Chapter 10: Truth and Irony

I sped home, not knowing how to tell my parents. I felt utterly humiliated.

My mom was all smiles, still asking, "So, is Sunday good for the meeting?"

My dad just glanced at me, sipped his coffee, and looked unruffled.

At this point, I had no choice but to tell the truth.

Nobody said anything for a long minute. The only sound was my dad stirring his coffee, slow and steady.

My mom was stunned for a few seconds, then asked cautiously: "Son, didn’t you say this girl wasn’t materialistic and was very down-to-earth?"

My face burned. I used to worry my parents wouldn’t approve, so I’d exaggerated Natalie’s virtues, made her out to be some chaste, unworldly woman untouched by poverty or wealth.

This slap in the face really hurt—I didn’t even dare look at my dad.

Then my dad spoke: "You’ve had enough experience these years. Quit your job and come back to the family company."

He tossed me a folder. "A gift for you, kid. Hmph, your eyes are big, but your vision isn’t sharp."

I opened it: "Eastside Trailer Park Redevelopment Project Plan."

Eastside…?

I stared at the file, heart thudding. Had I just burned down my life over the wrong girl?

The irony tasted sharp as I stared at the paperwork, my whole world flipped upside down again. My dad just winked, cool as ever, and the clock on the wall ticked on like nothing had changed at all.