Contemptous CEO

by Myers, K. L.

  A movement behind Maddie pulled my eyes away from her as a young girl came in to view. I immediately noticed her blonde hair and thought it odd she didn’t have her mom's raven black hair. Her father’s genes must have been stronger. But then, the girl spoke, and shit got real.

  “You’re my Dad, aren’t you? You look like your pictures.”

  Had I heard her correctly? I looked at Maddie, and I saw the look of fear in her eyes. Her face was white as a ghost, and she was trembling. I was about to speak when her legs gave out, and she began to plummet to the floor. Without hesitation, I stepped forward, dropping to the ground just in time to catch her before her head hit the floor.

  Was it true? Could I be this girl's father?

  Chapter 19

  Brooke

  I thought my friend Bridgette was at the door, so I called out to mom. But when I didn’t get a response, I decided to see for myself. I found Mom standing there with the door open but, cheese and rice, I hadn’t expected to see someone who looked like my dad. Mom said there would be a day when I’d get to meet him. I called out to him, and our eyes met briefly.

  Mom stood stiff as a board, but it wasn’t long before her body was falling to the floor. I watched the man move with her, and luckily, he caught her before she hit the ground hard.

  “Oh, my gosh, Mom!” I yelled as I raced to her side and kneeled on the floor next to her. Next to the man I was confident was my father. “Dad, what’s wrong with mom?”

  He didn’t immediately answer me. He stared at me briefly, his eyes wide, like he was scared of me, before turning his attention back to Mom. His large hands reached underneath her and lifted her off the ground.

  “Couch?” he asked.

  “Follow me,” I told him as I led him to the living room and pointed at the couch.

  I watched as he slapped her face gently a few times and called out her name. She didn’t immediately respond, but when he shook her, she started to wake up.

  “Mom?”

  She turned her head to me then back to the man next to me and burst into tears. Why was she crying? I looked at him next, and the anger on his face frightened me. He looked like a Saturday morning cartoon where the guy's face turned beet red, and smoke came out of his ears. This man, who might be my father, looked as if he was ready to explode, and that made me uneasy.

  “Are you going to hurt us?” It was the first thing that popped into my mind and I blurted it out before thinking.

  Chapter 20

  Xander

  “Are you going to hurt us?”

  Six words that immediately doused the anger I was feeling. The last thing I wanted was for this little girl to be frightened of me. I was damn angry with Maddie, and she had some serious explaining to do if I was this child's father, but I didn't need her to be scared.

  “I’m not going to hurt either of you.” I took a more in-depth look at the little pint size version of me. Her hair was sandy blonde, her eyes as blue as the sky on a summer day, but it was her facial features that told the tale. Her nose was slender and pointed, her cheekbones high on her face, which were traits of the Livingston family. But those were my eyes looking back at me. There was no doubt this was my daughter. But how could that be?

  “How old are you?”

  “Eleven and a half.”

  That would have meant Maddie was pregnant when I left her. I turned to face Maddie. She watched me as I did the math in my head. She was frightened and crying.

  “Please forgive me.” Her words were barely audible.

  I turned to the little girl, not knowing her name, and I once again looked at her beautiful face. “What’s your name?”

  “Brooklyn Alexandra Hightower.” She held out her hand. “Nice to officially meet you.”

  She knew me. How can that be? I don't know anything about her. Could she really be mine? Of course, she is, she’s your mini-me.

  “Nice to meet you.” I shook her hand, unsure of the proper etiquette. “Can you give your mom and me a few moments alone, please?”

  She looked skeptically between her mom and me, but begrudgingly, she agreed. She leaned over to whisper in Maddie's ear, something I wasn’t quite able to make out. When Maddie kissed her on the cheek, Brooklyn turned and left the living room.

  Both Maddie and I watched as the miniature version of me walked out of the living room. Anger consumed me all over again. How could she have kept this a secret for the last twelve years? We’d had plenty of conversations where she could have told me, yet she chose not to.

  “Let me explain.” Maddie's voice broke as she spoke.

  I turned to face her. My eyes were tiny slits as I looked at the one person I never thought would have betrayed me.

  “Don’t!” I held up my hand to silence her. “Don’t even start with the ‘let me explain’ line. How could you, Maddie? How could you keep something this important from me?”

  “I…I…I…” She stumbled to get past the one simple letter.

  “Stop. I have a child, and you never thought it was important to tell me? All these years, I’ve known nothing about her, yet she appears to know everything about me. I came here to convince you that working with me was the right thing to do. But now, I’m not sure I want someone with your ethics running a division of Livingston, let alone in my life. My attorney will be in touch with you. I’m sure I have some parental rights.”

  I stood, not even giving her a chance to explain herself. There was nothing I needed to hear from her. She was a liar and clearly not the person I loved all those years ago.

  “Xander, wait.”

  I heard her call my name as I rounded the corner and headed toward the door. I had no intention of stopping. Right now, I just wanted to strangle the fuck out of her, so staying to hear what she had to say wasn’t an option.

  My feet couldn’t get me to my car fast enough. My head was spinning.

  I have a daughter. A beautiful daughter.

