Page 25 of The Boardroom: Kirk
“Look,” Marissa said, “We can go back, and I’ll tell her everything, I promise.”
“That’s not the worst part,” I said. “You know what the worst part was? Having to hear a girl who bullied me all through school, the girl who, in case youforgot,Marissa, ruined our relationship the first time around, tell me all the horrible things I had to hear from people growing up, all over again.”
“Kirk,” Marissa said, putting a hand on my arm. “That was high school, it’s in the past, okay? Look at you now, you’re rich, you’re handsome, you’re a lawyer at a huge company, you—”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said, pulling my arm away from her. “And you know why? Because it doesn’t matter how much money I make, or how much muscle I put on, or how successful I am…all those years of getting picked last, of sitting alone at lunch? That’s still in there…and that never really goes away.”
Marissa stared at me, her eyes watering.
“I had to sit there and go back to that. I had to hear those wordsagain,Marissa,” I slammed my hand down on the Jaguar. “And I don’t care that Ella said them…what hurts…what hurts is that you didn’t defend me. You didn’t say a word for me, or against her. You just sat there.”
“Please…” Marissa pleaded softly, and I knew she knew we were done.
“You know, I really thought high school was over, you know?” I said, getting into the car. “But I guess some people never change.”
I drove off, tears welling up in my eyes, leaving Marissa standing there alone.
I should have known.
