- 9.
For seven days, Frank was at the company
building every day, rain or shine.
Every time I saw him, he had a sad look on
his face.
He wasn’t aggressive, but he was able to
make everyone see that we had something
special.
Simon, of course, saw Frank.
He would hand Frank a completed divorce
agreement.
L
They were in competition.
Not wanting him to mess with me, my teacher
arranged for a team building trip.
I was able to do things that Frank and I were
always planning but never had time for.
Skiing, hiking, skydiving, seeing the Northern
Lights…
Everything made me feel like life was more
interesting, and marriage was not the only
thing.
The first day back at work, Frank wasn’t
there.
He said, “I won’t give up” and went back
L
home to fix the mess Jessica had made of
the company.
I had been getting messages from people I used to work with every day.
[The secretary cried three times today.]
[The secretary was demoted to regular
assistant.]
[The secretary was moved to the
administrative office to be a clerk.]
Jessica was being demoted due to Frank’s
anger.
I just laughed and went back to work.
My new life was getting better and better.
く
I had won fifteen cases in six months, and
was becoming well known in the field.
I would go boating in Venice or see the sea in
Sicily.
I would stay in a fishing village in Liguria for a
week when I was tired.
A year later, I was a partner in the law firm.
Everything was getting better, except for the
feeling of seeing Frank’s sad face which still
made me feel bad.
In the year we had been apart, he got 99
copies of the divorce papers, but he would
not sign them.
He was trying to get me to sympathize with
him and get back together with him.
At first, I would feel sorry for him.
I killed these feelings.
Back home, Frank had told my parents
everything, crying.
But he had forgotten that kids inherit their
parents‘ characters.
My parents didn’t like him and wanted him to
leave so they supported me to get divorced.
I was determined.
The next time, Frank was no longer there.
Two years later, I was flying back to the U.S.
since the aivorce nas peen finalizea pecause
we were separated for two years.
When the plane landed, my parents looked at
me with relief.
“Thank you for sending your pictures and
videos every day.”
I turned around and smiled.
“Simon, what should I do if I find someone is
invading my privacy?”
Simon touched his nose, as if he was
bleeding.
“Umm… if there is a valid reason and if the
family has agreed, then we can work
something out.”
L
A little thing that washed away my parent’s
sadness.
Everyone started walking home.
Once I was home, my dad told me why Frank
was gone.
Jessica had posted a picture of her and Frank
online so she could be with him.
The company had just gone public, and the
stocks were falling.
The companies that I worked with ended their
contracts.
The new companies that we just signed deals
with were hit and charged Frank due to the
breach of contract.
Г
Frank was sent to prison for three months.
Frank Industries was bankrupt, and closed because he wasn’t there.
Jessica was blacklisted from all of the
companies.
Now, she works at a restaurant.
OP
I saw him again at a business banquet.
I was there to help the company go public.
In the corner, Frank was talking to people he
used to look down on.
He kept drinking.
He looked like me, when he was trying to
start the business and getting drunk.
When we looked at each other, I saw
awkwardness, shock, sadness and regret.
I held up my glass.
I honored him and honored me.
