Me:I won't. I promise.
And I mean it. The trip will be professional. Distant. Everything she's asked for.
Even if maintaining that distance destroys me.
The week before the trip, my mother calls.
"I heard you've been behaving yourself. No more incidents with Miss Chen."
Incidents. Like my harassment of Ivy was a minor behavioral issue.
"We're working together. Professionally."
"Good. Your father and I were concerned you might repeat past mistakes." God her words angry me, and I want to say so much more, but don’t.
"What past mistakes?"
"Getting too attached. Letting emotions override judgment." Her voice is cool. "That girl was a distraction then. She would be a distraction now."
"Her name is Ivy."
"Excuse me?"
"You keep calling her 'that girl' or 'Miss Chen.' Her name is Ivy and she wasn't a distraction. She was my best friend."
"Until you realized she was inappropriate for your future."
"Until you threatened to destroy her family if I didn't cut her off."
Silence on the other end.
"I don't know what you're referring to?—"
"Yes, you do. You gave me an ultimatum. Her or my future. You threatened her family's restaurant. Made it impossible for me to choose her."
"We did what was necessary to protect you?—"
"You did what was convenient to control me. There's a difference." My hand tightens on the phone. "And I chose wrong. I chose you and I've regretted it every single day for three years."
"Ethan, you're being dramatic?—"
"I'm being honest. For the first time in years, I'm being honest." I take a breath. "I'm not the son you want. I don't want the future you've planned and I'm done pretending otherwise."
"If you think?—"
I hang up not wanting to listen to what she has to say, I have a headache, and arguing with my mother will not help me.
I sit there for a long moment, my heart pounding, adrenaline coursing through me.
I just told my mother the truth. Admitted the regret. Challenged her control. It feels terrifying and liberating in equal measure.
My phone immediately starts ringing again. I turn it off.
Marcus walks in, takes one look at my face. "What happened?"
"I just told my mother I regret choosing them over Ivy."
"Holy shit."