The polished chrome of the elevator doors slid open, and a chorus of “Good morning, Ms. Silver,” greeted me. I acknowledged them with a curt nod, my steps purposeful towards my office. The rhythm of my life had become a relentless march of expectation.
The phone buzzed, demanding attention. I answered, forcing a warmth into my tone. “Good morning, Father.”
“Good morning, dear,” his voice was a familiar comfort. “When will you visit us? I haven’t seen Angelo in too long.” A wistful sadness laced his words.
“Father, I visited just a week ago,” I sighed, massaging my temples. The weight of maintaining appearances pressed down.
“It feels like months!” He protested, his voice laced with disappointment.
“Don’t worry, I’ll visit soon with Angelo,” I promised, knowing the promise would be met with scrutiny.
“Alright, dear. Don’t keep us waiting,” His happiness was a palpable relief, and I knew I had to deliver.
“I’m hanging up now, Father. There’s a mountain of work to do.”
“Alright. See you soon!” He replied, and the line went dead.
I rose from my seat and headed to the meeting room. The room stood silent as I walked to the head of the table.
“Let me see what you’ve accomplished while I was away,” I demanded, my tone sharp. A wave of fear washed over their faces.
“What is this?!” I roared, snatching up a report.
Two weeks gone, and they hadn’t produced a single worthwhile piece of work. Disgust churned within me. “I want a comprehensive presentation, and I want it by the end of the week. Fail, and you can kiss your jobs goodbye.” The words tasted like ash.
A chorus of “Yes, ma’am” followed, but their voices lacked the conviction to carry weight. I turned on my heel and stormed back to my office, grabbing the phone.
“I want a complete rundown of everything that’s been happening here while I was away. Every detail, every whisper.”
“Y-yes, ma’am,” Lisa, my PA, stammered, her voice trembling with fear. She was a good assistant, but I pushed her to the breaking point.
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“Mama!”
The sound of my son’s voice lifted me from the darkness. I looked up, my heart swelling with joy. I stood and scooped him into my arms as he barreled toward me.
“Oh, my baby,” I murmured, planting kisses on his chubby cheeks.
“Mama!” he giggled, flashing two perfect baby teeth.
“Sorry, darling, he demanded to see you,” my brother said, carrying Angelo’s bag.
I gave my brother a pointed look, then settled Angelo in my lap.
“How is work going?” he asked, his gaze assessing.
“It’s alright, I guess,” I replied, making silly faces for my son.
My father had forced me to take over this company as a means of forgetting him, to bury myself in the cold indifference of business. It had turned me into a shell of a person. Angelo was the only thing that kept me alive, the only warmth in a frozen world.
*I have never loved you, you were just a quick chick I wanted to fuck with.* His voice, cruel and dismissive, echoed in my mind.
“Mia,” my brother, Marvin, said. “You zoned out. Don’t tell me you were thinking about that bastard.” The anger in his voice was a familiar warning.
I looked up at him, forcing a lie. “No, I wasn’t.”
I looked down at my son, cradled in my arms. He was a mirror of his father, with the same blue eyes that haunted my dreams.
The day’s work was finished. Marvin had left hours ago.
“Let’s go home, sweetie,” I said, kissing his cheek. He responded with a happy smile, his little hands tangled in my hair.