Destined

by Patricia Haley

  “Mother, you never give up. I’m used to seeing you fight to the finish.”

  “Well, wisdom says there’s a time to call it quits. I’m older but I’m no fool. It’s time for me to accept the way it is. This run is over.”

  “I want to be CEO.”

  “Do you truly mean that?” she asked, needing to be absolutely sure.

  “Absolutely certain.”

  “Then I’m going to help you.”

  “How?”

  “By taking the only option left to me, stepping down and getting out.” She heard the words and couldn’t allow them to recycle in her soul for fear of not being able to carry it out.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Tamara’s offer. I will step down from my position in DMI and leave Michigan.”

  “That’s not what I want from you.”

  She laid her palm on his cheek. “I know, but it’s done. I want my daughter home and my son at the head of this company. I’m the only one on earth who has the power to make it happen.”

  “I’m not asking you to do this.”

  “I know you’re not. I’m volunteering,” she said, gently patting his face.

  “God has a plan.”

  “Can you tell me with absolute certainty that my leaving isn’t a part of His plan?” Don’s eyelids shut as he heaved a sigh. “No, of course you can’t. The truth is that God has always been in charge, not Dave, not Joel, and definitely not me. I’ve put up a good fight, but I must tip my hat to the Master. He’s the winner.”

  “But you make it sound like God has engaged in this master game with you.”

  She slowly pulled her hand away from his face.

  “No, not at all. What I’m saying is that it’s finally hit me: God hasn’t changed. Whatever His plan was, it still is. The problem has been me trying to work my plan and insert it on top of His and it hasn’t worked.” She giggled.

  “Now that’s true. You have had some pretty lame schemes.”

  She let her grin widen, feeling the burden oozing away. “But some were pretty good, like the Chicago scheme with the two ladies submitting the same proposal for the DMI internship.” It didn’t work, but Madeline enjoyed the chaos it created for Joel at the time.

  “I have no idea what to do with you except love you.”

  “With my faults and all.” She drew in a deep breath, determined to stay on top of her feelings. They were trying to creep to the surface. “It’s time that I make the ultimate sacrifice for the two most important people on earth, you and your sister. I’ve always told you that I would give my life for you.”

  “Mother—” Don tried to speak, but Madeline had to speak now or forever give up the opportunity to muster this level of courage again. It had to be now.

  “It’s done. Call your sister and let her know the answer is yes, with no strings or tricks attached.” Her voice choked up and Don grabbed her. “Please tell your sister how much I love her and that there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for her. Please tell her,” she said, giving in to her pain and letting the manifestation of love flow freely down her cheeks.

  chapter

  72

  Morning came slowly. Zarah was deeply wounded and alone. The disgrace she felt resonated. Layer upon layer of rejection pressed her further into the ground. She was useless. Her husband didn’t find her desirable. He wouldn’t allow her to bear his children. Her family would cast her away. There was no reason to get out of bed. Maybe if she wanted it badly enough, her transition could come swiftly and carry her to the next phase of life. There was nothing left in this phase for her. She lay on the bed, no longer wanting food, water, sleep, or comfort unless it was coming from her husband.

  Afternoon shoved the morning out, and then evening took over. Day and night were the same to Zarah and both had come two or three times. She wasn’t sure. Zarah hadn’t moved from the bed. She longed to see her husband one last time, but he didn’t come to the room. Her energy and desire to go on had completely faded. She began slipping in and out, sensing that her transition was close. Faintly she heard a voice in her sleep.

  * * *

  Joel rushed into the master suite. “Why didn’t you tell me yesterday or last night that she was sick? What were you waiting on, the coroner?” he asked Ana.

  “Mr. Mitchell, I sat with her. She didn’t start to get sick until today.”

  Joel was fuming. “She didn’t have any water, let alone food. Come on,” he said, “you don’t need a medical degree to see that there was a problem.” He went to Zarah’s bedside. “Zarah. Wake up, Zarah,” he said, holding a glass of water to her lips. He wasn’t sure if she could hear him, but he desperately kept trying to wake her.

  Zarah showed movement. He was glad, choosing not to think the worst. “Zarah, drink this water,” Joel said. This was proof that there was no end to his suffering. The favor he once possessed from Almighty God had vanished with no return in the foreseeable future. His plans and goals and dreams had crashed miserably. None of his recent maneuvering and positioning had progressed DMI, not like it had when God was a viable leader in DMI. He contemplated where he might have veered off course. A flood of scenarios rushed in. The possibilities were endless. Conversations he had with his father began pouring in, too. Without resistance, Joel uttered a silent prayer that she would recover, not sure what to expect.

  Zarah sipped the water, helpless as a wilted rose. She deserved better treatment, he knew it. It wasn’t her fault that she was born an only child, a girl, and had to rely on her father’s vision and provisions to dictate her future. They had that in common. She wiggled a little, showing more signs of life. He set the glass of water on the table and stroked her hair, which had retained some of its silky sheen. He’d forgotten how striking she was at the wedding and was reminded as he caught glimpses of her laying on the bed, worn. Bronze-toned skin dipped in milk, pale looking, covered her petite frame.

