2. Matteo
Chapter 2
Matteo
I stood in the park waiting for Amelia. We’d agreed to meet by four, but I got here earlier because I wanted to prepare. Today was the day I would finally ask her to marry me. We’d been dating for two years and I knew from the moment I met her that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.
I pulled the velvet blue ring box out of my pocket and opened it. I smile softly as I stare at the small gold ring with its emerald gem. I knew the ring wasn’t as expensive as the type of jewelry Amelia typically wore but I was certain she would like it.
As a construction worker, I didn’t have a lot of options when it came to ring shopping. The type of jewelry Amelia wore was far too expensive for my paycheck. I couldn’t even afford to buy her a real diamond. I sighed and snapped the box shut. I didn’t have much, but I had a dream. One day, I would open a construction company that would make me enough money to treat Amelia the way she deserved.
This ring would simply be a placeholder. One day, I would buy her a better ring. Something that was up to her standard. I knew she was used to a life of luxury. Being a billionaire’s daughter meant luxury was all she’d ever known. I was determined to keep it that way. It was my goal to give her that same life or a better one in the future.
I knew we had a promising future, and I knew we would get there one day. For now, I was just happy that we were together. I was certain that with her by my side there was nothing I couldn’t do. As long as I had her, all my dreams were possible and nothing was unattainable. Soon I would start a company and build it into an empire that would provide Amelia with the life she deserved.
I shoved the ring box back into my pocket when I saw Amelia approaching. She’d just walked in through the park gate which was quite far away, but I could still tell it was her. Long black hair flowed in the wind, making her look like a movie star as she walked over to me. The wind also pushed at the yellow gown she wore. It swayed in a way that was almost mesmerizing. Everything about Amelia was mesmerizing.
She stood in front of me and I smiled.
“Hi,” I said, reaching for her and pulling her to me.
I kissed her and she kissed me back. I couldn’t help noticing the sense of desperation in the way she kissed me. She clung to me as if she never wanted to let me go. I held her tightly and hoped that it conveyed the fact that I would never leave her.
“Is everything okay?” I asked when we pulled apart.
Amelia didn’t meet my gaze. She simply stepped away from me.
“Matteo, I… I can’t do this anymore.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I can’t be with you. This was a mistake from the very beginning and it’s time that we end this.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” I asked. I didn’t know what else to say or do. Of all the things I expected her to say, this wasn’t one of them. I thought she would come here, we would hug and kiss, and then I would get down on one knee and ask her to marry me. I thought she would say yes, and we would start planning out the rest of our lives together. How could such a beautiful dream die such a quick death?
“Yes, it is what I want. I want us to end this relationship.”
She still hadn’t looked me in the eye. I lifted her chin and forced her to look at me. “Look at me when you say that. Look at me when you break my heart.”
“Matteo, please don’t make this any harder,” she said as she stepped away from my touch. “Deep down, we both knew this wasn’t going to work out. We knew that we weren’t compatible because we…”
“We come from different worlds? Is that what you were going to say?”
She didn’t respond and I scoffed before speaking. “I know what this is. This is your parents talking. You’ve never cared about social class, but I know they do. Are they making you do this?”
“Matteo, please don’t make this harder. P-Please, I beg you.” A sob broke out, and she bit her lip to hold it back. She swallowed and continued. “This was never going to work.”
“Says who? Your mother?”
“Yes!” The word broke out before she could stop herself. Amelia inhaled a deep breath and finally met my gaze head-on. “My parents… they… they don’t think you’re the right person for me. They don’t think you’re good enough.”
“And what do you think? Or does your opinion not matter in your own life? When will you finally make decisions for yourself instead of doing whatever they tell you to? Are you really going to destroy everything we’ve built just because they don’t approve?”
“I don’t have a choice, Matteo. Please understand. I can’t do this anymore.”
With that, she turned around and walked away. I stood still, unable to really do anything. I couldn’t go after her because she’d made it crystal clear that she wasn’t ready to fight for this relationship. I couldn’t go after her but watching her leave broke my heart.
The ring box burned a hole in my pocket, a painful reminder of how I thought this day was going to go and how badly it had turned out. Amelia walked out of the park gates, and I felt myself sink into a depression so deep, it made my heart ache.
After losing Amelia, I decided to dedicate myself to becoming better. I quit my job at the construction site and finally started my own company. It had been my dream for a long time and losing Amelia gave me the perfect motivation to go after it. I threw myself into work and poured everything I had into making my company great.
Deep down, a part of me hoped that Amelia would one day come to regret her decision.
Five years later…
I sat in my office going over the spreadsheet that had been sent to me by the analyst I hired. The young man had a way of helping me see new perspectives on things and I was glad I hired him three months ago.
He wasn’t the only good business decision I’d made. In the five years since I started my company, I’d been able to reach heights that I thought were unattainable and make more money than I ever dreamed was possible. I was a billionaire even though I was still in my late twenties.
Everything had worked out well for me. In fact, some would say that Amelia dumping me was the best thing that ever happened to me. I’d like to think that too, but there was still a part of me that missed her. Despite my success, I still couldn’t forget her. There were days I found myself staring at the engagement ring I was never able to give her.
I couldn’t help wondering how different my life would have been if I’d proposed and she said yes. I may or may not have achieved all the success I had now but at least I would have her.
The numbers in the spreadsheet blurred as her face appeared in my mind. Her long dark hair, green eyes, and bright smile. So much time had passed but Amelia was still a present thought in my mind. I thought about her more than I should, but I couldn’t help it. Even after what she did to me, a part of me still loved her. I was doing everything in me to weed that part out. I wanted to forget Amelia Pierson and everything that had to do with her.
