Chapter 34 #2
“Well, I’m not a fan of that tabloid parading as a newspaper anymore,” her father said dryly, “but strong work ethic, loyalty, and diversity are the values I believe in for this company. These people are my family.”
So am I. Cynthia lowered her gaze to her lap and bit the inside of her cheek.
The tears might have receded but her father’s words burrowed deep in her chest, and she dropped her chin.
She didn’t want his opinion to matter anymore, but it did.
She didn’t want to need his approval, but her heart ached to hear it.
But before she could bring herself to ask for it, her father cocked his head to the side.
“Hang on one second,” he said with a wrinkled brow. “I want to go back to something you said before…What’s this about my team being ‘male and stale’?”
Cynthia shrugged. “If you want to uphold these kinds of values at Kumar Construction, then things need to change around here on an organizational level. More than half the admin and junior staff are female, and yet there are no women on your senior leadership team. Aside from Rohit, no one under the age of fifty has a seat at the…” Cynthia paused.
“No one under the age of fifty has a seat or voice at the table.”
Her father’s eyes widened. “I can’t just fire my senior leadership team.”
“There are other ways to make this place more inclusive. You could bring in a board of directors made up of a more diverse group of people. You could create an actual human resources department that’s more than just Gayle sitting in a room filled with file cabinets.
You could hire a consultant to make this place less hierarchical and emphasize things like equal opportunity and decentralization.
” Cynthia licked her lips and paused to shoot her father a nervous glance.
“It’s not enough to talk the talk anymore.
If you want people to feel valued and seen, then you have to lead by example. ”
Although her father’s eyebrows had climbed almost to his hairline during her little speech, she didn’t read judgment or disapproval in his brown eyes.
His gaze was assessing, the set of his jaw contemplative.
A very small part of Cynthia itched to see admiration flit across his face or, at the very least, grudging respect, but as she looked at the empty, cushy leather chairs around them and the gleaming surface of the mahogany table that, in the past, had stretched endlessly across the room, she realized she would survive without it.
“So,” Rich said, nodding at the sheet of paper that lay facedown to her right. “Is that a list of potential board directors?” He reached forward, but Cynthia was quicker.
“No,” she said quietly. Her hand was steady as she flipped the paper over and slid it across the table to her father. “This is my resignation. I’m ready for a change.”
Rich’s eyes skimmed the letter quickly before meeting her gaze. “You’re leaving?”
“I don’t think Kumar Construction is the right future for me.” Cynthia smiled self-deprecatingly. “And surely you must know that, too. I mean, you named Rohit as your next CEO, so obviously—”
“Hang on.” Her father leaned forward in his chair. “Are you saying you had hopes to become the next CEO?”
The question made Cynthia’s throat feel tight and she forced herself to take a long, deep breath to chase away the tension gathering there.
When it came to business matters, she’d practically strained her vocal cords trying to get her point across, but when it came to these moments, Cynthia had always resorted to tucking all the feelings of disappointment, pain, pride, and wistfulness away.
She had convinced herself that she, like her father, believed that actions spoke louder than words, but she could admit now that she’d been hiding from the words that were, for her, so hard to say.
It was time to speak up for herself. And for her heart.
“Of course I wanted to be the next CEO.”
Her father looked incredulous. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“C’mon, Appa.” When the childhood moniker for Dad slipped from Cynthia’s lips, she paused, momentarily surprised.
“I’ve been busting my ass for the last fifteen years trying to prove to you that I would be the right person to lead Kumar Construction after your retirement. It’s been my one goal all this time.”
“I…I didn’t realize.”
“I should have said something a long time ago. I wish…” Cynthia’s voice was beginning to shake but she forced herself to continue. “I might have let everything I worked so hard for slip away once long ago, but people make mistakes and deserve second chances, Dad.”
Realization dawned over her father’s face, and he studied his daughter in silence for a long while.
Cynthia stared back. She saw so much of her features in her father and yet, right now, she felt like a completely different person and from the vertical crease between her father’s brows, he might’ve realized that as well.
“You’re right,” he finally said. “Cynthia, if taking over my legacy is something you really want, I can revisit my decision. You have proven yourself very capable and ambitious in your field. I know you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, and I have no doubt that this company would flourish under your leadership.” He cocked his head to the side.
“As my daughter, you would be the natural choice for my successor. Is this what you want?”
When she had fantasized about this moment, she’d played out scene after scene, mentally fortifying herself against the fear, doubt, and regret she would feel the next day when she’d hand her father her resignation letter.
She’d never pictured this happening. Her main goal had been to find closure or, at the very least, relief.
Reality was much, much better.
“No.” Her answer was softly spoken but firm and powerful. She felt powerful. “This isn’t the best fit for me or for what I want.”
To her surprise, her father’s eyes misted over. He reached across the table, but instead of grabbing his phone, he placed his hand gently on hers. “You’ve done a lot here to help me build my legacy,” he said. “But I think it’s obvious that you were destined to build your own.”