Sold into Submission

"Clang Clang Clang!" went the closing bell as the NYSE stopped trading for the day.
Visibly shaking, Marco slowly gathered up his papers and started putting them in his desk drawer when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Marco - my office - now." He turned to see his boss walking away in the direction of the small corner office from where he monitored all the action taking place. Slowly rising, he followed.

"How could I have been so fucking stupid?" he kept on asking himself as he entered the room and shut the door behind him. His boss was seated behind the desk and there were 2 other men with him, both looking grim.

"Marco, your stupidity has cost this syndicate almost 300 million dollars in the last 45 minutes!" his boss barked out, slowly rising from his chair. "What the fuck were you thinking of, shorting the market on Malaysian titanium futures? Well Mister, your trading days are well and truly over but your punishment is only just starting. You are going to repay every last fucking dime you cost this firm and it's going to be tough, but you'll just have to grin and bear it." He nodded at one of the two goons with him who produced a small aerosol canister from his pocket and sprayed it into Marco's face. Marco fell **** to the floor.