Stronger Than Bonds

by Devon Michaels

  “Maybe when it goes up in flames, my son will finally learn his lesson,” he said, and that was when I turned around and left. I couldn’t stand the idea of change, in fact, I was very afraid of it and in this case, I had every right to be. Ryan’s whole aura made me uncomfortable, from his smug smile to his fancy suits, to the way that he squinted in the sun. Frankly, everything about him made me want to quit my job.

  I made my way back to my office, and as I walked my senses became overwhelmed by merciless gossip.

  “He was getting old, anyway,” I heard someone say. I felt an underlying urge to defend Frederick, but I knew he wouldn’t want me starting fights down by the water cooler. He was better than that.

  “Finally, we get a hot CEO.”

  “I never really liked Ryan, anyway. The guy’s a total alcoholic.”

  “I saw him at a club last weekend, he was with this chick…”

  “Does that mean we get a raise?”

  I locked myself up in my office and shut the drapes. It didn’t help that the walls were made of glass, so I just sat there in the darkness and my only light source was the window overlooking the city...

  Six - Ryan

  I stared at myself in the locker room mirror. The sweat trickled down my forehead, and I exhaled onto the reflective surface. I looked visibly nervous, seeing as though I hadn’t boxed in weeks, but today it all felt right. I really needed this more than anything. The gym was where I took it all out, it was where I fought my demons and won every time. But today, I wasn’t so sure. Daniel was waiting for me outside. He was my boxing buddy, and even though we spent hours together in the rink, we pretty much knew nothing about each other. He had a ring on his finger which he took off every time we boxed; I wondered how his wife felt when he came home to her every weekend with a black eye.

  Anyway, I put on my boxing gloves, both with my name on them, and stepped outside. “Yo, Daniel!” I said, waving to him from across the gym. He was jumping up and down, warming up, getting ready for me.

  “Yo!” he said, doing a few jumping jacks with a smile on his face. “You ready for this?”

  “I’m so ready,” I replied, snapping on my gum shield. My fingers wiggled inside my boxing gloves, and when we took our positions, Max, the referee blew his whistle. Bouncing up and down, we approached each other, meeting at the center of the rink. Without warning, Daniel took his first punch. I ducked down and sprung back up again; we continued to bounce up and down and chase each other around the condensed center until Daniel took another punch at me. This time, he got me right in the nose. Immediately I jumped away from him, and I went from holding my fists up to my face, to coming at him aggressively, my boxing gloves going in a great whirlwind movement. Daniel’s arms flew up as he fell back, but then he was quick to regain composure. I attacked with yet another right overhand punch. Daniel stepped out of range, but before he could bring his hands up to defend again, I drove my boxing glove into his temple, and he went flying across the rink another time.

  I then landed solid punches into his chest until he fell back and closed his eyes. A few seconds later Max blew his whistle, and I helped Daniel up. “Great game, man,” I said, pulling him to me and nudging his shoulder with my chin. He smiled weakly but didn’t say anything.

  “You’ve gotten better at this,” he mumbled through clenched teeth. I acknowledged him, but then I ducked my head under the ropes and hopped onto the floor.

  “Great job, Ryan!” Max said, giving me a thumbs up. I nodded at him and scurried through the parting doors and into the locker room again. I had to admit, Daniel’s punches fucking hurt; he, too, had gotten better. Boxing was my way of blowing off steam, and the truth was, it made me feel damn good about myself. My eyes were fixated in the mirror. My skin was glistening with sweat; I still had my gum shield on. Finally, I took off all my gear, gloves included and slumped down on one of the benches. I observed myself for a while before getting up and walking into the showers, where I must’ve spent around an hour slouched under a boiling jet of water.

  I arrived to work late in the afternoon. Dad and I weren’t talking, we haven’t been since the whole merger fiasco. It was better off that way. As I walked down the hallway I noticed that people were staring at me, and even though it made me highly uncomfortable, I became certain that they feared me. I heard whispers and mumbles and my name somewhere in the middle. I tried to block it all out until I got to the elevator and took it up to my floor. Elevator rides were the worst because there was no escaping the rising heat, caused by uncomfortable body language and inconspicuous nudging; silent whispers and intense glares. After what felt like an eternity, I got off on my floor and hurried into my office. No one could bother me now. I sat at my desk, reached into the bottom drawer and pulled out my trusty flask. Post workout alcohol? Why the hell not! I was never used to drinking on the job, but lately, things have been difficult. I was having a hard time falling asleep, and reading and keeping up with my favorite shows. But I kept reminding myself that one day, all of this would be worth it.

  I quickly tucked my flask into the drawer when I heard a knock on the door. “Who is it?” I asked, but there was no answer. “Oh, for Christ’s sake.” I marched towards the door and swung it open, and the first thing I saw was her face. “Sarah, how can I help you?” I mumbled through clenched teeth.

  Without uttering a word, she stepped into my office, her arms folded across her chest. “I wanted to talk to you about something,” she said.

  “You know, I actually have a lot to do today, think we can keep it till later?” I was shameless; Sarah had this knack of making me feel like a failure, and she didn’t even know me.

