by Taylor Lowe
“Mr. Peters…” David started but her father held up his hand for him to be quiet.
“I had heard the rumors but I didn’t believe them. I was sure you would never do something this stupid,” he snapped at her harshly and she bit into her lip harder. “I finally get a top class employee and you go and….and seduce him!”
“Mr. Peters, I wouldn’t actually….” David started again but her father cut him off,
“No don’t, I thought you would be more professional than this, after all I heard about you. What would your father think if I told him how allowed yourself to enamored by her,” he snapped at David using a nasty sneer when he said “by her”. Sam felt humiliated and ashamed, just like she did the night of her twenty-first birthday.
“I swore to your mother on her death bed I would do raise you right so you would never suffer her absence,” her father continued looking at her with pure disappointment. “But I swear no matter how hard I try you thwart me at every turn! Preferring to make me out like the bad guy in those trashy books you read! I knew you had a tendency to make a fool of yourself but this really takes the cake Samantha! How could you be such a stupid fool!” Her father yelled at her.
Sam stared at him open mouthed and wide eyed. He had never told her that before and now she felt like horrid monster. She never meant to embarrass him or her mother. Would her mother be ashamed of her? Her humiliation increased tenfold realizing that everyone had probably been laughing at her the whole time and whispering about what a silly fool she had been.
His face darkened as he continued, “I can’t do this anymore Samantha. May Eleanor forgive me but I can’t! I have tried to so hard but I just can’t do it anymore! If you are determined to make a fool of yourself then so be it but you’re not taking me and my reputation that I worked so hard to get, down with you!” Sam felt her heart stop. “I disown you Samantha, you may have the Peters name but you’re not my daughter any longer,” Her father finished harshly and she gasped not believing what he was saying.
“Father you can’t mean that!” Sam exclaimed. He looked at her with his cold dark eyes and she didn’t see any love in them but cold disappointment.
“I can and I have! Needless to say you are also fired so get your things and get out,” Sam’s father snapped looking away from her.
“Dad please don’t, I am sorry I really am,” She begged him but he refused to look at her.
“You have ten minutes before I call security and have you thrown out,” He told her and Sam’s mouth fall open. A pit opened in her stomach as the tears fell freely and she felt as if he had struck her.
“Sir, you can’t be serious! Sam didn’t do anything wrong,” David insisted and her father glared at him.
“Be careful young man, I suggest if you want to continue with this company you will reconsider how you carry yourself and I suggest you eliminate any embarrassing acquaintances that reflect badly on you,” her father threatened David and he looked at her father dumbfounded.
“Are you threatening to fire me if I don’t break up with your daughter,” he asked.
“I have said what I said, you have till tomorrow to decide,” her father told him coldly. He turned to leave the office but Sam rushed up to him grabbing his arm.
“Dad wait please, I am sorry, I wasn’t thinking, I didn’t mean to…” She begged one last time but he ripped his arm out of her grasp and walked out of the office. Sam started to sink to the floor but David grabbed her and pulled her to him. She burst into tears burying her face into his chest. She felt so horrible, more than she had felt in her whole life. She had broken her father’s heart with her inconsideration and bad behavior which broke her own in return.
“I am sorry Sam, I really am. I am sure he didn’t mean that, he was just surprised that’s all. We didn’t do anything wrong,” he told her soothingly running his hand over her hair softly.
Sam shook her head and pushed him away from her. “No, he never says things that he doesn’t mean. This is all my fault,” she cried putting as much distance between him and her.
“Sam, you didn’t do anything wrong, you’re free to have a relationship with who you wish,” he told her with an obvious tone of irritation in his voice. She shook her head wiping the tears from her face. If only that was true but she knew better. She knew from the start this would end badly, why she didn’t listen to her instinct.
“No, He is right; this is the story of my life! No matter how mature, serious, or professional I try to be I always end up making an ass of myself! I never should have gone to New York and I should have never slept with you there and I most certainly shouldn’t have done it here!” Sam told him as she attempted to gain control of herself and not break down like she wanted to do.
She tried to ignore the hurt look on his face. “I majorly embarrassed myself as he knew I would; now I have gone and messed up this for him too! I knew you were my father’s prized employee and he wouldn’t like it,” she ranted feeling so angry at herself for being so stupid! “God I do have to say this was the stupidest mistake I have ever made,” Sam said with a bitter scoff at her foolishness.
“You don’t mean that, you’re…” he started but she broke him off.
“Yes I do David, I am sorry but I really mean it. I keep stubbornly trying to be like everyone, when it's so clear that I not! Jeff knew it, my father knew and he tried to tell me several times, if only I had just stopped and listen to him. I have done nothing but hurt the people I love and now it have gone too far and it is too late.” Sam told him angrily.
Sam’s chest ached when she saw the hurt look on his face. “I can’t express how sorry I am that I dragged you into the mess that is my life,” she added before she walked towards the door.
