The Cursed Wealth

This is an Apple Books audiobook narrated by a digital voice based on a human narrator.

This book follows Foudre and Béa, poor village farmers desperate to help their two unemployed, educated sons achieve financial independence. When Béa becomes pregnant and demands a maid they cannot afford, Foudre turns to his wealthy friend, Kalenda, who shares the secret of his fortune: a seemingly simple, traditional formula from a mysterious Great Master. Foudre receives a terracotta vase that miraculously produces an endless supply of money.

However, the true price of this wealth is the sacrifice of one of their sons, or Foudre's death or madness. Horrified, the couple decides on a monstrous alternative: they plot to sacrifice their eldest niece, Sarah, as a "blood substitute" to save their children. Béa successfully lures Sarah from her family under the pretense of offering her a better life. Once the dark pact is sealed, Sarah dies suddenly, and the family curses Foudre and Béa, forcing them to bury the child behind their house.

Despite their instant and inexhaustible wealth, the couple is consumed by guilt and terror, living under the curse of their crime. The money eventually claims a final, terrible price, as those connected to the secret, including Béa and Kalenda, meet their own sudden and tragic ends.