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Climbing the Ladder 4 - Chutes and Ladders

by Michael Loucks

Published: 2024-10-15. 423,900 Words.

Categories: Fiction » Coming of Age

Format: EPUB

Content Rating: Older than 17

The world of finance is, in its simplest form, just like a game of Chutes and Ladders. There are only two things that matter to the bottom line: profits and losses. The goal is to climb to the finish and thrive, not fall back down the chute.

Having been named the manager of the newly created Research Department at Spurgeon, Jonathan's career is soaring. After getting through a reorganization that forces him to make some tough decisions, he develops the team into a cutting-edge research department, consistently performing beyond expectations. His own portfolio grows as well, with friendly advice from a colleague developing into a lucrative new opportunity for his fund. And for those of you who judge a book by its cover, spoiler alert--yes, you now know who the future Mrs. Jonathan Edward Kane will be. There is probably no greater profit than finding the one you want to spend your life with. By these standards, Jonathan is richer than most kids who grew up dirt poor in rural Ohio can imagine.

However, as tends to happen, profit is balanced by loss. As profitable as he's been financially, the personal losses he suffers may be even greater. Both Bev and Keiko suffer from crippling medical conditions, though in Bev's case, the issue is mental rather than physical. Keiko continues to battle against leukemia, with every effort being made to help her fight back and win. Bev's battle with her parents over Heather spirals out of control. The perils faced by both are straining on both them and him, especially when one small past mistake of his related to Bev and Heather inadvertently threatens his securities licenses. The conclusion to both of their battles will leave him reevaluating aspects of himself he never imagined.

With this baggage hanging over him, the next rung of the ladder will be much harder to reach, but as always, he continues to climb.