“The winner of the New Entrepreneur of the Year award is… Trent Walker of Walker Accounting Services!”

Applause rang out across the room at the MCs words. Trent stood and buttoned his jacket, making his way the few steps to the podium, imagining the clapping was as much for the fact that his award was the last one of the evening, and everyone would be able to get the hell out of there as soon as he finished speaking, as it was for him. He didn’t plan to talk for long.

A beautiful woman in an evening gown handed him the trophy. It was heftier than it looked, which took...