Torn between worlds

Shadows of control

The sound of her heels clicking against the concrete faded into the distance as I got back to work on her car. Jake shot me a knowing smirk, but I ignored him, still trying to shake the unsettling encounter.

Meanwhile, she walked toward the edge of the service bay, her posture as poised as ever. The late afternoon sun highlighted her flawless features, but there was a tension in her shoulders like she was carrying a weight no one else could see.

Her phone buzzed, the sound muffled against the soft leather of her purse. She paused, pulled it out, and glanced at the screen. Her confident demeanor faltered for a moment before she pressed the answer button and brought the phone to her ear.

“Hi, Dad,” she said, her tone warm but cautious.

I caught snippets of the conversation as I worked under the hood, her voice drifting through the garage.

“I’m fine,” she said, her words laced with a mix of affection and guardedness. “How are you?”

There was a pause, and then her smile faded, replaced by a furrowed brow.

“Yes, I’ve been busy,” she said softly. “Work has been… well, you know how it is. But I’m doing fine.”

Another pause. This time, her hand tightened around the phone. Whatever her father was saying, it wasn’t what she wanted to hear.

“Dad, we’ve talked about this,” she said, her voice tinged with frustration. “I know what you want, but—”

She fell silent, listening as her father’s voice, deeper and sterner, carried on the other end of the line.

“When will you bring a man home, Emily?” his voice boomed loud enough that I could hear faintly from where I stood. “You’re not getting any younger. All I want is to see you married and settled before it’s too late. I want grandchildren, Emily. Is that so much to ask?”

Emily turned her back to us, facing the open lot as if trying to hide the strain on her face. She spoke lower now, her words almost inaudible.

“Dad, I—” she started, but he cut her off.

“Listen to me,” he said sharply. “If you don’t get married soon, don’t expect anything from me. Not a cent. If I die before you find someone, all my properties, my companies, everything, will go to charity.”

She gasped, her shoulders stiffening. “Dad, you can’t be serious!”

“I’ve never been more serious,” he said firmly. “You’ve had all the freedom in the world, Emily. Now it’s time to take responsibility. I won’t be around forever, and I won’t let our legacy end with me.”

And just like that, the call ended. She stared at the phone in her hand, her lips parted in disbelief.

For a long moment, she didn’t move. The garage seemed to hold its breath, the noise of the machines and chatter fading into the background.

Finally, she let out a heavy sigh and muttered under her breath. “Of course, it’s not about me. It’s never about me. It’s about what he wants. A legacy. Grandchildren. Someone to carry the family name.”

Her voice broke slightly on the last word, and she clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

“I don’t want to get married just to make him happy,” she said to herself, her tone filled with a mix of sadness and defiance. “But what choice do I have?”

She turned back toward the garage, her expression carefully composed again, though the storm in her eyes hadn’t fully settled.

“Car’s almost done,” I said, straightening up and wiping my hands on a rag. I didn’t mean to interrupt her thoughts, but I felt compelled to break the silence.

“Good,” she said briskly, her voice back to its confident, no-nonsense tone. “Let me know when it’s ready.”

Jake gave me a subtle nudge, whispering, “You gonna ask her what’s wrong?”

I shook my head. “Not my place.”

But as she stood by the office window, staring out at the parking lot, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to her story.

And then, something happened.

A black SUV pulled up to the service bay, its windows tinted so dark you couldn’t see inside. It rolled to a stop, and for a moment, nothing happened.

Emily noticed it, too. She stiffened, her hand instinctively reaching for her purse.

“Hey, Pete,” Jake whispered, his voice low. “You seeing this?”

“Yeah,” I said, my eyes locked on the vehicle.

The driver’s door opened, and a man in a dark suit stepped out. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and exuded an air of authority that immediately set my nerves on edge.

He didn’t look at us. His eyes were on Emily, and there was something about the way he approached her that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

“Emily,” he said, his voice deep and calm, but with an undertone that hinted at something darker.

She turned to face him, her expression unreadable. “What are you doing here?”

“We need to talk,” he said simply.

She glanced back at me and Jake, her eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite place—fear, maybe, or desperation.

“I’m busy,” she said, her tone icy.

The man smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I wasn’t asking.”

The tension in the air was palpable now, thick enough to cut with a knife.

“Jake,” I whispered. “Something’s not right.”

“No kidding,” he muttered, his hand tightening around the wrench he was holding.

Emily took a step back, her hand still clutching her purse. “You don’t get to dictate my life,” she said, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

The man’s smile widened. “We’ll see about that.”

And just like that, he turned and walked back to the SUV, getting in without another word. The vehicle’s engine roared to life, and it sped off, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.

Emily stood there, frozen, her face pale.

“Who was that?” Jake asked, his voice breaking the silence.

She didn’t answer. Instead, she turned to me, her eyes locking onto mine.

“Finish the car,” she said softly. “I need to leave. Now.”