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The Company
When Eric left, Emerson sighed deeply, his eyes shifting towards me.
“What the hell was that?” he asked flatly, the disbelief and displeasure unmistakable. He really didn’t want me to quit, and now, it was clear he was also
angry.
“Oh, please don’t be angry, Emerson,” I tried to say as I walked towards him, but he silenced and stopped me with his hand, stopping me in my tracks.
“Let’s go inside. I’m not having another match out here,” he said, his voice filled with frustration. “Eric was enough for a lifetime.”
We walked inside towards his secretary’s desk. She must have been listening in, as she did her best to appear disinterested in us, fiddling with papers and avoiding eye contact. But it was obvious she had been eavesdropping, and I couldn’t blame her.
The screaming had been enough to draw anyone’s attention.
Emerson didn’t spare her a glance as he marched straight into his office. I followed. quietly behind. He opened the door and stood by it, waiting for me to pass through. The moment I stepped inside, he slammed the door shut behind me with such force that I let out a small yelp, startled by the sound and his action.
He shook his head and sighed again, his breath coming out in slow, measured exhalations as if he were trying to calm himself down. He left me standing there by the door, as I fidgeted with myself, unsure of what to do. He moved toward the large windows just by his desk, staring out into the distance.
I stood there, frozen, with no idea what to do, as I watched him. The silence between us stretched on, minutes feeling like hours, neither of us speaking.
Finally, Emerson turned back to face me.
“Take a seat,” he said, his voice cold. It felt less like a request and more like an order like he was a boss commanding an employee.
I raised an eyebrow in question but not wanting to escalate things further, I quietly made
my way to the sofa, choosing the spot farthest from him. The distance felt necessary, as I had no idea what was running through his head.
Emerson rubbed his hand across his face, as though wiping away his frustration before he turned to look at me again. His hands slipped into his pants pockets, and he shot me a glare.
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“What was that?” he asked again pointedly, his eyes boring into mine.
“Look, Emerson… I’m sorry, okay?” I started, grasping for words to make this better. “You probably didn’t want me to quit but……
“I probably didn’t want you to quit.?” Emerson’s expression hardened, disbelief and displeasure taking over his face. “I gave you raise. I made you the head of your department, and you’re telling me you thought I didn’t want you to quit?”
“Look, Emerson, I know that Eric is the only family you have, and I know how important he is to you. I didn’t want to create a rift between you two.” I quickly said trying to defuse the situation.
“What rift exactly are you talking about?” he asked, his voice sharper now. I swallowed, and he continued. “Oh, please, Mina. Don’t tell me you didn’t think asking me to marry you, or actually proposing and marrying me, wasn’t going to create a rift between me and Eric.”
He scoffed. “You already did. There already is a rift between him and me, and with what you did just now…. what you did today, you’ve made things worse.”
“Emerson, I couldn’t let you choose me over him,” I said softly, pleading. “I mean, choosing to marry me, that’s your decision. That’s your own personal life. But actually putting me above him…..
“This wasn’t about choosing him or choosing you, Mina!” he cut in, his voice rising. “I don’t know what’s so hard for you to understand. This was about compromise. The only reason I never gave you his position before today, is because the two of you were married, and I knew you were working through your things. I didn’t want to get involved in your marriage until you wanted me to.”
I looked away, his words pressing down on me.
“The decision I made today,” he continued, his voice quieter, “you might think it was because of our relationship, but it was 90% because of your hard work. And now you’re quitting on me. You’re quitting on the company. This is a major loss for the company, Mina. Can you see that?”
“I mean,” I murmured, unsure now, “I never thought I was that valuable to the company…”
“But you still did what you did,” Emerson exclaimed, his frustration spilling over.
Emerson, I know your relationship with your son is more important than the company, and that’s why I did what I did.”
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Emerson’s eyes narrowed, his voice cold and sharp.” I know my relationship with my son is more important than the company. Nina, do
you think you have the right ….. or the experience….. to teach me about family? About children? About how I’m supposed to treat my son?”
His question hit me like a blow. I winced, the words cutting deep because he knew how much I wanted to have a family, how hard Eric and I had fought to get pregnant, to have a child. It felt like he was mocking me, and I couldn’t stop myself from flinching. But he didn’t seem to notice, or maybe he didn’t care.
“I know I don’t have children,” I said quietly, the ache in my chest growing. “And I can’t tell you how to treat your son, but I know that you love him. I know you want to have a good relationship with him.‘
Emerson’s gaze was unwavering, cold and distant. “No, Mina. What you did was…” He trailed off, shaking his head, as if he couldn’t even bring himself to finish the
sentence.
“What you did, Mina, is that you thought you knew everything,” Emerson said. “But by giving in to his first demand, you just messed everything up. Because now Eric thinks that whatever he wants, he can threaten me, and put me on the spot. He’ll tell me to choose between you and him. He’ll say he’s going to leave if I don’t give him what he wants. And now, because of what you did, he believes he’s too important for me to ever refuse.”
I felt the weight of his accusation sinking in, but before I could respond, he continued.
“If Eric messes up our relationship, it’s because he doesn’t want a father. He wants to be alone for the rest of his life. I need him to think for himself, to make his own decisions. I didn’t want you getting in the middle of it.”
“Emerson,” I cut in, “you’re forgetting that I am in the middle of this. You were fighting because of me. He kept pointing at me-”
“I didn’t want you there, Mina,” Emerson interrupted. “Okay? I thought you’d be in your office. I was surprised to have you there.”
“So what are you saying, Emerson?” I asked, my frustration rising. “That I should’ve just stayed out of it? That I don’t matter?”
“What I’m saying is that you’re not Eric’s mother and we are not married,” he shot back.
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