Page 64 of The Enemy

“It is my business when you were already perfect before I left, and this version of you…is not you. This version of you fits into a mold you weren’t meant to hold.”

Damn him.

Those words were not the ones I wanted to hear. Tears threatened to spill, and my pride took a hit as I forced myself to look at him.

“If my hair doesn’t look perfect every day, then I get called lazy for not caring about my appearance. My lips must be a respectable color, or else I’m too tempting and unprofessional. And I wear slacks now to make it harder for men to end up with their hands up my skirt, because there are never repercussions on them.”

He flinched at the last part.

The dig was aimed at Tatum but also at him. He had made me feel stupid once, and I overlooked it, but now, here we were back to square one.

“I’m going to make it up to you, Lou. Just…fuck…go back to your place. Don’t fucking stay with him.”

I broke eye contact with him because looking at him was killing me. He began to walk out of my office, and because I was stupid, I stopped him.

“What if you could have me? Would you pick me?”

Neo stood still. And because I couldn’t stand his rejection, I kept going.

“Would you tell the board to fuck off on Friday? Haven’t you already taken enough from me?”

When he walked away, he didn’t even bother to look back at me, and I was glad because I had finally let my tears spill.

TWENTY

LOURDES

Present – Friday

Now that Iwas at the gauntlet, I could admit how funny it was that I let a board of stuffy old men dictate my future.

When you let go of things that no longer serve you, a weight is lifted off you, and you feel free. It was a bittersweet feeling. If I looked back on my life, I guess I could see that it would always end up like this.

I tried, Mami, I really did.

I reached for my phone and sent the email that had been in my drafts since I got back from Clear View Country Club. I didn’t know why I waited until the last moment, but I guess I wanted to give the board the benefit of the doubt.

Hell, maybe some part of me held on to hope thathewould put me first. God, did it hurt to have him near me now.

“Lou…” my father began to say, but I didn’t jump at the chance to please him.

I stood up with my chin held high and once more caught Pricilla smirking at me. This time, I let her see how much I hated her. Then I turned toward Neo, who regarded me carefully. Onceour eyes locked, his gaze became softer, and I tried to ignore the conversation we had in my office.

“Lou—”

“Congratulations, I hope it’s everything you ever wanted.” My soft tone made him flinch.

What if you could have me? Would you pick me?

My words haunted me. They made me feel like a naïve little girl. Why the hell did I ever think he would pick me over this?

“Well, now that the voting is done, I want to say thank you for everything.” I took the files from my envelope, dropped them on the table, and watched in satisfaction as several members paled. “Have fun cleaning up this shit show.”

The one thing about me was that people mistook my silence for weakness. I wasn’t meek; I was calculating.

If I wasn’t going to be given a fair shot, then they could watch me as I set my own family's legacy on fire.

There was a smile on my face and a weight off my shoulders as I walked out of the meeting room. My family's legacy might be dying, but I had just been reborn.

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