The CEO Who Feared Love

Lily had grown accustomed to the light tapping of the rain on the rusty tin roof of the two room house, like a lullaby for the shattered. The odor of burning kerosene wafted in the air as I mixed with the steam coming from a practically cooked bowl of noodles. Eyes far apart, she stirred it slowly, her numb fingers grasping the spoon. Behind her, Lucas her twelve year old half brother snored lightly on the floor mattress, his legs tangled in a worn Spider-Man blanket. Her mother hadn’t come home. Again. Lily didn’t need to guess why. She didn’t cry anymore. Not about that. Just as she turned off the flame, a firm knock echoed through the thin door. Loud. Demanding. Not the kind of knock you ignore. Her body stiffened. 8:47 p.m. Who would visit here, now? Her footsteps light and rapid on the broken linoleum, she moved slowly toward the door. Through the little peep hole, she peered then stopped. An old man. Expensive grey coat. Slick shoes. Sharp eyes. This wasn't a neighbor. Or a debt collector. Or a pastor. This was someone who didn’t belong. "Miss Lily Anderson?" the man asked when she cracked the door open. "Yes?" Her voice was cautious, almost a whisper. "I’m Richard Dalton. May I come in?" She hesitated. "Why?" "I knew your father." Everything in her stilled. "My… my real father?" He nodded once, solemnly. “We were business partners a long time ago. I owe him a debt… and it’s time I repay it.” She opened the door wider. Not out of trust. But curiosity. And maybe… a sliver of hope. The man stepped in and looked around with quiet pity, taking in the broken fan, the peeling walls, the silent child in the corner. “You live here?” he asked gently. “This is our home,” she said, chin rising defensively. He didn’t respond. He simply reached into his coat and pulled out a photo of a young man with kind eyes. Her mother used to keep a faded version of the same picture under her pillow. “Your father once saved my life. In more ways than one. I made a promise to help his family if ever they needed me.” “And now… you want to help?” Her voice cracked. “After all these years?” “No,” he said slowly. “I want you to help me.” She stared. “My son,” he continued, “is the CEO of Dalton Enterprises. But he’s… difficult. Cold. Hardened by the world. I want you to marry him.” Lily blinked. “I’m sorry, what?” “It’s arranged. The paperwork is ready. You’ll live in his mansion, be his wife in name and perhaps eventually in heart. In return, your family will never know hunger again.” She laughed bitter and broken. “You think you can buy me into a fairytale? You think I care about money?” He met her gaze evenly. “I think you care about your brother. And your mother. I think you’ve carried the world on your shoulders for too long.” She bit her lip. "You can say no," he said softly. "But I believe… you might be exactly what my son needs. And I believe he might be what you need too." She didn’t answer. Not yet. But in her heart, something cracked open. Not because she believed in happy endings. But because she was tired of surviving. She didn’t answer the man. Not yet. Instead, she told him to wait outside, her voice barely steady. She needed to talk to her mother the one person whose opinion mattered, even when her actions didn’t always show it. Some minutes later, her mother staggered through the door drenched and reeking of cheap liquor and weariness. Lily softly led her to sit on the little couch with a torn armrest, saying, "Mom..." “Lily baby…” Her voice slurred. “Why’re you still up? Lucas sleeping?” She giggled to herself like a child. “That boy dreams so loud.” Lily nodded. “Mom, listen to me. Someone came tonight… a man. He said he knew Dad.” Her mother’s face froze. Like the very name summoned a ghost. “Your… your father?” she whispered. Her eyes became glassy. “I haven’t heard that name in years.” “He says he was Dad’s business partner. That Dad saved him. That he owes him.” A sharp breath. Then silence. “He wants me to marry his son.” The words dropped like a hammer in the room. Even the rain outside paused, as though listening. Her mother blinked. “Marry? Who?” “His son. A CEO. Rich. Cold. Emotionally damaged. I don’t even know his name yet.” Her mom chuckled, a dark, painful sound. “Sounds like his father, then.” Lily sat on the floor beside her. “He offered to take care of us. All of us. You, Lucas, even his own grandchildren—” “I don’t want you to marry a stranger!” Her mom’s voice cracked. “That’s how I ended up here. Your father wasn’t a good man, Lily. He made deals with darkness. I saw things, things I’ll never forget…” Lily swallowed. “I don’t have a choice, Mom.” “Yes, you do!” Her mother grabbed her hand, eyes wild. “You can run. You’re still young. You can find real love. You don’t have to do what I did. You don’t have to sacrifice yourself for us.” Lily looked away. “What real love, Mom? The kind you had with Dad? Or the kind where you married a pastor who…” she stopped herself, voice trembling. “Who looks at me like I’m meat?” Her mother froze. A tear slid down her cheek. “I never knew,” she whispered. “You didn’t want to know,” Lily snapped softly. “You looked away. Every time.” Her mother broke into sobs, her shoulders shaking. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry I failed you.” Lily wrapped her arms around her. She didn’t blame her mother. Not fully. Life had hurt them both in different ways. But something inside her had hardened long ago.