Chapter 2: A Hard Choice

Lilly took a deep breath and entered the office. Mr. Williams looked up from his desk, his expression curious.

"What can I do for you, Lily?" he asked.

She took a deep breath and steeled herself. "I need to ask you for a favor," she said, her voice steady. "I need half of my salary in advance, to buy medicine for my mom"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Medicine?" he asked. "What kind of medicine?"

Lily hesitated, but then decided to be honest. "Cancer drugs," she said.

Mr. Williams' expression hardened. "You can't ask me for half of your salary to buy drugs for your mother," he said, his voice stern. "That's not how this works. I can't just give you money for personal expenses."

Lily felt a wave of disappointment wash over her. She had hoped he would understand, but she should have known better. He was a businessman, after all.

"I understand," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "I'm sorry for asking."

"Now, about those glasses you keep breaking," Mr. Williams said, giving her a stern look. "That needs to stop. It's costing us money, and it's becoming a problem. I can't keep paying for new glasses if you're just going to keep breaking them."

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She had been so focused on her mother's illness that she hadn't even thought about the broken glasses. She felt ashamed of herself.

"I'm so sorry," she said, her voice small. "I'll be more careful from now on. I promise."

"I'm afraid I have to deduct the cost of the glasses from your salary," he said, his tone unapologetic. "I know you're going through a lot right now, but this is company policy. I hope you understand."

She bit her lip, trying to keep her emotions in check. This was the last thing she needed right now, but she knew Mr. Williams was just doing his job. "I understand," she said, her voice wavering slightly. "Thank you for being so understanding."

"Of course," Mr. Williams said, a hint of mischief in his voice. " his expression cold, "That's all for now," he said, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. "Go make some coffee - and make sure it's perfect this time. I don't want to hear any more complaints from the staff."

Lily felt a wave of anger and humiliation wash over her. She knew she had to hold her tongue, but it was hard to bite her tongue. She just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"Yes, sir," she said, turning on her heel and walking out of the office.

*****

Chris looked at himself in the mirror, straightening his tie and adjusting his suit jacket. He was getting ready for another day at the office, but he wasn't looking forward to it. His mother's nagging about marriage was weighing heavily on his mind.

He picked up his briefcase and headed out the door.

As he walked out of his room, his mother immediately confronted him. "Where have you been?" she demanded, her voice shrill. "I've been calling you for hours!"

"I was working," Chris said, trying to keep his voice even. "You know I can't talk while I'm working."

"That's no excuse!" his mother snapped, throwing her shoe at him. "You know I need to speak with you about your future. You need to settle down and get married, or you'll never be able to run the company!"

Suddenly, Chris realized that he was still standing in the hallway, his mother's words echoing in his ears. He took a deep breath and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. This was no time to get lost in his own head. He had work to do.

With a renewed sense of purpose, he turned and headed for the kitchen. He needed a strong cup of coffee before he could tackle the day ahead of him. But as he reached for the coffee pot, he heard his mother's voice again, this time from the living room. "Christopher, get in here this instant!"

He groaned inwardly....

He walked into the living room, where his mother was sitting on the couch, her hands folded primly in her lap. Her face was set in a stern expression, and she looked ready to launch into another tirade.

"I need you to listen to me," she said, her voice calm but firm. "I know you don't want to hear it, but it's for your own good. You need to get married and start a family, or you'll never be able to take over the company."

Chris sighed.

"I know you think I'm being unreasonable," his mother continued, "but it's for your own good. The shareholders are getting impatient. They're starting to question your ability to lead the company. They want to know that you're mature and responsible enough to take on the responsibility. And the only way to prove that is to get married and start a family."

He clenched his jaw, feeling anger and frustration welling up inside him. "You're asking me to make a huge life decision just to appease a bunch of shareholders," he said, his voice shaking. "I don't think that's fair."

"It may not be fair," his mother said, "but it's the reality of the situation. You can't run a company without the support of the shareholders. And they're not going to support you unless they believe you're ready to settle down and start a family."

"I'm not ready for that," Chris said, his voice rising in frustration. "I'm not ready to give up my freedom and start a family. I'm not even sure I want to get married!"

"I know this is hard," she said, her voice softening slightly. "But I'm only looking out for your best interest".

As he drove to work, he tried to clear his head and focus on the tasks ahead of him. But no matter how hard he tried, his thoughts kept drifting back to his mother's ultimatum. Was he really going to have to get married just to inherit the company?

comment 3 comment

Vote

SEND GIFT

Load failed, please RETRY