When Creative Writing Returns
The Collapse of a Self-Made Man... "When He Had Her"
Hank, a man who once prided himself on being self-made, had spent years cultivating an image of success. He wore his achievements like armor, flaunting them at every opportunity. He had built a business from the ground up, crafted an identity around hard work, and proclaimed himself as someone who had "done it all alone." But beneath the polished exterior, the truth was far from the narrative Hank had constructed.
For Hank, being "self-made" wasn’t just about hard work—it was the foundation of his identity. His worth was intrinsically tied to the idea that he had achieved success against all odds, without the help of others. The myth of Hank, the self-made man, was a tale he told himself and everyone around him. It was what gave him power, what made him feel superior to those who depended on others for their success. In this self-deception, Hank could mask his insecurities, his fragility, and his deep fear of being ordinary.
However, the cracks in his armor began to show. Hank's business, which once thrived, started to flounder. His ideas, once groundbreaking, now seemed outdated. His employees, once loyal, began to question his decisions. Hank, unable to face the reality of his inadequacies, doubled down on the very traits that had driven him to this point: arrogance, defensiveness, and an inflated sense of self-importance.
As his business struggled, Hank’s personal life mirrored the same turmoil. His marriage to a woman who had once supported him financially and emotionally began to crumble. She had been the one paying the bills, taking care of the kids, and shouldering the financial burden while Hank focused on expanding his empire. But the lack of reciprocity, the constant disregard for her needs, and Hank’s ever-growing emotional neglect took its toll. She left. She had supported him through thick and thin, but when it became clear that Hank couldn't provide her with the respect and stability she deserved, she walked away.
Hank, unable to face his reality, chose to believe that his failure was due to bad luck or outside circumstances. He found a new woman—one who seemed to admire his self-made narrative. He presented the same story to her, hoping that this time, she would be the one who would understand the sacrifices he had made to build his business. But the truth was, Hank had never truly addressed his own internal issues—his inability to take responsibility, his emotional immaturity, and his deep-seated fear of failure.
As the months passed, Hank's story remained the same. He convinced himself that most women would accept the imbalance of power in the relationship, just as his ex-wife had. He was still the man who needed support, who needed someone to believe in him. But deep down, he knew that he wasn’t the man he claimed to be. Every time he tried to pick himself up, the weight of his ego and his failures pulled him down further.
This was the moment when Hank’s ego began to fracture. The realization that he was no longer the self-made man he had once been—was no longer in control—became too much for him to ignore. His inflated sense of self-worth, built on external achievements, began to crack. He had no one to blame but himself, and this truth was more than he could bear. His internal battle between the self-image he had created and the man he had become led to overwhelming feelings of self-loathing. He wasn’t the leader he had once believed he was. He wasn’t the successful entrepreneur; he was just another employee, another man who had fumbled his chance at greatness.
As Hank struggled to accept his new reality, he began to feel like a fraud. The imposter syndrome set in, and no amount of boasting or self-assurance could hide the fact that he was now facing the consequences of his earlier decisions. He was a man stuck in a cycle of self-sabotage, refusing to take responsibility for his failures while blaming everyone else around him.
In his workplace, Hank’s inability to fulfill his role became glaringly obvious. He had been hired for his expertise, but he couldn’t perform the tasks he had promised to do. His ego wouldn’t allow him to acknowledge his shortcomings, and the denial and defensiveness only made matters worse. Instead of accepting that he needed help, Hank continued to refuse to delegate, choosing instead to drown in his own failures. This caused frustration not only for him but for the people who had placed their trust in him. He felt inadequate, but he couldn’t allow himself to show it. Every time he was confronted with his failure, his reaction was one of anger and denial, not growth.
Meanwhile, Hank’s personal relationships continued to suffer. The women he attracted were not the successful, independent women he claimed to want—they were women who could be manipulated by his transactional love narrative. He used his “self-made” status as a bargaining chip, convincing them that they were lucky to have him in their lives. But the truth was, Hank never sought a real connection—he just needed someone to prop him up, to confirm the lies he told himself.
The comparison trap became ever more consuming. Hank, unable to avoid looking at the success of others, found himself consumed by jealousy and resentment. He saw other men who were confident, secure in their abilities, and successful—not because they had relied on manipulation, but because they had done the hard work of truly improving themselves. Hank, on the other hand, was stuck in a rut of self-deception.
As Hank’s situation continued to deteriorate, his physical and mental health began to show signs of the toll this emotional turmoil was taking. The stress, self-doubt, and frustration were slowly eating away at him. His energy waned, and the weariness of constantly trying to maintain his image left him exhausted and broken. He no longer had the confidence or the vitality to keep up the charade. His health was declining—he was losing his vitality, his body was showing the strain, and his mental health was in rapid decline. The chronic stress, coupled with poor decision-making and emotional suppression, began to take a toll on his physical health. He found himself grappling with fatigue, aches, and mounting health concerns, all of which were the consequences of the years of running from his true self and not confronting his internal battles.
The self-destructive cycle reached its peak when Hank finally realized that he had failed—not just in his business, but in his life. The collapse of his self-made identity was imminent. His relationships were fractured, his finances in ruins, and his sense of self-worth non-existent. But still, Hank fought against the inevitable, trapped in his own fragile ego and unwilling to confront the underlying causes of his failures. The man who once claimed to be self-made was now nothing more than a pawn in the very game he thought he controlled.
As the final blow came, Hank was forced to confront the truth he had avoided for so long: he was not self-made. He was a product of his own delusion. His inability to acknowledge his mistakes, to take responsibility for his actions, and to accept help when needed had destroyed everything he had worked for. The fractured ego he had spent his life building was now a shell of what it once was, and Hank had no one to blame but himself.
The ego death was complete. The man who had once been so sure of his superiority was now lost, struggling to understand how he had let it all slip through his fingers. The self-destructive behaviors and self-sabotage had led him to this point, and it was too late to undo the damage.
In the end, Hank realized that success isn’t just about external achievements; it’s about inner integrity, the ability to take responsibility, and the willingness to grow. But by the time he learned this lesson, it was too late to fix what had been broken.
Footnote: Hank's failing health, both physically and mentally, was a direct result of the years of avoiding the truths about himself, relying on tricks to maintain his self-image, and the emotional toll of his decisions. The constant stress of trying to maintain an inflated ego, alongside emotional suppression, eventually led to burnout and the physical manifestation of the very self-destructive behaviors that had been building for years.
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When the mind goes quiet the story goes on
Happy Reading
Kitryn Marie
#writer #creativecontent #Novel #madefortv
