Loving Mr. CEO

49

A/N: Remember, comments bring forth quicker updates, so do comments your thoughts as you read, ily :>

Before you start, Do you have a best friend?

Mabel

"Hey, you're early." I smiled at her, slipping easily into the booth.

"And you're married, guess my invite got lost in the mail." She said, though there was a small smile on her face.

I sighed. "It was a family thing... we wanted to avoid the huge press and all, you know how these things are." I gave her an apologetic look.

She nodded. "Hope you don't mind, I already ordered us drinks." She stated, gesturing to the fruity drinks on the table.

"Oh, that's lovely, it's alright... I love strawberry." I thanked her, dropping my bag beside me. "So how have you been? What have you been up to? How's work?"

"Crazy," she answered, easing into her booth. "Hectic... I don't know, its been terrible." She said, her fingers playing nervously on the table, and she couldn't seem to meet my eyes.

I frowned. "Why? What happened? Is everything okay?"

"No." she answered simply. "Everything's not okay, Mabel. I mean, work is going fine, according to what my dad says."

"Your Dad?"

"You didn't get the info? He took charge of YDI about two weeks ago."

From what she had told me, I reckoned she had a good relationship with her father based on how she had talked about him once. So why didn't she look happy?

"Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?" I asked cautiously.

She shrugged. "He says it's a good thing. He's sending me to Italy in a week from now, says I should take some time off from the company."

"Oh... you don't sound too happy about that."

Her eyes met mine. "How could I be?" she said. A frown meeting her brows. "He's taking everything away from me. I have spent every bit of myself, I've literally drained myself, went against morals, done incredibly narcissistic things to get YDI to where it is now, and he just gives it all to—"

I swallowed, as she stopped.

"I'm sorry," she said, closing her eyes for a bit, before pulling them back open. "I—I lied."

At this, I raised a brow.

What is she talking about?

"Befriending you... it wasn't, it wasn't me... it wasn't my plan. My Dad, has this obsessive grudge against the Chesterfields, and I was stupid, so stupid to go along with his cruel plans and mean strategies. He used me, Mabel." Her eyes built up tears.

I really didn't know what to say.

"I know this may sound odd because, last we spoke, I told you about him, how he made breakfast and all... that was a lie, it's more of what I wished he would do. In my head I live in this fantasy of a perfect home... I close my eyes and I see my Mom, with us... happy, I see my dad, being the perfect Dad, every little girl deserved, but—he's nothing like that... our home, is mostly quiet, and I try... I try every time to please him... I did everything for him... but he never cared."

I swallowed.

"He has a son... I didn't know until two weeks ago... he's a year older than I am... My Dad, he always told me he had no interest in the fashion industry. But his advices, his—his crazy advices, his manipulation made me a terrible person. All I wanted was to make him proud, that's what every daughter wants, to make their Dad proud but—he didn't care, he just used me... when YDI was thriving, he took it... he fooled me into signing everything to him and his son, and now I basically have nothing... he's only offering me a free trip to Italy, and a little cash to help me start something new."