~ A m b e r ~
Silence. Thick silence.
I don't know which I hate more, silent Carter or flirty Carter.
"You're what?" He asked again for the third time. I sighed again for the third time. "The heir of the company, Carter." I repeated, and he remained silent again.
Finally after a few more beats of stunned silence I could see his face morph into that of anger. "You took my career?!" He practically screamed. Good thing the only person in the room was Riley, who was the Red-Haired-Front-Desk-Boy.
"Carter calm down." I said, placing a hand on his upper arm.
Over the past week, despite his undying flirting, we were working... decently... together.
Don't get me wrong we fought a lot. Like a lot a lot! But he was slowly getting better.
He jerked his arm away from my hand "No! Just no Amber! I had no idea you were like this! I had no idea you would stoop so low! You of all people should know how it feels to have your career snatched away!" Carter exclaimed. I just looked down and bit my lip. "I'm sorry Carter but I wasn't going to reject the offer. I couldn't reject that offer." I said barely above a whisper.
I heard him sigh, and after a few fading foot steps his oak doors slammed closed.
~~
"Seriously I don't know why he was so mad! Did he seriously expect me to deny an offer like that?!" I ranted to Jan and Ash while we all sat in my dorm room.
Jan shook her head "He is just upset that he lost his future company. You did take his career and his amazing future life away form him, Amb. I don't think he overreacted. If he would have slapped you or something, like your father, that would have taken it a bit far. But he was angry just like you were angry when you lost your company."
I sighed frustratedly "But I was angry because of utter stupidity even though I warned my father. He's angry because his father gave me a promotion."
Jan chuckled but shook her head "Or he was angry because of his own utter stupidity. I'm sure his father warned him multiple times to get his life together. Shape up or ship out, as they say. Your experiences are not that different Amb." Jan continued.
I marinated on it, then finally sighed in defeat.
I guess she was right. I would be angry if somebody took my father's company away form me like that too. It's like his father chose me over his own son.
But then again, he had the chance to fix it, or as Jan said, shape up. But he didn't. How can he blame me for being more qualified for the job?
I groaned at yet again another internal battle.
"It's okay Amb. Don't feel too bad, you are doing what's right for you. You need to worry about your future and your career as a business woman. You can't worry about your's and Carter's. Carter needed to worry about Carter's future and he didn't. After multiple warnings. His mistake. Now somebody who is a harder worker and more dedicated to the company has risen up to the challenge and he shouldn't be upset that his father made the logical choice best for the company."
I nodded. Finding it easier to agree with Ash rather than Jan.
"But you did take his future." Jan said.
"But you worked hard to get here. Risked a lot and went through even more." Ash added in.
"But his father chose you over him. Some random girl who started a week ago over his own son." Jan defended.
"You can't worry about the entire world, Amb, you have to take care of yourself. You deserve this, Carter did nothing to deserve it." Ash stated, but sounded mildly irritated now.
"But you have to understand that he's confused and lost, what is he going to do with his future? He has basically nothing now. He will always only be an employee." Jan said not even facing me anymore and sounding just as irritated as Ash.
"But she worked hard to get to where she is, and if her boss is smart enough to recognize that than good for her. Maybe Carter should take his work more serious and he would still be the heir." Ash frustratedly argued with Jan.
"It was unexpected and he just found out about it! How can you blame him for reacting the way he did. He was angry and confu-"
"She doesn't need to hear this right now Jan-"
"Enough!" I shouted over both of them.
"What is wrong with you two?! Listen, Jan, I get it. I can understand from Carter's point of view why this was a shock, and why he is upset. But Ash is right, I worked hard and risked a lot to get here; and Mr. Rink did what is best for the company based on what he sees in both of us, just like any good business man would. I am a harder worker and better at my job.
How is it fair that Carter and I stay equals when I am working harder?! We have the same job description, yet he does less and gets paid more! And now that I finally got the promotion I deserved after working so much harder than him you are trying to tell me... what?! Not to take it?!"
I exclaimed, my inner feminist coming out just a little.
Just a little.
Jan must have noticed because she quickly backtracked.
"No no no no no that's not what I meant! I'm not saying you shouldn't take the promotion, actually you should! You totally deserve it Amb! And I'm not saying all that I've said because he is a boy or anything like that! All I was saying is you shouldn't be too hard on him. He reacted like anybody else would. Try to put yourself in his shoes." She mumbled toward the end.
I was just getting more and more irritated by the second.
"Why are you defending him?!"
Jan shook her head again "I'm not! I just don't want you to quit because of how Carter may or may not act around you from now on. We need this money Amb."
I sighed, all the fight draining out of me faster than it came. "I'm not going to quit no matter how he treats me. As long as he doesn't lay a hand on me, I'm staying. This is my future empire after all."
My future empire.
New and... improved?
~•♡•~
Hey guys!
I don't love this chapter tbh. But these chapters are absolutely needed to set up the romance that is 3 chapters away!
(If I said 3 last chapter it has changed. Sorry!)
Now before you pull out your pitch forks and torches let me at least ask the chapter question(s).
Okay, do you think Carter under or overreacted? Do you think Amber should have accepted the offer?
Not a chapter question but a more serious question, are you confused in any way? Do you not understand why Jan is acting out?
A: because she is scared financially. She doesn't want Amb to quit if Carter starts acting up as a result of her accepting the promotion.
Do you understand why Ash and Jan were fighting?
A: because Ash was defending Amb from Jan who seemed to be defending Carter instead of comforting Amb.
Please don't be under the misconception that Jan has a thing for Carter, therefore she is defending him. That is not it AT ALL! She just wants to make sure Amb keeps her job!
I hope all is clearer now!
As always, please vote, share, and comment!
Thanks guys!
~Ell