Chapter 2 Parents

• “Hey, Mom!”
• Mom dropped the watering can, whirling around. At sixty she still seemed so strong and young.
• “Danielle! Come over here child!” I laughed at her stern voice, running up to the garden to hug the only person who cared about me.
• “How have you been, baby?” Her eyes crinkled in worry as she held me in her arms. I was transported to my younger years, after a long day of mocking and bullying, this was my solace.
• “I'm good, Mom.”
• “You are late today. What's wrong?” She steered me into the house, quickly getting to work—making pasta.
• “I…uh met someone today.” She grinned, passing me some carrots to chop.
• “A guy?”
• “Yeah.” I didn't look up as I concentrated on chopping the carrots. But I could sense her eyes following me as she placed the pot of pasta on fire.
• “What's wrong, baby?”
• There was no use hiding it, “I met Jake today.” My mom froze mid-air, turning to me, her warm eyes filled with anger. She walked up to me, hugging me and kissing my scar.
• “Mom! It's okay. We just had some business—”
• “No! You're not doing anything with that boy. I don't care what it is, but do not speak to him ever again.” She looked ready to cry and I nodded. I could never say no to my Mom.
• “I love you, Danielle and I can't lose you again. I don't want him anywhere close to you.” Her eyes flew to my scar one more time and I could see the flash of bitter memories in her eyes as she went back to cooking, but she was distant this time.
• “Did you go to the library today?” I hoped to brighten her mood, but it was too late. She had slipped into her gloomy state.
• “No. Mr Davidson is gone.”
• “Oh, I'm so sorry, Mom.” This was the second guy she had something close to romance with and he left too.
• “His grandson hit the jackpot and decided to take him out of this…dastard town.” This was a touchy topic I avoided at all costs, but it was hard to shut her up after she had started.
• “Kids! They don't value relationships. Just yesterday, Davidson was here, today he’s gone. Tearing him away from everything he valued and loved. That's wrong!” She was shaking now and I hugged her from behind. I hated how much this upset her. My Mom had been through a lot of relationships ending up with the men leaving.
• “They should be jailed for that! There's a law against that, right?” I nodded, as I steered her towards the couch. She was crying now.
• “That's right! We must sue, Danielle. We have to sue them. They took away Davidson’s happiness.”
• “Mom, get yourself together! Davidson doesn't matter now. I'm here with you, always.”
• My mom smiled, her eyes filled with love, “Always.”
• A few hours later, as it neared my usual time to leave, I took her to bed. After her breakdown this evening, she was in a fragile state and I would have slept over, but I needed to be early tomorrow.
• “Sleep over, baby. Stay with Mommy.”
• “I want to. But I must go, cause of work.” I pecked her head as I tucked her in.
• “I never want you to leave, Elle. Stay with me forever.” My eyes watered at her words. I loved my Mom to bits and would never leave her.
• “I won't leave you. Ever.” I turned off the lights and was about to go when she called out.
• “Promise?”
• “With my life.”
• ***
• “There’s no way out of this, Jacob. You have to work with that company,” his father said with a tone of finality. Jake stood there, hands shoved in his pockets as Danny’s words replayed in his head.
• “That’s better than being a remote to your Mummy and Daddy.”
• That’s exactly what he felt like—nothing but a remote.
• “I’m the CEO of Miller’s Realtors now. I’m not working with that girl. We’ve always worked with Elegance. Why can’t I do that now?” Jacob protested, but his father barely spared him a glance, more interested in his phone than in whatever Jacob was saying.
• “Jay, it’s not our fault. We want to work with Elegance, but the contract says Style and Impact.” Jacob could feel his anger rising, the urge to punch something growing inside him. He hated how much control everyone else had over the situation—everyone except him.
• “Besides, you were so eager and ready to work with Style and Impact two days ago. What changed?” his father asked, his eyes sharp and prying. Jacob avoided meeting his gaze. There was no way he was going to admit that he was backing out because it was Danny.
• Coward.
• “It’s an old rival of mine,” Jacob muttered, trying to dismiss the subject.
• “Well, fix it,” his father replied coldly.
• “It’s not that easy, Dad! If I could, I would have done it already!” Jacob snapped.
• “Don’t you raise your voice at me, boy!” his father shot back, his glare fierce. This was how all their conversations had gone lately—each one of them fighting for dominance.
• “Then get back in that seat and finish what you started. I won’t be your puppet,” Jacob spat before storming out, anger rolling off him in waves.
• Jacob got into the passenger seat of the car in the driveway, his lips set in a thin line.
• “It did not go well.” A pretty lady dressed in a short red dress sat in the driver's seat. She started the car, speeding away.
• “I'm stepping down.”
• Victoria’s head whipped towards him, a look of pure shock on her face.
• “You wouldn't dare.”
• “Watch me, Vee. This is getting out of hand!” Jacob slammed the dashboard angrily. Danny was right, after all, he was nothing but a remote.
• “Destroying my car won't fix anything. But if you step down, who's going to run the company?”
• “None of my business!”
• “You're a multi-billionaire who has his own company and still manages his father's! I don't see why you're so worked up about this. Many crashes one or both.” Victoria scoffed, her eyes set on the road.
• “I'm actually on my way to crashing both if I don't get that contract. A billion-dollar contract, Vee! That's massive.”
• Suddenly his phone pinged and as he read the message, his signature cocky smile appeared.
• “What's that?”
• “Guess who's got balls now?” He showed her the phone.
• “Danny wants to work with me.”