Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 75553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
It was no wonder I hadn’t settled down yet. With such an awful example of family life spread out before me, why would I attempt it myself? It was only destined to end in failure.
It wasn’t like I hated my family. I spoke to my mother several nights a week on the phone and we had dinner at least once a week. My father, however, was another story. It didn’t help that my mom seemed to have been reduced to a shell of what she could have been. I knew she was missing out on having a more fulfilling life because of how poorly my father had treated her for so many years. I understood that she might be afraid to get back out there straight away – that was a given – but it had been over twenty years since their divorce. It was time for her to move on with her life and maybe even find someone else who could make her happy! I’d told her my thoughts on this so many times over the years, but she never listened. She has always said she’s fine as she is and she’s not lonely like I think.
Perhaps it’s my fault, I considered with a grimace. Maybe I coddled her too much over the years… But how could I not?
A buzz pulled me out of my thoughts and brought me back to the present.
“Mr. Strong?” the sweet and familiar voice of my secretary said. “You have a call waiting from Isaac Smith.”
“Thanks, Remy,” I replied before picking up the receiver and lifting it to my face. “Isaac!”
“Griff! How are you doing, buddy?” my friend replied.
I felt my body relax as I leaned back in my chair and smiled. “Not bad, not bad. When are we finally going to head down to the court and shoot some hoops again?”
Isaac laughed for a moment before replying, “Are you that eager to get your butt kicked again?”
I snorted. “You’ve got to be joking. You know I can wipe the floor with you anytime.”
“You wish,” he replied before all pretense flew out the window with a sigh. “Listen, Griff, there’s something I need to tell you.”
The smirk on my face disappeared in an instant. I leaned forward and rested my arms on my desk. “The company?” I asked, knowing what Isaac was about to say.
“The sale is final,” Isaac revealed. “To the Anderson Group.”
“The Anderson Group?” I’d never even heard of them before. I’d expected the company to be bought out by some huge conglomerate. This was certainly strange news. “What do you know about the Anderson Group?”
Isaac sighed again. “Not much in all honesty. I’ll have to do some research first.”
“Well, do you know how much this is going to change things?” I pushed, feeling nervous about the new road laying ahead of me. “What kind of impact are they going to have on the way we do things around here?”
Isaac took a deep breath and hesitated before he answered. “Look, Griff, we’re going to have to wait and see to be certain, but…”
“But?” I insisted.
“But I do know that Albert Anderson, the CEO, is big on family and from what I’ve managed to find out from his employees, it looks like he usually encourages a more family-orientated culture in the office.”
“Oh, is that it?” I replied with a little laugh. “That doesn’t sound like much of a problem.”
“Oh, yeah?” Isaac asked. “I’m not sure you’ll feel that way if he turns around and tells you to get married.”
I froze. I couldn’t help it. I never expected Isaac to say something like that. “What do you mean?” I questioned, shaking my head. “No boss has that much sway. No boss should have that much sway.”
“I know, I know,” Isaac agreed. “It might be nothing, but I’ve heard rumors from previous companies the Anderson Group bought out that the CEO is a bit of a stickler when it comes to his upper management. He wants everybody to be on the same page and that page is all about family.”
I gulped. This wasn’t what I wanted to hear. For years now, I’d been planning to work my way up the corporate ladder. I wanted desperately to get a promotion by the end of the year and things were looking hopeful before all of this, but now…
“Anyway, I’ll let you know more when I see you next. I’m planning on making the rounds to all our offices across the states including Seattle and I should have more info for you then.”
The smile I had on my face at the start of the conversation returned. “That sounds great. I can’t wait to take you out for a good night out.”
Isaac laughed. “Yeah, well, it won’t be as good as it used to be…”
“Oh?”
“Well, I got engaged a few weeks back…”