“Because you would not dishonor my father by challenging his pregnant daughter for control. I am not concerned about your threat, Kumar. I’m sure you will help me stand for my father’s legacy, or else you will be cursed. The gods will not bless you for your act of selfishness.”
After an elongated pause, Kumar answered. “Please, take several days to rest. We can continue the knowledge transfer next week. It will be my pleasure to honor your father.”
Zarah thanked him and disconnected the call. She sat behind Joel’s desk, in no hurry to do anything. She was steadfast in not wanting Kumar and Joel to join together and sell the company without counting her vote. She was not going to be discounted any longer. Harmonious Energy belonged to Musar Bengali, her father. As his only child and his only living heir, she had all the rights and would use them fully. They’d see. She was inspired, and she contemplated the next steps. Since her sister-in-law had many good ideas, she’d give her a call and get some more advice.
Chapter 17
It was pointless for Joel to drop by his hotel suite at the Westin. There wasn’t anyone there to console him. Instead he’d wandered around for about an hour after leaving the coffee shop in search of meaningful dialogue. After praying for peace and guidance, he didn’t want to go home and get drawn into another disagreement with Zarah over her father’s company.
Around nine o’clock that morning he walked into the Mitchell estate, the place his mother had claimed as her home after Madeline divorced his father and moved out. Since his childhood, not much had changed in the massive house situated on Mayweather Lane. The familiarity of the place was comforting, and Joel felt it might provide the solace he sought. Sherry didn’t understand him as well as Sheba, but his mother was a strong second option when it came to support.
“Mom, where are you?” he called out. Joel weaved through the dining room and ended up in the kitchen. “Mom,” he called out again.
“Why are you yelling for me this early on a Thursday morning, mister?” Sherry said, entering the kitchen in her casual wear.
Joel embraced his mother and held her longer than usual.
“Okay, what’s going on?” she asked.
He finally released her. “Why do you ask that? Can’t I stop by to see my mother and give her a hug?”
Sherry snickered. “You can, but most of the time it means there’s something serious going on.” A worried look appeared on her face. “Is it the baby?”
“No,” he quickly responded.
“Oh, good,” she said, and then the worried look reappeared. “Is it Zarah? Is she back in the hospital?”
“No, Mom, nothing like that. Zarah and the baby are okay.” Joel sat on one of the tall stools surrounding the ten-foot-long marble-covered island. He’d solved countless problems at that counter over the years. He was hoping for the same today. He tapped his foot on the stool next to him. Sherry sat down.
“So tell me, what’s going on?”
“I’m hungry. Do you have any breakfast cooked?”
“Uh, no,” she said and giggled.
“Where’s the cook?”
“At home, I guess,” Sherry responded. “Last year I stopped her from coming in daily.”
“Last year? Why? Aren’t you lonely being here by yourself every day?”
Sherry touched his hand and gave him a light smile. “I’m not lonely, if that’s all you’re concerned about. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Now, tell me what’s going on with you, and don’t say, ‘Nothing,’ when I can see that something is clearly bothering you.”
Joel’s gaze dropped. “It’s DMI and Madeline.”
Sherry drew her hand back. “Oh, boy. What’s she done now?”
“Actually, you’d be surprised.”
“I doubt it. I’ve known Madeline since she hired me as Dave’s assistant at DMI over thirty years ago. I know her well, and I wouldn’t put anything past her.”
“Except asking me to return as CEO.”
“What?” Sherry asked.
“You heard me right. She wants me in the CEO role. Can you believe it?”
“No, I can’t, and you shouldn’t, either.” Sherry stood and walked across the room and leaned against the wall. “You can’t trust her. It has to be a trap.”
Joel watched as his mother’s pleasant mood evaporated. Seeing her standing there reminded him of the woman who, years ago, had cringed at the mere mention of Madeline’s name. He remembered how upset his mother would get every time his father let Madeline have her way on issues pertaining to their children. Sherry had worked hard to gain her independence. Joel was thrilled to see her thriving after his father’s death. She didn’t crumble, as most thought she would. To see her shudder in fear now about what Madeline might do was disheartening.
