Estranged twins Henry and Freddy navigate their drastically different lives— one a troubled bookworm, the other a hardened criminal. As a young writer uncovers their royal lineage and inheritance, the brothers’ fate intertwines in unexpected ways.

This drama centers on Hank Chinaski, the fictional alter-ego of "Factotum" author Charles Bukowski, who wanders around Los Angeles, CA trying to live off jobs which don't interfere with his primary interest, which is writing. Along the way, he fends off the distractions offered by women, drinking and gambling.

Ray Ponti is a down and out father, a man trapped by his past and frightened of his future. Cly is a streetwise runaway, waiting tables by day and stripping by night. Both are fighting for existence in the slime-bowl of New York's gutters, where drugs and prostitution are the only currency. Ray is in over the top with the Mafia and Cly is emotionally destroyed by the absence of her father. Severence is a gripping story set against the seedy backdrop of New York City, where broken dreams and empty promises litter the streets.