What happens when a tech executive trades corporate meetings for meth-fueled street survival?

You’d think Arnel Castro Leyva had done well for himself, having built a far-flung career working for Microsoft, T-Mobile, Adobe, Yahoo, and a handful of startups. But his life was always on the verge of ruin because his real job was a professional drug addict.

Arnel loses everything and his double life collapses into a mid-life crisis of pandemic proportions. In the shadows of the Pacific Northwest, he descends into The Life: drug dealing, financial scams, grand theft auto, living with prostitutes, and organized retail theft. Along the way, he meets a cast of kindred spirits—narcissistic, codependent people-pleasers hell bent on exploiting the system, each other, and themselves.

With prison looming, Arnel is given a chance at redemption through a strict yet therapeutic criminal justice program. He finds the startup idea of his life—helping other formerly incarcerated people with substance use disorders to create a life worth living—and realizes he was on the path to answer his calling all along.

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A brutally honest memoir—equal parts Leaving Las Vegas, Trainspotting, Breakfast at Sally’s, and Breaking Bad—ultimately redeemed by a Brené Brown / Gabor Maté / 12-Step moral to the story.