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I took a hold of Fiona’s hand and pulled her back to me. When I said I was going to make things right, I meant it. If I had to start with my mom, I would do it. Not because I wanted to, but because I owe it to Fiona to defend her no matter how overwhelming I find dealing with my parents.
“She’s not just any employee; she’s Fiona. You need to stop pretending like you haven’t known her since she was a kid. And you need to stop treating her like that, especially since she’s the woman I love.”
Mom’s gaze stayed on me without blinking, as if waiting for me to take my words back. I squeezed Fiona’s hands without looking at her, wanting a way to tell her that I was with her.
Instead of saying something, my mom threw her head back and laughed. Loud. I winced at how loud her laughter was, and when she looked back at the both of us, she had tears in her eyes. Finally, after what felt like forever, she cleaned her eyes and cleared her throat.
“I don’t know what you’ve been feeding my son, but I suggest you give it a break now,” Mom said to Fiona, then turned to me, “the woman you love? Don’t make me laugh, Christian. What does that make Aurora?”
“I already told you I was done with her. I don’t love her.”
“You find that love for her because neither of you can be together. Think about Robust Technology for once in your life.”
Fiona tried to pull her hand away from mine, but I was determined to see this through. If not for her, then for myself. I had no idea why my parents were under the impression that I had to sacrifice myself to save the company. It was nice being the CEO of Robust Technology, but I didn’t even feel like the CEO with the way they were breathing down my neck.
“What has the company got to do with this?”
“That’s why you’re not going to make a good CEO. Everything you do is a reflection of the company, and you being with this girl-”
“You know her name. It’s Fiona.”
“Think of the company!” my Mom said again, and it dawned on me that this wasn’t an argument I could win just like that.
“I’m willing to step down as the CEO of Robust Technology if this will be a problem.”
“Christian,” Fiona said from behind me, but I kept my eyes on my Mom, who stood with eyes wide open and mouth slightly agape.
Chapter Seventeen
Fiona
There were a number of ways I imagined my confession to Christian would go, and ways I didn’t expect. For instance, I didn’t expect to blurt it out to him while we were in the office, much less after a meeting that I barely paid any attention to.
I also didn’t expect him to reciprocate the feeling. Okay, that part was a lie, I expected to be hugged and kissed and told that he felt that way about me, too, but having him say it in real life made me feel like I was being filmed for the camera. Something about why you shouldn’t fall in love with your boss, or the importance of not telling said boss when you do.
I expected him to laugh and tell me to snap out of it.
I did not, not even as a joke, expect his mother to show up, nor did I expect him to decide that being CEO wasn’t something he would like to embark on if he couldn’t be with me.
The truth was the entire situation had left me reeling.
His mother’s hardened eyes were fixed on him, challenging him. And Christian, for some reason, seemed determined to meet her head-on.
I pulled on his arm, willing him to snap back to his senses. I knew this woman, and while it was nice that he was standing up for me, and trying to pick my side, I didn’t want him to be at odds with his family. I didn’t want to be the reason he’d be on the outs with his family.
As if realizing that her son wasn’t going to back down from his decision to leave the position of CEO, Melissa turned her attention to me. Christian shifted again until he was standing between us, and all I had was the view of his back.
“I’m serious,” Christian said, his voice coming out firmer than any tone I’ve heard his voice take. He seemed to be standing straighter, his shoulders squared. My imagination could have never prepared me for something like this.
“You’re going to go against our entire family for her?” his mother asked, and the way she said ‘her’ like I wasn’t standing right there, like I wasn’t her daughter’s best friend, made me realize that she had no desire for me to join their family.
I wasn’t exactly brimming with joy to make her my mother-in-law. I shook my head mentally and snapped out of it. I was getting ahead of myself. Marriage didn’t even seem likely with what was unfolding before me.
“Her name is Fiona,” Christian said again, and I pulled on his arm to stop him from further destroying his relationship.
“I don’t care what her name is,” Melissa said again, “I care about your relationship with Aurora-”
“There is no relationship.”
