The families were worlds apart. My family, the ones who raised me and made me who I was, ran a finance company, though no one would call it an ordinary one. We weren’t exactly a shining example of ethical business practices. Our company was built on lending money at exorbitant rates, and to many people, we were nothing more than loan sharks. The kind of business that thrived on desperation, taking advantage of those who had nowhere else to turn. I hated the way it made me feel, but it was the life I’d been born into.

Then there was Phillip’s family. They were the complete opposite. Phillip’s family was...