Rich Man, Poor Man

Once upon a time Charlie was rich. At least that’s what Ed always believed about his friend. Edna agreed.

But now Ed thinks Charlie is poor. Edna agrees.

Charlie? Well, he thinks he used to be poor, but is now rich. 

“He lives in a fairy tale,” Ed said to Edna.

Charlie changed almost immediately after his lottery winnings were certified. He abandoned his many friends and began spending lavishly on himself. Cars, clothes, houses, exotic vacations. His ex-wife and kids haven’t yet seen a dime. 

“Fairy tales . . .” Edna lamented, shaking her head. “Not all of them end well.”

*****

This 99-word story is my contribution to the January 13 Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge to begin a fairy-tale story with "Once upon a time."