Chapter 8 - ELAINE LOST SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN CONTROL OF THE STORE
She lost Grant.
Not completely.
That would have been melodramatic.
But the relationship changed.
He finally began saying no.
I learned this indirectly.
Grant asked to meet for coffee six months after the divorce finalized.
I agreed.
We were not friends.
But we could speak.
He looked different.
Less polished.
Maybe because I no longer saw him through marriage.
“Mom moved out of the family house.”
I looked up.
“Why?”
“We sold it.”
That surprised me.
Elaine loved that house.
“Her idea?”
“No.”
Grant smiled faintly.
“She said Dad would haunt us.”
I almost laughed.
Then:
“She’s angry with me.”
“What did you do?”
“I stopped voting with her.”
That mattered.
Grant had supported two board measures Elaine opposed.
Independent family-share governance.
Related-party disclosure.
No family appointments without professional qualification review.
Essentially:
No more Elaine walking into stores and declaring herself director.
“How did she take it?”
“You know.”
I did.
Then Grant said:
“She blames you.”
“Of course.”
“I told her to stop.”
I stared.
“What?”
“I told her our marriage ended because of choices I made.”
That was new.
“She cried.”
“Elaine?”
“Yes.”
“Are we sure?”
He laughed.
Then became serious.
“I spent years letting her fight my battles because if she was the difficult one, I could still think of myself as nice.”
There.
I looked at him.
“That was exactly what you did.”
“I know.”
He smiled sadly.
“You always did enjoy confirmation.”
“Retail management.”
Then:
“How are you?”
I thought.
“Good.”
Actually.
Good.
I had begun dating someone.
Not serious yet.
His name was Daniel Cho, an architect who had come into the store looking for a birthday gift for his sister and openly admitted he knew nothing about handbags.
Promising trait.
Grant nodded.
Then:
“I’m glad.”
I believed him.
Not completely without pain.
But sincerely enough.
Then he asked:
“Did Dad really think I’d become like this?”
I knew what he meant.
Charles’s letter.
I answered carefully.
“I think he was worried family ownership would become entitlement.”
Grant stared into his coffee.
“That’s worse.”
“Maybe.”
Then:
“He also left you the shares.”
Grant looked up.
“He expected you to be better too.”
That hit.
Good.
May you like
Some truths should.
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