Page 156 of The Rules Of Attraction
Chapter 28
Alex
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My father stormed into my office and closed the door.
I was over by the bookshelf taking down the last few books.
“Alex, what the hell is this?” He snapped, eyes wild with a mixture of emotion as he held up the letter I left for him this morning.
I looked away and marched over to the desk with the boxes I’d laid out.
The one with the books was already full. I hadn’t realized I had that many books.
“Alex.” He prodded with that insistent tone, and walked right up to me.
“I’ve always done the same thing as everyone else here. Never taking short cuts because I’m your son.”
“Son, now’s not the time for riddles.”
“It’s not a riddle, dad. I’m simply telling you I don’t expect to have any special treatment. I entered the same way as everyone else, and I’m leaving the same way.”
“You’re seriously resigning?Leaving?” His voice shook and he looked withered.
His shoulders slumped and his hands seemed to shake as he placed my resignation letter on the desk.
That was part one of my plan.
That letter was the first thing I wrote this morning. It came after I thought about how to write it and what I wanted to say.
In it, I thanked him for all he’d done for me, but then I listed all the reasons why I had to leave.
In the back I enclosed all the findings we had so far on Devon with explanations of what it all meant. It didn’t look like my father had reached that part yet.
I rested a hand on his shoulder. “You are my idol, my role model, and I’ve always wanted to be you. Just like you. That’s why I can’t stay.”
“Alex, I’m touched to hear that, truly touched to hear that, because at one point I thought you hated me. But it makes no sense. I can’t accept your resignation. This is your birthright.”
“Dad, I can’t be who I am here. I don’t fit as a follower. I’m a leader.” I borrowed Marc’s words because they were true to my character and personality. It explained me so well. “I do these crazy things that people don’t like but I don’t care if they like it or not, if what I’m doing is right. I know I’m not to everyone’s taste, but I don’t care. People look down on me for standing up for others, people look down on me for giving away my services for free because some of my clients can’t afford it. They say whatever they want, but I don’t care. The thing that makes me, me is I do whatever’s necessary to make sure I do the right thing.”
I nodded and smiled but then my smile fell when I thought of what happened yesterday, and over the last few weeks. “Great grandpa Ted must have rubbed off on me, because he didn’t take orders well either, and thank God he didn’t because hundreds of people are alive today because of him. I almost lost myself this week, because I wanted to please you and it was for a thing I wanted so badly and worked hard for.”
“Alex, you worked hard to be senior partner. You can’t just throw that away.”
“I know, but I don’t want it anymore.” I shook my head. “And no hard feelings. I will say though that, I almost destroyed our name because you told me not to go looking for anything that wasn’t relevant to the case. Did you see what I left in the envelope? There’s more than just my resignation.”
“I skimmed through it and what I saw made me sick.”
“I’m glad you saw, and I hope that you’ll take action.”
“I’m going to contact the feds, Alex.” Dad nodded. “Devon has been my friend for years, since before you were born and it’s a hard thing for me to accept that he’s done so much wrong, but it’s harder for me to accept your resignation. Alex, you can’t leave. I was hard on you, and I forced this case on you. I know that was wrong. I never wanted to push you away.”
“I know, I do know. And honestly, it’s fine. Things happen for a reason. I enjoyed working here, and working with you, but in order to reach my true potential I have to leave and do my own thing. Preston and Johnson will make a good team. You were right Johnson does work hard and he deserves to be senior partner.”
“But, you’re my son and you deserve to run the place.” He was shaking his head.
“I’ll be fine dad.”
