"We'll see about that," Claire answered calmly. "But right now, I'm not backing down. I'm going to run this company, and I'm going to make it successful."
Her father stared at her, an expression of rage and something else she couldn't quite identify, perhaps a resentful esteem. But it was short. "You'll regret this," he repeated, turning on his heel. "And when you do, don't come crawling back to me."
With that, her father stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him. Claire took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
She again sat down on her chair as she tried to think straight. She was hurt by her father's words today.
'Why does he not care even a little about me? And you want me to give everything that I have to my stepmother and her mother? Am I even his daughter?'
She plopped back on her chair as he looked up at the office ceiling. 'How can you marry and love someone like this, mom?'
