings into.

For weeks, the numbers remained stagnant, which made him feel miserable.

Just then, his wife Lois emerged from the bedroom and stood in the doorway, looking as beautiful and elegant as ever.

Her ginger hair was styled flawlessly over one shoulder, and she wore a little black dress that perfectly hugged her curves. Resting just above her collarbone was a pretty pearl necklace.

"Aren't you going to get ready?" she asked, her voice sharp and cutting. "We'll be leaving in an hour."

Ethan felt a fresh wave of panic. He looked from his beautiful wife to the invitation card lying on the table, then back to his stagnant crypto portfolio.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his laptop and laid it beside the invitation.

"Yeah, about that," he began, his voice hesitant. "I've been thinking... Maybe it's best if we skip the invitation."

Lois perfectly sculpted eyebrows drew together in a frown.

"Why?" she demanded, planting a hand on her round hip. "We've been preparing for this reunion for over a month now. I bought this dress and had my hair done. Why should we skip it now?"

Ethan nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I just don't feel like going. I mean, it's a high school reunion. Everyone's just going to be there to boast about their six-figure salaries, their fancy houses, and their perfect little lives. It's all fake, Lois. It's a competition I don't want to be part of."

The air in the room thickened as Lois's eyes narrowed into slits.

"Of course you don't want to go," she exploded, her voice sharp as a whip crack. "You have nothing to show them!"

Ethan flinched, burying his face in his hands. "Lois, it's not like that—"

"Not like that?" she scoffed, cutting him off. "Then what is it like, Ethan? Tell me! You were awarded a full-ride scholarship at a prestigious school. You were going to be a star. And then what?"

She pointed her finger toward his leg. "One ACL injury and your entire future went up in smoke. You've been a ghost ever since. We've been living from hand to mouth for five years! This isn’t the luxurious life you promised me!"

Ethan couldn't respond. He understood that she felt frustrated by his repeated failures over the years.

Filled with bitter disappointment and anger, she scooped up a pile of bills from the cluttered kitchen counter and slammed them down sharply onto his closed laptop. The bills included past-due notices, credit card statements, and bank letters with bold, threatening red ink.

"Do you see these?" she hissed, gesturing to the pile. "We haven't paid any of them yet. We haven't repaid the bank from which you took a loan to invest in crypto. The landlord is coming next week to demand payment, or he'll evict us."

She paused, standing right in front of him. "You'll have us living in a cardboard box while you keep staring at your little computer screen, waiting for a miracle that will never come!"

Ethan looked at the bills, his stomach churning.

He met her gaze and immediately started pleading. "Just give me a little more time. I know I've failed multiple times, but please, trust me. My trading is going to pay off. I can feel it. I promise you, Lois. It will work."

She let out a laugh that sounded like a sharp bark. "Promises? I'm sick and tired of your promises, Ethan! They're worthless. They don't pay the bills and they certainly don't put food on the table."

She took a breath, trying to steady herself. "That's why this reunion is so important. It's all about networking. Some of our classmates are successful now. They're lawyers, accountants, and engineers. We could ask them for help. Who knows, you might land a job that would make you useful again."

The word 'useful' struck Ethan like an insult.

"But I don't want to work for anyone, Lois," he said, his voice sharper than he had meant it to be. "Can't you see that's not what I want? I want to take control of my own life and create something meaningful for us."

She stared at him, her face contorting with pure disgust.

"My mother was right about you," she said, her voice laced with venom. "You're just an egotistical loser who would rather die poor than beg for help. You have too much pride for a man who is poor"

Ethan's teeth clenched as he felt the painful impact of those brutal words.

"Fine," she declared, her tone final. "If you’re not coming, then just stay here and rot with your stupid laptop and crypto. I'll go without you and find myself a better opportunity. At least I'll be in a room with people who know how to succeed."

She spun around on her heel and stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind her. The impact shook the tiny apartment.

"Lois, wait!" Ethan called out, rising to his feet, but the door was already shut. He sank back onto the sofa, the fight draining out of him.

A crushing wave of guilt and self-loathing swept over him. It pained him to see her this way. He hated that he was the cause of it. He had promised her the world, yet all he delivered was a mountain of debt and a life filled with constant anxiety.

Feeling discouraged, he opened his laptop again. The numbers were still the same. There was neither any progress nor miracle.

"Maybe Lois was right," he muttered to himself, his heart heavy with sorrow. "Maybe I need to quit hoping crypto will turn me into a millionaire. Guess it's about time to face facts and look for a job."

With a heavy sigh, he shut down the laptop and reached for the crutches resting against the arm of the sofa. As he pulled himself up, the familiar, painful pressure on his ACL brought back memories of his downfall.

He limped his way down the short hallway to the bedroom. He knocked softly, and when there was no answer, he gently pushed the door open.

Lois sat at her vanity, applying a final layer of mascara with a cold, indifferent expression. She didn't even look at him in the mirror.

Ethan drew a trembling breath. "Darling," he said, his voice heavy with remorse. "I'm sorry. You were right. I was being too prideful."

He paused, swallowing the last lump of his pride. "Let's attend the reunion together."