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My heart begins to race as silence falls over everyone else. I know he suspects me of having something to do with the situation, but I can't tell him the truth. I won’t throw my mom under the bus like that, not after she stuck her neck out to help us. I take a deep breath to steady myself, but don’t add anything to the conversation.
“I have no idea how this happened, Sebastian. I was as shocked as everyone else when I heard the news,” the PR director says, and everyone else at the table murmurs in agreement.
Now Dad looks in my direction, and his piercing gaze doesn't leave me for a moment. It won’t be long now. He's going to keep pressing me for answers, and I know that I need to stay strong.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Dad dismisses everyone from the room, leaving me alone with him. I feel my knees start to shake as I realize that this could be the moment that my secret is exposed. I'm not sure how I'm going to get through this, but I know that I need to hold my ground. I wish more than anything that Dan was here beside me to hold my hand, or, at the very least, available to be reached on the phone once this is all over.
“Elise…” he sighs, putting both his hands on the long wooden table. “Did you have anything to do with all of this?”
I don’t even hesitate, and just tell him simply, “No,” while folding my hands in my lap.
Unexpectedly, Dad explodes in anger, slapping his hands on the surface of the table loudly, making me jump. “Dammit, Elise! How can you be such a failure?”
Wounded, I rear back in my seat, putting my hands on my chest in shock. “Dad…”
“Don’t ‘Dad’ me right now, this is your boss speaking to you,” he growls, face twisted in anger. “You couldn’t even break Andries up with that whore, and now I find out that you’re going as far as getting Karl and I in legal trouble? Not to mention lying to my face.”
Already committed to my plan of action, I continue to lie, telling him I have no idea how the charges against Roxanne got dropped and he and Karl became targets. But I can feel my father’s piercing gaze on me and I know he doesn't believe me. He continues to press me for answers. I try to keep my voice steady, but my heart is racing with fear that my secret will be exposed.
“I don’t believe you, El. How did the charges against Roxanne get dropped and Karl and I became the targets?”
“I swear I don't know, Dad. I really don’t.”
He crosses his arms and paces the room. “Don’t lie to me, El. You were supposed to take care of this. And now, here we are stuck with the fallout.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.” I stand and try to walk next to him and put a hand on his arm, but he jerks away from me, and it makes me want to cry. But I press on. “You have to see now that even the cabaret incident didn't make Andries leave Roxanne. They’re in love and there is no way they’re going to leave each other. You have to face reality! All of our energies are so much better spent somewhere else.”
He whips around, and before I can take another breath his face is just inches away from mine. “I don't lose, El. Do you get that? Never.”
I back away, swallowing my fear. “Accepting what you can't change isn’t losing, it’s adapting. And it's a much smarter strategy than being petty.”
“Since when did you decide to side with your brother and his whore of a fiancée?”
“I'm not siding with anyone… I'm just tired of these stupid games. You should stop wasting your energy.” I can feel tears building in the corner of my eyes, so I take a few deep breaths to steady myself. “I love all of you, and this is so, so hard on me.”
“Cut the bullshit, El. You’re not making any sense.”
“I'm done playing this game.” I sink back into one of the boardroom chairs, suddenly exhausted on top of the anger and sadness. “I’m done being a pawn in your schemes. Inanyone’sschemes. I'm done lying and pretending. I just want to live my life and be happy.”
Dad is quiet for a moment, taking his own seat, steepling his fingers, and resting his chin on top of them while he contemplates the situation. I’m not so much of a fool to think that he’s going to drop the subject, but some of the sharp edged tension starts to bleed away, and for that I’m at least a little thankful.
“Fine,” he says after a few long minutes. “Let’s forget about Andries, since he’s a lost cause. Let’s change course-–how are we going to help Karl?”
“Help Karl?” I ask, confused and surprised.
“Yes, the fact that he's going to trial again is unfair,” he explains, as if it makes all the sense in the world. “We have to do something. We can set up an interview for you, like last time, and you could speak on Karl’s behalf.”
I immediately reject the idea of going on TV to openly support Karl. “If you’re so keen on helping him, thenyoudo the interview. I literally just told you that I’m done playing the pawn for everyone else’s agenda.”
“This isn’t about an agenda, darling daughter,” he points out, “It’s about your job.”
I shake my head firmly. “I don’t care. I refuse to do it, Dad. Actually, let me offer a different path… ifyoutestify against Karl, you can save yourself and the company,” I say.
But Dad looks at me, horrified. “Are you really suggesting I throw my best employee under the bus?”
“I am,” I reply seriously. “It will solve everything. Karl is a cancer to everything that he touches––women, friends, this company… everything. He just wants to screw over Andries and Roxanne for the sake of personal revenge, his helping has nothing to do with his loyalty to you or the company. It’s all selfish reasons that help him get his revenge. So turn the tables and let him take the fall. Saving yourself and your family seems like a no-brainer to me.”
The room falls silent, and I can feel the weight of his gaze upon me. I know that this decision is going to have serious consequences, but I also know that it's the only way to protect ourselves and our family. I stand my ground, waiting for my father’s response, bracing myself for what’s to come.
