shuhaige
Chapter 284
Extra 3: Support
Apparently, things weren’t going very well at the construction company. A new competitor had come to town and was challenging the Coopers because, since its opening. It had entered the market with lower prices than what Jayden and his company offered.
This new company provided cheaper and more economical materials and labor while delivering the same results in their final work… so, of course, many clients were attracted by this offer.
Given the situation, Jayden and his father sat down to talk with the company accountant to figure out
how to solve their problem.
They began analyzing how they could win back those cilents by offering some discount on their current prices… but the truth was, they were already offering a fair price for the quality of work and top–notch materials they used. If they made a big discount, they would end up losing money and not making a profit from the work done or the products sold.
Still, some clients were on their side because they preferred to pay for the quality they offered.
“And that’s the whole story…” Jayden said, letting out a sigh after finishing his explanation.
“Hang in there, love. And hey, what about the quality of the competitor’s materials? Is it good?”
“We’ve already bought some samples, and no… It’s actually of lower quality than ours. And yes, we always tell our clients that, but some just prefer to save money.”
“I see…” Deborah said worriedly. Sometimes, people preferred price over quality because their budget restricted them to the cheapest option.
“Yeah… but what worries me most about all this is that if we don’t recover our sales and small projects, we’ll soon have to start letting people go… both at the company and here at home,” he said, making a face as he watched the servants setting the table for dinner. “And honestly, I don’t want to take anyone’s job away because I know a lot of them are supporting their families.”
“Calm down, love,” Deborah said, taking his hands.
“I can’t calm down. Things are getting complicated at work, and the twins are arriving in a few months, which will only increase our expenses at home, plus the kids, school, and.” Jayden started to gasp from the immense pressure weighing on his shoulders. It was the first time he’d ever worried about money. Not that starting over bothered him, but with four children and a mansion to maintain…
“Jayden,” he felt Deborah gently holding his face, making him look into her eyes, “Breathe, love. Slowly… like during labor. inhale and exhale,” she instructed, noticing he was following her lead and gradually calming down. “Better?”
“Hm…”
“Love, to avoid stressing you out, you focus on the company.”
What?
Use t
“Use the money you have right now to get the company back on its feet.”
“But…”
“Hey, remember, I have money too.”
“Yes… but…”
‘T’ll cover the medical expenses for the delivery, the kids‘ school, the mansion’s upkeep, and the staff’s wages.”
“What? But Deborah, that’s a lot of money, and-”
“And it’s money I have. Plus, we’re married, and we should support each other in everything, don’t you
think?
“I know you can, but-”
“No buts. Come on, don’t tell me you’re offended now that I’m offering to help with the house finances.” Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.
“Um… I guess my ego didn’t want me to consider the possibility of asking you for help.”
“Well, that’s not good, silly, because you and I are a team, and we need to support each other through good times and bad,” she said, taking out her phone. “Tomorrow I’ll tell Dad to reduce the investments from Emergency Fund 3, and we’ll switch those payments so that I manage them. I imagine the kids get their allowances in their accounts, so….
“Wait, love, what do you mean by Emergency Fund number 3?”
“Well, I made several investments with my money that have been generating interest, and I named them for specific purposes.”
“But… I thought your savings were your salary from your time as a government accountant.”
“Yes and no.”
“Did you have more money saved?”
“Not me, my mom had money stashed away.”
“Huh? But… didn’t that guy and his family steal all that money?”
“Part of it, but do you remember the documents Brandon had about my mom?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, while reviewing them, I found out there were two bank accounts Frederick never discovered because he didn’t know they existed. These accounts were long–term investments that renewed automatically every five years. They were intended for the company and me.”
“You?”
“Yes, one account was named ‘Emergency Fund for School and/or Graduation Gift for My Baby.“”
“I see, despite everything, your mom always sought to protect you.”
“Mhmm… and as a good daughter, I followed her example. I took the money from the company and used it for that. Although I didn’t spend it all, what was left over I continued to invest so it would keep earning interest as a safety net,” she explained. “I divided mine into three.”
“Three?”
“One savings account for James, another for Elizabeth, and one for emergencies,” she said, showing him those separate investments. Jayden was amazed at the amount of money in each account. “It pays to know how the stock market works,” she said, winking. Though in a few months, I’ll take some funds from James and Elizabeth’s accounts to create one for the twins. The idea is to have savings to support them in their studies or to help them start their own business”