Chapter 5
I stared at the photo for a long time, lost in thought.
My mom approached quietly, patting my shoulder. “Annie, Tracy’s son, Liam, just returned to the country. Let’s have a meal
together soon.”
She hesitated, watching me closely.
I knew what she was trying to do–introduce me to someone she thought would be a good match.
She worried I’d reject the idea outright, given my lifelong stance as an advocate for “free love.”
I gave her a faint, unreadable smile. “Okay.”
Maybe it was guilt–knowing I still caused my parents to worry even at my age. Or maybe I had realized that my taste in men had been disastrously poor.
The “true love” I believed in had turned out to be a sham. Perhaps love built on shared values and equal footing would last longer.
My mom lit up, relieved I wasn’t opposing her plan, and rubbed her hands together in excitement. “That’s great. Really great!”
I glanced at my father. “Dad, can you lend me some money? I want to start a new business.”
Without a word, he transferred 300,000 dollars into my account.
With that money, I could rebuild my career.
If Steven refused to give me back control of our company, I’d simply start over.
Seeing me bounce back made my parents genuinely happy. With their support, I quickly began laying the groundwork for my new
business.
