My Lifeline-My American Express Cut Up In Front Of Me!

I had $60, no credit cards, and 6 months before I could leave Australia...Issue# 92

ifOnlyi…had not been sabotaged by my Mother refusing to pay me the money I’d earned before I was fired, my time in Australia would have been smoother. If only Mom had sent me some of the commission owed as promised, I could have lived stress-free and shown her more respect.

I was proud to walk up to the counter of this magnificent store after finding the perfect bow tie to wear for my first day of work!

It was red, made of leather, and had a personality I could easily adapt to. Everyone at Rogues wore black bow ties, and I had to be different. I had no idea what Lee, the owner, would say. Would he think I was out of line?

The gentleman behind the counter asked, "Is that all, sir?” Karen stood beside me as I nodded and said, "For today.” I handed him my American Express (Amex) card for payment. “Declined, Sir,” he said. I was embarrassed beyond words as Karen heard it all.

He said he needed to call Amex, so hold tight. As I looked over at Karen, I felt the color drained from my face, my heart started to race, and I had that look of “Holy shit I’m in a mess.” The cashier hangs up the phone and says, “I’m told I must cut the card up in front of you right now!!” “WHATTTTTTTTT?” was all I could say.

I instinctively knew this had to be something my Mom had orchestrated. Making sure the card was to be cut up in front of me.

I got my first Amex card a few weeks before leaving the country. I used it to buy my ticket to Australia, take a few friends out, go to the desert for two nights, visit the Playboy club, say goodbye, and have a last hurrah. A few thousand dollars were charged on it, and I used it to pay for a few meals with Karen in Sydney.

I had asked Mom to pay my monthly bills, including American Express, while I was in Australia, and she agreed, saying she would deduct the money from my commissions due. She controlled the company's finances, and I had just five monthly bills, but zero after my first two months in Australia.

• Telephone line📞 - Cancelled by Mom!

• Car 🚙 payment - Car sold by Mom!

• Car insurance - Cancelled by Mom!

• GQ Monthly Magazine - Cancelled by Mom!

• American Express Bill - Cancelled by Mom!

My first bill must have arrived at the house, and my Mom opened it and instantly called American Express, telling them to cancel the card. My parents’ company owed me well over $50,000, and when all the goods were shipped, I was counting on that money for my bills and my stay in Australia.

Dad was either living in a hotel, flying from one country to another, or building factories throughout Asia, and I had no way of getting in touch with him. Believe me, I wanted to connect with him. I would have sent him a Telex message if I had known where he was staying.

Telex machines were popular back in the 1980s.

My Mom fired me a month earlier because I missed the first day of the Los Angeles gift show. My car was stolen from a hotel parking lot. The whole story is in issue #78, see the link below. It is well worth the read.

Mom knew she had lost her best salesman, me, and that would affect her bottom line. However, due to the extreme success of the new items, she made boatloads anyway, so no more concern or time for me.

I was owed a lot of money, but she was unwilling to send any of it to me in Australia. Ultimately, she kept it all to pay my bills and ensured I never saw any of it. Her excuses were delusional.

After the first month, Mom sold my car and canceled everything in my name. That was her way of punishing me. When she threatened to sell my precious record collection, my little sister took over 600 Albums and hid them in her room, knowing I would be devastated.

I took out my cash to pay for the bow tie, and thankfully, I had enough. I felt humiliated before Karen, but she said, “Ollie, you’ll be fine. You just got a great job in the best Sydney private club.”

I now have less than 45 Australian dollars left to my name. That was roughly US$30.

Tomorrow will be the start of my new job. I am excited and honored to work in a place of this stature. Oh Boy, what was I in for?

Karen said she would drive me to work the following day, and I should take a cab back home. My wonderful chauffeur, joking. Let’s see what the night brings; I must keep studying cocktails, mixed drinks, and Aussie terminology and fast.

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...ifOnlyi…short stories follow my true-life journey. If you've just found me, you can check out my publication and choose a story of interest or start from # 1.

** All images created with AI assistance for Ollie.