Unforgiving

by Patricia Haley

  Joel groaned. He’d hoped they could get through this meeting without having that conversation. He knew they had to deal with that company, but not in every meeting. “I’ll figure something out,” he said, wishing to divert them from the path they were headed. “What other concerns came up at your meeting with the board members?”

  “Don’t you get what I’m saying? There were plenty of questions about you, and they mostly focused on the fact that the members don’t trust you. They’re not sure if you’ve changed or if this is merely a smoke screen so that you can regain control of DMI and shove it totally off the cliff this go-round.”

  Joel didn’t readily respond. It was pointless to try to defend himself against others’ perceptions and fears. His words were meaningless when held up against his past. His best defense was to show them how he’d changed.

  Madeline flailed her hands in the air. “I can convince the board to get past your failures. I can do that, but Harmonious Energy is our main problem. Forget about the board. I can’t convince two rookies to support you as long as that company is on our books. We have to get rid of it and show them you’re willing to clean up your mess. We have to get rid of Harmonious Energy, and it’s too difficult to find a buyer who wants only DMI’s half of the company. We have to sell the entire company as a whole entity. You know this,” Madeline told him. “Talk your wife into selling her half. If you can get a signed letter stating her intent to sell, that should be sufficient to sway the board in our direction. I’ll handle the rest.”

  Joel didn’t know where Zarah’s mind was regarding Harmonious Energy. Perhaps this was the ideal time to approach her about it. With the baby being a priority, the company might not be appealing to her. He’d have to see.

  “I’ll talk with Zarah and see what she wants to do.”

  “I don’t hear the urgency in your voice.” Madeline scooted closer to the table. “Joel, we’re in a battle, and a heated one, I might add. Remember, Don and Abigail are waiting in the wings. This is going to be tougher than we anticipated. The board is fixated on your involvement with Harmonious Energy. We have to erase your connection to that company,” she said, emphasizing each word.

  “Won’t be easy.”

  “Well, it’s this simple, Joel. Get rid of Harmonious Energy or kiss the CEO title at DMI goodbye. I’m confident that we can finagle a win, but you can’t tie my hands by keeping Harmonious Energy in the picture. I’d have to call in too many favors, and even then I’m sure it wouldn’t be enough to push us over the finish line.” Madeline patted him on the shoulder. “You have your work cut out for you, baby boy. Go home, take care of this, and call me tomorrow with good news.”

  Joel had heard Madeline’s appeal loud and clear. He had to convince Zarah to sacrifice her family business in order for him to have a chance at redemption in his. Feared ignited within him, and Joel wondered if he’d have to sink deeper into the marriage in exchange for her agreement to sell her half of Harmonious Energy. The thought was crushing, and he fought hard to remain optimistic. He rushed home to get the ball rolling immediately with Zarah. He only hoped that God would help him.

  Chapter 13

  A Pulitzer Prize couldn’t have brought Tamara any greater satisfaction than she felt upon receiving Zarah’s call. Little brother Joel was out of the house, and she’d take full advantage of her visit with Zarah. The clock was ticking, with Abigail and Joel both plotting to steal her job. Madeline and Don might be planning to go before the board to push their agenda any day now. She was motivated to action.

  Her limousine pulled onto Joel’s property. For other trips, she’d wait close to an hour for a cab, enjoy the leisurely thirty-minute ride to Zarah’s, and have the cabdriver let her off at the end of the winding driveway. Admittedly, perks came in handy under dire circumstances. Her private driver zipped up the driveway and barreled to the front door. They came to a stop, and the driver hopped out to open her door. Tamara didn’t have the patience to wait for meaningless gestures. “Wait for me, please,” she hollered and jumped out before the driver reached her door.

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll pull over to the garage and wait for you there.”

  “No. Wait right here.” She needed the getaway car close. Joel was gone, but he could come home at any minute, and her escape route had to be set.

  Tamara trotted to the front door and rang the buzzer. The housekeeper answered.

  “Please come in, Ms. Mitchell. Mrs. Zarah is expecting you.”

  “Is she upstairs?”