“Sam stop, your father is being unreasonable. You didn’t make any mistakes or do anything wrong! Please don’t do this, don't leave,” he pleaded with her but she shook her head and left his office quickly. She rushed over to her desk grabbing only her purse. She couldn’t stay there any longer she was just too close to breaking down and she couldn’t let everyone in that building see her lose it.
“Sam what’s wrong? I just saw your dad stomp out of David’s office and into his own looking like he was ready to kill someone,” Tabby asked worried and Sam shook her head again.
“I can’t talk about it right now Tabby. I have to get out of here,” she said quietly and nearly ran out of the building. She couldn’t believe the mess she had made! She got into her car and the tears started to flow down her face again. She started cursing herself over and over. How could she seriously have been so stupid? She drove quickly and half blinded by tears not caring if she got in an accident or not.
Once home Sam ran to her bedroom throwing herself onto the bed. Her heart hurt so much that she was sure she would die from the pain and wished she did so it would end. Hours passed and she didn’t have the strength or desire to get up out of the bed. She had tried calling her father several times but he rejected all her calls making her feel so much worse.
He was serious and cut her out of his life, her only family left in this world and she betrayed him, she started to cry all over again. David had called her a couple times but she ignored them all. There was nothing left for them to say, it was wrong to have thought she could actually share a life with someone. Sam was sure she was born with some kind of psychological defect that made everything she did a complete failure. Sam stared at the ceiling feeling more pain than she had felt in her whole life. Her phone began to bounce around the nightstand and she picked it up and answered seeing that it was Tabby.
“Hello Tabby,” she croaked hoarsely,
“Sam are you okay,” Tabby asked and Sam laughed bitterly. She was farther from okay than she had been in her entire life and she told Tabby so.
“You know David is right and he is crazy with worry about you!” Tabby told her and Sam flinched with a fresh flash of pain realizing how unfair this was for him.
“Tell him I am sorry but
it’s not his place for him to worry about me anymore,” Sam told her friend but now Tabby laughed bitterly.
“You can tell him that yourself. Honestly you can’t be serious Sam, if he doesn’t worry about you then who will?” Tabby asked and Sam felt a little irritated by her friend’s harsh tone. It was clear who was going to worry about her, the only one who really had been there for her no matter what her whole life, her father! She had to fix things; he was the only one who would always be there for her.
“Please tell me you don’t believe that bull shit your father piled up on you. Yes David told me about the whole “disappointing your mother” crap! Don’t you believe it Sam, that bastard only wants you to be his perfect little lap dog,” Tabby went on. “It’s David you should be worrying about! You crushed him today saying what you did,” Tabby told her angrily and Sam frowned. She knew she hurt him but it had to be done. She knew she dragged David into this mess and she already apologized. There was nothing more she could do.
“Tabby you don’t understand. He is my father; I have to believe in him and I do believe him when he says that only doing what is best for me! He made a promise to my mother to take care of me! To raise me right and how am I repaying him and my mother? I act like a spoiled little brat that just spends her day making his life difficult for him!” Sam argued feeling a fresh batch of tears threatening to fall.
“I don’t believe that for a minute, can’t you see what he is trying to do Sam, he said that on purpose so you will feel bad and come running to his feet begging forgiveness!” Tabby snapped at her and Sam grew really angry at her friend. Why was she fighting against Sam so hard on this when Tabby is supposed to be comforting her instead?
“No you’re wrong; you have always been wrong Tabby,” Sam shot back at her. Why did everyone want her to go against her father, he was her last and only family, how could she ever do such a thing. He needed her and she only hurt him.
“Now you’re sounding like your father!” Tabby told her with clear bitterness in her voice.
“Good, maybe I will start growing some common sense for once in my damn life and stop making a complete fool of myself every time I get the chance,” Sam snapped back just as bitter.
“No you will only just end up being a cold bitter prick like him if you keep going this way,” Tabby replied causing Sam’s blood to boil, she couldn’t believe her friend was doing this to her!
“Maybe my father was right about you, maybe you are just the bad influence he always talked about, nothing but trouble!” Sam lashed out at her but she instantly regretted saying it and cringed at the sudden silence from the other end. She knew she now had hurt Tabby too.
“Samantha Isabel Peters, I have only tried to get you to live your life if only a little and break you out of the cage your father has put you in! We have been friends since preschool and you're like a sister to me, I thought that would mean something to you. I guess you really are your father’s daughter after all,” Her friend told her with hurt filling her voice.
Sam wanted to apologize but Tabby hung up on her before she had the chance. She let out a loud scream of frustration as she kicked and punched the bed. Her father disowned her, she cut David out, and Tabby was offended by her. How did she manage screw things up so badly? She thought as she buried her face in the pillow and began to sob all over again.
The next day her body demanded desperately food but she didn’t have the strength to get up from the bed. He heart was completely shattered but managed to still ache terribly, her head throbbed as if someone had a vice around it and was tightening it more and more.
She moved her head slowly towards the window to her right and stared at the bright morning. She scowled at the weather, how the powers that be dare make today a beautiful day when it should be cloudy with lots of rain, thunder, and lightening. She turned back towards the ceiling staring at it trying to fight back more tears. She was surprised she had any more water left in her for fresh tears.
