Write about someone telling their family they won’t be continuing the long-standing family business.

Posted in Sad on Oct 31, 2022

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✍️ 175 stories

“An Improved Version” by Regina Perry

Submitted to Contest #69

One day, Mrs Sharp stuck her pointy nose where it did not belong. This was not so particularly unusual, as Mrs Sharp was the sort of woman who thought her nose belonged wherever she put it. In her defense, she was trying to be friendly.“Have you been to see your parents lately?” She asked Andreas, her tenant. She was bringing in the mail; Andreas had a letter from his mother.“Of course,” Andreas answered distractedly. He hadn’t; he’d been avoiding his mother for a long time. She had different ideas about what he ought to do with his life tha...

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“Den of Iniquity” by Courtney Haynes

Submitted to Contest #69

Stephanie slinks in the chair kicking her legs in the air as You Can Leave Your Hat On by Joe Cocker plays. She has been trying to get this routine down all day. All month, it seems like, but her legs seem like barely attached appendages rather than her own legs. On her back now, she points her toes and tries to do a roll all the way to the other side, but she over rolls landing on the other side and face down on the ground, an external force causing her to lose concentration. That force? Her father's eyes. "What in the Sam Hill is g...

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“''Until when '' set me free.” by Beatrice Kaseke

Submitted to Contest #69

‘’Dad I think I now have something that I want to concentrate on, you know since my childhood, I have always wanted to become a librarian and this hacking business is not my passion. Allow me for once to choose what I want in my life. I just want a decent job although it will not generate much as compared to what I was getting when I am in your business.’’ Dad ‘’ hey let me remind you if you have forgotten, you are my only son, the only heir to my business so if you think I am going to release you like that stop dreaming Mila. Where do...

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“The Interview” by Marcail Nevaeh

Submitted to Contest #69

“What do you mean you’re quitting?!” My father bellows in fury. I had thought it would be going better than this…my father has always taken pride in the family business. I just hadn’t realized how much it meant to him...but this is important to me! I don’t want to spend my whole life working for an oil manufacturer. I guess my dad had other ideas. I want to go out into the world and find an interesting job. One that will bring me joy! “I mean that I don’t want to work for you anymore, Father.” I tell him plainly, hoping I ...

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“Van Life Is Best” by Annette Lovewind

Submitted to Contest #69

“ No,” I scream in my Mom’s face. “I won’t do it...I can’t” I looked down to the ground and looked into the cracks that littered the pavement. I can feel my mother’s intense stare into the deepest part of my soul. She says nothing for a while. I meet her eyes and I can see her wheels turning. Her lips were pursed and you could see the disappointment wafting from her facial expression. “Well fine since you’ve grown moral grounds now guess I'll do it myself”. She says I look at her with horror. “No please...please don’t kill her.” I...

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“Rites and Rights of Passage” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #69

“Call me when you have a real problem buddy.” Arthur couldn’t think of a good response to that statement from one of his best friends – Fred. So he quickly made up a story of how he was in the middle of creating his latest painting, and he didn’t want the paint to dry before he finished what he was doing. So he had to hang up. There was no such painting at this time. After they both hung up at about the same time, he had to agree with Fred somewhat. He was being offered the plum job of being the well-paid CEO of a very ...

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“A New Life down Under” by Barbara Burgess

Submitted to Contest #69

Joe sat at his mother’s dinner table poking his dinner with his fork. Jessica put her hand under the table and gave his knee a reassuring squeeze. They both looked at each other. “Joe, are you coming down sick with something? You’ve hardly touched your Sunday Lunch. Jessica has nearly eaten all hers.” “Go, on Joe, tell your Mum.” Said Jessica. “Tell me what, Joe?” “Well, Mum, I was going to talk to you a while back but could not find the right time to do it.” “What is it Joe?” “Jessica and I are getting married.” “What, after five years of l...

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“Send in the Clowns” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #69

“I expect everyone will be there.” Emmett drove south on the 41. “I’m with you. Stick to your guns, Emmett.” “Yeah, that means a lot, Grace. It wouldn’t be a holiday without some kind of verbal fisticuffs. I just can’t pretend anymore.” “You shouldn’t. It’s your life. ” Grace took in the sights as they drove through Sarasota, Emmett’s home town. He hadn’t been back since he left for college. His family’s roots went back a century. Circus roots. He pointed at the Ringling mansion, Ca’ d’Zan. “Let’s tour it this week. Amazing place. A lot of h...

