Chapter 13 - [13] Breaking the news

I stood in the kitchen, trying to find the right words to break the news. My mom was at the sink, finishing up the dishes from dinner, and my dad sat at the table, flipping through the TV channels with his usual laid-back air. They had no idea what was coming, and honestly, I wasn't sure how to say it without them freaking out.I cleared my throat, feeling my stomach twist with nerves. "Mom, Dad... I, uh... I need to tell you something."My mom, a sharp-eyed Chinese woman who could sense any hesitation in my voice, turned around, holding a plate in her hand. "What is it, Tristan?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You look nervous."My dad looked up from the TV, his eyes flicking between me and my mom. "Yeah, kid, what's going on?"I took a deep breath, deciding to just rip the band-aid off. "I'm... I'm dating someone."My mom's eyes lit up instantly, a wide smile spreading across her face. "Oh! Really? That's wonderful, Tristan! Who is she? Where is she from?"My dad raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but less reactive. "Finally, huh? Took you long enough."I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to drop the bombshell. "It's... it's Vanessa."There was a moment of silence as they both processed what I'd just said. My mom's smile froze on her face, her eyes narrowing slightly as she tried to figure out if she had heard me correctly. My dad, however, looked confused."Vanessa? Vanessa who?" my mom asked, still holding the plate in her hand."Vanessa Reed," I said quietly, my face heating up.The plate slipped out of my mom's hands and crashed onto the kitchen floor, shattering into pieces. Her eyes went wide, her mouth hanging open in shock. My dad, on the other hand, just sat there with his jaw practically on the floor, his TV remote still in his hand but forgotten."Vanessa Reed?" my mom repeated, her voice high-pitched and disbelieving. "The billionaire Vanessa Reed? The CEO?"I nodded, trying to keep my voice steady. "Yeah... that Vanessa."My mom stared at me like I had just told her I was marrying the Queen of England. "How—how are you dating her?" she asked, her voice incredulous. "You're her assistant! How did this happen?""It just... happened," I said awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck. "We've been spending a lot of time together for work, and things just kind of... developed."My dad finally found his voice, shaking his head in disbelief. "Hold on a minute," he said, leaning forward in his chair. "Are you telling me you're dating the Vanessa Reed? The woman we see on TV? The woman who owns half the companies in the country?""Yes, Dad," I said, feeling more embarrassed by the second. "That Vanessa."My mom's shock slowly gave way to something else—pure, unadulterated excitement. Her eyes lit up again, and she clasped her hands together, her smile returning full force. "Oh my god, Tristan!" she practically squealed. "This is amazing! Do you know what this means? Do you know what kind of life this could be for you? For us?"My dad looked at her, his shock turning into a mix of disbelief and curiosity. "What are you talking about?"My mom ignored him, too caught up in her own fantasy. "Think about it! Vanessa Reed is a billionaire! A billionaire! If you're dating her, Tristan, that means you could be living in mansions, flying in private jets, going on luxury vacations!" Her eyes were practically sparkling as she went on. "You could marry her! Oh my god, you could marry her!""Mom, I don't think we're at that point yet," I said quickly, feeling my face turn bright red.But my mom wasn't listening. She was already lost in her daydream. "We could have grandchildren with such a bright future! Imagine, Tristan—our grandkids could inherit a fortune! They'll never have to worry about anything. We'll be a part of the Reed family!""Mei, calm down," my dad said, still trying to wrap his head around the situation. "This is all a bit... fast, don't you think?"My mom waved him off, clearly too excited to care. "Oh, please, John! This is huge! Do you understand what this means for our family? Vanessa Reed! Our son is dating Vanessa Reed!"I stood there, feeling a mix of embarrassment and amusement as my mom practically bounced on her feet. She was already picturing a life of luxury, a future where I was married to one of the richest women in the world. Meanwhile, my dad just sat there, still looking like he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing."This is insane," my dad finally muttered, shaking his head. "I mean, good for you, Tristan, but... Vanessa Reed? Really?"I shrugged awkwardly. "Yeah. It's... it's been pretty crazy."My mom practically ran over to me, grabbing my hands and squeezing them. "You have to make a good impression, Tristan. You have to make sure you treat her right! Don't mess this up, okay? This is huge for you!"I nodded, feeling like I had somehow just been roped into the most surreal conversation of my life. "I'll do my best, Mom.""Oh, I know you will," she said, her eyes still gleaming with excitement. "This is just... wow. I can't believe it. Vanessa Reed, my future daughter-in-law!""Mom," I groaned, pulling my hands away from her. "We're not even talking about marriage. It's... it's new."My dad finally seemed to regain some of his usual composure, leaning back in his chair and letting out a long breath. "Well, this is something," he said with a half-smile. "Guess I didn't see this one coming.""None of us did," I muttered, still trying to process everything myself.But my mom wasn't listening. She was already planning our future, imagining a life filled with luxury, wealth, and status. I could see it in her eyes—she was