Chapter 2

2.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

“So you’re telling me… you threw our entire emergency savings into a crypto scam?”

“A scam?” Tom’s face darkened. “Sarah, your mindset is so limited. Do you have any idea how many people have achieved financial freedom through crypto? You’re still living in the last century, thinking a nine-to-five is the only way to make money.”

“Mike isn’t a liar, he’s my cousin! His tech buddies from Ohio State are all driving Teslas now. How do you think they got them? From a dead-end salary like yours?”

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “Tom, did you do any research at all? What is this MetaGold company? Is it registered with the SEC? Does it have a physical address?”

“Here we go again,” Tom rolled his eyes. “This is what you do. You question everything. You know what successful people do when an opportunity comes along? They grab it, they don’t analyze it. Analysis leads to paralysis―that’s a Silicon Valley motto.”

“Mike said this project has to be kept secret. Once it goes public, the big institutions will rush in and squeeze out the little guys. It’s called information asymmetry, got it? We have an inside track right now. This is a privilege!”

“Tom!” I screamed. “That was our only emergency fund! What happens if you lose your job? What if TJ gets sick? What if―”

“Always the worst-case scenario!” Tom cut me off. “That’s your problem. You’re always worrying about things that will never happen. That scarcity mindset is classic poor people thinking!”

“Besides, didn’t you just get a promotion and a raise this month? It’s just twenty grand. You can make that back in a couple of months. But if we don’t invest now, we’ll regret it for the rest of our lives.”

The bedroom door suddenly flew open. Our son, TJ, ran in and stood right in front of Tom.

“Mom! You’re yelling at Dad again! Why are you always so mean?”

Tom knelt and hugged TJ. “Son, do you know what Dad just did?”

“You were investing!” TJ shouted. “You were building wealth!”

“Exactly!” Tom kissed TJ’s forehead. “My boy is a genius. Not like your mom, who only knows how to live paycheck to paycheck. TJ, do you want to be rich or poor?”

TJ didn’t hesitate. “Rich! Rich like Logan Paul!”

“That’s my boy!” Tom looked at me triumphantly. “See? Even an eight-year-old has more vision than you. You’re destined to work for someone else your whole life because you’re too scared to take a risk.”