Unforgiving

by Patricia Haley

  “Hmm. Now, that’s a good question,” Madeline responded. “For now it can wait, because I’m going to call Joel and get his candidacy rolling. You might want to do the same with Abigail.”

  Don agreed and headed for the door.

  “Hang on. This might be a bumpy ride,” she added.

  “Isn’t the saying ‘What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger’?”

  Madeline grinned in response. Don left, realizing that Armageddon had been launched in the Mitchell dynasty. Whether they’d survive or fall was a big question, and only time would tell what the answer to that question was.

  Chapter 2

  Joel entered the master bedroom, where his wife, Zarah, was lounging in a chair situated not too far from the bed. “Can I get you anything?” he asked.

  “No, not for me. I am good,” she said, sipping a cup of tea with milk.

  “You sure? Because I have to run out for a little while. Madeline called and wants me to stop by the office.” She hadn’t given details, but in his desperate desire to get back into DMI, Joel was answering whenever Madeline beckoned. If she wanted to see him in the office, then he was going with no questions asked. But Zarah had become his priority too, at least until the baby was born.

  Admittedly, he hadn’t always shown a willingness to hang around home. Only a few months ago he’d been desperate to end his marriage. Zarah did not feel the same way, and he vividly recalled asking for a divorce as gently as he could. Joel had encouraged her to go back home to India, while he had planned on sitting the separation out with a close friend in Chicago. A few weeks into the separation, they found out Zarah was pregnant. Joel was making strides in the marriage, but he couldn’t block out what he perceived as devastating news on that fateful day when she made the announcement about the baby. The unexpected pregnancy had left him confused and grasping for answers. On the one hand, he felt guilty for wanting a divorce. On the other, he felt trapped. Nothing felt right about their relationship. He didn’t want to be heartless, but diving back into a loveless marriage wasn’t the answer, not even for the unborn child. That was his immediate reaction to the crushing news. After Zarah suffered a near miscarriage about a month ago, he was forced to do some deep soul-searching. His compassion and his sense of obligation kicked in, rendering him unable to leave Zarah in the midst of her high-risk pregnancy.

  He stroked her forehead and let tranquility fill the bedroom. He would make sure she was comfortable before he headed out of the house. “If you’d like, I can get your assistant to come and spend a few hours with you. I won’t be gone longer than that.”

  “No, please go. I will be fine. And I am not alone. The housekeeper and the cook are both here. I will call them if I need help.”

  Joel bent down on his knees in front of her. “Okay, if you’re sure.” He gently laid his palm across her slightly bulging belly and peered into her eyes. “Call me if you need anything, and I mean anything.”

  “I will,” she said, laying her hand on top of his.

  Joel didn’t pull his hand away. He’d come a long way toward earnestly supporting the mother of his unborn child. Maybe it was crisis affection, the kind of emotion that came about when two people suffered a traumatic situation and bonded. He didn’t really know, and he wasn’t going to get caught up in overthinking his decision. His devotion to Zarah was too fragile to withstand intense introspection.

  “I’ll see you later,” he told her.

  Five minutes after Joel left, Zarah rang up her sister-in-law. They hadn’t spoken since Zarah’s hospitalization last month, and she was eager to talk with her friend.

  Tamara answered after several rings.

  “I’m so glad to reach you,” Zarah told her.

  “I’ve been worried sick about you,” Tamara said, and her concern gave Zarah strength.

  “I’m much better, and the baby is keeping well.”

  “Thank goodness. Where is that husband of yours? Is he taking care of you like he should, or did he run back to Chicago already to be with his so-called friend?”

  Zarah ignored the comment about Joel being with another woman during his random trips to Chicago. He was still her husband, and she’d taken their vows seriously from the moment they were married. She could have told Tamara that it was engrained in her culture for the woman to honor her marriage no matter how difficult it became, and that she would hold fast to that behalf. Zarah couldn’t utter that statement, however, because it wasn’t her reason for wanting to be with Joel. In truth, her adoration for Joel extended beyond tradition and culture. He was in her soul, and she loved him unconditionally. She intended to be the only one for him, and as far as she was concerned, no other woman existed in his past or present.