picturing it all."You know what you should do, Tristan?" she said, her eyes wide with enthusiasm. "Now that you're with Vanessa, you should use your status to push for a higher position at the company! I mean, come on, you're dating the CEO. You should be in a top executive position—no more assistant jobs, okay?"I stared at her, my face growing warm. The idea of using my relationship with Vanessa for career leverage made me uncomfortable. "Mom, I'm not going to do that."She frowned, looking confused. "What do you mean? You're in a perfect position to get ahead! Vanessa obviously likes you, and you're already working for her. Why not take advantage of that?"My dad leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "She's got a point, Tristan. If you're dating someone with that kind of influence, it wouldn't hurt to see what opportunities come your way."I shifted uncomfortably, knowing what I was about to say wouldn't go over well. "Actually... I've been thinking about leaving my job."My mom's face dropped like I'd just told her the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard. "What?" she said, practically gasping. "You want to quit your job? But... you're working for Vanessa Reed! The CEO of a massive company! Why would you give that up?"I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to gather my thoughts. "I don't want to be an assistant forever, Mom. And I don't want to rely on my relationship with Vanessa to climb the ladder. I've been thinking about starting my own business."The room went dead silent. My mom stared at me like I had just grown a second head, and my dad looked equally stunned, his jaw tightening."What?" my mom finally said, her voice sharp with disbelief. "You want to quit your job... and start your own business? Are you out of your mind?"I sighed, knowing this wasn't going to be an easy conversation. "No, I'm not crazy. I've been thinking about this for a while. I've learned a lot working for Vanessa, but I want to do something on my own. Build something from the ground up."My mom shook her head, her expression filled with worry and frustration. "Tristan, you're finally in a position where you can have a stable, successful career, and you want to throw it away? This doesn't make any sense!"My dad leaned forward, his face serious. "Tristan, starting a business isn't easy. You know that, right? It's risky. You're already working for one of the most powerful women in the world—why would you walk away from that?""I know it's risky," I said, trying to stay calm despite their reactions. "But I want to take that risk. I've been thinking about ideas, and I feel like this is the right time to do it."My mom looked like she was about to lose her mind. "The right time? Now? When you're dating a billionaire and working for her? Tristan, this is your chance to secure your future! Why would you take such a huge risk when you already have everything you need?"I could feel the frustration building up inside me. "Mom, I don't want to be given anything. I want to earn it. I don't want to be known as the guy who used his girlfriend's connections to get ahead. I want to build something of my own."My dad sighed, shaking his head. "Look, son, I get that you want to be independent, but you're in a good spot right now. You could easily rise through the ranks at Reed Estates. Why not stick it out for a while? You can always start a business later.""I don't want to wait," I said firmly. "I'm grateful for the opportunity I've had, but I want to do this now. I want to build something from scratch, something that's mine."My mom let out a frustrated sigh, throwing her hands up in the air. "I don't understand you, Tristan. You have everything right in front of you, and you're just going to walk away? This is madness!""I'm not walking away from anything," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm just choosing a different path."My mom shook her head, still looking like she couldn't believe what I was saying. "What about Vanessa? Does she know about this? What is she going to think when you tell her you want to quit?"I hesitated for a second. "I haven't told her yet."My mom's eyes widened. "Oh my god, Tristan! You haven't even told her? You're going to drop this bomb on her after she's given you everything? What if she doesn't support it? What if she thinks you're throwing away your career?""I'll talk to her," I said quietly. "But I have to do what's right for me."My dad looked at me seriously. "Just think this through, Tristan. You're young, and I get that you want to make your own way, but you need to be smart about this. Starting a business isn't easy. You need capital, resources, connections—things you already have access to because of your job.""I've thought it through," I said, meeting his gaze. "I know it's not going to be easy. But I'm willing to work hard and take that risk."My mom sighed again, clearly frustrated. "I just don't understand, Tristan. You're dating a woman who could give you everything you've ever wanted. Why would you take such a big gamble?""Because I want to earn it," I said firmly. "I want to build something that's mine, not something that's handed to me."The room fell into a heavy silence. My parents exchanged glances, both of them still processing what I'd said. I knew they were worried, but I also knew this was something I needed to do for myself.After a long pause, my dad finally spoke. "Well, it's your decision, son. Just... be careful."My mom sighed, looking defeated. "I just hope you know what you're doing, Tristan.""I do," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "I've got this."Q: Would you stay in the assistant position or try to start your own business if you were Tristan?