After Rebirth, I Went $1 Billion in Debt Before My Wife Could Ruin Me

In my last life, I fought in the ring for twenty years, saved up two hundred million dollars, and then retired.

I just wanted to take it easy.

But my wife thought I was a loser. She wouldn't let up until I put every cent into investments.

In one short year, all two hundred million was gone.

And I was two hundred million in debt on top of it.

The creditors hounded me until I nearly cracked, so I went to Thailand and fought underground for fast cash.

I never guessed my own wife had drugged me.

Some nobody knocked me dead right there on the mat.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day my wife pressured me into investing, fresh out of retirement.

This time, I moved first. I dumped all two hundred million into oil futures.

Ten times leverage, all in.

And this time, staring at the billion in debt I'd taken on,

it was my wife who fell apart.

Amelia Pruitt clung to my hand, the picture of helpless hurt.

"Neal Fox, after all these years of marriage, you don't trust me?"

"I have a master's in economics. There's no way I'd lose money on an investment."

I gave a cold laugh.

Last life, I fought it with everything I had. I told her it wasn't about trust.

The economy was in the gutter. The risk was too high.

Better to leave the money in the bank. The interest alone would be at least four hundred thousand a year, more than enough for the whole family to live comfortably.

But Amelia pushed too hard.

In the end, I caved.

I figured even a loss couldn't run too deep, and I'd just chalk it up to a lesson.

Who could've known that in one short year she'd not only burn through all two hundred million, but saddle me with two hundred million in debt.

Seeing me stay quiet, my father-in-law frowned, impatient.

"Neal, don't forget Millie gave you two sons."

"We've got a whole family to feed. You just sit on that money and eat through it, and how many years do you think it'll last?"

"You're a grown man. How can you not think about your own family?"

A wave of absurdity rose in me.

Every one of them was a leech living off me. Where did they find the nerve to complain I didn't earn enough?

Twenty years in the ring. Every dollar I made, I bled for it.

Year-round I wore the cheap junk with free shipping off some bargain site, never willing to buy myself a single decent brand-name thing.

They were the ones throwing money around without a second thought.

My mother-in-law's voice went shrill.

"You're an orphan with a middle-school education who only knows how to throw punches. Now you're retired and just squatting at home. It's humiliating to even mention you."

"Millie's handing you a chance to invest and be a big boss. Imagine how good that would look."

"How can you not understand everything Millie's trying to do for you!"

I clenched my fists so hard the knuckles went white.

Twenty years boxing, more titles than I could count. Everywhere I went, people respected me.

But in their mouths, I turned into some worthless thing that couldn't be shown in public.

They had no idea I'd already gotten an invitation from Harbor City Athletic School to come on as vice-principal.

Last life, Amelia forced me to be the face of her boxing gym and her restaurant, and I had to turn the offer down.

This life, I would not play the fool again.

But I bowed my head and played along.

"Fine. I'll do what you want."

They lit up at once, trading a smug glance, and were about to say something more.

I cut them off.

"Except Carter's been managing my money this whole time."

"If Millie's going to handle the investing, I need to go get the money back from him first."

A flicker of resentment crossed Amelia's eyes.

Ever since she'd pushed me to invest, Carter Dickerson had fought her on it every step of the way.

She'd hated my brother for a long time now.

My mother-in-law jabbed her finger at my head, disgusted with me.

"You let an outsider manage two hundred million? You've got the brains of a pig!"

My teeth ached from clenching them.

Carter was my brother. We grew up together.

Last life, when I died bad on that mat in Thailand, he was the one who borrowed money to bring my body home and bury it.

These animals who kept calling themselves my family? They didn't so much as glance at my corpse.

I put on a meek face, agreed to it, and got up to head to Carter's company.

When he saw me, Carter smirked.

"What, your wife talked you into it? Ready to go blow the whole fortune, huh?"

He slammed a bag down in front of me.

"Take it. I've held you off this long. You probably think I wanted to pocket your money for myself."

He paused.

Then let out a sigh, his voice turning serious.

"Brother, one last warning. Amelia isn't as simple as you think. Leave yourself a way out."

Something moved in my chest.

Even now, Carter was still trying to pull me back from the edge.

I pressed my hand on the bag and slid it gently back toward him.

Carter stared, thrown.

"What's this supposed to mean?"

"I want to invest."

He scoffed.

"I thought you'd finally come to your senses. Turns out you're still going down this road."

"It's not Amelia investing. It's me."

I cut him off.

"Do me a favor. Put every last asset into oil futures. All in, ten times leverage."

Carter sucked in a sharp breath.

His voice jumped an octave.

"Neal, have you lost your goddamn mind!"

Carter was so worked up he was stamping his foot.

"Yeah, the U.S. and Landore are at war right now, the Hormell Strait's blockaded, and oil's shot way up."

"But they've already sat down to talk. The second that strait reopens, oil's going to crash."

"By then you'll be wiped out. You won't have a dime to your name."

I nodded. I knew all of it.

Last life, after I agreed to Amelia's investment, I'd tried to learn a little about where money went, and I'd kept an eye on the markets.

