With unemployment rising and hundreds competing for few jobs, Sarah had turned to freelance work. But it was not long before their letter box had received all that the recession had to offer including notice of repossession proceedings from the bank that held their mortgage.

David had continued with his demanding job, head down and determined that, if the worst happened, at least he could not be faulted for his hard work. Sarah, on the other hand, as she went from one low paid and short term job to another, had felt in full the anger and anguish of their situation.

Anger because she was sure the collapse of her previous employers had been avoidable. She'd no positive proof. But as soon as she had received the call at home to say that the computer system had irrevocably gone down and with it the company, her instincts told immediately her who was at the bottom of it.

Employed only months before to maintain the computer systems, the spotty teenager had been offhand about his work from the beginning. To Sarah, it was as if he had no intention of becoming part of the team and this made her suspicious. Also he seemed over qualified for the job. Sadly, when she expressed her misgivings to the directors, her comments were dismissed out of hand.

Directors, now there was a misnomer if there ever was one she had thought bitterly. The company would have been better off with the original planned staff buy out.

It had all started when adverse and untrue publicity about millennium compliance had hit sales. The incorrect and untrue allegations had received wide publicity and the company's share price had rapidly dropped to rock bottom.

In stark comparison, the competitors share price had rocketed. Educational software was a growth market and the company had a key position in the field with wide connections to College lecturers throughout the country who supplied the essential up-to-date knowledge base and crucial marketing edge.

Knowing that the company was sound and that now jobs were difficult to find, the ordinary employees had clubbed together in desperation to raise the money to keep the bank from foreclosing and the business going.

When the bank proposed a management buy-in, many felt it was something they could do without, but under heavy bank pressure, they were finally persuaded .

As it turned out, the new directors were virtually appointed by the bank. Surprisingly too, the proportion of capital paid into the company by the new directors was insignificant in comparison with the money already found by the ordinary employees. In the final analysis, it was clear that the effort they had made to keep the company afloat was even less.

The memory of that final shareholders meeting was now a constant driving force. It had started with angry mutterings and then had come the outright accusations.

"Everything that's been said in public about this company is a pack of lies. What have the new directors done to refute it?"

"We've still got the best written software in the country. It's illogical to close down. We can ride out the storm".

"We've put all our savings in this company to keep it going. What have you done you bastard except take a big salary".

"I reckon they were paid by the competition to close us down",

"Withdraw that allegation or you'll hear from my lawyers".

"I'll withdraw nothing".