A new email pops up on my screen. It’s from Nate.
Dear Future Ex-wife,
That has a nice ring to it, don’t you think, wifey? You have thirty days left until you get to unwrap your wedding present. You can open it sooner if you want.
P.S. It’s huge.
Fueled by rage and coffee, my fingers pound the keyboard with fury. Who does he think he’s talking to?
Dear Future Ex-hubs,
I don’t care how “huge” your present is because I won’t be unwrapping it on our wedding night, or any night for that matter.
P.S. I hope you and your hand enjoy the lube.
A knock on my new office door snaps me back to reality, taking me by surprise. My father strolls into my office with a hopeful look on his face. He seems like he’s happier now that I’ve agreed to marry Nate.
“Hey, honey, I just thought I’d see how you’re settling into your new office.” He takes a seat in one of the chairs in front of my desk.
“Uh, yeah, it’s okay. It’s not the same as the one I had in LA but it will do for now.”
“I understand if you’re upset. I know this isn’t what you wanted. It’s not what I wanted for you either.”
“Oh, really, Dad? Is that why you so easily went along with this plan that Danika came up with? You knew from the second you called me that I had to marry Nate. How could you do this to me?”
He pauses, folding his hands on his lap as he considers my question. Then, he looks up at me, his blue eyes glassy. Maybe he does care. “I’m sorry… I don’t even know what to say. What are we supposed to do? A marriage is the only way to salvage this deal with Titan Tech.”
“I would have liked to have had a choice. It would have been nice to have been consulted ahead of time. Instead, you ambushed me. I can’t stand Nate. He’s the reason I moved to LA. I don’t want him back in my life, but you have left me with no options.”
He stares out the window, and an awkward moment passes between us.
“I don’t know what you want me to say. We’re all getting something out of this deal. Titan Tech is back in play. Nate’s issues are cleared up with the media. You’re getting a promotion.”
“Yeah, a promotion I deserved, one you denied me for years because I’m a woman.”
“That’s not why I denied you. It has nothing to do with you being a woman.”
“Oh, it doesn’t? Because the last three people you hired for the exact same position that I’ve begged for were all men. Actually, a woman has never held that position in this company.”
“They were more qualified than you.”
“That’s bullshit, Dad, and you know it. Some of my designs are in your video games, and you didn’t even give me proper credit for them. You even took the logo I drew for fun and used it for our rebranding without even asking me.”
“Well, it was a great design. Of course, I wanted to use it.”
“But you’re only proving my point, Dad. You never give me a chance. You overlook me because I’m a woman. Would it kill you to acknowledge me for my work? It would have taken two seconds to add a credit for my art in the games.”
“I don’t overlook you because you’re a woman.”
“Then, why won’t you treat me the same as Nate, Stefan, and the programmers?”
“Because I never wanted you in this business. Tech is cutthroat. It’s not suitable for a woman. Your mother couldn’t handle it.”
Everything comes back to the woman who broke your heart.
“Well, then you shouldn’t have named me after your favorite comic book character, Dad. I mean, seriously, what did you expect? It’s almost like this is in my DNA. I was supposed to be like this, and now that I am, you can’t stand it. But you have to get over it. This is who I am.”
He takes a minute, unsure of what to say, and before our conversation can continue, my office door creaks open. Nate taps his fist against the wood before he enters the room. He slowly steps inside, giving me a concerned look. He had to have heard the conversation. Even though I’ve said the same things to my dad repeatedly over the years, he never hears me. He will never understand me.
But Nate does.
He’s the only one who ever really got me. And when he gives me those sad, puppy dog eyes of his, I know Nate heard a lot more than the tail-end of our conversation. I know that he feels sorry for me, and I don’t need his pity.
“Is this a good time?” Nate asks. “Because I can come back.”
“Ahh, yeah, perfect timing, actually.” My dad stares down at his watch and gets up from the chair. “I’m going to be late for a meeting… I’ll get out of your way.”