  I took the key fob for the rental from my pocket, clicked the open-door button several times, then stopped when I reached the driver’s side door. I glanced back at the front door and saw Maddie standing there, crying, while holding the door open. I shook my head at her in disgust, then pulled the car door open and climbed inside. Pressing my finger to the round start button, I glanced at the house once again, only to find the front door now closed. I placed the car in drive and stomped on the gas pedal, leaving that pale-yellow home in my rearview mirror.

  * * *

  Forty thousand feet in the air, I reclined in my chair, a decanter of whiskey and a crystal tumbler beside me. I’d poured my first glass the moment I sat down and tipped it back. Gulped back my second glass while we climbed to our cruising altitude and finished my third by the time we were leveling off. Now I was enjoying the buzz.

  How could she not tell me? What was she thinking all these years? Didn’t she know I’d find out?

  Question after question, I searched my soul for the answers and couldn’t find one. I replayed the dreaded night I had told her Uncle Malcolm called and demanded I move.

  “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

  Maddie had been happy when I called her. But then, I found her staring at the waves, and the carefree girl from earlier on the phone wasn’t there anymore.

  “It’s not important.”

  The words she spoke when I asked what her surprise was. If it was that she was pregnant, how could she possibly think it wasn’t necessary to tell me?

  “I think it would be best for you to go ahead of me. I can come later. I just can’t go right now.”

  Did Maddie feel it would be better to show up ten months later with a child in her arms? How would that be better than telling me right then?

  Why couldn’t she tell me then? I still don’t get why she wouldn’t tell me I was going to be a father. I reached for the decanter, popped the stopper, and poured myself one last glass. I wished Uncle Malcolm was still alive. I could ask him what to do.

  As I gulped bac
k the amber liquid, it hit me.

  Son of a bitch.

  The last part of his letter to me. I thought it was odd and hadn’t questioned it, thinking it was just a dying man rambling on words of wisdom. But now, it's clear he was giving me insight because he knew someday, I’d find out.

  “Lastly, son, I want to instill one last piece of wisdom. People make mistakes and bad decisions when they make them on behalf of others. Don’t pass judgment because a critical decision you have to make will require you to embrace compassion and forgiveness.”

  Did he know?

  Had Mal known Maddie had my child? Anger started to consume me all over again. If he knew, when did he know? How could he have kept a secret of that magnitude from me? How could he be so selfish as to deny me the chance to be a parent? Was it so he could ensure his company was my priority? So many questions, and yet, no answers.

  He was a selfish bastard. That’s why.

  But Malcolm wasn’t selfish. Self-centered, yes, but he’d never deny me anything. No, Uncle Mal had given me everything I’d ever need or want. He provided for me when my parents couldn’t. So why would he not tell me? I’d like to have believed he’d just found out in his dying days and hadn’t kept a twelve-year secret from me. But I guess I’ll never know.

  Now what? Where do I go from here?

  More importantly, how does my daughter know all about me, and why hasn’t she demanded that she meet me?

  Maybe she couldn’t care less about you.

  I stumbled from the plane to my car, where Austin sat patiently, awaiting my arrival at Teterboro. The crisp breeze sobered my senses. As I dropped into the back seat, I reached for my phone and took a deep breath.

  I had felt the vibration in my pocket when my plane descended into the New Jersey airspace. I was sure I knew who it was that was messaging me, and frankly, I wasn’t ready to deal with Maddie.

  “Home, Austin.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The sun had already set in the night sky.

  How could my life be so fucked up?

  Deciding to deal with this situation head-on, I read the multiple texts I’d received.

  Maddie: I can explain

  Maddie: Please, Xander don’t be mad. Let me explain.

  Maddie: We need to talk

  Now she wants to talk about it?

  My blood boiled. Anger consumed my body. What could she possibly say to justify twelve years of lies?

  Without thinking, I answered my phone when it rang. I hoped it was Maddie, so I could give her a piece of my mind. Yet, Lucas’s deep voice filled the car.

  “Have you seen her yet?”

  Had I seen her? Yeah, I had fucking seen her, and she betrayed me once again.

  “Yes, I’ve seen her. No, I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “That doesn’t sound good. Let me know when you’re back in town, and we’ll have a beer, and you can tell me all about it. Or not.”

  Taking in a deep breath, then blowing it out, I replied, “I’m already back in town, but I’ll pass on the beer for now. I’ve got some shit to deal with first.”

  “You passing up a free beer? That’s not like you, Xander. What’s going on?”

  I thought about it for a moment. Did I want to let Lucas in on the news? I still hadn’t had time to process what it all entirely meant for me, or Brooke, for that matter.

  “I’ve got a daughter,” I blurted it out.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I said, I have a daughter.”

  Chapter 21

  Maddison

  Xander's dead eyes bore into mine as he stood at his car, looking back at me, but he didn’t say a word. The small crack in my heart broke completely in half when he climbed into his car without acknowledging me. Closing the door behind me, I rushed to my room and broke out into tears. But not before closing my bedroom door. I didn’t want Brookie to see the blubbering mess I had become.

