Chapter 11 Who Is The Big Investor?
"Just forget about him, Mom. He's not going to do anything now that his greedy ass has been seen for what he is.”
Mark said it like a command, not unkind, but firm. He stood by the window of Sarah’s office, his hands in his pockets, his shoulders still tight from what had happened earlier.
He didn't like the situation between his parents. He had seen his mother enjoy peace for the last one year of his father being completely out of their lives.
His mother had always tried to shield him from the conflict between her and Joseph, but Mark was old enough to understand everything.
And he understood his father had failed his mom and she'd been at her happiest, away from him.
Sarah closed the file she had been staring at without reading.
“I’m trying,” she said. “He has a way of showing up and turning everything upside down.”
“That’s what he does,” Mark replied. “He feeds on reactions. You give him one inch, he takes the whole road.”
She sighed and leaned back in her chair.
“I didn’t plan for him to come today. I didn't even know he was here until Stacy called to say he was here.”
“I know.” He turned to face her, this time, the reality of the situation was weighing on him now and he didn't want his mother losing her peace.
“But if he tries again… if he really drags you back to court, what are you going to do?”
She didn’t hesitate. “I’ll reach out to my lawyer before the end of today. I need to understand what he's getting at.”
Mark raised an eyebrow.
“You already talked to him before, right?”
“Yes. After the divorce.” Her voice stayed calm, but there was steel under it.
“Joseph doesn’t have a case. He never did. He just likes to scare people.”
“And you?” Mark asked quietly. “Are you scared?”
Sarah met her son’s eyes. “No. Not scared.”
She paused, then added honestly, “Tired, yes. But not scared. He just has to leave me alone.”
Mark nodded slowly.
“Good. Because I don’t want you carrying this alone. If he tries anything, I want to know, mom. He can yap all he wants about me being his son and him wanting the best for me, if he tries to be silly, it won't be funny.”
“I know,” she said. “Thank you.”
There was a brief silence. Then Mark shook his head, like he was physically shaking the topic away.
“Okay,” he said. “Enough about him. I don’t want him taking up the whole day.”
Sarah smiled faintly. “I’d like that very much.”
Mark’s face softened. “So… remember that job I applied for?”
Her posture changed immediately. “Of course I remember. You’ve been pacing about it for like a week now.”
He grinned. “I got it.”
Sarah’s breath caught. “You did?”
“Yes.” His smile widened. “They called this morning.”
“Oh, Mark.” She stood up quickly and hugged him. “That’s wonderful. I’m so proud of you.”
He hugged her back, a little awkwardly, like he wasn’t used to being celebrated this much. Well, he had been a little distant from his mom, trying to keep to himself during the divorce. He wasn't too familiar with her hugs anymore.
“It’s assistant supervisor,” he said.
Her eyes lit up. “That’s not small.”
“I know.” He laughed. “I didn’t expect it either. But they said they like how I think.”
“And the pay?” she asked.
“It’s good,” he said. “Better than I hoped for.”
Her face relaxed fully now. “That’s such a relief. With you graduating in a year…”
“It could turn permanent,” Mark finished. “That’s what they hinted at.”
Sarah felt her chest swell. “You deserve this.”
He shrugged. “I had help through the entire process.”
She blinked just a little. “Help. Yeah.”
“Yeah,” Mark said easily. “Alex helped me fix my CV. Tightened it. Made it sound less like a student and more like… someone serious.”
Her heart skipped. Of course she knew it had to be Alex. Had she not seen them working on it so many times? Besides, that was his closest pal.
“Oh,” she said, then cleared her throat. “That’s… thoughtful of him.”
Mark tilted his head. “You okay?”
“Yes,” she said too quickly. “I am happy he's such a good friend to you.”
“Well, he did help,” Mark said. “He even did a mock interview with me.”
“That’s nice,” Sarah said, her voice uneven. “Very… generous.”
She hated the way her mouth felt dry. She hated that her hands were suddenly restless. Last night, the things that had happened between her and Alex, the fact that he had been at her office just a while earlier….
Mark studied her more closely now. “Mom?”
“Yes?”
“You’re shaking a little.”
She glanced down. Her fingers were trembling against the desk. She pulled them together.
“I guess I’m still shaken from earlier.”
From Joseph, she meant to say.
From Alex, her body corrected.
Mark nodded, misunderstanding her in the safest way possible.
“That makes sense. Dad has that effect.”
She forced a smile. “He does.”
“You really need to put it behind you,” Mark continued. “Don’t let him live rent-free in your head.”
“I’ll try,” she said.
Deep down, she knew Joseph wasn’t the problem sitting heavy in her chest. It was the way Alex’s name alone could undo her balance. The way her thoughts slipped when they should not.
Mark leaned back in the chair. “Anyway, I start next week.”
“Next week?” Sarah asked. “That’s fast.”
“Yeah. They didn’t want to wait.”
She laughed softly. “Looks like someone impressed them.”
“Maybe,” he said. “Or maybe they’re desperate.”
She reached for his hand. “No. They saw your value.”
He squeezed her fingers. “Thanks, Mom.”
They talked for a while after that. About his schedule. About balancing work and school and learning to balance things out as an adult.
For a moment, Sarah felt steady again.
Then there was a knock.
Stacy stepped inside, her face alert, her movements quick.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Stacy said. “Sarah, do you have a minute?”
Sarah straightened. “What’s going on?”
“There’s someone here to see you,” Stacy replied. “An investor.”
Sarah frowned. “An investor? We didn’t book any meetings.”
“I know,” Stacy said. “But he insists. Says it’s important.”
Mark stood up. “That sounds serious.”
“It might be,” Stacy said. “He doesn’t want to wait.”
Sarah’s stomach tightened. “Who is it?”
Stacy hesitated just enough to be noticed. “You’ll want to hear this directly from him.”
Sarah didn’t like that answer. “Where is he?”
“Conference room,” Stacy said. “He asked for privacy.”
Mark grabbed his jacket. “I should probably head out.”
Sarah looked at him. “Are you sure?”
He smiled. “This is business. I don’t need to sit through it.”
She walked him to the door. He kissed her cheek. “I'll see you at home.”
“Yes, sweeting,” she said.
As Mark left, Sarah turned back toward her office, her smile fading.
“What’s wrong?” Stacy asked quietly.
“I don’t know,” Sarah admitted. “But I don’t like surprises.”
Stacy nodded. “Neither do I.”
Sarah took a breath and headed toward the conference room, clueless about who this investor was.