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“Don’t lie to me, Son. If you wanted to keep this a secret, then you shouldn’t have thrown our name around carelessly. Using connections to secure the library for your little hackathon, but thinking it wouldn’t get back to me. Do you truly believe the world is this easy?”
Shit. That didn’t even cross my mind. I’m an idiot.
“I... I was just trying to help,” I say.
“You’re a foolish child, Elijah. When will you grow up? I’ve worked hard to give you every opportunity in your life and you treat it all like it’s nothing to you.”
“You’ve worked hard?” My voice echoes in the pristine hotel room. I can’t believe the lies he tells himself. “This whole company wasgivento you, Dad. Just because you are your father’s son. What have you done to earn this? You’ve inherited it all and ruled with an iron fist. And your plan is to pass this company and the legacy down to me without giving me a choice? Well news flash, I don’t want to follow in your footsteps into this life. I don’t want everything to be handed to me on a silver platter. I want to figure stuff out on my own.”
“And what have you figured out during this summer of rebellion?” He steps closer toward me. His face stone, no tells, except for the slight squint of his eyes. Disapproval. Disgust.
“I’ve figured out that I shouldn’t have to be told what my entire life will be at only nineteen years old,” I say.
His eyes burn with fury, but I’m not afraid. If I don’t fight now, I’ll be stuck with a future not of my choosing. It feels like the most pivotal moment I’ve ever faced.
“You are a stain on this family name with your laziness, your deception, your inability to step into your role and your responsibilities, your refusal to obey. You’ve humiliated yourself and have made every attempt to humiliate me.”
“And that’s what matters most, right, Dad? That you save face so no one knows the truth—that you’re just a tyrannical leader of a failing company.”
Before I can decipher the movement, my father’s hand is raised, ready to strike me. But I don’t flinch nor do I cower. Instead, in that brief moment, I lift my chin in defiance. He can hit me all he wants. The pain will be momentary. What I have to say is worth standing up for.
I hear Hee-Jin’s scream come from my right just as I brace myself for impact.
“That’s enough!”
My mother stands and places herself between us, facing my dad, grabbing his wrist before he strikes. Her voice angry, commanding—unlike I’ve ever heard it.
“What are you doing?” she asks accusingly. “This is your son. Is this company, are these riches, more important than your own child, your flesh and blood?”
He says nothing. And in that too long moment of silence, in that flare of his nostrils, he says it all. I close my eyes slowly and drop my head.
“Dangshin, I will deal with my son as I see fit,” he says to her.
“He’sourson, and I will not let you raise a hand to him,” she bites back.
For a moment I’m afraid he’s going to turn the full force of his wrath from me to my mom. But instead, he pulls himself free from her grip and lowers his hand, looking over her shoulder directly at me. “I don’t know what you think is going to happen next for you. You’ve all but thrown away any chance of getting into Seoul University, and it will cost us an incredible amount of money to rectify that. You’ve lost the confidence of the executive team at Haneul and there will need to be some major internal PR to change that. Your reckless behavior and foolish escapade this summer will end up costing me a pretty penny. So I’m telling you this now: from this moment forward, you need to get in line, Lee Yoo-Jin. And let me remind you that it would be in your best interest not to cross me.”
“Father, I am well aware that you have never once had my best interest in mind.”
His nostrils flare again.
“Don’t worry, Dad. Despite the fact that the thing I hate most in this world is giving you what you want, I’ll do it. I will go back to Korea with you and Mom. I’ll enter Seoul University. And I’ll fall in line however you see fit in the company.”
He narrows his eyes at me and cocks his head to the side, trying to figure out my angle. My mom turns to me and reaches for my arm but I shake it off. I don’t mean to hurt her feelings, but she can’t talk me out of this. If there’s one thing Lee Jung-Hyun has taught me, it’s the art of negotiation.
“But, Father, I have one condition. You will pull every string necessary to get Jessica into the school of her choice,andyou will pay for her tuition.” I stare him down. “And you will not require her to come back and work for Haneul at any point. Sign the check and walk away. Don’t ever even think of her again. Only then will I do what you expect of me.”
A small smirk crosses my dad’s face. “Son, this is truly where you are in over your head. I have no interest in Jessica Lee, and I will gladly never give her another moment’s consideration. Don’t you worry.”
It’s then that I realize I’ve been swimming with the great white shark. I thought I’d given him what he wanted so he could give me what I needed, but I played right into his hands.
When all is said and done, I’m quite certain I will have been the one to lose it all.
26
jessica
“Forget college scholarships, you need to write your memoir and sell it for seven figures. This entire thing is gold. Get that Netflix money, girl.”
