Page 11 of Accidentally Joining His Cult

“Well, I know that your name is Beck. We met at the Caldwell company, and judging by the driver and the fancy car that brought us here, you seem to be pretty loaded. I’m guessing you might be one of them,” I answer honestly. “But I don’t know enough about your family or the company to pretend that I know about your actual job.”

“I’m guessing you’re not a hockey fan then.” He sounds disappointed. “And just when I thought you might be perfect.” Then he winks at me.

My damn blush is back.

I laugh again. No one has made me laugh this much in a long time, and I love it. “I actually used to be really into hockey during college. One of my frat brothers was a big fan, and that got me hooked. But I can’t say I’ve kept up with it recently,” I admit guiltily. “Why, are you a hockey player or something? Why were you at the company headquarters that day then?”

“Not a hockey player,” he replies quickly with a laugh, cutting off my rant. “But I am the current CEO of the Chicago Werewolves Hockey Team.”

“Wow, what an awesome job!” I know that mine is the best job in the world for me, but as far as non-Kyla-related jobs go, that’s gotta be a cool one.

“Yeah, I really do love it,” he replies with a huge smile. “My family has owned the team since my great-grandfather purchased it, and I’m really glad I get to be the one taking over for my generation.”

I ask him about his family and learn that he has four younger siblings, all brothers. His youngest brother is still pursuing his degree, but they all work for the family company in some way.

“That sounds amazing,” I tell him. “Like the idyllic family I used to dream about as a kid. It’s so cool that you’re all so close and get to work together. I love that about my job too. A lot of people in the town I live in work for Kyla since our headquarters are there, so a lot of my work friends are also my neighbors.”

Most of my friends left unfulfilling jobs to work for Kyla after taking our courses. It’s always exciting to see someone pursue a more meaningful career—and it's even better when they’re promoted to headquarters and we become neighbors too.

“What about your family? Are they still in California?” Beck asks.

“Yeah, but we’re not as close as your family sounds,” I admit, running my finger around the edge of the wine glass as I think about how to explain. “My parents are great people, always kind and verbally supportive of me. Everyone who meets them loves them, and kids growing up always told me how lucky I was to have them as my parents. They were very focused on their careers, so even though I’m sure that they would have loved to spend more time with me, it just wasn’t possible,” I explain.

“Mom was in a successful television show in her early twenties when she met my dad, one of the producers. They have great drive and ambition, constantly trying to find their next project. Mom was always off at auditions or memorizing scripts, and Dad was on location or pitching ideas to industry executives,” I go on. While mom has always had to work really hard to earn her next role, my dad is actually one of those huge Hollywood names now. His stellar reputation and lack of scandals have meant everyone wants him involved in their movies. With all of the money he’s earned, he’s even started a charity that helps provide housing for families who can’t afford it on their own.

“That sounds kind of lonely,” Beck says. “Do you have any siblings?”

“No, sadly, it was just me. They were only married until I was three, and then their careers led them down different paths. I split my time evenly between them and was always jealous of the kids with one stable home. Or even the kids whose parents weren’t together, but had siblings to navigate life with,” I admit.

I’ve learned that jealousy can really hold you back in life. It festers and can lead to resentment, self-doubt, and feelings of inadequacy. The Kyla programs helped me understand that those negative emotions can be turned into tools—motivation to improve myself and my life.

Instead of focusing on what others have that I don’t, I learned to look at the deeper emotion behind the jealousy. What was I missing? What did I need? Then, I could take positive steps toward achieving those things for myself.

And never in a way that would hurt someone else. I always teach that you don’t need to bring others down to build yourself up.

As a child, I didn’t understand my feelings of loneliness and isolation—I only knew the jealousy.

When I got older, I thought maybe finding the right woman to settle down with would fill the void in my life. But all my relationships fell flat. I didn’t realize then that waiting for someone else to solve my problems was toxic behavior.

It wasn’t until I attended my first Kyla class that everything clicked. That seminar was the turning point. I learned that if I ever want to commit to someone else, I need to be the best version of myself first. A healthy partnership is about supporting each other, not relying on someone else to fix everything.

Now, I’ve put in the work to build meaningful relationships with friends, neighbors, coworkers, and even new people I meet. Thanks to Kyla, I’ve created strong bonds and a sense of belonging I never experienced growing up.

Beck asks more about where I live and about the details of my job. He’s such a good listener, and he seems really interested in everything I say. I almost wish that he didn’t like his job so much because I think that he’d make a great coach.

“You should come out to the next retreat we’re hosting!” I sit up straighter in my chair as the idea sparks my excitement. Even if he doesn’t want to join the company officially, I know my boss would love to have a Caldwell there. More importantly, I’d love to hang out with him again.

“You can meet some of the people I work with and learn more about the programs,” I add. The more I think about the idea, the more excited I become, bouncing a little in my seat. “I think we’d have a lot of fun!”

He looks like he’s trying to hold in laughter at my enthusiasm. “You haven’t even spent one night with me, and you’re ready to plan a whole weekend away together?”

It doesn’t seem like he hates the idea, and I can’t stop nodding my head. I really do want him to come. “You should think about it.”

He smirks at me. “Oh, trust me, I am.”

By the time we finish our food and wine, Beck insists on paying for our meals.

I’m still buzzing from our conversation and the possibility of seeing him again. I really feel like we could be great friends. There’s something about him that draws me in, and I decide I’m not ready for the night to end.

---