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How did I not see this coming?
During the whole meeting, I sat with my legs crossed, my arms folded over my chest. While the lawyers and bankers and representatives of Chase’s company discussed the gritty details of the hostile takeover, I could hardly even focus on the words they said. It didn’t matter anyway. I knew from the moment I got that email this morning that I had lost the battle. They weren’t going to give me any more chances. The deal was done before I even showed up to the meeting. And when I walked in to see Chase, the man I once loved, the man who had rocked my world last night and made me feel true happiness for the first time in forever, sitting at the table, I nearly fainted.
How could he have done this to me? How could he lie? Seduce me? Fuck me?
I refused to look in his eyes, even though I could feel him staring at me, longing for me to turn and look at him. But he didn’t deserve that from me. I was not about to make eye contact and let those gorgeous eyes lie to me again. I was sure he sat through the entire meeting hoping I would let him convince me he was sorry, that he didn’t mean to wreck my entire world and steal away what little hope and control I had left over the sinking ship that was my life.
That lying asshole had violated my trust. And it came right after giving me the most amazing night of my life. How in the world had he managed to flirt with me, seduce me, make love to me, all while lying through his teeth? Keeping his true intentions hidden away under layers of false good intentions? I fell for his act hook, line, and sinker. It was just like it always was. Chase was so cool and clever, all he had to do was smile at me, feed me a few compliments, and I melted into his arms like ice cream on a hot summer’s day.
In college, he had won me over so easily. I made him my world. He was the sun in my sky. But then he broke my heart into little pieces and disappeared, leaving me scrambling to put my life back together again. And now? It was even worse. This time he took everything from me. Not just my heart, but my home. My dream. My memories. My world.
I nearly burst into angry tears when one of the bank lawyers declared that Chase’s real estate company, the one he inherited from his father, was buying out the Peppertree Resort. The bank was ecstatic, of course, to take it away from me and dump the resort into the hands of some huge, anonymous, uncaring corporate giant. They were happy to be rid of me, to kick me out of not only my job, but the only home I had ever known. Every memory, happy and sad, revolved around the Peppertree, and now I had lost it. Just like I lost my father.
“I know this decision may seem like a defeat, but in a lot of ways, I think this will be a good thing for you,” one of the lawyers, an old man with a grizzled mustache, told me across the table. “The P
eppertree Resort has been struggling financially for quite some time. Since the unfortunate passing of Geoffrey Simmons, the Peppertree’s clientele and public relations have been on a steady decline. The failure of the resort is not your fault, Ms. Simmons, and you should feel proud to have carried on your father’s legacy as long as you did.”
Tears burned in my eyes and I bit the inside of my cheek to stop from crying. I looked over at the old man and glared. “What do you know about my father’s legacy?” I derided.
The man’s eyes widened, as though he had expected me to thank him for his thinly veiled insult to my family and me. He puffed up, looking indignant. “Well, I was a friend of your father’s. He was always very proud of you,” he added, though there was no kindness to his tone.
“My father had a lot of so-called friends, but in the end, I was the only one who worked to keep his dream going,” I snapped, leaning forward. “Yes, the Peppertree has had some difficult years, but it’s far from a failure, thank you very much. You all should be ashamed of yourselves, giving up on him and me so easily. I remember your names. I remember your faces from dinner parties when I was a child. You all called yourselves my father’s friends, but he would be offended to see how you’re treating the property he built. He gave so much to this town.”
“Ma’am, you may want to watch your tone,” insinuated one of the other lawyers. This one was a middle-aged woman with salt-and-pepper hair pulled back into a no-nonsense bun.
I raised an eyebrow at her and she seemed to almost shrink back a little.
“I apologize. I forgot that’s how this works. You get to rip the rug out from underneath me and I have to smile and thank you for doing it. My mistake,” I scoffed.
Then I closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath. I knew it would do me no good to keep lashing out at everyone like this and causing a scene. The battle was already lost. The least I could do was be a graceful loser.
I began slowly and cautiously, “I can’t help it if this feels like a mutiny, because in a lot of ways, it is. I’ve known most of you since I was a little kid, and my father trusted you all. The Peppertree was struggling. I know that. I’m not a complete idiot. But damn it, I think I could have turned it around somehow. No, I know I could have. That resort isn’t just my business, it’s my home. Leaving it behind… well, I can’t even begin to imagine what my life will be without it. So, forgive me if I’m devastated.”
I glanced around at every person at the table except for Chase. I still refused to look him in the eye. Everyone here was a traitor, but he was the worst. I wouldn’t do him the courtesy of letting him look at me with pity in those green eyes. No. I couldn’t.
“Well,” announced the lawyer with the mustache, “that was a lovely speech. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that I do regret the way business has been handled here, and I would hope that you could find it in your heart to be forgiving and understanding. This is not a personal offense, Ms. Simmons. We are only doing this for the good of your father’s legacy. The Peppertree is bankrupt. By selling the property to the Hawthorne Family Hospitality Company, perhaps it may be granted a new life. A new chance. I hope that one day the bitterness and resentment you feel will fade away. I cannot exactly say it has been a pleasure working with you, but I do genuinely wish you the best, Ms. Simmons.”
I conceded my defeat with a heavy sigh.
“And with that, I think it is high time we adjourn this meeting,” interjected the female lawyer with the steely bun. “Mr. Hawthorne, Ms. Simmons, leave the details to the board. You will be hearing from us shortly. Unless you have any questions?”
“No,” I snapped.
I stood quickly, scooting my chair back. I snatched up my purse and files and stormed out of the room before anyone else could even stand up. I’d be damned if I spent another millisecond in that awful boardroom, listening to those soulless corporate bigwigs banter about how much of a pathetic failure I was. They had struck every single raw nerve I possessed, reawakened every insecurity and worry I had in me. Ever since my father had passed away, I had spent every waking moment wracked with guilt and worry that I wasn’t upholding his legacy.
That lawyer had said it wasn’t my fault that the Peppertree failed, but I knew deep down it was. I had tried. I had thrown my entire heart, body, and soul into the resort, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. I simply wasn’t Geoffrey Simmons.
I ran out of the bank and into the blinding sunshine and snow. It seemed almost extra cruel that something so horrible would happen on such a beautiful day. It was like the blue skies and crisp winter air were mocking me for my loss. Now that I was out of that horrendous boardroom, I finally gave in and let the tears fall. Why did it matter anymore, anyway? I had nothing and no one to be strong for now. I was no longer the face of my father’s dream. I was just a fool who let a man with an irresistible smile deceive me into losing everything.
The tears streamed down my cheeks as I made my way to my car across the parking lot. I didn’t even make an attempt to wipe them away. Who cared? Who the hell was I trying to impress?
I heard heavy footsteps behind me. Someone running after me. “Haley,” a deep voice called.
I wrinkled my nose. It was Chase. I swiveled around and gave him the most withering glare I could manage, but it didn’t deter him at all. He ran toward me.
“I should have said something earlier to you.”
“You think?” I shot back angrily. “God, why did you do this to me, Chase? It wasn’t enough to break my heart in college? You had to show up years later and steal my resort from me, too? Huh?”
