Chapter 29 #2
She laughs softly. “I know how that goes. Sometimes we get attached to something and refuse to change it, but things work themselves out in the end.”
“Is that what happened with your bed-and-breakfast?”
Chloe grins. “No, just with my relationship with Brock.” She winks at him, and Brock rolls his eyes affectionately. “It’s one of those things I’m grateful for every day. And soon, I’ll have something else to be grateful for.”
She pats her stomach gently.
Avery gasps and pulls her into a hug. “Congratulations! That’s amazing. When are you due?”
“Around Christmas.”
Brock grins. “So we’ll get the best present ever.”
He and I are pretty close in age, and it makes me wonder if I would be in a similar situation had I not dedicated most of my life to my business. There are a few seconds of panic, as if I’m behind on what I should be doing, and I have to back up and take a deep breath.
I think of Victoria. There’s no way we could do something like that. I don’t even know if she’d want to have kids, which is the main reason my parents want me to get married in the first place.
Brock and Chloe say goodbye and head over to another group to chat.
I grab a cup and pour some soda into it, staying close to the outskirts of the group.
There are so many things I need to figure out, and so far, I’ve only been pushing them off, hoping that I can keep living this dream as long as possible.
If my father is bugging Aiden as much as he is, I can only imagine how he is toward the employees of my company.
Pulling out my phone, I start walking down the sidewalk as I call my father. I’m surprised that he answers on the second ring since he doesn’t typically answer numbers he doesn’t recognize.
“Hello?”
“It’s Max,” I say.
There’s an audible sigh of relief, and he says, “Are you heading to the airport? We’ll send a car to pick you up.”
I brace myself for whatever is to come. I need to stand up for myself just like I do for my employees and my company.
“I’m not going to marry Victoria, Dad.”
“Yes, you are,” he says. “We’ve got everything planned out, and your mother’s already working on the wedding details.”
Letting out a slow breath I say, “I know you want what’s best for me, but Victoria isn’t it. I need someone I can talk to when I come home from the office and not someone who will only be in it to spend my money and thrive from the status I bring.”
There’s a long silence on the line, and I turn to look at all the people close to the cookout. My eyes scan the group and land on Avery. She’s laughing and so relaxed, enjoying someone’s joke.
I like her, and while I don’t know if she feels the same, I do think it’s something I want to pursue.
“Marriage isn’t more than a business contract Max. You keep your friends and your group, but then you have someone to attend events with.”
I can’t help but let out a laugh. “That is the worst speech I’ve ever heard to persuade someone to get married. Why can’t I just find someone on my own?”
There’s a rustle and then my mother’s voice comes on the line. “Because you don’t do anything but work, and you need to start a family soon.”
“I don’t want to start a family with someone who relies on a prenup for how much she’ll get once she divorces me.” The words come out hard, but I feel them to my bones. I don’t want to marry someone just for the sake of marrying, and I don’t want to be a statistic.
“That’s not the worst thing in the world,” my dad says, his voice stern. He must’ve taken back the phone.
“What do you mean? Why would anyone want to get married just to plan on getting divorced? And if they have kids, that’s just like messing up their entire lives.”
“Marriage needs two equal parts to make it,” my dad says. “When you’re from the same social class, it makes things easier.”
“You and Mom do nothing together,” I say, not quite understanding his logic here.
“We’re a lot more alike than you think.”
“But that’s the point, Dad. I don’t want something like your relationship, and if I marry Victoria that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”
“Life isn’t perfect, Max. Sometimes you just have to roll with it and be grateful for what you have.”
“I don’t think that means what you think it means. I’m very grateful for what I have and try to use my money for good. But that doesn’t mean I have to sacrifice my happiness just to fulfill someone else’s dreams about status.”
“I’ve given my word to her family, and its final. I’ll expect you on the next plane home.”
I’m feeling a bit petty and say, “Which home, Dad? The one in Germany, or the one I’ve lived in for almost a decade in New York?”
“Get back to New York, and get back to your job,” he says anger lacing his tone.
“I’m not ready for that yet, Dad. I love you and Mom, but I can’t get married.”
“You will.”
“I’ll come home soon, but I can’t promise when that will be. I’ve always done everything you’ve asked. For once, I’m asking you to give me this much.”
I pause and don’t hear anything on the other end of the line. When I pull my phone away, I realize that he hung up on me. I blow out a breath, not sure that went as well as I wanted it to. Then again, at least the Band-Aid’s off.
I tuck my phone back into my pocket and stroll over to the group. I take a last swig of my drink and throw the plastic cup into the garbage can.
“Where did you go?” Aiden asks.
“I had a phone call to make,” I say giving him a small frown.
“I take it the conversation didn’t go well?” Avery asks.
I’m not ready to tell her anything yet, and I don’t really want to go over the conversation again so I just shrug. “Not as well as I would’ve liked.”
It’s sad how closely my personal life is tied to my work life, and that they can be considered as both.
She reaches out and touches my hand softly, and I’d like to think it’s in solidarity to what I’m going through.
I know the fight about who I’ll marry isn’t over, but when Avery is an option, Victoria doesn’t stand a chance.