I remembered it clearly: tomorrow their talks would succeed, the strait would reopen, and oil would crash.

It would keep diving until it was cut in half, dragging countless people under with it.

But thirty days after that, the U.S. would tear up the deal and restart the war.

The strait would close again, oil would go on a mad climb, and on day forty it would hit its peak.

I couldn't say too much now, though.

I just gripped his hand tight.

"Brother, help me one more time. Put every cent into forty-day oil futures."

Carter stared at me for a long moment.

Then he let out a bitter laugh.

"You really have lost your mind."

"Still, you blowing your own fortune beats letting Amelia bleed it dry."

"You've got two hundred million total. I'll put all of it in right now."

I raised a hand and cut him off.

A cold smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

"Two hundred million isn't enough. If we're playing, we play big."

Back home, a man in gold-rimmed glasses sat on the couch, looking mild and polished.

The moment he saw me, he stood and put out his hand.

"Mr. Fox, good to meet you. I'm Percival Henson, from Summit Capital."

Amelia rushed to introduce him, all warmth.

"Percival is a gold-medal investment agent. Anything he handles at least doubles!"

I shook his hand lightly, but a towering rage was already burning in my chest.

This was the animal who'd cornered me last life, the creditor who left me with nowhere to run.

When I was dying in that ring, he'd shown up with his arm around Amelia, laughing like a lunatic.

Sneering that I was a cuckold, telling me the whole thing had been their setup from the start.

All of it to seize everything I owned.

That was when I finally understood. Amelia's so-called investment was her working with her lover to siphon off the money I'd bled for.

They even wanted me dead, so the two of them could run off together.

Percival launched into his pitch, going on about real estate, boxing gyms, crypto.

Inside, I couldn't stop the cold laughter.

In this climate, putting money into any of that was no different from asking to die.

On the surface I played the rapt listener, nodding along.

Seeing me take the bait, Percival grew smug.

"Ms. Pruitt let me look over your assets. Combined valuation, a hundred and fifty million."

"Mr. Fox, I guarantee you, follow my plan and your assets will be up at least five times in a year!"

I laughed coldly to myself.

Amelia really couldn't wait. She'd already had my assets down to the last decimal.

She'd even dared to cook the books, shaving fifty million clean off my money.

I put on a tempted face.

"The returns are really that high?"

Percival's eyes lit up.

He traded a quick look with Amelia, the look of two people whose scheme was landing, then hurried to produce the contract.

"Rest assured, Mr. Fox. In our line of work, nothing matters more than reputation."

"I'd never wreck my own name."

"You sign, and I start working the moment you do!"

I picked up the pen and set the tip to the paper.

Under everyone's expectant eyes, the tip stopped short.

I gave my own head a frustrated slap.

"Oh, what a memory I've got. I can't sign this."

They all panicked at once.

Amelia blurted out, "Neal, you go back on your word like this? Are you even a man?"

I set the pen down.

Gave a helpless shrug.

"I've already put all my money into an investment."

"Even had Carter help me take out a two-hundred-million mortgage loan. Four hundred million total, all of it heavy into oil futures."

The living room went silent in an instant.

All three of them stared, eyes wide with disbelief.

"What? You bought oil?!"

Amelia shot to her feet, furious, and jabbed a finger at my face.

"Get that money back, right now!"

"You're a middle-school dropout who can't even handle a normal investmentand you think you can play the futures market?"

Humiliation rose in me like never before.

Her whole family had always used my schooling and my background to grind me down, gaslighting me into half a lifetime of feeling worthless.

Still, I obediently took out my phone and called the futures firm.

Over the speaker, all I got was the broker's apologetic voice.

"Mr. Fox, it's seven in the evening. We've closed for the day."

"First thing tomorrow morning, I'll process it for you."

I pretended to give in, reluctant.

Inside, I was laughing coldly.

I'd deliberately stalled until the firm closed before coming home, precisely so they couldn't stop me on the spot.

My mother-in-law let out a cold snort.

"Useless waste. Once you get that money out tomorrow, you hand it straight to Millie to manage!"

I smiled to myself.

By tomorrow, that money couldn't be pulled out at all.

Early the next morning, Amelia's shriek startled everyone awake.

"It's over. The U.S. and Landore have reached a settlement, and the Hormell Strait is open."

"Oil crashed thirty percent!"

I put a look of shock on my face.

"What? How could this happen?"

My in-laws swarmed in at once, cursing me, while Percival stood off to the side sighing about how I never listened.

I made my whole body tremble and snatched up my phone in a panic.

"I'll pull out of the futures right now. I don't want to invest anymore!"

But Percival's face darkened.

He reached out and stopped me.

"Mr. Fox, you can't pull out now."

"If you exit now, you won't get your principal back, and you'll still owe the firm eight hundred million."

"Add the two hundred million from your loan, and you're carrying one billion in debt total!"

"One billion!"

My mother-in-law crumpled with a groan, eyes rolling back.

She slid limply to the floor.

My father-in-law went white with fright, his legs shaking like a sieve.

Amelia dropped the act entirely and grabbed Percival's arm.

"Percival, what do we do now?"