Joel went to his mother’s side. “Mom, you don’t have to worry. I truly think Madeline is sincere about this.”
“How can you say that after everything she’s done to us, to me, to your father, and to you?”
“What choice do I have but to go along and see how this plays out?” He wasn’t 100 percent sure that Madeline’s offer was legit, but his gut said she could be trusted on this one. Hopefully, his desperation wasn’t clouding his vision and blindly drawing him like a fawn into the lion’s den.
“No, this doesn’t sound right.” Sherry folded her arms tightly, and Joel could tell distress had a grip on her. “What’s she going to do? Kick Don out?”
“No, he’s moving to South Africa and stepping down.”
“Okay. What about Tamara? Madeline would never choose my child over hers to run DMI, never in a million years.”
“I thought the same thing.”
“So what are you thinking, then? Madeline’s not going to choose you over Tamara.”
“She already has.”
Sherry buried her fingers in her hair. “No way.”
“I’m sure Tamara was her first choice, but Madeline admitted that her daughter doesn’t have the experience to run DMI. I agree, but I wasn’t about to tell Madeline that. I’m just glad she recognized Tamara’s shortcomings and didn’t try to force her into the role, anyway.”
“Clearly, she’s convinced you, but not so fast for me. I have good reason not to trust Madeline. She hates me, and that will never change.” Sherry shut her eyes tightly and interlocked her fingers. “I used to be bothered by how she treated me. When Dave was alive, I had to put up with her. I’ve tolerated her constant antics against you. She was incorrigible when your dad appointed you CEO. I sat quietly and let her torment you, but those days are over. You, Zarah, and the baby are my only family. I won’t let her harm you again, not without a serious fight.”
Joel grabbed Sherry’s shoulders. “Don’t worry about Madeline. I can take care of myself.” He hugged her. “Besides, she’s not the one giving me problems.”
“What do you mean?”
“Tamara is the one I have to watch. Influencing Zarah has become her life’s mission,” he said and chuckled. “Thanks to Tamara, my wife doesn’t want to listen to reason. It wasn’t too long ago when her primary goal was to be a supportive housewife.”
“Well,” Sherry said, shrugging her shoulders, “most women don’t take on the traditional role anymore. Most of them are educated and want to work.”
“You stayed at home, and I guess it was okay for you.”
Sherry moaned. “Maybe, maybe not. You might not know this, but I’d worked for several years before meeting your dad. I didn’t make a great deal of money as a secretary back then, but I was very proud of my job and budding career.”
“How did you end up as a housewife?”
Sherry fidgeted. “That was my choice. It’s a long story, but the short version is that Madeline fired me after the affair with your dad. After we got married, your father wouldn’t dare rehire me. Madeline wouldn’t hear of it, and he didn’t want to upset her. So, I decided to stay at home for a while. It wasn’t long afterward that you arrived. I wasn’t about t
o go to work and leave you with a nanny or a stranger. No way,” she said, squeezing his forearm.
“See? That’s what I’d like Zarah to do, put the baby first. She needs to step away from the corporate scene for the sake of the pregnancy, but Tamara is filling her head with other ideas.”
“Joel, I don’t think you have to be concerned about Zarah. She loves you. She’ll come around.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“I am. I know her type. That was me when I met Dave Mitchell. I was so naive and so captivated by your father that I willingly surrendered my identity. If you care about her, be patient and give Zarah the space she needs to grow into the marriage.”
He leaned against the wall next to Sherry. “Space is exactly what I’m afraid of. If I step back, Tamara is going to pounce on Zarah.” There was no telling how far Tamara would go in manipulating his wife. Since Harmonious Energy was a key component of his CEO bid, he wasn’t willing to be hands off with Tamara hovering like a buzzard.
