Chapter 1. Sergey.
Everyone fell silent. My father was waiting for my response, and all I wanted was to stand up, turn around, and walk out of here. I didn’t want him and Mom to keep pushing their way of life on me and my brother. Neither Andrew nor I are kids anymore. We’re successful, carrying on their legacy. I don’t see how getting married would help me in business. And besides, I’m not even thirty yet, so...
“I’m not getting married just because you’ve decided I should,” I said, trying to keep my tone even.
I knew Dad would never hand the company over to Andrew, even though he’s the older one. I’ve achieved so much more; I’m better at management and business than he is. Sure, I have my flaws, but...
“No one’s forcing you,” Dad said with a smile.
“Didn’t you just say a minute ago that you’d only pass the company to someone who’s married?” I raised an eyebrow slightly. This was starting to get under my skin.
Dad was contradicting himself, and I couldn’t make sense of it.
“Sam, don’t push Dad like that,” Andrew, my brother, chimed in, always quick to defend him.
Andrew has always been Dad’s favorite: the firstborn, smart, level-headed, a driven bookworm... ever since high school.
Yet, I’m the one who landed the two biggest contracts this year. I’ve always had a knack for business. All of Andrew’s degrees and late-night work haven’t amounted to much. He’s a great follower of Dad’s orders, but he’s not cut out to run everything on his own. He just doesn’t have it in him.
My expression must have shifted because the whole family was staring right at me.
Dad seemed to guess what I was thinking.
“No matter how talented you are, you’re too cocky, unpredictable, impulsive, and reckless,” Dad said, looking me straight in the eye. “Even now, I can see in your eyes that you’re convinced I’ll hand the company over to you anyway. But that’s not happening, Sergey. Not until you become more dependable. I won’t entrust the work of my entire life to you. And time keeps ticking. Look at Andrew—he’s got Kate, and they live in peace and harmony. Andrew doesn’t race motorcycles, he sleeps at home, and he doesn’t make your mother worry. You’re almost thirty, and you still act like you’re eighteen.”
“I’m only twenty-seven, I work from dawn till dusk, and I just unwind every now and then. What, I’m not even allowed to have a hobby?”
“And at twenty-seven, am I supposed to lock myself in a house with a wife and kids climbing all over me?” I wanted to add out loud, but I held my tongue.
“Your hobbies are speed and flings, always a new one. Your mother is constantly terrified that next time you’ll drink too much and crash, or worse, pick up something from one of them! I’ve said my piece.”
His attitude really got to me, but I kept my cool on the outside.
Dad always judged me not by results but by irrelevant details. I’m sure if I just had a fiancée like Andrew does, he’d run out of excuses to not sign the company over to me.
That thought made me smirk.
Well, we’ll see who comes out on top. If you’re so desperate for me to have a girlfriend, fine. No problem. There are thousands of women out there. It shouldn’t be hard to find someone halfway decent and claim what’s rightfully mine.
“Alright...” I kept smiling. “I didn’t want to tell you, but I’ve actually been seeing someone. And precisely because you’re so obsessed with family ties, I don’t even want to introduce her to you...”
“You’re seeing someone?” Mom asked, clearly shocked.
“And what do you mean by ‘don’t want to’?” Dad added.
***
I was lying on my bed, scrolling through my Facebook feed. This damn idea of a fiancée didn’t seem as brilliant now as it did when I mentioned it to my parents...
Dad’s probably right: I’m too impulsive and careless. But alongside those flaws, I’ve got strengths too. Like determination.
I won’t let Andrew ruin the business I’ve poured my entire adult life into. I have to be the one running our network.
Dad’s clever, though, holding up Andrew and Kate as the gold standard. As if he doesn’t know Andrew can’t make decisions on his own, and as for his Kate...
There’s something off about her, something insincere, but my whole family adores her and doesn’t see it.
On the surface, she’s sweet and friendly, a perfect angel. But I didn’t like her from the moment I met her. I’m sure she’s hiding something. And I’ve got a pretty good gut instinct about people. It’s helped me solve work issues with ease time and again.
But it’s also why I’ll never have a real girlfriend. They’ll all just be after my money. That’s how it’s always been, is, and will be...
So why keep opening my heart to them over and over? Better to settle things strictly on a transactional level from the start.
I need to go through my contacts... I can’t let Andrew destroy everything I’ve built with blood and sweat over the last five years. For the sake of Dad’s company thriving, I’ll do whatever it takes.
I stared at my phone again.
I filtered my friends by gender and started browsing through two thousand female profiles.
There were employees from our network, business partners, wives of partners, and the like, but none of them were what I needed.
I opened the search bar and decided to approach this differently. I knew I needed someone familiar because pretending to be in love with a complete stranger would be too complicated.
Who was head over heels for me back in school or college?
Nadia Samoylenko, a cute, straight-A actress, a dear old classmate. I think she even won some acting competition on TV...
Though she’d probably say no. She had a great start back then, so she’s likely a star by now, right?
I smiled but typed her name into the Facebook search bar anyway. At the very least, I’d see what she’s been up to...
I found Nadia right away. There were only three matches, but she was the first, and I recognized her instantly.
I clicked on her profile.
“Nadia Samoylenko.
Actress at the Taras Shevchenko Theater.”
Theater?
I was genuinely surprised. Nadia had been on TV shows and even starred in a few movies in leading roles—I remember that clearly. Back then, I even wondered if I’d made a mistake by not letting her confess her feelings for me... Even then, Nadia was pretty and smart, and I kind of liked her.
And she still looks good now.
I critically scrolled through Nadia’s photos on Facebook.
She’s got a slim figure, though she barely wears any makeup. And her clothes are kind of plain. Andrew’s fiancée, Kate, on the other hand, is a real pro at that stuff. My old classmate Nadia clearly doesn’t have that knack...
Oh well, it’s fine that she’s not my type. Maybe that’s even better. Now all that’s left is to meet up and hash out the details. I’m sure theater actresses aren’t rolling in money, so she’s unlikely to turn down the role I’m about to offer her.
I need to check the theater schedule. I’ll go to the first show she’s in. There’s no time to waste...