"This billion is marital debt. I'm not carrying that much!"

I laughed coldly inside.

So the mask was off already?

Something vicious flickered in Percival's eyes.

"There's only one way. You two divorce, and Neal shoulders all the debt himself."

Amelia's eyes lit up instantly.

She traded a quick glance with Percival.

My in-laws chimed in one after another.

"Yes, divorce him fast."

"We can't let this waste drag us down!"

Something in me went cold all the way through.

When I had money, it was "family" out of every mouth.

The moment I took on debt, they wanted me kicked out.

I put on a face full of reluctance.

I even squeezed out a few tears.

"I won't divorce."

"Millie, I love you. I never want to be apart from you for the rest of my life."

"Besides, you're my wife. Surely you'll face the hard times with me."

The disgust in her eyes was practically spilling over.

Even so, Amelia kept her patience and coaxed me in a soft voice.

"Neal, we still have two children. When the creditors come knocking, it'll terrify them."

"You don't want to hurt them, do you?"

I bowed my head and thought about it for a long while.

At last I reluctantly agreed.

But rage was burning sky-high inside me.

My children, my ass.

In my last life, after I was beaten to death, those two kids turned around and called Percival "Daddy," and cursed me as a waste.

Only then did I learn that both of them were Amelia and Percival's bastards.

Once we'd signed the divorce papers, Amelia caught my arm, her eyes darting.

"Neal, there's not a cent left in this house now."

"To leave a little something for the kids, I've lined up a few underground fights for you in Thailand. Win them, and you'll walk away with thirty million."

I couldn't hold back a cold laugh.

Thirty million was nothing.

In my last life, I only found out after I died: Amelia had taken out a massive insurance policy on me.

The moment I died in that ring, she'd collect a hundred million.

I nodded, playing the man who'd accepted his fate.

"Fine. Once we file for the divorce, I'll go."

Something smug flickered through Amelia's eyes.

Then she made up an excuse about creditors coming to cause trouble and sweet-talked me right out of the house.

I didn't care. I turned and went straight to Carter.

Carter had known since dawn that oil had crashed, and he was pacing in circles, frantic.

I, on the other hand, calmly pulled up the security feed from home.

All those years boxing away from home, I'd worried about the place, so I'd installed cameras with no blind spots.

Never thought they'd come in this handy.

On the feed, the second I walked out the door, Amelia and Percival were locked together, going at each other's mouths.

Something curdled in my chest.

When she was with me, Amelia always said she was cold-blooded about that sort of thing, that she could barely manage it once every six months, that even holding hands put her out.

Now here she was, burning like a torch.

When they finally came up for air, Amelia spat out furiously,

"Neal, that piece of garbage. Racks up a billion in debt without a word to anyone."

"Good thing you found a way to make him divorce me on his own, or he'd have dragged me down with him."

Percival held her close, pleased with himself.

"Don't be upset, baby. Once the divorce is final, Neal goes to Thailand, fights in that ring, and dies in it."

"Then we collect a hundred and thirty million!"

"After that I throw a little of it into some investment, and we're set for life."

Amelia looked at him like he'd hung the moon.

"You're the one with the real talent."

"So much better than Neal, that useless idiot who only knows how to throw punches."

Holding the file Carter had dug up on Percival, I nearly laughed out loud.

Amelia. When you find out who Percival really is, I wonder what your face will look like.

The month passed fast.

Bright and early, Amelia and I arrived at the county clerk's office.

Amelia put on a face full of reluctance.

"Neal, I don't want to let you go either, but I have to think about the children."

A whole month of watching her and Percival carry on had left me sick to my stomach.

I nearly threw up on the spot.

I couldn't be bothered to act with her anymore.

"Enough. Let's just get the papers done."

Amelia hadn't expected that from me.

She froze for a second.

Then, uneasy, she pressed,

"So are you still going to Thailand to fight?"

"Yeah. Definitely."

I brushed it off, though inside I was burning with impatience.

Last night the United States had suddenly moved on Landore, and by this morning oil prices had shot through the roof.

If I didn't get these papers signed fast, the second they caught on, there was no way they'd let Amelia divorce me.

Lucky for me, the whole family had gotten dead drunk last night, celebrating that they'd finally be rid of me today.

I was the one who couldn't wait, the one who drove over to pick Amelia up. Everyone else was still passed out.

I pulled Amelia inside and shoved the divorce agreement across the counter, unable to wait a second longer.

The clerk gave us a glance, picked up the seal, and moved to stamp the divorce certificate.

Amelia's phone suddenly went off like it was on fire.

The moment she answered, Percival's panicked shouting came pouring out.

"Amelia, don't do it, don't get divorced! Oil jumped thirty percent this morning!"

Amelia's face changed in an instant.

She lunged at the clerk, shrieking,

"Stop! Don't stamp it!"

I crowded forward too, my throat so tight I could barely get the words out.

"Stamp it, hurry, don't listen to her!"

The clerk's brow knotted at all our noise.

His hand paused, and he lifted his head, irritated.

He picked up the divorce certificate and flung it at us.

Amelia and I both scrambled to look at the spot where the certificate had been stamped.