  “Yes,” the housekeeper responded.

  Tamara didn’t wait for an escort. Climbing the stairs, Tamara had to contain her rising anxiety. Her heart was pounding, and her pulse racing. Sneaking into the house without Joel’s knowledge felt like espionage. It brewed an equal blend of intrigue and fear of getting caught.

  Tamara called out when she reached Zarah’s bedroom. Without attempting to get up, Zarah told her to come in. When Tamara entered the bedroom, she was startled as her friend looked so worn out.

  “I’m so glad you called,” Tamara said. “How are you feeling?”

  Zarah mumbled something.

  “What did you say?”

  “I’m good,” Zarah responded, her words barely audible.

  “You don’t sound good. What’s wrong?”

  Zarah was quiet for a while, and then tears formed in her eyes.

  “What’s going on?” Tamara didn’t want to believe the obvious. The prodigal husband had been home for maybe a month. There was no way he could have screwed up already, but then again, they were talking about Joel Mitchell. “What did he do this time?” she demanded.

  Zarah wouldn’t answer.

  Tamara sat on the bed, close to Zarah. “Go ahead. I’m sure this is about Joel, isn’t it?” she said.

  Finally, Zarah wiped away a few tears and spoke. “It is my marriage.”

  Tamara knew it. She was getting mad. Why did he always have to suck all the attention from the room? Joel wasn’t even in the house, yet he was the main topic of discussion. Tamara became angrier as she thought about how entitled her so-called brother was. He dictated his wife’s emotions as if Zarah were a puppet. DMI was Tamara’s birthright, but Joel seemed determined to have that too. Her anger was close to boiling over, but she had to maintain control if she was to have any type of meaningful discussion with Zarah about the business.

  “I thought the two of you were perfectly happy with the baby coming.”

  Zarah rubbed her abdomen. “We are, I believe.”

  “Then what is it?” Tamara had to keep from shouting. She wanted Zarah to get over whatever marital hiccups were going on with Joel and move on. Expending compassion was pointless. This wasn’t the only hurt Zarah would experience with Joel. There would be plenty more to come if she stayed in their ridiculous sham of a marriage. If only Tamara could get Zarah to see it the same way.

  “Joel is worried about our faiths not matching. He wants our baby to be baptized in the Christian church, and I must have my baby blessed in my faith.”

  Oh, my goodness, Tamara thought. Didn’t they realize they had religious differences before getting married?

  “You can always get divorced and make your own decisions about your baby,” Tamara said, mostly joking. However, Joel and Zarah splitting up wouldn’t be the worst event in her world.

  “There can be no divorce,” Zarah said with such fervor that Tamara shrank back. “I cannot bring such shame to my family.”

  Being a friend to Zarah was getting tougher. Tamara had no patience for Joel’s shenanigans, but Zarah was annoying her too, with her constant dependence on Joel’s validation.

  “Why not do both? Why not baptize the baby and have him or her blessed too?”

  “We could not do that. No, there must be one faith for the gods to look after my baby.”

  “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Tamara was done with the matter. They’d burned up twenty minutes already, and Joel could return at any time. She had
to commandeer the conversation and address the business at hand. “Have you given any consideration to my bid for the West Coast division?”

  “I have not.” Zarah, who had been sitting up in bed, laid down. “I’m not keeping well. Maybe I should rest.”

  Tamara was conflicted. She didn’t want to jeopardize Zarah’s already difficult pregnancy, but at the same time, with her own survival at stake, she wanted to put their friendship aside and negotiate hard for a business deal. Zarah didn’t appear to be in immediate danger. Tamara would continue pressing.

  “What about running Harmonious Energy? Are you still planning to buy the other half and run it?” Together they’d worked hard to get Zarah established. Tamara couldn’t let her business plans slip away because Joel suddenly had a conscience.

  “I’m not sure. I must rest, and we can discuss this later.”

  Tamara became increasingly agitated. She didn’t want to push Zarah too far, but with the couple considering a full reconciliation, her ability to influence Zarah was going to be limited. She had to capitalize on this visit.