There was a knock on my door. The gentle taps told me it was my assistant, Kayla. She also knocked like she was scared she was going to break the door down, even though she was incredibly tiny. “Come in.”
“Mr. Hayes. I just received a call from a finance company. Their CEO is requesting a meeting with you. I did my research and they’re one of the biggest finance companies in California,” she said as she walked into the room.
“Who’s the CEO?”
Kayla adjusted her glasses and looked at her clipboard. “Joseph Pierson.”
I shook my head, certain I’d misheard her. There was no way Amelia’s father had requested a meeting with me. “Who?”
“Joseph Pierson. He’s a finance tycoon based in California. He…
Kayla continued to tell me all about Mr. Pierson. Little did she know that I was well acquainted with the man. Sure, we’d only met once, but I never forgot the condescending way he’d treated me. He and Amelia’s mother, Nora, believed I wasn’t good enough for their daughter. They were the reason she ended things with me five years ago. I wondered what he wanted from me now.
“Mr. Hayes,” Kayla said, her voice a few octaves louder.
“Sorry, what?”
“What response should I give them?”
I contemplated turning down the meeting request, but I had to admit I was curious. What did the great Joseph Pierson want with me? I assumed he likely wanted to come here and insult me. Maybe tell me that no matter how much money I made, I would still be a lowly construction worker. Nothing I did would ever make me good enough for his daughter.
I knew I should say no, but I was just too curious.
“Set up the meeting.”
She nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Kayla walked out of my office.
I leaned back in my chair and looked around. My eyes landed on the pristine white rug that covered most of my office floor. I looked at the marble table that sat on top of it and the cream couch that sat beside the table. I swiveled my chair until I faced the large bookshelf that stood behind me. It held books, folders, figurines, and awards that I had received over the years. I turned again, so I faced the large windows that allowed me to view the city.
When I faced my desk again, my computer had gone dark. I stared at my reflection and asked myself why I had agreed to a meeting with a man I despised. Was curiosity the real reason or was there a part of me who wanted him to see how far I’d come?
I sighed and pushed all thoughts of Amelia’s family aside. I’d already agreed to meet with Joseph so I would have to see it through.
The meeting was scheduled for Monday next week.
I felt uncomfortable from the moment I woke up on that day. I haven’t had anything to do with Amelia and her family for five years. Today I would be meeting with her father, one of the people who contributed to the end of our relationship.
I found myself subconsciously choosing my best suit. I had an array of suits from various luxury brands, so it was difficult to choose the best one. I settled on a navy-blue Armani suit. My driver, Eddie, was waiting beside the car when I walked out of the building. I drove myself to work on most days but today I needed a clear head.
My company building came into view half an hour later. I got out of the car, grabbed my briefcase, and walked inside. I glanced at my watch as I stepped into the elevator. The meeting with Joseph would start in an hour which meant I still had time to prepare.
I walked by Kayla’s desk and I noticed she wasn’t there. I could tell from the bag on the floor that she had come in already which meant she probably went to prepare the meeting room or something. I pushed my office door open and I walked inside.
I paused when I saw someone was already there. A head of salt and pepper hair turned to face me and I recognized the man as Joseph Pierson. I walked over to him and he stood up.
With an outstretched hand and a polite smile, he said, “You must be Matteo Hayes. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”
Meet me?
I was still trying to understand what was going on when Kayla walked into the room carrying two cups of coffee.
“I’m sorry, sir. Mr. Pierson arrived a lot earlier than expected,” she said.
“That’s on me. I’ve always had a habit of being too punctual,” Joseph said. He laughed a bit and took his seat again.
I took my seat opposite him. Kayla placed the coffee on my desk and excused herself. Joseph grabbed a cup, sipped from it, and hummed his satisfaction. “New York cafes really do make the best coffee. Don’t you agree?” he asked.
“Yes, I do.”
If I didn’t know any better, I would think he didn’t recognize me. There was no malice in the way he looked at me and no condescension in the way he spoke to me. He also said it was nice to meet me. It was strange.
“So, Mr. Pierson, you requested this meeting but failed to mention what it was about.”
Joseph nodded. He set his cup on the table and reached for the bag on the chair beside him. From it, he brought out a brown manila folder.
“I have a proposal for you,” he said as he handed me the folder.
For a moment, I simply stared at it. I’d assumed the man came here to insult me, but he was here to do business with me. That was what made me certain that he didn’t recognize me. He would never work with me if he knew who I was.
“My firm is constantly looking to partner with burgeoning companies such as the one you’ve built here. I mean, in only five years, you’ve managed to achieve what has taken some people decades. That’s very impressive. You see, I’ve always been praised for my ability to spot a good investment, and you, Mr. Hayes, are a good investment.”
I took the folder and opened it. Joseph and I spent the next two hours discussing the details of our proposed partnership. I considered turning him down, but I wasn’t an idiot. There was no need to reject a potential good business deal simply because I still hated the man for what he did to me. There was no place for emotion in business. I knew that, which was why I accepted the deal.
“You’re not going to regret this,” Joseph said as he shook my hand. He adjusted his suit jacket and reached for his briefcase. He was just about to walk out the door when he paused. “That reminds me, do you have any plans this Saturday?”
“No.”
“Great. I was thinking we could celebrate the birth of our new partnership. My daughter, Amelia, is getting married. You should come.” He walked back into the room, reached into his briefcase, and pulled out an invitation. Then he handed it to me. “It’s going to be great. My wife is going all out on the whole thing. You know how women love a good party.”
I stared at the invitation card long after Joseph left. “Amelia Pierson weds Lucas Everett,” I read aloud. I repeated the words over and over again as if that would somehow make it better. I closed my eyes and opened them hoping I was simply imagining what I’d just read. But Joseph had been very clear. Amelia was getting married this Saturday.
And I was invited.