Richard stayed silent for a long while before finally speaking, slowly and heavily, “About twenty-two years ago.”

Back then, Richard’s family was dirt poor. He had just married Susan, and with a bit of street smarts, he managed to make some quick cash here and there—just enough to get by without doing any real work.

But little tricks don’t last forever. Eventually, Richard got into trouble. Big trouble. He almost lost a hand over something stupid. ...