  “Are you planning to travel soon?” Zarah asked.

  “No, I’m not.” Tamara was miffed by Zarah’s strange question but didn’t ask for an explanation. Time was too short. She had to stay on topic. “So what do you think about selling me the division?”

  “I look forward to our outings again. We had such fun on our trips downtown.”

  “Yeah, right. What about the division?”

  “You must come to India with me on our next holiday.”

  Zarah continued trying to change the subject, and Tamara tried unremittingly to steer the conversation back to the business. They went back and forth for fifteen minutes or so, until Tamara finally gave up.

  “Zarah, I’m afraid for you. You’re changing,” Tamara said, speaking as a confidante instead of the desperate Mitchell outcast who was bent on undercutting the rest of the family any way she could.

  Zarah had a mystified look.

  “Be careful. I know Joel claims that he’s changed. Maybe he has.” Tamara highly doubted that he had, but she wouldn’t convey that to Zarah. “You’ve done a great job in the past couple of months at becoming your own woman. Remember that Joel didn’t show any interest in you until you took charge of your life and got involved in the business. I was the one who helped you do that.”

  Zarah sat up again. “And I am grateful to you.”

  “Don’t get me wrong. I was glad to help you. But you can’t throw away the progress you made . . . that we made. Don’t let him control you again.”

  Zarah nodded.

  Tamara took her hand. “My friend, you’re in charge, not him. Don’t forget that, or he might take advantage of your kindness.”

  Zarah didn’t expect Tamara to understand why her commitment to Joel was unbreakable. She wasn’t in denial about his challenges with the marriage. Instead, Zarah believed that if she was willing to wait for however long it took, her relationship with Joel would turn out well. She clung to that hope deep in her soul, because anything less would be too unbearable to imagine.

  Chapter 14

  Joel was glad to get home. Madeline had him fervently thinking about how to approach Zarah. Should he ask her directly to sell the company, or was it better to utilize the “best for the baby” angle? Both were extreme moves and required a level of boldness that he could have mustered six months ago without blinking. He was working to become a changed man, one who considered the impact his decisions had on others. So it wouldn’t be as easy to manipulate Zarah without feeling guilty and awkward.

  As the minutes passed, Joel grew tired of playing out a host of scenarios in his mind and practicing speeches. He’d go to his wife, explain their opportunity, and appeal to her for help. Direct and honest was best. He climbed the stairs two at a time. Joel entered the master bedroom and found Tamara sitting on the side of the bed next to Zarah.

  “When did you get here?” he asked.

  “I’ll see you later,” Tamara told Zarah abruptly.

  “Don’t have to leave on my account,” Joel said.

  “Actually, I am.”

  “You must stay and have a nice lunch with us,” Zarah said.

  “Maybe another time,” Tamara told her, peering at Joel. Then she dashed from the room.

  Joel was relieved. There were serious matters that had to be discussed, and Tamara’s presence was a nuisance. He was glad to see her go.

  “Why does she always come over when I’m gone?”

  He figured his wife had been alerting Tamara whenever he left the house. How else could she be at the house when Joel came home but never pop up while he was there to answer the door? He considered the possibility of Tamara getting too close to his wife. But at least Tamara’s agenda was clear. She hadn’t concealed her desire to purchase the West Coast division, run off to Southern California, and start a life far removed from the rest of DMI and the Mitchell family in Detroit.

  Still, Tamara was dangerous. She was a direct threat to Joel. His fear simmered. Her plan had to be foiled in order for his to succeed. And he reserved the right to impose his will, if necessary. He was too close to realizing his dream of returning to a place of prominence on the corporate scene. No way was Tamara going to derail him. He was annoyed, but he didn’t plan on voicing his discontent prematurely.

  “I don’t want Tamara sneaking around here when I’m gone. It makes me uncomfortable,” he told Zarah.

  “She’s a good friend to me. I am pleased with her visits.”

  He wouldn’t make any further demands. There would be another chance to deal with Tamara. Harmonious Energy had to take precedence now.

  Joel sat on one of the chairs in the bedroom. He grasped for words. “You know I met with Madeline at the office.”