  “No, we can’t,” she shook her head violently. “What were you thinking?”

  “What was I thinking? What were you thinking barging into my office like that?” I jumped to the defense. I hated it when people came at me, especially people like Sarah. Her lips parted but she said nothing, and for a while, the two of us were just staring at each other.

  “I am here because I think you’re making a big mistake,” she said finally. “Do you not realize that Frederick knows this company inside out? That it would all go up in flames without him?”

  “Oh, right, here we go again,” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “You just love glorifying my dad, don’t you? Make him out to be some kind of god.”

  “What are you getting at?” she asked me, somewhat furious. “At least I’m not a power hungry corporate slave, stepping over everyone and everything to get to the top!”

  The silence settled over us like a heavy rain cloud. Anger boiled deep in my system, as hot as lava. It churned within, hungry for destruction, and I knew it was too much for me to handle. I wanted to get out of her way before I erupted in a furious state, but instead, I just stood there, my chest rising and falling, my entire being trying to soak up the hot ball of anger that was now suspended in my guts. I knew this feeling would pass, and perhaps that was what kept me grounded.

  “You know what, I have no business talking to you right now,” I told her, and even though I expected her to leave, she just stood there like she was pinned to the floor.

  “I’m not leaving here until you tell me what was going through your head when you decided to get your own father fired!”

  “I didn’t fire him,” I snarled. “But there’s a consensus among members of the board that my father’s vision for the company has become more outdated than effective.” I tried to be as calm and as eloquent as I could.

  “Oh, where did you pull that out from, a contract?” she asked me mockingly. I couldn’t take it anymore.

  “You know, Sarah, I think you keep forgetting that I run this company now,” I said, pacing back with my hands clenched together behind my back. “You know what that means, don’t you? You don’t have ammunition anymore. If I decided to let you go, your beloved “Mr. Frederick” can’t do anything about it.”

  “I’m well aware of that,” she said. “But you k
now what, I’m not afraid of you, and good luck finding another head developer that can handle Miles’ bullshit!”

  I got a sudden urge to laugh, but I held it in. Instead, I just gawked at her as she waved her hands around frantically. “Listen, if we’re going to be working together, I expect a bit of respect, alright?”

  “And what do you know about respect?” she was quick to challenge me again. My lips parted but no words came out. “Don’t say it, I’m just gonna show myself out,” she said before turning around and marching towards the door.

  The truth was, I was in total shock. Never in my life did I really get into it with a woman, especially a woman like Sarah. The first time I saw her, I thought she resembled a kitten, but boy was I wrong. She had a lot of fight in her, and I wondered why she wouldn’t just give in and go with the flow, just like everyone else in the company. I was quick to ask myself if I was some sort of dictator if everyone in the company, in fact, hated me, and even though I knew the answer to that question, I managed to convince myself otherwise. I convinced myself that everyone respected me, that they loved me, even. I didn’t want to have to think twice about what Sarah had to say, but eventually, I fell into a pit of my own insecurities, and I just sat there all day contemplating our conversation. At the end of it, I felt terrible, almost like she had tapped into something. Even though I didn’t like to admit it, I hated being confronted because it made me feel weak. Sarah made me feel weak, and perhaps that was why I despised her so much. I had been avoiding thinking about my father for the longest time now, but suddenly I felt overwhelmed with emotions, and they came washing over me like a wicked wave. Sarah had struck a chord with her words, and then it all came rushing back to me; the fact that I hadn’t been to my father’s estate for weeks now, that I didn’t call him anymore, that we didn’t talk unless it had something to do with business.

  I paced back and forth in my office like a madman, and then I stopped when I realized that everyone was looking at me. I wondered if they thought I was incompetent or even demented, but then I brushed that thought off and moved on. I slipped a hand into my pocket, pulled out my trusty cigarette pack and lit one, and it wasn’t long before my office got consumed in smoke. I sat at my desk, put my feet up and stared at the ceiling, wondering about my future endeavors as CEO of Callaway Tech. It wasn’t long before any thought of my father left my mind, and I was left with the silence of my office and a view of the city.

  Seven - Sarah

  “So, what do we think?” I asked, leaning forward in my chair. As always I was sitting at the head of the table, and I had to admit, it made me feel quite powerful. Miles was on his laptop, typing away at the keyboard.

  “I just wrote it down,” he said, his eyelids looking droopier than usual. “Don’t worry, I’ll get it done in no time.”

  I stared up at the clock. It was midnight already, but I was all doped up on energy drinks. Miles leaned back in his chair and adjusted his cap; I always had something to say about the way he dressed up for work, but after nearly four years of nagging him to get rid of that red snapback, I finally gave up. “Anyone want coffee?” I asked them, but they shook their heads like tired robots. “Come on, we’re just getting started.” I noticed that Dave, one of our trusted technicians, was falling asleep, so I let him be. “We’ll wake him up in five minutes,” I smirked. “For now, let’s talk about the software.” I saw Dave moving around in my peripheral vision, and when I looked over he was already awake.

  “I need to tell you something,” he said, and straightaway there was fear in my chest. I could almost feel it surging through my veins, threatening to ruin my life and everything I’d worked for. Dave wasn’t a serious type of guy, and come to think of it, he had been acting strange ever since the start of our meeting.

