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By the time I reached my office, I realized I was having a panic attack. I rested my head on the desk and closed my eyes, forcing myself to take long, deep breaths. The last time I had a panic attack was when my dad died. This was a totally different situation in every way, but strangely, it felt similar.
It’s ending. Everything is ending.
If ACS was acquired by another company, my shares would balloon in value. I would be rich, just as rich as if the company went public instead. I would have more money than I knew what to do with.
But I finally had stability in my life. Not financial stability, butcareerand emotional stability. That, and happiness. I woke up every morning excited to go to work and tackle the day. Now that that stability was threatened, I didn’t care about the value of my stock options. I didn’t want the money. I wantedthis. Working at a company I loved, for two men I cared about and respected and couldn’t get enough of. I wanted everything I had right now, but for longer. I wasn’t ready for it to end, to change and turn into something different. I didn’t want to get folded into another mega-corporation.
When I looked up, all three of them were standing outside my office. I beckoned them in, but Owen closed the door on Furio, leaving him out in the hall.
“What’s wrong?” Jude asked.
Tears finally broke free and rolled down my cheeks, and I didn’t try to stop them. “It’s changing. All of it isending.”
Jude sat on the edge of the desk. “Your job is probably safe. You don’t have to worry about it. You might actually get a big promotion in the new structure, depending on how Google handles things. No matter what happens, it’s a huge positive for you!”
“I don’t want a huge positive,” I said stubbornly. I knew I sounded like a petulant child, but I couldn’t stop myself. “I like things the way they arenow. I love working for both of you.Withboth of you. I don’t want it to change.”
Owen caressed my cheek, wiping away a tear with his thumb. “We love working with you too, Amber. But things can’t stay the same forever. This was always the end game: growing the company, increasing its value, and then selling when the time is right. Just like what we did with PayScale.”
He gestured toward the rest of the building. “Look at this place. We have hundreds of employees. Another location on the east coast is in the works. ACS doesn’t need us anymore, kid. And it will thrive as part of Google.”
“Think of the synergy they can provide with their search engine,” Jude added. “They can drive curious new cryptocurrency customers to our platform. It’s a no-brainer. You should be happy! When the official offer comes in, everyone else is going to be ecstatic.”
“So I’m just another employee, then?” I shot back. “Like the people at PayScale you abandoned when you sold it off?”
Jude recoiled like he had been struck. “Of course you aren’t.”
“This is a shock, I know,” Owen told me. “But give it some time to sink in and you’ll see how amazing this is. Foreveryone,including you.” He glanced at Jude. “We need to go discuss the specifics. I want to run some simulations on our projected price, to figure out whether to accept whatever Google offers, or negotiate a higher price.”
Jude nodded. “I’ll pull up the program we used the other day. Meet you in my office?” He glanced at me, as if wondering whether he should console me or leave me alone. In the end, he chose the latter.
Owen smiled at me and said, “This won’t change anything. Not between us.” And then he followed Jude outside.
Yeah. Go dicker over money. Leave me alone, here.
When they were gone, Furio stepped inside. “Amber. I am confused. Are you not happy?”
“Why would I be happy?” I asked.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for everyone, you especially. You have incredible flexibility. You may stay here after the sale, if you wish. Or you may cash out your stock options and do anything you want, such as coming to work foreTodo. The world is at your command! When I was brokering this with Larry, I envisioned you being happy with the result. A most wonderful surprise!”
“Wait a minute,” I said slowly. “This was the surprise you mentioned earlier this week? Not the cancer donation?”
“Both, yes,” he said. “But this especially.”
“You’re the one who made this happen? For me? So I would come work for you in Italy?”
“This deal is quite profitable all on its own,” he said smoothly. “Regardless of the final number, this will be an enormous payout for anyone holding stock options. Personally, I will be earning nearly seven times my original investment. And after only a few short months!” He grinned widely. “But yes, I also considered perhaps this would give you the push you needed to pursue something else. Only if you wish to, of course. I care about you, Amber. And I want to see you happy and successful, whether that is in Italy, or here.”
Anger rose up in me like a fountain, and I gripped the edge of my desk so hard I thought it might crack. “I don’twantmy life to change! I’m happy doing what I’m doing now, working at ACS. Working for Jude and Owen. This sale changes everything!”
Furio’s face twisted in confusion. “But Amber, the money you will make…”
“I didn’t want you to meddle in my life like this,” I said, biting off every word. “Turning everything upside-down.”
He stiffened and gave me a blank stare. “This is the correct business move, regardless of your position. I am not merelymeddlingin your life, as you suggest.”
Angry, and upset, and confused, I got up from the desk and stormed out of my office.