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“Family Business ” by Chris Buono

Submitted to Contest #69

“You wanted to see me, Uncle Tommy,” Peter said as he walked into the office. Don Tom Buono smiled, the kid looked just like his old man- Tom’s best friend at one point. “Pete,” the old man said, he greeted the young man with a hug accompanied by an envelope slipped into Peter’s jacket pocket. “Have a seat, young man.” The don took his chair behind the great mahogany desk stacked with papers between old photographs of frie...

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“Not My Lie” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #69

Jason took a deep breath as he leant on the window. The meeting room was just down the hall, but it might as well have been a million miles away. No matter how much he tried he couldn’t get his legs to work, couldn’t push himself away and turn and walk. Come on, he thought, walking is easy. Even children can do it. Yeah, thought the knot of fear in his stomach, but children don’t have to walk into that meeting. The plan – the great plan that he’d been concocting for weeks – had been to arrive early, so he could be the first one in the ro...

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“The Obstinacy ” by Bareera Samra

Submitted to Contest #69

The darkened room was only lit by a few shimmering candles that were making shadows on the wall. In the candle-light, a woman could be seen sitting on a sofa across the table. She was middle-aged, wearing a long purple robe over her clothes, and her mysterious black eyes were gazing in the girl’s honey colored who was sitting across her. She was a young girl, around thirteen, dressed in a frock, and was glancing around the room, surprised by it’s darkness. ‘Lisa.’ The woman called in a husky voice. ‘Mum? Why did you bring m...

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“Katherine Quartz, MSW” by Sjan Evardsson

Submitted to Contest #69

For the third time in as many minutes, Kat checked her polished tusks for stray lipstick. Her waist-length onyx hair was piled into an elaborate up-do, held by two plain silver hairpins that had been her grandmother’s. The lipstick she kept re-checking was the same deep chocolate brown as her evening gown, setting off her ochre-yellow skin and deep green eyes.“Kat, you look beautiful, quit stressing it.” At just a shade over five feet tall, Gwen stood as high as Kat’s armpits. Where Kat was a mountain of muscle in warm, earthy tones, Gwen wa...

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“The Great Robbery ” by A J

Submitted to Contest #69

"I have news. Good news, people." I looked around to see everyone meddling in each other's miserable mundane work. None interested in what I had to say, except for Bumbleweed.Now, who is Bumbleweed you ask? Bumbleweed is our goldfish. Very poofed up and golden(probably because no one feeds him regularly, and the poor soul has to live off the water which makes him round as it consumes more space). He looked at me with his wide eyes, flapping his fins in the little living space he had made for himself out of his droppings, leftover food, and d...

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“Elegy” by Jessica C

Submitted to Contest #69

It’s not going to be like before.It’s nothing but a stupid, meaningless mantra that shatters against your reflection in the bathroom mirror each morning as you hold the razor to your cheek and wonder what if. You don’t look like you anymore because you’re not you anymore. Sometime not so long ago you started your descent into the unseen void, little by little, and sometime not so long from now you will disappear completely. Not that it matters. The world is burning, and we’re all headed to Hell together. Or so you’ve been...

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“Concession Stand Girl” by Julie Ward

Submitted to Contest #69

Kyle met Judith on a cold night at the end of the worst year of his life. He’d gone to see a film at The Academy, the art-house theater downtown. It was the kind of faded movie palace that used to anchor every main street in every small town, a throwback to the days when people lined up to see their favorite stars on the silver screen. It had long been abandoned for the neon-lit multiplex outside of town, which was why Kyle preferred it. He came here at least once a week to escape for two hours, pause the nonstop monologue in his head. Bette...

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Write about someone telling their family they won’t be continuing the long-standing family business.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 175 stories

“An Improved Version” by Regina Perry

“Den of Iniquity” by Courtney Haynes

“''Until when '' set me free.” by Beatrice Kaseke

“The Interview” by Marcail Nevaeh

“Van Life Is Best” by Annette Lovewind

“Rites and Rights of Passage” by John Steckley

“A New Life down Under” by Barbara Burgess

“Send in the Clowns” by John K Adams

“Family Business ” by Chris Buono

“Not My Lie” by Iona Cottle

“The Obstinacy ” by Bareera Samra

“Katherine Quartz, MSW” by Sjan Evardsson

“The Great Robbery ” by A J

“Elegy” by Jessica C

“Concession Stand Girl” by Julie Ward

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about a family adapting a holiday tradition to take place over video chat.

Write about someone who falls back into childish behaviors whenever they’re around their family.

Write about someone who didn’t get along with their family as a child, but has since found an appreciation for them.

Write about a family’s first holiday after a parent has gotten remarried, and now there are new faces at the table and new traditions to be honored.

Contest #69

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

510

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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