POWER, PASSION AND PROFITS

A shocking proposal

By morning, she knew that she had to make the one call she had never thought she'd be making now, but Robert's action left her with no other option.

“Mother, I'm coming home” she said as soon as she heard her mom's voice at the other end of the phone call.

“Whaaat!!! Alyssa, is that you?” “Yes mum, it is I” she answered.”

“Good gracious!! Where have you been? What have you been doing with yourself? Your father …..we searched everywhere for you, but you seemed to have disappeared into thin air”.....my mum babbled on for quite a long time.

I have always been termed the black sheep of the family. Not because I was a tyrant of some sort. I have always been a calm and intelligent child, but because I have never been one to conform to the norms of my family and its traditions. My father and I never saw eye to eye on so many issues. He always seemed to have everything planned out for all of his children and I wanted to live life on my own terms.

From my name, which was given to me in memory of my late great-grandmother who happened to have built the legacy of the family business under the company name, —Cahill automobiles, to the relationships we keep, and the kind of things we could and couldn't do.

Dad practically ran our lives. My sister didn't have an issue with that as she obviously enjoyed living life with the luxury that came with it, but I was different —I wanted much more than that out of life. I wanted to carve out my own path.

Father wanted me to study law so that I'd be the family lawyer and take care of everything in the company's legal department.

I had other plans for my future, and somehow I was able to thwart my father's plan and went in for Cybersecurity instead, as I had always had an interest in the workings of cyber technology.

The day of my convocation was the day all hell broke loose —remembering that day now still brings me the same feeling of satisfaction I had then. Dad almost had a heart attack and I felt so sorry for him, as he was used to having his way of fixing his own dreams and desires into other people's lives.

My joyful day became my father's worst nightmare. “I do not think that I sired you”. I can still remember him saying. “ You can't keep playing God over people's lives”, I had retorted in return. “It is my life and I will do what I want with it”. My dad was livid with rage.

“Alyssa!! Are you there?” I heard my mum ask, bringing me back from my reviere.

“Yes mum, you were saying?”

“I was asking when did you say you were coming home?” “Tomorrow” I replied and hung up the call, as I wasn't in the mood for further questioning. Any other thing she wanted to know could be discussed when I got home. For now, all I wanted to do was be alone and heal from the aches I felt in my heart and body.

I had never planned on returning like this after 7 years, but the events of the last 6 months were forcing me to go back home, as the only person on earth I knew who could get me out of this mess right now is my father, but I know him very well —it wouldn't come cheaply. I only pray I won't have to give up my head for it.

Building a life without ‘the Howards’ family name hadn't been as easy as I thought it was going to be, especially after I realized my certificate from one of the most prestigious universities in town was useless to me as it bore my family name.

I had taken up a new identity as ‘Rebecca Moon’ and that was how my journey to my own self-discovery and life path began. I took up odd jobs from being a waitress in the day to freelance design gigs, and also working online as a cybersecurity agent, all in a bid to try to make ends meet.

So many times I wanted to give up, but determination and grit kept me going. I taught myself new skills and networked relentlessly and I gradually built a great portfolio for myself.

My resilience eventually paid off, and I landed a decent job in a tech consultancy and business development firm three years after I left home. Everything was going well until I met the man who would be my reason for deciding to leave everything I had worked hard to become and return to my past.

Robert!!.... Thinking about it all now makes me shudder.

It was time to return home. I am changing my identity again. Only this time, I would be taking up my true identity as — Alyssa Howard.

*********

The house hadn't changed one bit, though there were some adjustments here and there, but other than that, it still looked the same. Standing magnificently tall as always and very modern even though it was old. Father has always had a keen eye for the finer things of life.

I braced myself up for what was waiting for me behind those doors as I rang the doorbell. My thoughts had wandered again when I heard someone shout “Alyssa!!”…..our maid Margaret had opened the door and screamed when she saw it was me.

I smiled as I remembered how warm and loving she was to us all. She had aged a bit with fine gray hair, but she still looked very good. She pulled me into a warm and welcoming hug which I so needed as my insides had been churning the whole time in anticipation of the meeting with my father.

From the corner of my eyes I could see my Mum running down the stairs to welcome me as she had also heard the shout from Margaret. My mother looked as radiant and beautiful as always. She gave me a big hug and was beaming with smiles as her long-lost daughter had returned home.

“Welcome home Alyssa”, we have all missed you. I scoffed and said“ I'm sure father missed me the most. “Don't be a silly child, your father will be so delighted to have you home” She said and laughed when she saw the look of shock on my face.

“Go and freshen up, my dear. Margaret will take your things to your room. Dinner will be ready soon” she said, and I took the stairs to my room. Seemed someone had been idolizing me as nothing was out of place in my room….it looked just as I had left it 7 years ago. I quickly showered and decided to relax a bit as I was very tired.

Hours later, Margaret came to inform me that dinner was ready. I prepared myself as I knew that whatever happened at that table would definitely mark the beginning of a new chapter for me.

I sat down at the table with my father and mother, as I was told my sister was away on some business trip and wouldn't be back until the weekend.

“What brings you back home?” My father asked. I didn't have any time to waste on unnecessary formalities either, so I went straight ahead and said to him, “I got into a terrible relationship and the only way to leave it was to return home, as I know that if situations get worse you are the only person I could trust to protect me”.

I saw the look of shock on my mother's face as she began to ask to know what happened, but my father stopped her.

“Well, you are home at just about the right time as I may have a proposition for you,” he said.

This is it I thought in my mind as my heart began to beat really fast. I knew I was about to be tied down to everything I loathed about my dad and his company, but what came next shocked me to the core.

“There's this business merger I'm about to undertake with the biggest tech company in town and that deal must be sealed by a marriage between both families. It will help to keep the company afloat and catapult this company into the digital space, and most importantly keep it within the family....”

If you are truly back for good, then in exchange for the protection that you seek, you will be getting married to the CEO of the Sci-Tech group of companies —Max Jones.

Whaaattt!!! …. I screamed.