Something Always Happens

Peter Middleton, an unemployed car salesman, intervenes when a hungry street urchin named Billy is caught stealing. He takes the boy under his wing and offers him shelter since he has little money. This act of kindness seeds a new partnership that drives the rest of the story.

Peter finds a room to rent, and Mrs. Badger generously offers them a place to stay. She believes in giving people a chance and becomes a quiet source of support. Their new home provides the base for Peter's growing ambitions.

An acquaintance mentions a client who wants to purchase a 1934 Bentley, sparking Peter's entrepreneurial dreams. He spots a Bentley and brazenly inspects it, displaying his hunger for a big score. The moment signals the start of his climb into the petrol business world.

While inspecting the Bentley, Peter accidentally backs into Cynthia Hatch. She invites him to a fine restaurant and allows him to think they share a similar hardship. She even has the restaurant staff pretend not to know her to keep up the ruse.

Cynthia asks her father to see Peter, hoping to open doors for him. Peter starts to formulate plans to make petrol stations more attractive, hinting at dining, dancing and even swimming pools. He begins to sense the vast potential of the idea.

Peter spends the night devising a comprehensive plan to attract customers to petrol stations with dining, dancing and swimming amenities. He believes the concept could transform the business and his own fortunes. The intensity of the night marks the start of his rise.

The next day, Peter meets Mr. Hatch, who declines to give him a chance and jokingly suggests Blue Point as a rival worth checking. Hatch's offhand remark becomes the pivot that sends Peter to become Blue Point's manager. This meeting sets the stage for the company's later upheaval.

Peter is hired as the manager of Blue Point, the rival company. He takes command and begins to implement his bold ideas to revitalize the business. This marks a turning point in his fortune and sets him on a collision course with Hatch.

Without realizing her true identity, Peter hires Cynthia as his secretary at Blue Point. She moves into the close working relationship that will later complicate their personal chemistry. The arrangement advances their professional partnership.

Within a year, Blue Point overtakes Hatch's company, gaining the upper hand in the market. Peter's leadership and bold strategy propel the firm ahead while Hatch loses ground. Hatch watches with growing respect, even as the balance of power shifts.

Peter learns that a bypass will be built and he aims to secure sites along the route before Hatch hears about it. He starts laying the groundwork to profit from the impending traffic boom. The tactic demonstrates his audacious, strategic thinking.

George Hamlin betrays Peter by feeding Hatch the plan, leading Hatch to outbid Peter for the sites. Peter later sees Cynthia taking money from Hatch and assumes she betrayed him, though she denies it. She then reveals that Hatch is her father.

Peter learns the bypass will not be built for another fifteen years, undermining his recent gambits. Hatch’s calculations delay the plan and reshape the competitive landscape. The setback forces Peter to recalibrate his strategy.

Hatch offers to sell some of his holdings to Peter, believing the bypass will become worthless. Peter accepts the sale, gaining strategic assets and a stronger position. Hatch's respect for Peter grows as the plan unfolds.

Outside Hatch's office, Peter runs into George and realizes who the real traitor is. The encounter leads to a reconciliation with Cynthia, much to Hatch’s secret delight. The story closes with their renewed partnership and the uneasy respect among the power players.