  “Yes. Please tell me about your meeting.”

  Gladly, Joel thought. “She is determined to have me return to DMI, and I’m very excited to have her support.”

  “Most surprising—”

  Joel moaned. “There’s only one problem,” he said, interlocking his fingers. He tried spilling it out, but he was too afraid of Zarah’s reaction. He moaned and groaned briefly before saying, “The board won’t vote me in unless we can get rid of Harmonious Energy.”

  Zarah covered her mouth but didn’t respond. Joel wanted her to say something, anything, to rescue him from his awkwardness. She didn’t oblige.

  Joel went to the bedside to get closer to her and, hopefully, convey his sense of urgency. “Selling the company shouldn’t be a problem since you’ll want to stay home with the baby anyway.”

  “We’ve already spoken of this, and I’ve not decided,” she said.

  He took her hand. “What is there to decide? Don’t you want this marriage to work?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Then we have to address the religious issues between our companies first and then deal with our marriage.” He was keen to pursue whichever angle gave him an edge in the conversation without going too far.

  Zarah drew her hand away. “We’ve also spoken of this.” She tried to get up from the bed, but Joel gave her a light tug on the arm. “Remember, you have to rest.”

  “How can I rest with so much talk of business?”

  She sounded frazzled, but Zarah was stronger than he’d initially believed. He’d seen her show a lot of gumption in recent months. He chose to continue this conversation, confident that she and the baby weren’t in danger. Besides, if he stopped every time she seemed uncomfortable, most likely they wouldn’t get the religion or Harmonious Energy issues resolved until their child was in junior high school.

  “Zarah, we have to sell Harmonious Energy.”

  “I’m not ready to sell my father’s company.”

  “What choice do you have?” Joel pressed his fingertips against his temples. He wanted to scream. Didn’t she hear him? Neither their marriage nor their future had a legitimate shot unless she made the sale. “When you were in th
e hospital, I got a call from India. They wanted me to oversee Harmonious Energy while you were ill, but I refused.”

  “That was not their right.”

  Joel didn’t care if they were right or wrong. He was pleased with his personal growth. The old Joel would have assumed the leadership role of Harmonious Energy and sold the company before Zarah was released from the hospital. If Joel had taken the covert route, he could have avoided his fruitless appeal. He wasn’t letting up. He had to get his point across.

  “Unless you’re able to go into the office tomorrow, the team in India has to appoint someone else to oversee their stake in Harmonious Energy. We both know you’re not able to handle this.” Zarah slumped in the bed. Joel knew this was a strain for her, but that came with playing on the big corporate stage. He slumped down in the bed next to her and intentionally spoke in a lower tone. “Let me help you. Let me help us.”

  She wrestled the covers over her head. He kept talking. “DMI is ready to sell their half of Harmonious Energy, but no serious prospect will want a fraction of the company. They’ll want all of it. So I just need you to give me permission, and we’ll get Harmonious Energy sold for a huge profit.”

  “I don’t care about the money,” she muttered. “I have plenty.”

  “Then maybe there is something that you do care about—me, our family, and our marriage.” He hadn’t wanted to play his trump card, but Zarah had forced him into a corner. Madeline’s mandate repeatedly played in his head. When Joel thought Zarah was softening, he said, “Let me call India and get a deal going. We can have a letter of intent by Friday and have this behind us. You’ll feel much better when this is over. I promise you.”

  Joel waited for her answer. She said nothing, and he took her silence as an endorsement. “I’ll make the call,” he told her and headed toward the door, feeling relieved.

  Zarah let Joel walk out of the room without bothering to stop him. Her thoughts were swirling, and the confusion was overwhelming. She didn’t want to sell the company, but Zarah wasn’t sure about keeping it, either. She wanted to help her husband, but she also wanted to keep her corporate fire burning. She pulled the covers tighter over her head. Her anxiety increased. She’d rest for now. Come tomorrow, she’d figure out how to save both her marriage and Harmonious Energy. Maybe Tamara had some ideas. She’d wait until Joel left the house tomorrow to find out.