  Ana knocked on the suite door. “Yes,” Joel said in a low tone, intentionally not yelling in Zarah’s ear.

  “Can I get anything for you or for Zarah?”

  “No, you can go home early. I’m going to stay with her.” Zarah reached out for him, weak. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw Sheba’s number. He started to answer the call, and then gazed at Zarah. He’d have to call Sheba later, after Zarah was stable, strong, settled. He owed her that much, at least for the next two years and eleven months, or until she was able to take care of herself.

  chapter

  73

  Abigail bopped up to the sixth floor again with a report in hand, looking for Joel. This was her second trip. “Is he in?” she asked Kay.

  “Yes, he got in around two o’clock.”

  “Great, I need to see him.”

  “Why don’t you go in and wait a few minutes? He stepped away but should be right back.”

  Abigail took the suggestion and went inside to wait. Her adrenaline was soaring. She replayed the events of the past year, unable to determine the precise incident or moment when Joel changed the outcome of his future. The golden path of wisdom and wealth had collapsed on him thanks in part to his string of women. He didn’t think Abigail knew, but she did. She grieved for his situation while celebrating Don’s long-suffering victory. For now, her immediate goal was to speak with Joel before Madeline and the board got to him.

  Three minutes later he walked in. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” he asked in his typical Joel voice, but void of the seductive, flirtatious way that he mastered effortlessly.

  Her shield was intact and working, at least so far. Constraining her affection for him wasn’t as difficult as it used to be. After watching him deteriorate for six months, passion had transformed into pity. She set a copy of the report on his desk. “Take a look at this,” she said with no further explanation required. The numbers spoke clearly.

  Joel stared at the report, speechless, like she’d been earlier in the morning. “Have you con
firmed this with George?”

  “Yes, finance has confirmed the numbers. I’ve been working with him most of the morning. It’s true. For the first time in the history of the company, DMI expenses have exceeded income for two consecutive quarters. We are officially in the red,” she said, never having imagined uttering such a phrase and DMI in the same sentence. The news was surreal. “One of the main problems is that we’ve lost two divisions, which cuts sales on our books, but we’re carrying the overhead costs on top of the dramatic drop in sales with the other two divisions.”

  “What you’re saying is that we’re covering the cost of those two divisions but not counting the income? That doesn’t make sense.”

  “You’re absolutely right. None of this makes sense. DMI can’t sustain its own weight, and I can’t figure out why these deals were structured like this. This makes no fiscal or operational sense.”

  Joel didn’t defend his decision. Instead, he continued staring at the report as if he was drilling through to another world. “What should we do?” he asked, without raising his gaze from the lock he had on the report.

  “You’re asking me? You’re the CEO,” she said, meaning it. He was in charge, had been in charge, and wanted to be in charge. This was the critical time when a leader had to rise up, take control, and set the direction for the rest to follow. She wasn’t convinced Joel had the gumption to do it. He was a stranger to her heart, generating a faintly familiar feeling. Staring at Joel, she was reminded of her treatment of Don: she’d cast his friendship aside as a second priority when it came to her devotion for Joel. Abigail was forced to question her judgment when it came to relationships. No time for that discussion. DMI was at the forefront.

  “Who else has seen the reports?” he asked.

  “Madeline probably has by now, which means Don, too. I’ve been trying to find you all morning to tell you.” She paused, then said, “More like to prepare you. When Madeline sees this, she’s coming after you. That’s for sure.”

  “You’re probably right,” he said with no fight in him, which frightened her. “Abigail, I know that your trust in me is gone, and don’t bother trying to deny it.” She didn’t try. “I’d like to know why you went out of your way to warn me, as opposed to blindsiding me with the other camp.”

  She had no explanation for the unsolicited courtesy other than Joel was truly in a bad situation this time. He wasn’t going to easily get out of this one. His finesse was meaningless unless he could convert it to profit. She found no pleasure in beating a wounded dog, preferring to help the crippled animal to safety before the hunters got to him first. She didn’t have to be in love with him to show mercy for someone who once held the key to her heart. She cared. That much was true and would most likely forever be.

  “Where were you all day anyway?”

  He shirked. “I had to take care of some personal business at home.”

  And personal it was. DMI business it wasn’t. “You better take this time to figure out what you want to do. At any minute Madeline will be bursting through your door and you’d better be ready.” She grabbed her folder and prepared to leave. “If I were you, I’d start with laying off a portion of the workforce.”

  “DMI has never had to do that,” he said with a semblance of authority, but quickly tapered off.

  “I know,” she said, almost unable to contain her frustration, “but there’s a lot DMI has never done, thanks to you.” She did not mean it the way it came out. It didn’t matter now. The hound dogs would have a sniff of the report very soon and would be hunting him down, out for blood. The time bomb was ticking. If he had an ounce of wisdom left, he’d pack up and go home.

  “You think this is my fault, don’t you?” he asked, catching her before she reached the door. She chose not to respond. “I thought so,” he said in an unusually weak tone. “What do you think I should do?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What would you do, honestly, what would you do in my position?” he asked. She absorbed his sincerity.

