William abandons his wife and daughter to start a new life with his young mistress. But things change years later, and when William least expects things to go wrong, he comes face-to-face with his grown-up daughter.
William felt a pang of guilt as his wife anxiously looked at him. For a moment, he reconsidered his decision. He knew Linda would be devastated if she learned he had a mistress.
William and Linda had been married for 20 years, shared a 17-year-old daughter, and had lived a peaceful life in the home Linda inherited from her parents. They even started a beef jerky business a year ago, but it soon stopped making money, so William’s job supported them.
“What is it that you wanted to discuss, William?” Linda broke the silence.
“I’m seeing someone else, Linda,” William admitted. “I didn’t want us to see this day, but I-I couldn’t help it.”
“What do you mean?” Linda’s face fell. “You…have another woman? Answer me, I’m asking something!”
William hung his head. “I can’t explain it, but I love her,” he said. “She’s young, different, and we just clicked.”
“Do you even hear yourself, William?!” Linda exploded. “We’ve been married for 20 years, we have a daughter, and now—” Linda’s buzzing phone cut her off.
“Ye-Yes?” she answered, maintaining her composure, but it wasn’t long before she lost her cool. A court representative had called her to inform them their home was about to be seized. They’d taken a loan for the dried meat business and mortgaged their house. William was supposed to repay the debt. She had no idea the installments were past due.
Instead, he lived miserably and lost his job and new family. He’d even been on a bender to distract himself from his failure. As he headed for a job interview now, he hoped to reclaim his life.
He sat outside the interview room nervously. He had applied for a position at a beef jerky production factory. He thought his previous experience, though a failed one, would be a plus. He went inside when his number was called, and his luck was on his side because he was hired.
William began working as a packaging operator. On the third day of his job, he was busy labeling the boxes when his manager, Mr. Dunn, approached him.
“If you don’t want to be stuck in the same role, William, you gotta impress our CEO today,” Mr. Dunn grinned, nudging WIlliam, who was confused.
“You didn’t know?” Mr. Dunn continued, noticing his confused expression. “She’s coming here for an inspection!”
William wasn’t interested. He politely excused himself and got back to his job. But soon, a murmur of voices distracted him, prompting William to look up towards the entrance where Mr. Dunn greeted the CEO.
William’s jaw dropped when he saw the CEO was his daughter.
“Isabelle?” he gasped as she approached him.
“Dad?” she chirped confidently. “It’s been a long time, right?”
“How? How did you become a CEO?” he blurted.
“So you’re more concerned about my material success than how I’m doing?” she scoffed. “Don’t let this personal angle distract you. I’m here for an inspection, and you should be doing your job. And yes,” she added before walking away. “Please meet me in my office after lunch.”
Isbaelle’s heart raced as she hung up. Linda was okay for now, but she could need the surgery any time in the future. She knew that she would need to pay for tuition if she submitted her application documents. But she could save that money and use it for her mother’s treatment if she left the campus.
Isabelle recalled her parents’ beef jerky business. She could give it a try to generate more income. But for that, she would need her parents’ old kitchenware still in their confiscated home.
Isabelle returned to her friend’s place, where she was crashing temporarily. She searched for affordable flats and a second-hand pickup truck to carry equipment for her business. The next day, she visited a garage.
Isabelle closed the window so no one suspected her of being there. She left the house through the dormer window, then drove to the abandoned house a few blocks from her studio apartment. She decided to set up her production space there because her studio was too small, and she needed more money to rent a space.
As she pulled over near the abandoned home, she looked around to ensure nobody was watching her. Then she walked briskly to the backyard, but the door had a tiny lock. Isabelle removed her hairpin, picked the lock, and… a click!
The door creaked open. Isabelle carried everything to the basement and set up a small production space there. However, she had to wait until the lights were installed. She couldn’t cook in the dark or during the day. She didn’t want to be caught trespassing.
A few days passed. Isabelle initially followed her mother’s recipe, but the jerky tasted awful. Something was off. She experimented with the marinade recipe as she wanted her beef jerky to have a unique taste. Isabelle didn’t want to restrict herself like her parents did by creating a product that would only be marketed to acquaintances. She wanted to sell it across the state and the big retail chains across the US.
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