Morning, this week's EscapePod has some pretty foul language.

Listener discretion is advised. BOD, Episode 1003, Billionaires want to say again, we've hit 20 years.

We've hit 1,000 episodes.

And I just want to say thank you for listening and continuing to listen.

Today's story is Billionaire's Tears by Vanessa Ricci Thode.

Vanessa is a Nebula-nominated word sorceress who loves a good story.

He's a Halloween enthusiast

and a bookish geek who loves dragons, dogs, astronomy, and travel. If she's not hibernating,

she can be found in her butterfly garden, achieving her final form as a garden witch.

She lives in Waterloo, no, the other one, with her spouse, daughter, and very good dogs.

It's narrated by her own indefatigable Valerie Baldez.

Valerie lives in an elaborate and mean palace with her husband and kids, where she writes,

edits, and moonlights as a muse.

When she isn't co-editing Escape Pod, she enjoys crafting bespoke artisanal curses, playing

video games, and admiring

the outdoors from the safety of her living room. Her debut novel, Chilling Effect, was shortlisted

for the 2021 Arthur C. Clark Award, and her short fiction and poetry have been featured in

Uncanny Magazine, Magic, The Gathering, and several anthologies. Writing as Leah Amador, her first

contemporary fantasy romance novel, Which You Would, is forthcoming from Avon Books September

2025. You can pre-order now. This story is an escape pod original. But check your bank

balance before you settle in. It's story time.

Billionaires Tears by Vanessa Richie Thode, narrated by Valerie Valdez.

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