  “What’s up?” I asked him, exchanging glances with Miles.

  “So, Brittany.” He paused for a moment, clearing his throat. “She works for Luxem Technologies, right?”

  “Right.” A million thoughts were zapping through my brain, gnawing at it with no remorse. A year ago Dave told me that his girlfriend had been hired by Luxem Technologies, and after weeks of battling my own thoughts, I decided to trust him and move on. He had been honest with me ever since.

  “Well, last night she told me that they’re also working on a new software.”

  “What kind of software?” I asked him. His lips parted but his words didn’t take flight.

  “A new irrigation system software.” Finally, the news rolled off his tongue and hit me in the face. My eyes darted from Dave to Miles, and then to Dave again.

  “What do you mean they’re working on a new irrigation system?” I blinked at him in pure disbelief. “Wait, when did they start working on this, did she tell you?” I couldn’t help but suspect him.

  “She only told me this yesterday… but they’re preparing to launch it this coming month.”

  I could feel my heart beating in my neck. “Miles, did you know about this?” I asked him.

  “I didn’t,” he said, shaking his head back and forth frantically. “Well we’re fucked, then.”

  “You’re not helping,” I snapped. “When and how did this happen?” I asked them. My head felt like it was going to explode; I thought about running up to Frederick’s office but I was disheartened all over again. “No, there has to be a reasonable explanation for this.”

  “Apparently they’ve been working non-stop at it,” Dave added, his eyes wide. I wondered how he felt, and for some reason, I began directing all my anger towards him.

  “I can’t believe this, I really can’t,” I spat again, my fists staying firmly by my sides as I paced. “Do you realize how much money has gone into this?”

  “Hey, you’re not saying that I did this, right?” he asked me, his eyebrows furrowed.

  The silence gave me away. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m just stressing over this whole thing.”

  “You think I did it, don’t you?” he asked me again.

  I began shaking my head defensively. “Hey, one year ago, you and I both talked about this. I’m not trying to pin anything on you, alright?”

  “Alright,” he said. I was firm, more than firm. Dave just settled into his chair and turned away from me.

  “Listen, my head is spinning right now. I don’t know what to do.”

  “We need to conduct a full staff meeting, stat,” Miles said. I couldn’t help but zone out.

  “Not being the first in the market is really gonna hurt us, you know. Our stocks will plummet, then what are we gonna do?” Suddenly I realized that I needed to keep it together. Dave and Miles looked absolutely frightened, like a bunch of five-year-olds. “You know what, we’re done here,” I said suddenly. “You guys can go home, and I’ll stay here to figure things out.”

  “Meanwhile I’ll try to schedule a staff meeting soon,” Miles said, rising to his feet. Dave remained quiet, and I was growing more and more suspicious of him. I waited until they left, and then I cried against the backdrop of the city.

  ***

  “What do you mean they’re launching it first?” Patricia’s voice came through the other end.

  “You heard me,” I said. “And I don’t know what to do.”

  “Did you call a staff meeting?” she asked me.

  “Miles is working on it.” I heard crackling on the other end, almost like she was braving through the wind. “I just don’t get it, how did this happen?”

  “You’re asking me?” she said. “Do you think anyone leaked the information?”

  “See, Dave’s girlfriend works for Luxem… she told him everything.”

  “Do you think Dave leaked the information?” she asked me. “Something isn’t adding up.”

  I stayed on the phone with Patricia for what felt like an hour, and when I heard knocking on my door, something told me it was her. “Hey,” I said, inching the door open and gesturing for her to come inside. She looked around wearily, then she collapsed on my couch.
/>
  “I need a drink,” she said, brushing her fingers through her hair and massaging her scalp. I collapsed next to her and closed my eyes. “I swear to God, if I find out that Dave did this, I’ll make sure that he never sees the light of day again.”

  What put me off about the Callaways, I realized, was how aggressive they were. I didn’t know Patricia could be this aggressive until I told her about this whole thing. It was almost like she had turned into a completely different person, capable of ruining another life. “It makes sense, it makes perfect sense, doesn’t?”

  “I’m not sure,” I said with my arms folded tightly over my chest. “Why would he come up and tell me if he did it?”

  “Because it would make him look innocent,” she said, glaring at me.

  I thought a little about what she said, and even though it made sense I was having a hard time believing it. “I’m gonna fix us both a drink.” I got up and slipped into the next room. I must’ve stood by the kitchen counter for too long, staring at nothing in particular. But I was consumed by my own thoughts, dragged into a much darker place. I reached into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of white wine, which I popped open with a corkscrew.

  “That’s what you call a drink?” Patricia asked me the moment she saw it.

  “Alright, poor choice of words,” I said, letting out a sigh. I then took a swing from the bottle and handed it to her.

  “Don’t mind if I do.” Patricia was getting more and more agitated by the second. “We need to see Ryan,” she said before downing what was left of the bottle. I felt a bit queasy about dealing with him again. Even though I was never the type to get intimidated by people, especially people like Ryan, I had to admit, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Our confrontation left me drained and emotional; it haunted me.