Joy arranged for mother and I to meet at a new café in the city. I had specifically asked her to pick a place that wasn't too crowded.
I woke up at 7. I would meet her at 10. Three hours to mentally prepare myself for what could come. Mother's lies, twisting facts and overexaggerating. I knew how she was. It was her that claimed giving my dad's partners too much power would come back and bite me in the ass. My mother's words, not mine.
I sighed. I couldn't let her get to me. She knew which buttons to push to make me feel uncomfortable, incapable and weak. I always wondered why a mother would be like that to her own child. I kept saying to myself she did it to toughen me up, because she knew I was going to be in charge of a huge company one day. Every now and then an afwul thought would find its way to my head though. What if she just hates me?
I pushed all the thoughts and doubts aside and stepped inside the shower.
After a long cold shower I got dressed and waited for the time to pass. No one was here with me. Although Joy had offered to drop in and check on me I told her it wasn't necessary. Now I regretted it.
At 9.30 I locked the door of my apartment and got in the elevator. I walked over to my car and flinched at my reflection in the car's window. This woman staring back at me was afraid, scared shitless! Of what, I didn't know!
"I'm just going to meet my mother for crying out loud!" I said out loud before I got inside the car and backed out of my parking space.
I arrived at the café just in time and was visibly shocked to see mother already sitting in a corner, browsing through some magazines.
She looked up when she saw me approaching and smiled faintly at me. It was such a weird sight. Seeing my mother smile at me. Immediately I put my walls up.
"Good morning, mother."
"Good morning, please sit!"
I occupied the seat opposite of her and ordered a double shot of espresso when the waiter came to our table.
"Sorry if I'm speechless. I wasn't sure if you would even show up." She admitted.
"But I'm here, so tell me what you want to tell me."
"Okay. Well, for starters I would like to apologize, for not being there for you! I know I'm a horrible mother, and I understand if you don't forgive me. It was just so hard for me seeing your dad's lifework in danger."
"It was never in danger!" I retorted.
"You're wrong, Sarah!" Mother exclaimed. "While I was in Los Angeles-"
"Oh, so that's were you've been hiding?"
"While I was there, I kept a close eye on the company. And I learned some awfull things." She finished.
"Like what, mother?" I spat.
I hated it. I was already playing her stupid game. The one where she would dangle with information in front of my face and I wouldn't be able to resist.
"Your dad's so-called partners are trying to steal the company away from you!"
"That's impossible! I own the majority of shares." I fired back.
"That's what you think! I found a loophole in the contract you signed when you were 18. They can take the company away from you! Why do you think did they offer to handle affairs for you?"