A strong knock on the door caused her to jump. She pushed herself stiffly from the bed but paused when she heard David’s voice. As much as she wanted to run and open to throw her arms around him and feel his around her she knew it would be wrong and only hurt him more. She ignored him for both their sakes, she knew if she saw him now she wouldn’t be able to say no to him. She silently begged him to leave as he continued to beat on the door and calling to her. Just when she couldn’t take it anymore it suddenly stop and she heard his car leaving. She quietly thanked God getting up from the bed. She knew what she had to do now, she didn’t know how she was going to accomplish it but she had to try.
Chapter 7 Choosing Sides
Sam glanced at the setting sun, and then towards her watch. It was nearly six in the evening. She had spent the whole day thinking of what she was going to do and now it was time to do the correct thing for once in her life. She lifted her chin in determination as she patted her hair lightly making sure it was still in its immaculate bun. She smoothed over her dark skirt and blouse then started towards the house.
She was sure if he saw her making an effort that he would forgive her. She tried to ignore the little voice in her head telling her she didn’t really want to do this. That her father and her job could all go to hell. She stiffened, and told herself resolute. “No, this is the correct thing to do; this is what I should do. I need to stop acting like a stupid child who thinks she knows better than everyone else,” Sam told herself quietly as she walked towards the elegant door of her childhood home. Her plan of coming to him had to work, if it didn’t she didn’t know what she was going to do.
She knocked on the door and her father opened the door almost as if he was expecting her. “What may I do for you?” he asked coldly and Sam gave him a pleading look. “I thought I made myself clear yesterday!” He snapped and Sam lowered her head nibbling on her lip feeling so ashamed of herself.
“I wanted to apologize. I realize now that you have been right and only have been thinking of my best interest. I also realize that I have done nothing to thank you for your efforts and in fact I seem to have done everything possible to make it harder on you. I know you’re angry with me but I promise I won’t cause you any problems again,” she explained looking at him hoping desperately he would forgive her.
Her father stood there in silence for a moment and looking at her intensely as if he was examining her soul. “What about David Andrews?” He asked and she shook her head side to side slowly.
“I have told him it was a mistake. I realize that I was only thinking of myself and not of how it would affect you or the company. I will longer see him outside the office,” she explained feeling her heart ached as she said it but she tried to swallow the pain. He opened the door wider so she could come in and she knew he had forgiven her.
“Well then that will be not at all. I fired him today,” her father told her as he closed the door and Sam’s head shot up in surprise.
“You’re fired him?” She asked and her father eyed her with suspicion. “I mean I thought the company really needed him,” Sam added trying to sound like she didn’t care whether David was fired or not.
“That was before the idiot decided to sue me on two counts,” her father spat angrily and she looked at her father confused.
“He is suing you, what for?” She questioned not understanding why David would do such a thing.
“First due to I wanted him gone because he so foolish let himself be placed in a situation very unprofessional with my daughter and secondly he actually was pretending you two had a relationship and that because of my “harassment” you two were having relationship problems,” he explained laughing as if what he just said was the funniest thing of the century. She chewed her lip trying to fight off the fluttery feeling in her stomach. David was seriously willing to fight against her father…for her.
The idea almost made her giddy, but Sam shook her head in refusal. No whatever David was doing wasn’t for his feelings for her, it was probably something a
s silly as pride. David couldn’t really care for her like that, the only one who cared was her father and she wasn’t about to betray him again. “I had just finished speaking with my lawyers, they actually want me to reach some agreement with that idiot, I guess his lawyer had made a good case for the harassment lawsuit,” her father snapped then looked at her with a hard determined face.
“Maybe I can talk to him, and get him to drop it,” Sam said chewing on her bottom lip till it became raw wondering how she could fix all this mess she made.
“No, that isn’t enough. No one messes with me like this and now that you’ve come to your senses you’re going to clarify that I didn’t cause any relationship problems and what’s more there never was a relationship to begin with!” Her father commanded her callously. Looking at him with a shocked expression while her stomach knotted painfully Sam knew she couldn’t do that; she would embarrass David if she claimed that!
“That would make him look like an idiot in front of everyone, I am sure I can convince him to drop it and there would be no need to embarrass anyone,” she pleaded with her father but his face only grew colder and harder.
“No, you will do this! That boy wanted to do the same to me, and if he thinks he can make a fool of me then he has another thing coming. If you really meant everything you just said then you will do this,” Her father demanded and her gaze drifted to the floor seeing no way out of it and nodded solemnly.
“Yes father, you’re right. I will do it,” she said defeated trying not to sound as crushed as she felt.
Once back at home she paced her living room back and forth feeling sick. Her father had literally written out exactly what she was going to say tomorrow morning when they met with David and his lawyer. She really didn’t think she could do it, it was lying and wrong. There was only one way out, she thought as she picked up her phone and turned it on. The phone started to ring almost immediately and she saw it was David. She smiled for a second weakly thinking it must be a sign. If she could convince him then there would no need to lie.