Liam glanced at Helen’s tear–streaked face, and despite everything, he felt his resolve soften. His tone became more considerate. “Alright, stop crying. Let’s figure out how to pay the wages, okay?”
If Edwin ever finds out how far things have fallen, I’ll be out of job in an instant.
We have to find a way to get the products out of the factory, or we’ll be in a world of trouble.
Helen sniffled, wiping her eyes with a tissue. “How am I supposed to know what to do?”
Liam thought for a moment, then suggested, “How much savings do you have? Take it all out and use it to pay the wages. Once the factory starts moving products again, I’ll pay you back.”.
It was the only solution he’d come up with after hours of thinking.
If they didn’t pay the workers, they’d definitely protest, stop working, or maybe even go on strike. If that happened, there was no chance they’d be able to make decent clothes.
There was no other option but to pay them, keep spirits up, and give the factory a fighting chance.
Helen bit her lip, clearly unsure. “I don’t have much. Just a little over 2,000 dollars.”
Liam’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? Only 2,000?”
I’ve given her a lot over the last few months. Just recently, I gave her 60,000.
Where did it all go?
Liam couldn’t quite believe it. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just borrowing it for now. I’ll pay you back as soon as I can. I won’t take a single penny of yours.”
Helen frowned deeply. “Uncle Liam, do you think I’m lying to you? If I had money, I would’ve given it to you right away.”
Looking into her eyes, Liam’s doubts started to fade.
“You have a decent salary. And with the money I’ve given you, you should have at least 200,000, right? Where did it all go?”
“Most of it went into maintenance–buying hair products, cosmetics, that kind of stuff,” Helen said, deliberately mentioning things Liam probably wouldn’t understand.
In reality, she hadn’t spent nearly as much as she implied on skincare and treatments.
She still had some savings, but she wasn’t foolish–why would she use her own money for this?
Besides, Liam wanted to use her money to pay the workers.
If the factory recovered quickly, fine. But if things didn’t turn around, her money would be gone for nothing.
Liam was about to argue when he suddenly felt completely helpless.
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He didn’t have much left either. After helping Helen with her bill, he’d spent over tens of thousands. Now. he was down to just a few thousand.
With his own bills to cover, he didn’t have enough to pay the wages.
As his thoughts turned to the bill he’d helped Helen pay, a new idea formed in his mind. His gaze shifted toward Caroline, who was sitting at the dining table, casually eating a toast.
“Caroline, do you have any money?”
He knew she didn’t have much, but if she had a few thousand, it could make a difference.
Better than nothing.
Caroline hadn’t expected him to ask her for money. After all, in Liam’s eyes, she was practically broke.
She hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t.”
Liam’s face darkened as he let out a frustrated sigh.
I knew she wouldn’t be able to help.
Do I really have to borrow from my brothers?
That was the last thing he wanted–he didn’t want them to make fun of him for failing to manage a small factory.
As he mulled over his options, Helen tugged at his sleeve and whispered in his ear, “Uncle Liam, if it’s just about borrowing some money for now, you could take out a loan.”
Liam immediately frowned. “No way. Loans involve tons of paperwork, and who knows how long it would take to get the money. I’m worried it won’t come through in time to pay the workers.”
Besides, if people found out he’d resorted to taking out a loan, they’d never let him live it down.
Helen lowered her voice. “Well, if you just need quick cash, you could try one of those small loan places. They’re fast–sometimes the money’s available within hours.”
She had a friend whose relative worked at one of those places, and she’d heard they could approve loans quickly with little hassle.
Liam hesitated, then remembered another problem. “My ID’s expired. I’m in the process of renewing it, so I can’t get a loan. How about using your ID? I’ll pay you back on time.”
They were family–he didn’t think it would be a big deal.
But Helen’s expression froze.
How have I gotten myself into this situation?
But she didn’t want to tell him outright that she wasn’t comfortable with the idea.
Looking at Caroline, who was eating without a care in the world, an idea popped into her head.
“I can’t do it I really hate owing money. If I had a loan banging over me I wouldn’t be able to sleen at
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night. That would make it impossible for me to focus on the design work, and I wouldn’t be able to create anything good.”
