AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The call ends and I find myself holding the phone to my ear for the next few minutes. I need to gather all the energy I can before I can move any part of my body. The hurt has sliced deep into my chest and I can’t breathe properly.
I’ve been so worried about his call all week. It went exactly as I imagined. I couldn’t even tell him about the plans Victoria and I have in place.
My phone starts ringing again.
It’s my other older brother, Mitchell.
My energy soars immediately. Mitchell doesn’t live in New York, but he’s a rock and beacon of support to me and I’m glad he’s reaching out now. I pick up the phone.
“Hey, Harry! How’s it going?” Mitchell’s voice wafts softly through the phone. He’s so soft-spoken, far calmer than Roscoe and way more level-headed.
Mitchell is the founder and CEO of All4One, a successful matchmaking company with high-profile users all over the world. His business is doing so well and I’m amazed at how he pulled it off. He’s had to fight many battles against our father, but winning got him cut off from the old man. Dad had wanted him to work at Bridges, Inc., but Mitchell resisted with every fiber of his being.
“Mitch, you can’t believe how good it is to hear you voice. What’s up? Are you following the news? Are you seeing all of this?”
And just like that, all my energy depletes. It’s so exhausting to think about this mess.
“Little brother, I see them hounding you. You know, that’s one of the problems of being associated with a crazy business like Bridges, and I know the old man is giving you a hard time, right?”
Before he left New York, Mitchell saw his own fair share of Dad’s lunacy.
“You have no idea,” I say. “He’s blaming me for things I have no control over.”
Mitchell laughs wryly. “Look, Harry Buddy, at some point, you’re going to have to stand up for yourself. You can’t be in his shadow all the time. You can’t seek his approval forever. The man is not even compassionate toward himself. You’re going to have to make your stand and run that company your own way. You can’t be a subordinate to him forever. Take a cue from me. I carved my own path and it worked out pretty well for me.”
I’m nodding even though he can’t see me. “Thanks a lot, big bro. I needed to hear that.”
Mitchell and I chat for a little while longer, and he hangs up, running late for a meeting.
I should be feeling so much better, but why do I feel ten times worse? All I’ve wanted my whole life is to be good at something. To excel at this business, in any role I’m given. I want so badly to prove myself. But I’m not as bold as Mitchell. I‘m not as crafty as Roscoe. Sometimes, a CEO needs a combination of those two qualities to push through.
I have neither. How am I supposed to run this company like a leader? When I eventually fail, I won’t just be letting myself down. I’ll be embarrassing my entire family in the media, for the entire country to see.
I can’t stand the thought. For the second time that morning, I can’t breathe.
Grabbing my keys and phone, I head briskly out of my office, not saying a word to anybody. I move straight into my car and right onto the interstate.
I have to get away.
I really can’t breathe.
9
CHARLEE
“Girl, what are those bags under your eyes? You look like you haven’t slept in days.”
Tess is holding my head back, peering into my eyes like she’s searching for treasures.
“Tess, leave my head alone. It’s already been banging enough on its own these days.” Picking up my wine glass, I take a healthy sip. The champagne chills my throat and settles low in my stomach, relaxing me immediately. Good. That’s what I need right now.
Tess and I are catching up for dinner at an exclusive restaurant in uptown Manhattan. It’s the kind of place you make reservations for three months before, but when you’re the wife of a top-level CEO like Roscoe Bridges, you have to enjoy some privileges.
I remember when I first got Tess linked up at Bridges. We’d grown up in the same neighborhood, gone to the same high school, and even the same college. She’s like a sister to me and there’s nothing we wouldn’t do for each other. Years ago, I helped her get a job at Bridges. Tess is drop-dead gorgeous, humble, and extremely smart, and it wasn’t long before she caught the eye of the boss himself. Today, she’s his wife and they are always acting like silly teenagers around each other.
I love it so much for her.
Tonight, my heart, body, and soul are unitedly hurting. “Tess, I’m so tired of all this bad PR. Everything we’re doing to try to control the situation is failing. Our media interviews are literally backfiring. People love a fallen top company and seeing us get dragged online is like seeing Bridges, Inc. itself go down. I hate all of this. I feel like my career has gone down the drain with this dent on my reputation.”