  She turned and her gaze zoomed in to connect with his. “Honestly, if I were in your position, I would resign. I would count my successes and move on, but then that’s me.”

  “Yes, that’s you,” he whispered and she left.

  chapter

  74

  Sherry sat in the library with Zarah while Joel stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. “You’re looking much stronger,” Sherry told Zarah. “We have to keep you eating.”

  “And drinking plenty of water,” Joel said, generating a stir and expression of glee on Zarah’s face.

  I told you so would never roll across Sherry’s lips. She knew, from the beginning, the marriage was a very bad decision. How bad, she had no idea until Zarah’s bout with dehydration and depression. It was barely three months into the marriage and Zarah was suicidal.

  “I’m feeling much better, much stronger today.”

  “Mom, I have to run back out for a while. Would you mind staying with Zarah a little while longer? I don’t feel comfortable leaving her alone.”

  “I don’t want to be a burden,” Zarah said, appearing to become tense.

  “Nonsense,” Sherry said. “You’re not a burden, you’re family. Isn’t that right, Joel?”

  “Right,” Joel said, saying very little.

  Sherry knew Zarah had to hear the endorsement from her husband, anyone else was a substitute. The clinging aura was recognizable, reminiscent of the time when she and Dave were together. Their beginning was blissful, dreamlike during the courting stage. From the moment he divorced Madeline and pledged his vows to Sherry, their romance changed, never to be fully recaptured again. Controversy had a way of choking the life out of euphoria and bringing a marriage to the depths of despair without warning. Sherry thought it even more likely to happen when the marriage was built on a shaky foundation, like hers with Dave, like Joel’s now was with Zarah. She swallowed a sip of sorrow. The cycle of living in a distressed marriage of obligation had been passed from one generation to the next.

  “Mom, can I see you in my office for a minute?”

  “Certainly,” she said, half afraid to leave Zarah for even a few minutes. Once a person willed themselves to death, they had to be taken seriously.

  “Are you going to be okay for a few minutes?” Joel asked.

  “Yes.”

  Joel didn’t seem overly concerned about leaving Zarah for the few minutes or at least he concealed it well, so Sherry followed him down the hallway and into his office.

  “Close the door behind you, please,” he said, taking a seat.

  The somberness in his voice wasn’t typical of her son. She’d never heard him so monotone, so unenthusiastic. “What’s going on? Is Zarah really okay?”

  “Yes,” he said, drawing in a long breath, eyelids closed, and letting his head lean back. “She’ll be okay. As for me, that’s a different story.”

  Sherry stood at the desk, near him, letting worry grow. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m done.”

  Worry was rising . . . faster, stronger. “Done with what?”

  “DMI is over.”

  Sherry dropped into the seat. “Why do you say that? We have endured a few tough quarters but I have faith in you.”

  “You’re the only one. I’m even questioning my faith in me.”

  She didn’t want to hear his despair speak this loudly. Defeat wasn’t the core of Joel Mitchell. “Don’t worry about Zarah. I’ll take care of her. I’m sure that’s weighing on your mind and keeping you distracted. I can stay here with her for as long as you want. Don’t worry about her. Go to the office and take care of our company,” she said, wanting to sound confident so that he would hopefully be inspired. He didn’t need to know how frightened she was.

  “She’s only a tiny piece of my challenges at the moment.” He opened his eyelids. “I wish that was my only problem.” He grabbed a small rubber stress ball and squished it periodically in his palm. “Women, I can han
dle,” he said as she squinted at him. “Well, excuse me, Mom, present company excluded,” he said, grinning. She hoped there was more to come. He’d become her rock of support. Keeping him upbeat yielded an automatic benefit for her. “Seriously, I’m tired. I’ve played my last hand. I’m ready to fold in the deck and call it quits.”

  “You can’t be serious. You’ve had tougher fights and never once were you interested in quitting. Madeline has tried and tried to drive you out of the company and you’ve beaten her every time. You’re much smarter and wiser than she and the others who have tried to make your life miserable.”

  “Not this time, Mom. I didn’t win.” He extracted the report Abigail had given to him earlier. His mother didn’t have to be a chief financial officer to understand the dire scenario the company was in. “See that,” he said, pointing to the bottom line, “twenty million dollars short this month.”

  “It’s not a lot. I can write you a check for that much.”

  “And what about next month, and the month after that? Are you willing to write a check each time? because I’m not.”

  “I don’t mind investing into DMI if you need my help. That’s not a problem.”

  “Mom, you don’t get it. The money is only a small part of the problem.”

  “Then tell me what’s wrong so I can help.”

  “The company is in a free fall. I’ve lost two of our four divisions. That’s fifty percent of the company. They belong to somebody other than Joel Mitchell.” He was too disgusted, remembering his father’s admonishment. The words seemed fresh, yet he hadn’t adhered to the warning and the results were final. His father was wiser than he’d given him credit for. DMI was no longer. His reign as the leader was coming to an end. “I don’t have the ability to get this turned around in time.”