Jerome "Corky" Corchoran is a well-liked, well-connected, but morally bankrupt real estate developer who one day tragically discovers that he can no longer finesse his way through life with his "Irish charm."

At the age of 43, Corky has paved his road to success with a string of bad deals, bad debts, a bad marriage, and a very bad drinking problem. When a young acquaintance commits suicide, Corky's world begins to unravel in scandal. His friends, family, and political cronies all drop him, and his checkered past comes back to haunt him.

With his life in shambles, Corky finally performs one noble, selfless deed. But rather than allow himself to be redeemed, Corky continues to wheel-and-deal his way out of this world and into the next.

What I Lived For is a brilliant and unflinching portrait of the male psyche; it is a masterpiece of modern urban angst.