  I had no one to blame for the mess I made but myself. I could have told Xander over the years about Brookie, but I didn’t. I could make a thousand excuses to justify my decision, but the truth was plain and simple. I had been afraid. Scared he’d never forgive me for not telling him and letting him leave. Frightened he’d decide to stay and take care of me, only to end up resenting me for killing his plans to run Livingston. But in the end, after so many years, it came down to me being an insecure coward. I’d convinced myself that, if he knew, he’d take Brookie away from me.

  When Brookie was old enough to ask questions, she’d asked who the man in all the pictures around the house was. Even though Xander was no longer in my life physically, I could never erase him mentally. He was the love of my life and the father of God's precious gift to me. I lived as if he were away on business and would be returning someday soon.

  So, when the time came to explain to Brookie, I told her it was her father, and that he lived and worked in New York. She never questioned it again until her tenth birthday. That’s the day she started asking questions and wanting answers other than he works and lives in New York.

  That’s when I told her my version of the story. How his work was so important that it kept him away from us. I had promised her when the time was right he’d come home. She accepted my answer for a little bit, but over the last year, she’d been voicing her desire to meet her father. All the more reason I didn’t want her to know my business trip was to meet with Xander.

  Now my hand was forced. Brookie had demanded she see her father, and I couldn’t give her answers until I’d come clean with him. For the first time in a long time, I couldn’t control my future, and that scared the shit out of me.

  Chapter 22

  Xander

  Against my better judgment, I told Lucas everything. Apparently, with a little coaxing on his part, I was ready to spill the news. I needed answers, and maybe he could come up with something I hadn’t thought of in my drunken state.

  “That’s fucked up, man. You think Malcolm knew about this?”

  “I don’t have answers for any of this. All I know is, I've got a daughter and a betraying ex who works for me. I need some time. I’ll take you up on that beer later.”

  I wasn’t quite as angry after my conversation with Lucas. Still frustrated and still buzzed, but I no longer wanted to murder Maddie. I needed a shower and some answers. One, I could take care of immediately, but the other, I knew it wasn’t going to happen quickly. Something told me I wouldn’t be happy with the facts when I found out what they were.

  Hours later, I sat showered and holding my uncle's letter. I’d read it and re-read it looking for clues, but nothing other than his final words of wisdom gave any indication that he knew. I crunched the letter into a ball and threw it across the room. Raking my hands threw my hair, I grasped the ends, pulling tight. The pain was excruciating. I hoped I’d get clarity, but there I sat, no more lucid to the answers than before, and now I was entirely sober.

  My doorbell rang, and it was one a.m.

  Who the hell is at my door this time of the morning?

  I was going to ignore it, but it rang again. When I pulled the door open, I hadn’t expected the person on the other side.

  “LaCroix?” My brows drew together. He was the last person I expected to be standing on the other side.

  “Xander. I know its late, or early, however, you want to look at it, but I couldn’t sleep, and Elodie convinced me that you probably weren’t sleeping, either.”

  “And the two of you discuss my sleeping habits regularly?”

  He didn’t answer my question. Instead, he pushed past me and made his way to the living room and took a seat.

  “Why are you here, Hollis?”

  He leaned forward, placed his elbows on his knees, and ran his hands through his hair several times before looking up at me.

  “I knew.”

  “You knew what?”

  “Lucas called me and told me about your conversation.”

  I was still confused by his declaratio
n. “What the hell? You two are the epitome of two gossiping hens. My life doesn’t concern you.”

  Hollis looked me in the eyes. “I knew you had a child.”

  “Stand up,” I snapped at Hollis

  “What?”

  “Stand up, now.”

  Hollis did as I asked. Once he was steady on his feet, I moved closer to him, planting my right-hook on his chin. The impact dropped him to the ground instantly.

  “Damn it,” Hollis swore aloud as he picked himself off the floor. “I deserved that.”

  “Oh, no. You deserve several more of those,” I said as I walked to the kitchen, retrieving a bag of frozen peas. When I returned to face LaCroix, I tossed the bag at him. “I’m going to allow you to explain, then I’ll decide if I'm going to beat the crap out of you. Maybe mess up that pretty face of yours that Elodie loves so much.”

  I watched as he winced when he placed the cold bag on the left side of his face. I took a seat across from him and crossed my arms over my chest. It was going to be a long morning, I suspected.

  “About three years ago, Malcolm had me create an investment account in his name with Brooklyn as the beneficiary upon his death. His Will gave specific instructions that, should he pass before she reached the age of eighteen, the account would be transferred to Maddison for the benefit of her daughter. Still, he left a loophole that would allow me to assign it to you if I deemed that Maddison wasn’t the best person to manage the account. That was one of the reasons dinner the other night was so important. You allowed me to assess that without even knowing.”

  “Son of a bitch. He knew for three years and didn’t say a word. I get why you wouldn’t have said anything while he was alive, but when we met after he died.”

  Hollis stood and made his way to the wet bar and poured himself a glass of whiskey. “How do you tell someone they have a kid they never knew about? I fucked up on so many occasions with Hailey over the years, I knew I wasn’t the best person to give any sort of advice, and I was certain you'd want advice. Am I wrong with that assumption?”