  “He’s been very good to me. Joel will be gone for a few hours. Can you come over for a visit?”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Zarah adored her sister-in-law and had clung to her during those trying months when Joel didn’t seem to care. Being in the States, and away from her family in India, had made the situation especially devastating for Zarah. Tamara had been a lifesaver. She’d helped Zarah in the past, but Joel was her future. Zarah longed to have them both in her life, although it didn’t seem possible most of the time.

  Roughly thirty minutes passed before Tamara arrived at the house and was ushered into the master bedroom upstairs by the housekeeper. Zarah’s continence lit up as they embraced. Tamara took a seat in the chair near Zarah’s with only a small coffee table separating them. Sitting on the edge of her seat, Tamara reached for Zarah’s hand and sandwiched it.

  “You look good. Are you and the baby seriously okay?”

  “Yes, we are both good,” Zarah said, nodding. “I am to stay in bed mostly, but I’m good. For my baby, I will do anything.”

  “Thank goodness,” Tamara said, letting Zarah’s hand go and easing back in the chair. “You had me worried. I didn’t know if you or the baby was going to survive. You had me scared,” she said, grabbing Zarah’s hand again and then quickly releasing it. “So what’s going on with that husband of yours?”

  “He’s been wonderful.”

  “He better be or else.”

  “I don’t want to speak badly about my husband. He’s done well by me. I’m happy, and this is going to work for us. I know it in my heart.”

  Tamara flailed her hands in the air. “Fine. If you want to stay committed to a guy like him, I’m still going to be your friend. I don’t understand what you see in him, but that’s your call. I’ll leave it alone.”

  Zarah was relieved.

  “Since you’re happy and in love, are you giving up on running your father’s company?” Tamara asked.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t the energy to think about business.”

  Tamara didn’t want to push too much, but she’d worked too hard over the past couple of months at getting Zarah to crawl from Joel’s shadow and take control of her professional destiny. Zarah had groveled for Joel’s affection and attention repeatedly without success. “We’ve made huge progress with getting your name out there as a legitimate businesswoman. Nobody, especially Joel, thought you’d be interested in running your father’s multimillion-dollar company. You’ve stunned a lot of people. After you have the baby and take a maternity leave, we can get back to work.”

  “I’m not sure what I’ll do once the baby is here. Being a mother is most important.”

  Tamara wasn’t about to let her efforts be lost. Zarah had to take her rightful place running the small empire she’d inherited as part of her father’s massive estate. She owned half of Harmonious Energy, and DMI had the rest. She also owned the West Coast division of DMI, because Joel had willingly given it to Zarah’s father as part of the DMI and Harmonious Energy merger. Tamara laughed, thinking about the irony of it all. A piece of the empire Joel had squandered away in a greedy business deal was being handed over to Tamara without his knowledge. The real kicker was that the wife he’d acquired in the exact same deal was the
person who was actually partnering with Tamara behind his back.

  The notion of beating Joel at his own game of deceit and trickery was electrifying. That was why Zarah couldn’t slip back into the role of a docile wife who let her opportunistic husband run her life. Tamara needed Zarah to continue gaining strength and notoriety in the corporate arena. Her livelihood depended on it. She was so close to getting Zarah to sell her the West Coast division that nothing was going to derail Tamara’s plan.

  Unfortunately, there was a list of contenders who wanted the division, and on that list were Joel, Don, and her mother. She couldn’t let them win, not this time. Yet Zarah’s risky pregnancy was a factor Tamara couldn’t ignore. She didn’t feel right pressing for a professional favor at this very second, but her chance would come. Soon she’d seal the deal with Zarah and close this chapter of unrest.

