Chapter 91

The weeks that followed the embarrassing incident at the bank manager's office, Ethan went wild. The fear of what Elena could do, the anger of the shame he had incurred before his mother, the dread that she was about to destroy him, drove him to do extreme things. To exert his dominance.

"How did it go?" His mother had cornered him when he arrived from the bank that day.

"We're still working on it," he said, brushing past her to his room. His head twirled. Fred had postponed his visit, and Ethan knew Fred was only angry that Ethan said he wasn't home.

"Answer my question with detail, boy," his mother said, a stern look on her face.

How would he tell her he had failed in this small task? It would be so devastating. The taint of it would remain unerasable. She would always bring it up in their future discussions. Even worse, she'd tell his father, too. And some of the uncles.

"This is who we are going to give the position of the CEO?" she would say. "He trembles at the feet of a mere l