Surely, if she had decided to stay, she would have told me, right?
I scanned the article but learned nothing other than the source was Faith’s mother and she was excited to have the company back together.
“Have the company back together?” I shook my head. What a piece of work.
I scrolled back up and studied the family picture. Wondering if I could still find my Faith in the picture, underneath the layers of makeup, fake lashes, and high-end clothes. Her current style reminded me of Cassie, and I knew the comparison wasn’t fair.
I zoomed in on the picture. Faith’s smile was different. It wasn’t the one that lit up her entire face that I loved. It was restricted and fake, and her eyes looked sad.
I sighed. “Please, Faith.” I rubbed a hand through my hair. “Please come back.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
FAITH
“What makes you think you deserve to come ask for money when you just plan on leaving?”
The sharp point of my mother’s words dug at my skin, and I closed my eyes. I sighed. It had been the same conversation for the last three days, but I wasn’t ready to give up. “I honestly probably don’t deserve it. But I’m hoping you will consider it, anyway.”
After the discussion about not coming back to LUXE, Mom had screamed and stormed out.
I agreed with Dad to meet again to talk at lunch the next day, after Mom had a good night’s sleep, and give everyone space to digest the new information. The only problem was Mom left early that morning and didn’t come back all day. I talked to my dad, but I really doubted he felt like he could agree to anything without Mom’s permission.
I hadn’t slept for the last few nights. All I did was replay the conversations over and over in my head. Would my parents still choose me, even if I weren’t the child they had hoped and planned for? This was too important; I had to figure out a way to get them to help.
I rubbed my forehead and placed my hand on the dining roomtable. I had to shout to even be heard by her from where I was sitting. I stood from my seat, grabbed my plate, and walked over and sat in front of my parents. I’m sure Mom hated it, but I hated sitting so far away.
I decided to try to picture everything through my mother’s eyes. “I know you raised me to replace you in a company you cherish and are very proud of.” I reached over and placed my hand on top of hers. She scoffed and pulled her hand farther away. I pinched my lips together. “But, it isn’t the life I want, and my life is mine to choose.” I looked at my parents’ eyes, my mother’s full of anger and my father’s soft.
“Yes, you have made that very clear.” Mom rolled her eyes. “The money you ask for, however, is mine to decide.” She pointed to herself.
“Ours,” my father added.
I glanced at Dad. He rarely spoke, and it was never in opposition to Mom.
“Excuse me?” Mom glared daggers at Dad.
He cleared his throat and sat taller. “The money is not yours to choose, it’s ours.” He raised his brows at her and refocused back on me.
My eyes shot back and forth between them, unsure what I was supposed to do.
“Oh, silly me.” Mom’s brows lowered. “I didn’t realize that with your heart attack and taking a step back in the business meant you would suddenly decide how to raise our daughter.”
Dad frowned. “That’s just it; she is our daughter.” His shoulders stiffened. “For years I was trying to build the business, to the point I couldn’t see anything else.” He looked at me. “The next thing I knew, she was six, and you had her in lessons and pageants. It was a world I knew nothing about. You insisted you knew more about raising our daughter. And I let you convince me.” His blue eyes drank me in as he shook his head. “I think it may always be one of the greatest regrets of my life.” His lips pressed into a thinline, and he cleared his throat. “That I was content with allowing someone else to raise my daughter until one day I realized I had no space in her life.” He shrugged. “That I was too late.” He stared down at his plate and his salad. “It took almost dying for me to know my greatest regret was you kiddo.”
I sat back in my seat unsure where to look or what to do. Wait, what?
“When I asked your mother to call you, and see if you would come visit, she told me you were upset and said never to call again.” He shook his head. “I knew I deserved the response. I’d done nothing to earn your respect or love, but I made a promise in that hospital. I would do better. I would choose better.” He closed his eyes. Then he looked up at me. “I knew right then, if I was ever given an opportunity to start over with my little girl, I would take it.” Tears ran down the worn lines of his face. He glared at Mom. “So yes, it is our money, and Astrid is our daughter.” He looked back at me. “But this is my chance to try again, and to be better.” He faced Mom. “And I’m going to take it.”
My breath caught in the back of my throat, and I leaned back. Could he mean it? Did he really want to try again?
My mom threw her cloth napkin onto the table. “Alexander, we don’t run a charity!”
Dad shrugged. “I mean, we donate to several charities for tax purposes.” He raised an eyebrow. “So we kind of do.”
“Not this much!” Mom snarled. “If you do this, she will never come back!” Mom stood. “It will all have been for nothing, the legacy, the sacrifices.” She threw her hands high in the air. “What about the business? What will people say when they realize our own daughter doesn’t want it?”
Dad raised a shoulder. “I couldn’t care less. At the end of the day, it’s just a business.” He stared at me. ”And Astrid deserves to choose the life she wants. If she doesn’t want LUXE, then I don’t want her to have it.”