  Tamara could taste the freedom as she salivated over the gravity of her idea. Buying the division was her single best opportunity to distance herself from the Mitchell family. The two thousand miles between Detroit and Southern California were about the right amount of distance to keep her sane. A mile less and her family was bound to drive her crazy.

  “There’s no need to rush toward an answer right now. You need to rest and have a healthy baby, and then let’s figure out where to go from there. Who knows? By then Joel might return to his old ways,” Tamara said, snapping her fingers in the air while sneering. “Because I highly doubt that the new and improved Joel is going to stay in Detroit long enough to keep up this family-man role. Where is he, anyway?” Tamara asked, leaning forward.

  “He went to the office to see your mother.”

  “For what? You know those two don’t get along,” Tamara said.

  “I’m not sure, but he seemed very pleased to get her call.”

  The two ladies chatted for another ten minutes or so. Tamara was distracted the entire time. What could Madeline want with Joel? Tamara’s curiosity got the best of her.

  “I better go. Joel will be back any minute, and it’s best that I’m gone.”

  “Yes, you are right, but one day I hope we can all sit together and have a cup of tea.”

  Tamara didn’t see that happening. As far as she was concerned, Joel was the enemy. Being the son conceived by his father’s mistress wasn’t why she felt disdain toward Joel. Her contempt rested squarely on his actions. He represented everything she hated: he was a man who used his power to manipulate and control any woman weak and naive enough to care about him. There were many Joels in the world. She gritted her teeth, hating each one, including her older brother, Andre. She still hadn’t gotten over the fact that he had raped her in their family’s house when she was seventeen. She hadn’t gotten over her last boyfriend, Remo, either. Tamara despised how his abuse and his controlling ways had her moving from city to city. She didn’t like having to live with the constant fear of him finding her. There was no place for men like Joel, Andre, and Remo in her world.

  Tamara knew Zarah would be waiting a long time for a family get-together with her and Joel. Hell might not have to freeze over completely, but there would at least have to be some frost there before she would even flirt with the idea.

  Chapter 3

  Joel’s mind was cluttered as he flew through the DMI lobby, past the guards and a few well-wishers. Normally, he would have taken time to acknowledge the guards and the other employees sending greetings his way. Today was different. When Madeline called, his anticipation had nearly overflowed. He got on the elevator and couldn’t wait for it to reach the sixth-floor. Executive row had been his home as CEO for over three years. He craved being in the midst of intense decision making and power. The corporate allure was like an addiction that had him groveling to the single individual who’d worked tirelessly to make his childhood and much of his adulthood miserable. Madeline had pulled every trick over the years to knock him down. She’d succeeded and failed in equal proportion, but today none of that mattered. He was praying for a fresh start, a chance to redeem himself for the mistakes he’d made at the company. Madeline was his saving grace. He’d soon see just how much grace she was willing to extend to her husband’s other son.

  “She’s expecting me. Can I go in?” he asked Madeline’s administrative assistant, whose desk was situated off the main aisle.

  “Let me check,” she told him and dialed Madeline’s office.

  Joel’s enthusiasm was slightly diminished by having to wait for someone’s approval to move freely within the company that he had run not too long ago. He set his pride aside and focused on staying positive. He silently meditated and prayed for God’s favor.

  A few seconds later the assistant waved him on. “You can go in. She’s waiting for you.”

  Joel reached the doorway and paused. He was either crossing into a den of despair or a galaxy of good news. It was too hard to read Madeline’s countenance for an immediate answer. He’d have to put on his armor and go behind enemy lines to find out his fate at DMI. Joel took one step, followed by another, until he was standing at arm’s length from her desk.

  She stared at him, causing Joel to become uncomfortable. “Well, don’t just stand there. Have a seat,” she offered.

  Joel accepted the offer, still not getting a hint of Madeline’s mood. Snapping at him was commonplace. So he didn’t attach any significance to her small barks. “What’s going on? Why did you want to meet with me?”

