Ethan Carter
(Six hours ago)
A knock on the door distracted me as I was preparing for my next presentation.
I had asked my PA, Valera, to stop anyone from visiting my office till further notice, except it was urgent.
I wondered what it could be, and who it was.
"Come in," I murmured in annoyance.
"Surprise!" a familiar feminine voice shrilled.
I smiled, and looked up already knowing who it was. "Hey, welcome mom. You didn't say you were coming."
She sat down, and dropped her purse on the table. "C'mon, baby. I can visit my son whenever I want."
"Sad truth," I joked, walking towards my fridge. "What can I offer you? A chilled soft drink or a bottle of water?"
"Nothing, son. I'm good."
I shrugged and walked back to my seat. "So, what's special about this visit?"
She looked at me, and I could tell she was worried about something.
"You, Ethan," she lowered her voice. "It's about you."
"Me? What did I do this time, mom?"
"Your grandfather threatened to hand over this oil company to another family if you aren't ready to settle down–"
I felt my body about to explode with my fast rising anger. "Oh, fuck that sick old man, mama!"
She slammed her fist hard on the table, and retorted, "No. Fuck your damn mouth, Ethan!"
"No matter what you guys do or say, count me out of it, okay?"
"Son, you need to do this for me. We are looking up to you. It's been over four years, you need to move on and stop living in the past–"
"You can't tell me what to do, mama! I'm old enough to make my own fucking decisions," I said, outrightly.
"Decisions? You mean bringing home different sluts, every night? I suppose you meant wrong decisions. For goodness sake, come off it."
"Leave them out of this. It's what I want, I'm okay with it, and I don't give a fuck what you both think about it."
She leaned back and rotated the swivel chair at an angle of 180° before getting back to me in a calm voice. "Anyways, I didn't come here to argue with you."
"Then?"
"I fixed, yet, a new blind date with the president's daughter by 3 pm, at the regular spot. I'm sure you're gonna love her, and you know, it comes with a lot of benefits. She doesn't have a brother, and they're in need of an heir," she winked.
"Did you hear yourself speak, mom? I'm done with you–"
"No, you're not! I had your secretary cancel the rest of your appointments for the day, earlier."
I almost spat. "Fuck it! I was going to conclude a billion dollar deal, today, and you already made me lose it because of a sick date? You're unbelievable, mom."
"I don't care about that. All I know is that we can't lose this company. Get. A. Wife. Ethan!" she yelled.
I rolled over my eyes. "I'm not interested, mom."
"Two months, Ethan, you have two months," she warned, picking up her purse.
"Y'all have lost it."
I watched her go, feeling a mix of frustration and guilt.
"We will see to that, boy." With that, she walked out of my office, and slammed the door.
I didn't like arguing with my mom, but I couldn't just go along with what she wanted either. I had to live my own life, on my own terms. And if that meant not getting married, then so be it.
I thought she was back when the door opened the next second, but my mood lit up a bit when I saw it was my best friend.
"Woah! I felt the heat, bro. What's up?"
I frowned. "My mom is at it, again. She wants me to get married as soon as possible."
"I don't see that happening anytime soon," he laughed.
I was glad he didn't side with mom, else I'd have cut off his tongue.
"Me too."
"I, also, heard her saying something about the president's daughter."
"Hmm, yeah… I'm going to pass. Not sure I can handle another bitch."
"Well, good luck in whatever you do. I got you back, always," he patted my back.
"Always and forever."
…
(Back at home, Present)
"What did you do, Ethan?!" his mom screamed as she barged into his room.
"I did nothing, mom."
"Of course, you did something. Why didn't you show up for your date?" she asked, looking paranoid.
"Obviously, I wasn't interested," he replied, nonchalantly, taking off his shirt.
"Don't lie to me, Ethan, because I called your office at three. Where did you go from the company?"
"I, actually, went on a different date. Are you happy, now?"
She pulled her son into her arms. "Oh my–Ethan! This is so… new. I can't believe my ears."
He forced himself out of her tight embrace. "You have to, mom."
"Can I see a picture of my future daughter-in-law, please, my boy?" she begged.
"I don't have it, mom, and I never said I was getting married, so calm down."
"But you can't keep avoiding this, Ethan," his mom said. "It's time for you to settle down and start a family. You're already in your mid twenties."
Ethan rolled his eyes. "I don't need to get married to start a family, mom. And I already have a family, don't I?"
"But your grandfather-"
"Grandpa can go to hell," Ethan interrupted. "I don't care about his threats or his company. I have my own life to live."
"But Ethan, this company is your legacy, your future."
"I don't want it, Mom," Ethan said firmly. "I never did. I've been trying to tell you and Grandpa this for years, but you both refuse to listen."
"We just want what's best for you-"
"Then why don't you listen to me?" Ethan snapped. "I don't want to settle down and get married. I don't want to run a stupid oil company. I just want to live my life on my own terms."
His mother looked at him with a mix of sadness and anger. "You're being selfish, Ethan. You have a responsibility to this family and this company. You can't just throw it all away because of some childish grudge."
"It's not a grudge, Mom," Ethan said, his voice softer now. "It's just not what I want. Can't you understand that?"
"You don't understand it, Ethan. This company, our family legacy, is at stake. Your grandfather means what he says. If you don't settle down and give him a great grandchild soon, he'll give the company to someone else," his mother explained, her eyes pleading with him to understand. "Your grandfather built this company from scratch, and he deserves to see it passed down to someone who will continue his legacy."
"Mom, I understand that, but marriage isn't the only way to continue his legacy," Ethan argued.
"I know that, but it's the only way your grandfather will accept," his mother replied. "And you know he has the power to give that company to someone else if he wants to."
"I don't care about the damn company! I've worked hard to build my own career, and I'm not going to sacrifice everything just to appease some outdated family tradition. It's ridiculous," Ethan snapped, throwing his hands up in frustration.
"If you don't care about the company, then fine. But what about your future? Don't you want someone to grow old with, to share your life with?" his mother asked, her voice softening.
Ethan sighed, the anger slowly seeping out of him. "Of course I do, but it has to be on my terms. I'm not going to be forced into something just because of some archaic notion of family duty."
His mother didn't answer for a moment, but Ethan could see the wheels turning in her head. Finally, she let out a sigh.
"I just want you to be happy, Ethan."
"I am happy, Mom," Ethan said, his tone gentle. "I just wish you could see that."
"Just think about what I told you, son."
"Mom, I'm not going to marry someone just because it's important to the family. I want to marry someone I love, someone who I genuinely want to spend the rest of my life with," Ethan replied, frustration evident in his voice.
"But you haven't even given any of these girls a chance. You're too busy being stubborn and refusing to see beyond your own desires," his mom argued.
"Mom, it's not about being stubborn. It's about finding someone who I connect with on every level. I won't marry someone I'm not in love with, just to appease you guys," Ethan said, standing his ground.
His mom sighed deeply, rubbing her forehead in frustration. "You're not making this easy for us, Ethan. Your grandfather is getting old, and he wants to see the company secure before he passes."
Ethan knew how important the company was to his family, and he didn't want to let them down. But he also knew that he couldn't sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of the company. He needed to find a way to make everyone happy.
"I will try my best, but I'm not promising anything."
His mom smiled, relieved. "Thank you, Ethan. That's all we ask. Just give them a chance."
"Ok, mom. You can leave now, I need my privacy."
As soon as she left his room, he picked up his phone and sent a text message across to Claire, then he got into the shower.
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