Chapter 20 - Start from Where You Stand
Alex stood frozen like his feet were glued to the floor. His heart pounded steadily in his chest, but not from excitement this time, it was fear. Real, raw fear. His mouth was open, but no words came out. All he could think was:
"Website designer... app developer... marketing... How am I supposed to do all that?"
His mind was racing. Every part of the project Raymond praised now felt like a giant mountain. He remembered the little savings he and Emma had been surviving on. Their father had passed away and left them with just enough to scrape by. That was their reality, survival. Not business or building dreams.
Tears filled his eyes before he even realized it. His throat tightened.
"I can't do this," he whispered, more to himself than anyone else. "Not now... not with what I have."
Raymond leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. He looked calm, but his voice was firm. "Alex," he said, "this, what you're feeling right now, is the reality of business."
Alex looked up at him, confused and lost.
Raymond continued, "No one told you to dream small. You drew up a big plan. A brilliant one, yes, but expensive. This is part of the journey. The struggle. The mess. Every serious entrepreneur hits this wall."
"But... I thought you'd help," Alex muttered.
Raymond raised an eyebrow. "Help? Do everything for you? No. I'm not here to spoon-feed you. I'm here to guide, to teach. One lesson you must learn is this: no one is coming to carry your dream for you. You have to fight for it, even when it feels impossible."
Alex stared at him, the words hitting him like cold water.
"I want to see what you'll do," Raymond said, voice low but steady. "What will you do when no one is holding your hand?"
There was a long pause. Alex didn't respond. He didn't know what to say. Raymond's final words echoed in his head:
"Think of something. Find a way. There's always a way."
*****
The evening sun had faded into the night by the time Alex got home. His face was drained like someone who had been hit by something he didn't see coming.
Emma was sitting on the floor, sorting through old clothes to sell online.
She looked at him, concerned. "Alex, what's wrong? You've been sulking since you stepped in."
Alex lay on the worn-out couch. "Where am I supposed to get that kind of money to build all this? The tech, the promotion, everything? I can't do it. I just can't."
Emma stood up, walked closer, and gently touched his arm. "I don't know much about business or apps or whatever this is. But I did what I could."
Alex glanced at her, confused. "What do you mean?"
Before Emma could answer, there was a knock at the door.
Knock knock.
They both turned.
The door opened slowly, and Sarah walked. Her hair was in a messy bun, laptop bag slung across her shoulder.
"There she is," Alex teased. "The almighty lawyer."
Emma stepped back, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I called her. I knew you'd need someone smarter than me right now. Someone who actually knows this stuff."
Alex leaned back and looked at Emma with a grin. "So... you do have some sense of reasoning after all," he joked.
Emma rolled her eyes. "Oh, please."
They both chuckled and Sarah, who had just taken off her shoes at the door, folded her arms, pretending to be annoyed.
"So what's the big emergency I had to run down here for?" she asked. "I heard someone was crying."
Alex sat up straight. "I wasn't crying," he said quickly. "Just... frustrated. Disappointed. I really thought everything was about to change for the better."
His voice softened at the end, and the room grew quiet for a moment.
Sarah moved closer and sat beside him. "Oh! This is about the project, right? What happened?"
Alex sighed deeply and ran his hands over his face. "Raymond praised my idea, but then turned around and told me to figure it out myself. The money, the website, the app, promotion, everything. Alone."
Sarah raised her eyebrows. "Wait, what?"
"Yeah," Alex said. "He told me I was the one who drafted a big plan. And that it's not his job to fund my ambition."
Sarah couldn't help but laugh a little, shaking her head. "Wow. I mean... are you really surprised? You thought he was just going to hand you a blank cheque and say, 'Go build your dream'?"
"I mean, yeah," Alex said honestly. "He's a big guy, and all that wouldn't even scratch his pocket."
"Well, that's not how life works," Sarah said, folding her arms again. "People like that don't hand out success. They test you. See if you're serious enough to make something out of nothing. What if he's just trying to see what you can do when no one's holding your hand."
Alex looked at her, frustration rising again. "Then why encourage someone to build what they can't afford? That's not fair."
Sarah sighed. "Maybe. But listen, based on what you've said, I don't think he would have let you go ahead if he didn't believe you could do it somehow. Maybe the lessons weren't just about business, they were about building you. Your confidence. Your creativity. Your resilience."
She paused. "And by the way... wasn't there a guy you worked on this with? What's his name again? Phillip?"
Alex blinked. "Yeah. Phillip. I almost forgot."
"Have you reached out to him since the pitch?"
"No, I haven't. But what would I even say? That Raymond liked my plan but won't invest? Should I just ask him to throw in his own money instead?"
Sarah leaned closer. "No. Just tell him the truth. Tell him everything. You don't know, he might have an idea, or a contact, or even a better offer. But you have to talk to him first. Don't sit here guessing."
Alex hesitated. "Alright. I'll call him... maybe later tonight."
Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Nope. Not later. Now. Right now."
Alex sighed again, then picked up his phone.
He dialed Phillip's number and waited.
The phone rang once. Twice.
Then a click.
"Hello, Alex," Phillip's voice came through. He sounded tired but alert.
"Hey Phillip... I hope I'm not disturbing."
"No, no. I could use the break. My head's spinning. What's up?"
Alex swallowed. "I just wanted to update you on everything. I had the meeting with Raymond..."
He liked the project and everything but didn't agree to sponsor it or even oversee the development, saying I should do it all alone.
There was silence for a few seconds on the other end.
Then Phillip spoke, his tone heavier now. "To be honest, Alex... I'm not even calm listening to you. My mind is all over the place."
"Why? What's wrong?"
"I have to present the entire ADIG Constructions partnership project to the Board of Directors tomorrow morning. It's a big deal. Everything depends on it. If it goes well, it could change everything, not just for me, but even for the company."
Alex sat up straighter. "Wait, what do you mean?"
Phillip lowered his voice. "I'll explain everything after the presentation tomorrow. Maybe we can meet after then."
Alex's heart skipped. "So... there's still hope?"
But before Phillip could respond, the call ended.
Connection lost.