Chapter 2: The Boardroom Showdown
Three days later, Ethan showed up at the Cole Development Group’s headquarters in the Willis Tower, ready to beg Lila for his job back. He’d spent the past three days sleeping on his friend’s couch, eating frozen pizza, and replaying the moment he’d thrown the keepsake box in his head. He’d called Lila dozens of times, left dozens of voicemails, but she’d never returned his calls. He’d tried to go to the penthouse, but the security guard had turned him away, telling him that Lila had issued a formal trespass warning.
The lobby of the Willis Tower was packed with businessmen and women in tailored suits, all rushing to their offices for the morning board meeting. Ethan walked over to the front desk, his face red with embarrassment. “I’m Ethan Cole,” he said, his voice barely audible. “I need to speak to Lila Hart. It’s urgent.”
The receptionist looked him up and down, her nose wrinkled in disgust. “Ms. Hart is in a board meeting,” she said. “She asked not to be disturbed.”
“I’m her ex-husband,” Ethan said, leaning in closer. “Please tell her I’m here. I need to talk to her.”
The receptionist picked up the phone and spoke into it for a few seconds, then hung up. “She’ll see you for five minutes,” she said. “Go up to the 72nd floor. The boardroom is on the left.”
Ethan thanked her and walked over to the elevator, pressing the button for the 72nd floor. The elevator doors slid open, and he walked out into the luxurious boardroom, where 12 of the company’s top executives were sitting around a long oak table, drinking coffee and reviewing documents. Lila was sitting at the head of the table, her black blazer draped over the back of her chair, her hands folded in front of her. She looked calm, confident, and completely in control.
“Ethan,” she said, her voice cold and formal. “What are you doing here?”
Ethan walked over to the table, his hands shaking. “Lila, I’m sorry,” he said, his voice breaking. “I was an idiot. I didn’t listen to you. I just assumed the worst, and I threw away everything we had. Please give me another chance. I’ll do anything.”
The executives around the table stared at him, their eyes wide with surprise. One of them, a middle-aged man with a gray beard, leaned over to whisper to the woman next to him. “Who is this guy? He looks like he’s about to cry.”
Lila stood up and walked over to Ethan, her heels clicking on the marble floor. “Ethan, you had your chance,” she said. “You told me to leave, and I left. Now I’m the CEO of this company, and you’re just a former employee. I don’t have time for your apologies.”
“But you’re the one who lied to me,” Ethan said, his voice rising. “You said you were in Miami, but you were with your ex. You cheated on me.”
Lila laughed, a loud, clear sound that made the executives turn to look at her. “I didn’t cheat on you, Ethan. My ex was going through a divorce, and he needed a place to stay for a night. I let him crash on my couch. You didn’t even ask me what happened. You just assumed the worst, like you always do.” She pulled a text message out of her pocket and held it up so he could see. It was a message from her ex, dated the day of the Miami trip: Thanks for letting me stay last night. I’ll pay you back for the Uber later. “See? He’s just thanking me for letting him stay. You didn’t even bother to check.”
Ethan stared at the text message, his face turning bright red. He’d been so angry, so convinced that she had cheated on him, that he hadn’t even thought to ask her for an explanation. He’d just thrown away five years of his life over a misunderstanding. “I’m so sorry,” he said, his voice breaking. “I was stupid. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Lila turned to the executives, who were all staring at her. “As you can see, Mr. Cole has a history of making impulsive decisions without considering the facts,” she said. “That’s why I’m replacing him as CEO of Cole Development Group. He’s not fit to lead this company.”
One of the executives, a young woman with a ponytail, raised her hand. “Ms. Hart, do you think it’s fair to fire him without giving him a chance to explain?”
Lila turned to her, her eyes cold and unreadable. “Mr. Cole had five years to prove himself as a leader,” she said. “He failed. I’m not going to waste any more time on him.” She turned back to Ethan. “You have until the end of the day to clear out your office. Don’t come back.”
Ethan walked out of the boardroom, his head hanging low. He’d just lost his job, his reputation, and his chance at happiness-all because he’d let his anger get the best of him. He walked over to the elevator, pressed the button for the lobby, and sat down on a bench in the corner of the elevator bay, staring at his shoes. He’d worked his entire life to build a career at Cole Development Group, and now it was all gone. He didn’t know what to do next.
A few minutes later, the elevator doors slid open, and a man in a tailored suit walked out. He was tall, handsome, and had a confident smile on his face. “Ethan Cole?” he said, holding out his hand. “I’m Mark Davis. I’m a recruiter for Goldman Sachs. I heard you were looking for a new job.”
Ethan stared at him, confused. “How do you know my name?”
Mark smiled. “I know a lot of people in the real estate industry,” he said. “I heard you were fired from Cole Development Group, and I think you’d be perfect for a senior position in our real estate division. We’re looking for someone with your experience in commercial real estate development.”
Ethan stood up and shook his hand, his eyes wide with surprise. “You’re kidding me, right?” he said. “I just got fired. I don’t have any references.”
Mark laughed. “I don’t need references, Ethan. I know your work. You built the waterfront development in Brooklyn that’s now worth $500 million. You’re one of the best real estate developers in the country. I want you to work for us.”
Ethan stared at him, his heart racing. He’d never thought he’d get another job offer after being fired from Cole Development Group. “I don’t know what to say,” he said. “Thank you.”
Mark smiled. “You can say yes,” he said. “The salary is $250,000 a year, plus a bonus of up to 20% of your annual revenue. We’ll also pay for your relocation expenses and give you a company car.”
Ethan thought for a second, then nodded. “Yes,” he said. “I’ll take the job.”
May you like
Mark smiled and handed him a business card. “Call me tomorrow at 9 a.m. We’ll go over the details.” He walked over to the elevator and pressed the button for the 72nd floor, then turned to Ethan. “Good luck, Ethan. I think you’re going to do great things.”
The elevator doors slid closed, and Ethan stood there, staring at the business card in his hand. For the first time in three days, he felt a glimmer of hope. He’d just lost everything, but he was getting a second chance. He walked out of the Willis Tower, the sun shining down on him, and began to walk to his friend’s apartment. He had a lot of work to do, but for the first time in a long time, he felt like he knew where he was going.