  She took her reading glasses off and set them on the desk without shifting her gaze from him. He felt increasingly more uneasy.

  “Your little visit here last month has been needling me since you left.”

  Oh, boy, Joel thought. Here it comes. How had he let this happen? He knew Madeline better than most did, even better than her daughter. He was smart enough not to get caught in her trap. Yet he’d allowed her to lure him into a false sense of hope, into thinking there was a possibility she’d help him resume leadership at DMI. How could he be so silly? He’d let Madeline have a good laugh, and then he’d slink away from shame.

  “You must have been out of your mind to ask if I’d let you back into this company, the one your father and I built, with the expectation that my children would run this place.”

  Joel wasn’t willing to hear any more. He’d heard her soliloquy enough to gag. He was desperate for an executive opportunity, but he had a smidgen of pride, and it prevented him from groveling with regret. Madeline could laugh at someone else’s expense. So he stood and prepared to tell her goodbye.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m not going to sit here and be the butt of your joke. I’m sorry I asked for your help. I’m out of here.”

  “Sit your behind down,” she said, raising her voice. “See, that’s one of your problems. You make rash decisions without getting the full picture.”

  Joel didn’t sit. There weren’t nearly enough hours in the day to list his problems, and he definitely didn’t want Madeline crafting the list. They’d be there for several days at least. He was ready to go.

  “I said sit down.”

  Joel acquiesced and reclaimed his seat. He might as well sit and finish the meeting since he was there. Zarah would be okay for another hour or so until he and Madeline finished.

  “I gave serious consideration to your request, and believe it or not, I’m willing to back your bid to be reinstated as CEO.”

  “What?” Joel said, leaping to his feet. “You have to be kidding.” He’d asked Madeline for help with very little hope that she’d agree. Joy overtook Joel. Before he could harness his elation, Joel had zipped around the desk and hugged Madeline for the first time in his life.

  She pushed away from him. “Stop. Get off me. This is an office.”

  Joel didn’t mind if Madeline resisted. The deed had been done. They’d connected for the first time in his twenty-seven years. “This is amazing. When do I start?”

  “Not today. You should know this has to be approved by the board.”

  “Ri
ght. So when is the next board of directors meeting? The sooner I get reinstated, the faster we can get moving toward record sales again. Boy, I can’t wait to get started,” he said, pacing the office as his excitement percolated. Joel recounted his many mistakes, but each quickly washed away as the air of redemption had him soaring emotionally.

  “Whoa. Slow down, roadrunner. We have a ton of work to do in preparation for the board meeting. Have you forgotten about your small reputation issue?”

  Joel reclaimed his seat as Madeline began slowly stifling the air beneath his wings of hope. “How can I forget? You won’t let me.”

  Madeline began twiddling a pen on her desk. “Don’t get snippety with me. You’re the one who caused the mess around here. You made your bed, and then you had to sleep on it.” Madeline stopped with the pen and interlocked her fingers with them resting on her lap. “The bottom line is that you have work to do, but I’m willing to help you.”

  He was ready to bolt, but the idea of having Madeline’s support was too compelling and kept Joel glued to the chair. “I’ll take it. You know I’m thrilled and equally grateful, but I’m curious too. What made you want to help me?”

  Madeline seemed to ponder his question before responding. “It’s simple. You’re the best person for the job. Don is stepping down soon and I have no desire for the CEO role, so that leaves only one capable Mitchell—you.”

  “I’m flattered, but what about Tamara? You’ve made it clear that your children come first at DMI. My mother and I are a distant second.”

  “You might be a distant second, but your mother is not even in the race when it comes to who will own and lead DMI one day.”

  Joel could have defended his mother’s honor against Madeline, but it would be a waste. Madeline’s views about his mother stealing Dave Mitchell wouldn’t go away if he stood up to her. Their troubles had started long before he was born, and he was pretty sure they would exist until one or both women were dead. “I’m honored that you’re choosing me.”