"Ethan's point of view,"
"Hey, Miss Parker, how are you doing?" As soon as she answered the call, I posed an intriguing query.
"I'm fine, Mr. Woods, but you didn't call to see how your adversary was doing, did you?" She responded to my question by making fun of me.
I got the impression from the sounds coming from her background that she was currently having a party.
Is she truly not upset by the loss of such a wonderful opportunity? How can she throw a party when she should have called me to express her rage over her company losing such a significant deal? How eagerly I awaited her call, and when she didn't, I frantically dialed her number.
"Why did you call me Mr. Woods?" The sound of her voice jolted me awake.
"Do you have any regrets about breaking the deal with Mr. Roger?
How can you have fun rather than be depressed? Or have you lost all sense of reality because of the deal's cancellation trauma?" I could not suppress the questions that were flooding my mind for a very long.
After all, she didn't respond even after they had canceled such a big deal, which irritated me greatly. I had the impression that all my efforts to annoy her had been in vain. When she persists despite losing and acts as if nothing happened, that's when I lose my cool. You become upset not because your efforts to annoy her were unsuccessful, but because she doesn't respond to your crude behavior or remarks.
I'm not in the mood to quarrel with you right now, so please stop. I told my subconscious to remain silent.
"Mr. Woods, what's the matter with you?
Did you expect me to beg you to back out of the deal?
Were you expecting my call?"
Oh no, what have I done? I let my frustration get the best of me, and she realized I was desperate.
"N..No, it's not what you're thinking at all; I just wanted to give you a heads-up that, despite your earlier denial, I'm still interested in purchasing your land and am prepared to close a deal as soon as you're ready." While covering up my true motive for calling her, I answered.
"I was expecting such an awful response from you.
You can try as many shady techniques as you like, but I won't sell my land to you for anything." I heard her ferocious voice. Hearing her voice, I got the impression she was trying very hard to keep her rage in check.
She had a voice like fire, and I'm not sure why, but I enjoy listening to it.
What's wrong with me? I'm not responding to her angry ranting because I'm instead laughing uncontrollably. Stella's confrontational temperament leaves me at a loss for how to respond; if anyone else had spoken to me in such a manner, I would have done something to him that he never would have considered.
Because you know that she rarely loses her temper. The good feelings I have for her are constantly being released from my subconscious.
I wish to divorce my subconscious.
"Every time you tell me not to sell that land, Miss Parker, my desire to own that land grows." I yelled at her.
"Okay, in that case, I'll also watch how you purchase the land from me." Her voice challenged me.
"Are you challenging me?" I wrinkled my brow and asked.
"Yes, Mr. Woods, of course." She responded with assurance in her voice.
"Well, if that's the case, I'll still buy that land from you. Ethan Woods hasn't ever learned how to lose." Now that she has challenged me, I will continue trying to take that land from her by whatever means possible. Until this point, I dealt with her fairly and without cheating.
"If that's the case, I'll also like this game since I've also learned to play to win." I was becoming increasingly irritated by her assured voice.
"Miss Parker, I'll be waiting for your call." I ended the call after saying this.
"Mr. Woods, your grandma has called twice and is waiting for you at supper." Since I was so preoccupied with work, I entirely forgot about tonight's dinner. If Steve hadn't come and reminded me at the time, I might not have remembered to go to supper.
"Thank you, Steve." I took my coat from my chair and stepped outside the office building. With my hands on the wheel, I kept my attention on the New York City streets.
Still, I was only paying half attention to the road because my mind was on Stella Parker the whole time. She's pushed my buttons. Now, I have to use every measure necessary to have her sell her land.
"Ethan, are you planning to sleep in your car?" When I heard Grandma's voice, I remembered how long I had been sitting inside after leaving the car parked outside.
"No, I was just about to enter." I replied as I got out of the car.
"You have been acting weirdly for the past few weeks; what's wrong with you?" Grandma's eyes were dubious as she regarded me, but I assured her I was perfectly normal and that nothing had happened. Grandma and I entered the dining room.
"Ethan, did you sign a contract with Mr. Roger?" I arrived at the dinner table to find Grandpa's questions waiting.
"Indeed, but who informed you of this?" I regarded him with perplexed eyes. Oh, I don't know why I'm asking him that since I am fully aware of who has given him this information.
"May I ask why you suddenly agreed to this deal when you had earlier declined on your own?" Grandfather's analytical gaze remained riveted on my face. Now, how do I respond to his inquiries?
"I believed that a deal with Mr. Roger would be very helpful for the woods industry."
"Oh, do you think I'm a fool?" He spoke with an angry tone while turning to face me.
"Steve, I will undoubtedly kill you." I was pushing the fork into the roast duck in front of me in such a way that my plate was served with Steve rather than roast duck.
"You come back to my house and again set up your office in my dining room. How many times have I vowed to prohibit business-related conversations in my home?" Grandma reprimanded both of us.
I'm grateful to my grandmother for sparing me from my grandfather's troublesome questions today.
"So, Ethan, when are you going to introduce Stella to us?"
"What?" As I listened to my grandmother, my food got stuck in my throat. Better than this, I would have addressed the questions about your grandfather's business.
"Grandma, I've already told you this many times: Stella and I are not as close as you think we are."
"Oh, if that's the case, then why did you ask for so many details about her company today? And why are you so keen on expanding your company into California?"
"What?" Grandpa knows everything about me.
"Steve, you've duped me once more." I rubbed the tissue paper in my palm fiercely.
"Ethan, I'm done with your lies; either marry her now or let me meet her parents."
"What?"
Married? To Stella Parker, too?
What does your grandmother say? After hearing her, my brain is spinning nonstop.
Stella Parker's lover, no way. I don't understand why my grandmother thinks I adore her since there is only one relationship between us, and that is one of enmity.
Marrying a rival? I believe I must be having a nightmare.