Joe's Downfall

Sometimes, Joe is unable to connect the dots as to what exactly had happened that day. All he remembers is waking up in a trembling state in his mother's arms. Caretaker had left long ago, and there was a questionable expression on his parents’ faces. Where did they find me? Why am I in the living room? Wasn't I in the ghost room? When did the nanny leave? With so many questions making rounds in his head, there wasn't enough time or space to communicate them all. Especially with the look on his mother's face that somehow communicated to him that ‘you made a mistake; you should not have done that.’

That's probably the last he remembers of his youth. Because from that point on, something had changed about Charlene. Peter finally knew about the portraits that she'd been hiding from them all along. But that wasn't the only thing that bothered her. It was something bigger and darker. Something that she never wanted Joe to have been around. It was Sabrina.

13 years later, as Joe sips through his coffee in Starbucks in New York, he can't help but think of how much credit card debt he's accumulated so far. And his favorite cinnamon dolce latte tall, as further added 365 to it. It's been a rough few months for him, ever since he lost his job, the impact of rising inflation and a shrinking economy became apparent to him way before he was fired. He could see the chain of layoffs in the company and his instinct told him he was next. However,more than losing the job, he was concerned about the lifestyle he had to give up and all that was associated with it, including his fiancée.

Joe came to New York City in hopes of making it big. His idea of living the American dream was all about making enough money to afford a decent lifestyle. But most of all, it was the quest to get rid of all the tranquility and terror his small hometown had unleashed on him. He wished to be surrounded by so much noise that he could no longer be bothered by the thoughts in his head. For a while, it did work out for him. Joe landed a job in a reputable firm in 2017. And served as an intern for six months. He finally started making enough to be able to afford his own place. Soon enough, he learned how auto financing worked and also bought his own car with a down payment. He was living the life he could only dream of a few years ago. Nightclubs and bars across New York City were his usual spots to hang out every weekend. His wardrobe had enough to last him for the next few months until the new collection arrived. During this time, he also happened to grow close to a co worker, Jessica. As a native of the city, Jessica showed him around and introduced him to her friends.

Somehow with time, Joe had his life revolving around her. From the nights they would spend together to the weekend getaways they would plan, the chemistry between them and become much more obvious at work. However, it only took a long for them both to make it official. It was on a weekend after work in November, when Joe finally met Jessica's parents.

To an extent it did bother her family as to why Joe wasn't in touch with any of his family members. But it didn't matter as long as the couple was happy and had the means to be together. The same weekend, they got engaged in an intimate ceremony and returned to New York shortly after. Jessica had moved in with Joe. However, they came home to learn of a massive downsizing the company was planning to implement. After the fourth consecutive failure to secure a deal with the firm, there weren't enough funds to support the livelihoods of so many employees hence the layoffs. While rumors were still in the air, Joe and Jessica were hoping for them to be untrue. They just applied for a mortgage in the countryside and losing the job would bring all of their plans down to nothing. The next morning, they both learned of about 50 layoffs in the company with most of them from the resource and logistics department. A week later, it was Jessica and later in the same day, it was Joe.

With a month left to their service in the company, both of them had started looking for other options, but unfortunately, nothing seemed to work out and all they had to rely on were their individual savings. Joe's drinking habit had gotten worse in the meantime, and so had his temper. With frequent fights and unpaid bills, there was only so much Jessica could keep up with. The life they planned on building together seemed too distant of a dream now, and there came a point where they both reached a dreadful realization. It was time to move on. Jessica moved out and went back to her parents. Joe had no choice but to suffer the consequences of the economic downfall. The savings he was hoping to use for his credit card bills all went into the monthly payments of his car.

With a year still left into his auto financing deal. Joe had to find a way out. After being rejected for almost every loan application, he faced another gruesome reality, the repossession of his car. Unfortunately, the American dream was far too short lived, and it was time to make a decision. As expected, Joe lost his studio apartment after failing to pay rent for three months straight and had to shift into a dorm. With credit card debts still have to deal with, Joe started working in a nearby cafe as the delivery boy. After six hard months of saving up, he was finally able to pay it off but by this time, he had come to the brink of burnout. He may have held out longer, but facing Jessica's friends on one of his delivery routes and killed every bit of self esteem he had left inside of him.

Weeks went by, but the damage done to his ego was far too much to be reversed and only a miracle could bring his soul back to life. In the matter of few months, Joe had lost his job, his fiancée, his car, and even his apartment. He had to face his ex-girlfriend’s friends in the worst of circumstances. In a nutshell, he had lost everything he came looking for. And maybe it was time for him to go back to his shady old hometown, Salem. After trying his luck and sending out resumés one last time, Joe was all set to return bidding farewell to the city he called home for two years wasn't easy. All he had left were a few pairs of shoes, a long coat and his favorite umbrella. In an attempt to enjoy the New York rain with a cup of coffee one last time, Joe took his umbrella out and went outside. Walking on the sidewalks reminded him of his early days in the city. Some part of him wished to stay back and make things work again, but a bigger part told him to go back to Salem and start a new life.

When we think of our hometowns, we think of all the sweet memories associated with them. But that wasn't the case with Joe. After a tricky relationship with his father, and the circumstances under which he left for New York, there wasn't much he was looking forward to in Salem, but for some reason, he always felt like there was some unfinished business he had to cater to. That old manor at the corner of the street and the spooky trees surrounding it were his home after all. Things may not have worked out for the best but that's where he spent his best days with Charlene, and some average ones with Peter.

Somewhat hopeful again, Joe reached home to check his emails one last time, pick his suitcase up and leave for good, and this is when he came across something rather shocking. There was an email and it was from the last place he had applied to. Joe hadgotten the job. You would expect him to be happy, for someone who finally found one last ray of hope to stay back. But for some reason, he wasn't. It was like his heart had already accepted the idea of going back after everything he had seen here. Should he stay here and earn his life back for good? Or should he go back and start all over again. His contemplation had not ended yet. On the one hand, he his bags packed and on the other, he was holding on to the idea of giving himself a chance again. But Joe was finally able to reach a conclusion.