Okay, so I was chilling at this super fancy restaurant with Isabellewell, Mom, as I call her. She's not my actual mom, but honestly, she might as well be. She's always been there for me, you know? Anyway, we were laughing and having the best time, like actual tears-streaming-down-our-faces kind of laughing. Isabelle was telling me this wild story about how she once accidentally walked into the men's restroom during a conference and didn't realize until someone said, "Ma'am, this isn't your battlefield." I died.
But then, as if the universe wanted to ruin my vibe, my phone buzzed.
"Who's disturbing our moment of joy?" Isabelle teased, giving me that knowing look.
I rolled my eyes and picked up the phone, expecting it to be something boring like work updates. Nope. It was a text. A super cryptic one too:
"I'd love to meet you."
Umm, excuse me? Who even sends something like that? It's giving stalker vibes. I showed Isabelle, and she leaned in like the detective she is.
"Honey, tell them to meet you here. I'll sit far away just in case this is some drama. You know I'm always ready." She smirked, sipping her tea like she was planning to star in the next Mission Impossible movie.
I typed back quickly: "Meet me at La Belle Cuisine. I'll be here for a bit."
Fast forward like ten minutes, and the door opens. And guess who walks in? Victor Knight. Yup. THE Victor Knight. Mr. Big Shot himself. He strolled in like he owned the place, wearing this ridiculously perfect suit that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe.
I was shocked, but obviously, I played it cool because, hello, I'm Ava.
"Victor," I said, standing up to shake his hand. "This is... unexpected."
He smiled, that slick kind of smile that makes you wonder what's really going on in his head. "Ava, you look stunning as always."
I sat back down, trying to figure out what he wanted. "Thanks. But I doubt you came here just to give me compliments."
He chuckled softly. "You're right. I have a proposal for you."
At that, my eyebrows shot up. "A proposal? What kind of proposal?"
Victor reached into his fancy leather briefcase and pulled out a folder. He slid it across the table like he was presenting me with some golden ticket. When I opened it, my heart nearly stopped. It was the Stellar Enterprises contract, the Holy Grail of business deals.
"This is a massive opportunity," I said, flipping through the pages. "Why are you offering it to me?"
He leaned back in his chair, his gaze steady. "Because I believe in your abilities. And... there's a condition."
Of course, there's always a catch. "What's the condition?" I asked, already feeling my patience thinning.
Victor folded his hands and, without missing a beat, said, "I want you to be my wife."
Y'all. I legit froze. For a second, I thought I misheard him.
"Excuse me?" I said, my voice sharp enough to cut glass.
Victor didn't even flinch. "I think we'd make a powerful team, Ava. You're brilliant, ambitious, and stunning. Together, we could dominate this industry."
I stared at him, trying to process the absurdity of what he'd just said. Then I pushed the folder back toward him. "You think you can bribe me into marriage with a contract? What kind of woman do you take me for, Victor?"
His expression didn't change. "Lower your voice," he said calmly, glancing around the restaurant.
Oh, now I am mad. "No, I won't lower my voice! Everyone should hear this nonsense."
Victor sighed, like I was some unruly child throwing a tantrum. "Ava, you're overreacting."
Overreacting? Oh, he really didn't know who he was dealing with.
"You're unbelievable," I said, grabbing my bag. "To hell with you and your proposal!"
I stormed out of the restaurant, my heels clicking angrily on the tile floor. My hands were shaking, partly from rage and partly from disbelief. How dare he? Did he really think I'd sell myself for some business deal? Over my dead body.
Once I got to the car, I texted Isabelle: "Meet me outside. NOW."
She replied instantly: "What happened??"
When she got in the car, she took one look at me and frowned. "What did he do?"
I told her everything. Every disgusting detail. By the time I finished, Isabelle was fuming.
"That man has some nerve," she said, shaking her head. "But you handled it perfectly. You don't need him or his stupid contract. You'll get that Stellar deal on your own terms."
Her words were like a balm to my soul. I nodded, feeling my resolve strengthen.
"You're right, Mom. I don't need him or anyone else to prove my worth. I'll show them all."
I drove straight to the cemetery after dropping Isabelle off. My heart felt so heavy, like I was carrying the weight of everything I'd been through all at once. The skies were a dull gray, matching my mood perfectly. The flowers in the passenger seat looked so bright and happy, it almost made me feel worse.
When I got there, I parked under a tree and just sat for a minute, staring at the headstone in the distance. "Here lies Henry Alfred," it read. "A visionary, a father, a friend."
I grabbed the flowers, stepped out of the car, and started walking toward him. Each step felt harder than the last. When I finally reached the grave, I knelt down and placed the flowers on the cold stone. Tulips. His favorite.
"Hi, Dad," I said softly, my voice already cracking. "It's me... Ava."
The tears came before I even finished the sentence. I tried to hold them back, but it was useless. They poured out like a dam had broken, and suddenly, I was just a crying mess in front of his grave.
"I miss you so much," I whispered, clutching the edge of the headstone like it was him. "I wish you were here. You always knew what to do, and I…" My voice broke. "I don't. I don't know if I'm doing this right, Dad."
The wind picked up slightly, rustling the trees around me. It felt like a hug, but it wasn't enough.
"I fought so hard, Dad. To keep this company, to prove to everyone that I'm not just some girl playing dress-up in a man's world. And I did it. I did it. But it's so hard. And sometimes I feel like… like I'm not strong enough to keep going."
I buried my face in my hands and sobbed harder.
"Lucas betrayed me. Victor tried to buy me. Everyone doubts me, Dad, but I keep fighting. Because I know you'd want me to. I just wish I could hear your voice again. Even just once. To tell me you're proud of me. To tell me I'm doing okay."
I stayed there for a while, just crying and talking to him like he was still alive. I told him about Isabelle, Maxwell, and everything that happened with Stellar Enterprises. I told him how much I hated Lucas for what he did and how much I missed him, my dad.
Before I left, I stood up and wiped my tears, even though they were still coming.
"I'm going to make you proud, Dad," I said, my voice shaky but determined. "No matter what, I'll keep fighting. For you. For us."
I kissed the headstone gently, like I used to kiss his cheek when I was little.
"I love you, Dad," I whispered, turning to leave.
As I walked back to the car, the wind picked up again, and I swear it almost felt like he was walking beside me. It gave me just enough strength to keep going.