“Shit, I meant to text you. I have a late meeting. I’ll see if?—"
"Don't. I can make us a later dinner. You just text me when you're going to be wrapping up.” This is the life I thought I would have. My husband would work, and I would tend to the home knowing that he’s a workaholic, but we loved each other. Now, that isn’t a life I want at all. A part-time husband and father isn’t going to work for me.
If it is true that Blake wants to leave, it could only mean he wants to exit this company. He could go on to start another of his own. He expanded his old company with this one. He might want that back, and Blake has always been very driven. It’s a part of who he is.
“You sure?" He sounds hesitant.
“Yes, I’m going to finish up the rest of my unpacking.”
“Good, I want you to settle in.”
“I’ll talk to you later."
“Bye, honey." I end the call quickly, barely letting him get the honey out. It was self-preservation. I didn’t realize what or why I did it until it was done. When you end a call, you say "I love you," at least people that love each other do. Mabel is the only one I’ve ever done that with. Whether I gave Blake the opening to say it or not, I can’t be hurt.
What does that say about me? That I’m not trusting him as much as I’m telling myself that I am? I hate how helpless I feel. It yanks me back to being in college and being so far from everyone and forgotten. Feeling as though I was stuck.
I will not allow that to happen to me again. I need to come up with a plan or go digging around. I won’t sit idly by. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
Chapter Sixteen
BLAKE
Irun my hand down my face. Things are far more complicated than I allowed myself to believe. All I wanted was revenge to make both our parents pay for what they'd done over the years. I want to return the favor tenfold, but my grandfather always told me to be careful about seeking revenge. It has a way of fucking you in the process.
If I want to simply break the company into pieces and sell it, it could put a whole lot of people out of jobs, depending on what the buyer would want to do with it. I have found a couple of buyers for a couple of the different branches. I am particularly concerned about a few of the smaller ones. My parents might be assholes, but the employees didn't do shit to deserve to lose their livelihoods.
"Would you like me to order dinner, sir?" Emily asks. I moved my later meeting with Steve, our COO, to an earlier time, wanting to get home to Truly as soon as humanly possible.
Emily must believe I still plan to stay late. Fuck, I need Rachel back, but she's still on maternity leave. It would make things smoother. Rachel is a Rolodex when it comes to the employees here. Plus, there’s a trust that she and I share. All I feel with Emily is an uneasiness.
"No." I told my wife I'd be late for dinner, but I'm still going to try to make it home in time. I want to keep working through the night and try to solve all the issues. It's what I'd normally do, but I'm not going to bulldoze through this. I'll have to take my time so as not to neglect my wife. We just got on the same page, and I want it to stay that way.
"But—"
"How many more do you have to collect for me?" I cut her off. I'm not her keeper. If she wants to get herself dinner, that's fine, but I'm not going to have it with her.
Rachel and I would have dinner in my office from time to time, but she's a happily married woman. I wouldn’t care for the idea of my wife having a later dinner in her office alone with another man.
"About fifteen." I had to pull and make hard copies of all the employees’ files so that I could go through them along with salaries, time off, and other benefits. One way to make this less of a blow to them would be to cut thick severance checks and offer stellar references.
One of my main issues is not letting many people find out what I'm doing. Truly's parents are already on high alert. Thankfully, they don't have a fucking clue where we live. I kept the buy very low-key for that reason. I don't want them popping up. Especially if I'm not there with Truly.
Truly might be pissed at her parents right now, but she's a softie at her core, and they know it. She has been sheltered and can see the world through rose-colored glasses. It's a sweet innocence that I don't want her to lose.
"I want them on my desk come morning," I tell her, clearing out the open tabs on my computer. I grab a box and drop a stack of the folders I already have into it. If there is time after Truly falls asleep, I'll go over them.
"Yes, sir." Emily's tone sounds defeated, making me glance toward her.
"Is there a problem?" I ask instead of "Is everything okay?" Not opening that door. Fuck, I'm trying to getoutthe door. I honestly don’t care if there’s an issue or not.
"No, it's fine. I had a date, but I'll reschedule it." Emily stares at me as though what she just said should matter to me. I'm unable to pinpoint the issue, but there seems to be something missing. I don't have time to deal with it. Emily is paidverywell. The requirement to occasionally work through the evening at the last minute contributes to the high pay.
"I'll see you tomorrow." I dismiss her, not wanting her to go into any further personal details.
I stand, grabbing my suit jacket and letting my driver know that I'm ready. One of the many reasons I have a driver is because of city traffic. You never know when you're going to get stuck in it, but if you do, then at least you can work while someone else is at the wheel.
When I step out of the car, I give Cole a chin nod, letting him know he can head home for the day. I’ve got it from here. I smile when I make it into the house. Truly’s sweet, flowery smell fills the air. I set all my shit down by the door.