“Joel, you’re playing a dangerous game. Zarah is fragile. You need to tread lightly. Too much pressure and a miscarriage is a real possibility. I know that’s not what you want.”
“Of course not.”
“Then you have to be patient, like I said. I’ve had a miscarriage, and I don’t wish that on anyone. Thank goodness I was able to get pregnant right afterward with you, but it doesn’t dissolve the pain I suffered in losing my first child.” Joel watched her get teary eyed.
“Enough about me. Let’s talk about you,” he said.
“What about me?”
“I don’t want you to be alone. Dad is gone, and you deserve some happiness. Why don’t you start dating?”
“Whoa! Dating isn’t for me. I was married to your father for twenty-five years. That’s enough for me.”
“Mom, come on. I didn’t say, ‘Get married.’ We’re only talking about dating.”
She shook her head and giggled.
“Well, I’m going to create a profile online for you,” Joel told her.
“A profile? What is that?”
Joel laughed. “I’ll post your photo and tell a little bit about you. The online system will identify men whose profile matches yours. It’s simple.”
“Sounds crazy to me. If I do begin dating, we’ll stick with the old-fashioned method of meeting someone at the library or through a friend. I’m not open to meeting a stranger online. No thank you,” she told Joel.
“We’ll just have to see,” he said.
“I guess we will.”
They laughed simultaneously. Briefly Joel felt better, but nothing was settled, and he knew it.
Chapter 18
Madeline parked her convertible Bentley in DMI’s executive row, in the spot labeled MRS. MITCHELL. It was the same spot she’d had since the inception of DMI. She recalled the time, fresh after her divorce from Dave, when Sherry parked in the spot. Before lunch that day Madeline had threatened to have Sherry’s car towed, but Dave intervened, rescuing his woman’s car. On that day it was established that Madeline’s role at DMI would never be comprised, regardless of what bimbo Dave married. There was only one legitimate Mrs. Mitchell, and she parked up front. The others could crawl several rows back and settle for an obscure spot near the rear of the lot.
Madeline cackled at the thought and peeked at herself in the rearview mirror. There wasn’t a strand of hair out of place. If only the rest of her life was in the same shape. She sat in the car, dreading another run-in with her daughter, but it was bound to happen. She knew that Tamara’s fury was smoldering. Madeline wasn’t happy about excluding Tamara from the CEO candidate list, but she wasn’t going to change her mind. Yet there had to be another way she could get Tamara involved in the company. Madeline sighed in defeat. She opened the car door and delicately set her four-inch stiletto heels on the ground.
It was after 9:00 a.m., and everyone in the office was in rapid motion. Madeline made her way to Don’s office.
“Are you just getting in?” Don asked his mother.
She set her bag on a chair and gripped the back. “I got a late start this morning.”
“I guess so, because you’re here no later than seven every day.”
“Well, let’s just say I have a lot on my mind.”
“Like what? Or do I already know?”
“You know it’s Tamara. I’m failing her, but what else can we do?”
Don shrugged his shoulders. “I feel badly too, but we both know she can’t run this company. Appointing her CEO would be worse than Dad appointing Joel.”
The words seared her heart and went on to burn her soul. “Tamara said exactly the opposite.” The correlation was piercing for Madeline.
“But at least Joel had worked at DMI for several years while Dad was alive. Tamara is totally green. Before coming home, she was an artist who drew pictures, for goodness’ sake.”
“I’m aware of all that,” Madeline said. “But it doesn’t change the fact that I feel badly about shoving her out. She was gone too long . . . fifteen years out there on her own, bouncing from country to country like a vagabond.”
“At least she’s home now.”
“For how long?” Madeline said, taking a seat and crossing her legs. “I’m terrified that Tamara’s going to run away again if we don’t give her what she wants.” Madeline winced. “I can’t bear to lose her. Anything might happen to her out there without our protection. I haven’t forgotten that nutcase Remo, who had the unmitigated gall to show up in Detroit and stalk my daughter.” Madeline popped up from her seat and paced the room. “He better be glad I let your uncle Frank handle the situation, because I would surely have ended up in jail if I’d gotten my hands on him.”
