By Saifullahi Attahir Wurno.
John Grisham’s The King of Torts tells the story of Clay Carter. He is a Washington city-based, poorly paid lawyer who works as a public defender on the city’s outskirts. Like most employees, he was unsatisfied with his job as it hardly paid his monthly expenses. Another problem with Clay was that he had been dating Rebecca for a long time, and her parents were unhappy with their relationship. These issues kept Mr Clay’s poor mind busy, always thinking of nothing but how he would become rich.
One afternoon at the office, a man named Max Pace appeared before Mr Clay, claiming to be an insider of one pharmaceutical company that secretly carried out a clinical trial on some prisoners without their consent. The story goes that a drug called Tarvan had a side effect that forced its victim to carry out senseless killings without any remorse. Mr Clay became interested in the case and went to investigate up to the prison and interviewed the victims.
Mr Clay gathered enough evidence to sue the pharmaceutical company involved. Before that, he went into an agreement not to disclose or involve Max Pace in the dealing. After lengthy litigation, the company pleaded guilty and made a massive settlement for the victims through Mr Clay’s hands. This made Mr Clay a hot cake within a month.
Surprisingly, Max Pace appeared again while trying to adjust to his new life, promising Mr Clay that more litigation cases needed another lawyer for the investigation, so he advised Mr Clay to try his luck. Ever greedy with money, without question, Clay accepted the challenge and plunged into action.
This one involved another giant pharmaceutical company called Ackerman Laboratories that developed a drug called Dyloft, which was found to be carcinogenic (potential to cause cancer). This time, Mr Clay raised a campaign in TV and magazines until, eventually, the Ackerman laboratories pleaded guilty and agreed to pay a 100 million Dollar settlement. Barrister Clay became an overnight Millionaire and the talk of the city, with magazines featuring and making stories about him; they even nicknamed him ‘The King of Torts’.
Typical of a man longing for cool Dollars, Mr Clay bought a new black and latest Mercedes Benz for a couple of millions, purchased a house in a neighbouring suburb, leased a building and founded a private law firm just for handling litigation cases. He hired more smart rookies ( young lawyers) and decorated his office building to appear prominent and affluent.
The problem with soft Dollars is that they often affect our thinking negatively. This time, Mr Clay’s relationship with Rebecca becomes sour, and he begins to distance himself from her, although they genuinely love each other. The fact that her parents are not happy with their relationship and would not allow them to live together forced Mr Clay to date other young girls secretly. He was always roaming from one five-star hotel to another, paying huge bills to satisfy his desire.
He entered the big league of Great lawyers in town, spending lavishly, travelling around the country attending conferences in a state-of-the-art private Jet he leased! and travelling to the Caribbean Islands during holidays to enjoy his wealth.
He eventually met a lady named Ridley, who was a beauty Model. Ridley (modern-day prostitute). That is where Mr Clay was losing his soft Dollars quickly and without noticing. He bought many properties in her name, fearing to lose them to the FBI, thinking he trusted her enough and their relationship would be permanent.
As for his work, he was luckily getting more dollars, litigating more pharmaceutical companies, the latest involving a company called Goffman that produced a drug called Maxatil. Thinking it’s always a win, he invested heavily in this case by orchestrating expensive adverts, hiring expensive lawyers, and even recruiting fake victims just to get the soft Dollars. Unfortunately, Goffman was not ready to back down; they hired more expert lawyers and conducted a deeper investigation. Eventually, Mr Clay lost the case.
Losing for the first time, Mr Clay lost his balance, and more trouble awaited as the Goffman company sued him for blackmailing their products; this forced Mr Clay to lose a large proportion of his fortune.
Mr Clay was sued again before the court by the clients on whose behalf he collected a massive settlement for not paying them enough to cover their hospital bills after leaked news by one of his close allies. Without saying, Mr Clay becomes more deeply in trouble.
He was eventually investigated by the FBI, risking a jail term or a settlement that would cost him almost all of his fortune. He has the option for the latter. He lost all his assets and new ‘friends’, including Ridley, who fled without a trace. He fled the country, and surprisingly, all this while, his original lover Rebecca was married to another man but got divorced later. Finding out Mr Clay’s story, she travelled to meet him, console him and offer her genuine care and love. They continued to live afterwards, and Mr Clay learned his lessons.
History has continually shown that overnight riches or those who stumble upon a vast fortune suddenly and effortlessly are similarly more susceptible to losing it. The problem with overnight riches is that they impede our positive thinking, allowing us to dive deep into fantasies, opening unrealistic doors, and drawing us toward deceptive paths.
This story can reference some of our lives today; this insatiable search for soft money by all and sundry, hook or crook, could remind the old maxim that happiness, contentment, genuine wealth, and loving family matter more.
