Very bad things

Where do you start when everything is falling to shit?

Exhibit one: Jackass decided to start a smear campaign against me using the kids as weapons. He has started telling them tales that I have "stolen" his business and that the missing money? may or may not exist but if it does, *I* am most certainly the one who stole it. The kids that pretty much had to be forcibly compelled to go to his house two weeks ago, now are giving me dirty looks and are glued to their cellphones, texting him and disappearing into their rooms to talk to him. I am now the enemy.

Exhibit two: Despite my best efforts, it became clear last night that nothing I did could or would save the jobs that Jackass walked away from last year. I was sure it could be done, until I discovered that there was $50k LESS to finish one of the houses than I had thought. Jackass apparently took that money in February, right before his trip to Daytona for Bike Week. With that money in the budget it was going to be tight; but without it, things are impossible. I am horrified. Instead of a business with low operating capital, this is now, clearly, a criminal case. Where the money went, is a mystery. Three good families and a lot of good people are going to lose a LOT of money. I will most likely lose my house, and probably all my possessions. And Jackass is probably going to jail for a long time, leaving me the sole supporter of our three kids. This is going to be an unholy mess, and the customers are doing their best to get it all over the media. I am scared to death.