Wie sat in the corner of his dimly lit living room, cradling his youngest child. The baby cooed softly, oblivious to the storm raging in Wie’s mind. His wife, Ani, was busy putting their older children to bed, her face etched with worry she tried to hide.
The quiet hum of the refrigerator was the only sound in the room, a stark contrast to the chaos of Wie thoughts. He glanced at the stack of unpaid bills on the coffee table and sighed. Life had never been this hard, not even in his leanest years.
Just a 2 year ago, Wie was at the pinnacle of success. As the owner of one of the most lucrative online gambling platforms in Southeast asia, he had everything he could want wealth, influence, and the ability to provide for his family without a second thought.
But the birth of his fourth child had changed everything. Holding his newborn daughter for the first time, Wie felt a wave of clarity he hadn’t expected. His life, built on the losses of others, suddenly felt hollow.
“My dears,” he had said one evening, standing by the crib. “I’m shutting it down. The business, all of it.”
Ani eyes widened. “What? Wie, are you serious? How will we survive?”
“I don’t know yet,” he admitted. “But I can’t keep doing this. I need to be someone my children can look up to.”
Ani didn’t argue further, though the worry in her eyes remained.
Wie dismantled his empire quietly, ensuring his name never appeared in any of the public records. He transferred ownership of the platform to a trusted partner, severing ties completely. By the time the platform resurfaced under new management, Wie was already a ghost.
The first few months were manageable. Wie had savings, and Ani frugal nature kept their household running. But as the months dragged on and Wie’s attempts at finding honest work failed, the money dwindled. Employers were hesitant to trust a man who couldn’t explain the sudden disappearance of a successful business.
That’s when Wie decided to write.. to be an author..
“I’ve always loved stories,” he told Ani one evening, trying to sound optimistic. “Maybe I can write a novel. Who knows? It could be a hit.”
Ani smiled faintly. “Just promise me you won’t give up,” she said, her voice heavy with both hope and doubt.
Writing turned out to be harder than Wie anticipated. He spent hours at his old laptop, often staring at the screen until his eyes burned. His first novel, Shadows in the City, was a noir thriller inspired by his old life. He self-published it, using the last of his savings to cover printing costs.
The sales were dismal.
Reviews trickled in, most of them scathing. “Amateurish,” one critic wrote. “A story that tries too hard to be edgy but fails to deliver.”
Ani found him sitting at the kitchen table that night, staring at his phone. “Are you okay?” she asked gently.
Wie forced a smile. “Yeah, just... thinking about the next book.”
But inside, he was crumbling.
The pressure mounted as their financial situation worsened. The rent was overdue, the fridge was nearly empty, and their six month old daughter needed formula they could barely afford. Wie began to feel the pull of his old life.
Just one deal, his thoughts whispered. Just enough to clear the bills and give the kids a good life.
But every time the temptation grew too strong, he looked at his children. He remembered why he had walked away in the first place.
“I’ll find another way,” he told himself.
Fueled by desperation and a renewed sense of purpose, Wie began working on a new manuscript. This time, he wrote from the heart. His new novel, The Gamble of Redemption, was deeply personal a story of a man who leaves behind a life of wealth built on others’ pain to search for meaning and redemption.
Ani is a great woman, she supported him quietly, taking on part-time work to keep food on the table. She never complained, though Wie could see the exhaustion in her eyes. Her quiet strength became his anchor, pushing him to keep going even when he wanted to quit.
When he finally finished the manuscript, Wie felt a glimmer of hope for the first time in months. He sent it to dozens of publishers, bracing himself for rejection.
Weeks later, as he sat at his desk one late evening, his phone buzzed. It was an email from a small but respected publisher.
"Dear Mr. Wie,
We are thrilled to inform you that we would like to publish your novel, The Gamble of Redemption. We believe it has the potential to connect deeply with readers..."
Wie read the email twice, then a third time, his hands shaking.
“What is it?” Ani asked, coming into the room.
“They want to publish it,” he whispered. “Someone finally believes in my work.”
Ani face broke into a smile, and she hugged him tightly. For the first time in what felt like forever, Wie felt the weight of his choices lifting.
The road ahead was still uncertain. The book’s success wasn’t guaranteed, and their financial troubles weren’t over. But Wie knew he had taken the first step toward building a life he could be proud of a life his children could one day look up to.
And now at this present day.. Wie or real name Dheny .N still fight with this world to gain success to be a famous author..
The world maybe want to crushed us..but believe this.."the strongest desire will make it all passable"