She stopped pacing and pointed her index finger at Don from across the room. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt you or Tamara, nobody. I’ll fight God for my children.” Madeline meant every word she said, which was why she ached from the knowledge that the choice she had made caused Tamara to be unhappy. Madeline had to think harder. She was determined to appoint Joel the CEO of DMI, while also finding a way to appease Tamara. She didn’t have any ideas at the moment, but Madeline was determined to come up with something.
“Sounds like you’re changing your mind about Joel over Tamara.”
“I’m not, but this is complicated.” Madeline was proceeding with Joel, but not with as much fervor as she had a few days ago.
“Good. I hate to toss fuel on the fire, but we can’t drag out the selection process. I’m resigning soon, and we need to have my replacement set.”
Madeline was saddened by Don’s imminent departure. Both of her children were fleeing Detroit. There would be little motivation for her to stay behind. That was a new challenge, one she hadn’t anticipated. But she’d deal with the next chapter of her life after the immediate crisis was resolved.
“Then I guess we better get moving,” Madeline told him. She picked up her bag and left his office.
His mother was gone, but thoughts of the conflict with Tamara didn’t leave Don. His family was like a teeter-totter, constantly up and down, although it seemed like they experienced the downside with greater frequency. He wondered if his family would realize long-term peace or if the Mitchells were doomed to a life filled with hatred and an unwillingness to forgive. He would have contemplated this dilemma longer if Joel hadn’t popped up.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure,” Don answered, beckoning Joel. “Have a seat.”
Joel flopped into a chair. “I came by to see Madeline, and I figured we could chat a few minutes too.”
“Why? What’s up? How are Zarah and the pregnancy?”
“Both are good so long as she stays on bed rest for the next five months.”
“Oh, boy. That’s a long time to be in bed. Can she get up at all?”
“She can, but the less the better.”
“I hope everything works out.”
“Me too,” Joel responded. “We’ll have
to see what happens with the baby and the marriage.”
“I thought you decided to stay with Zarah?”
“In theory that’s true, and I honestly want to give the marriage a legitimate shot. But honestly, I have to work on rebuilding my own faith. I can’t do that if Zarah is chasing her gods in the house and I’m seeking mine. It won’t work, and that’s my major concern.” Joel rested his elbow on his upper thigh. “The spiritual vibe is so off in my house that I find it hard to pray without sensing heaviness around me.”
“That’s not good,” Don replied.
“You’re telling me. How do I honor God’s desire for us to stay married when Zarah and I live in two extremely different spiritual worlds? I’m seriously beginning to wonder if staying in this marriage is the wrong thing to do if I want to get my life right with God.” He pressed his index finger against his lips as though he was contemplating what to say next. “This is so jacked up. I’m a jerk if I leave my wife and child, but I’m a heathen if I share God’s space in my house with other gods. I can’t figure this out. Honestly, what should I do?”
“I don’t know what to tell you. That’s a tough one. The best I can do for you is pray.”
“I appreciate that, big brother. Actually, prayers are what I need and tons of them. I’ve been reminded of that quite a bit lately.”
Don smirked. “God sure has a way of getting our attention. He starts with a whisper, followed by a shout, and only God knows what comes after that. Personally, I don’t want to find out.”
“I hear you. I’m glad I stopped in. I better get to Madeline’s office,” Joel said rising from the chair. “You know she doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
Before Joel could duck out, Don said, “Have you considered pulling out of the CEO race since you have so much going on at home? Mother would understand if you have more pressing obligations at home. It would be a win-win. DMI would get Abigail in our hour of need, and Zarah would get a dedicated husband when she needs him the most. What do you think?” Don wasn’t expecting a favorable response, but he had to ask.
“There’s no doubt that Abigail has been valuable to DMI. I have an enormous amount of love and respect for her, but she’s not the best candidate for the job. I am.”
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