“Rearranging?” his father's voice asked from behind him. Ari glanced at the older man, then he moved over to his shelf, picking up the few awards and putting them in the case, as well, before shutting it.
Someone else could pack up the rest for him.
“Something like that,” he replied. His dad waved his hand.
“Leave that to one of the girls. Give them something to do, they're all so lazy,” he grumbled.
This. This was Ari's future if he stayed. A bitter, angry old man. A hateful old man who drove everyone away from him, all in the pursuit of stature. A bigot. A misogynist. Ari wanted power, and money, and accolades, but not if it meant becoming like his father. How had he not thought about that before?
This whole time, I thought I was killing time until he was gone so I could do something different, when all along, I was becoming more and more like him.
“I hate corporate law,” Ari blurted out. His dad gave him a strange look.
“Really? You've been practicing it for a long time for someone who hates it.”
“I practice it because that's what you wanted,” Ari said. “All my life, you told me I had to go into the family business. You told me you wouldn't pay for school unless I studied law, and then you told me you wouldn't pay for law school unless I specialized in corporate law. You never gave me an option, and I'm a fucking pussy, because I never even thought to ask for any.”
His father looked shocked for a moment – they'd had their share of fights and rows, but Ari was pretty sure he'd never spoken to his dad that way before. Then shock gave way to anger and the elder Sharapov's face started turning red. Ari wondered if his face did the same thing.
“You're goddamn right I told you what to study,” his dad sputtered. “You were an asshole who didn't know any better, you needed a firm hand to guide you! And it was my money! You think I'm going to invest in something without having a stake in it?”
“Your stake was me,” Ari said, pressing a hand to his chest. “I'm your son. Who gives a shit if I practiced in your law firm or not? I could've been an amazing lawyer working for anybody, but I could only work for you, that was all you'd accept.”
“You're goddamn right. I made you – you owed me.”
Ari suddenly had an acute idea of how Valentine felt when she tried to argue with him. It was like talking to a wall. A very annoying, egotistical wall.
“I shouldn't have to owe my father anything,” Ari argued.
“Sentimental babble bullshit,” his father spit out. “What's gotten into you? Where is this all coming from? That new girlfriend? If this is the kind of bullshit she's putting in your head, you have to get rid of her.”
“She's not going anywhere. That's twice now you've almost ruined us,” Ari said, snapping his briefcase shut. “I won't let you do it again.”
“What are you even talking about? I haven't even met her!” his dad shouted.
“And until you can learn how to act like a human being, you won't ever meet her. You're not worthy of meeting her.”
“This has to be a joke,” Don Sharapov grumbled. “All these years, all the time I've invested in you. I've given you everything, and what, you're just going to walk away?”
“Yes. Yes, I am.”
Ari could literally feel a weight lift from his shoulders, one he hadn't even realized he'd been bearing his whole life.
“The hell you are!” his dad roared. “You walk away from me, boy, and I'll destroy you. I'll take every contact you've got. Every client! And after a couple phone calls, you think any other firm in town will hire you?”
Before, Ari would've said no. But Evans' words rattled around in his brain.
“No matter what happens, I'm good, because I've always got me.”
Ari finally got it. For such a smart person, sometimes he was so incredibly dumb.
“Yes,” he said firmly. “I think someone will. And even if they won't, there's other cities. Other states. Other countries. Other jobs. Someone, somewhere, will believe in me. Pity my own father doesn't.”
As he snatched his briefcase off the desk and headed for the door, his father started raging behind him.
“I believed in you more than anyone else in your whole life!” he shouted, following his son out of his office and onto the main floor, seemingly not caring that he was airing the family laundry in front of all the other lawyers and secretaries. “I raised you, I built you up, I made you! I can tear you down! Don't you walk away from me!”
Literally every single one of Ari's worst fears was coming true, and shockingly, he felt like laughing. Opening his mouth as wide as he could, and just guffawing. Why did he go so long without doing this? To get the love and acceptance from a father who could treat him like this?
Oh, Saint Valentine, we're gonna have a lot of shit to work through after I get you back.
“Rose!” he snapped, looking around for her cubicle. Everyone on the floor, including his father, turned to look at the redhead in shock. She stared back at Ari, her eyes as big as saucers.
“Uh ... yes, Mr. Sharapov?” she asked.
“Remember my offer?” he asked back, holding out his arms. “Now's the time. I'm getting the fuck out of here, and according to my father, no one will hire me. Wanna come be a paralegal for an out of work lawyer?”
A pin drop could've been heard in that moment. His father's eyes looked like they were going to roll out of his head. Rose glanced around at everyone, then bent down behind her cubicle wall. There was the sound of things being hastily shuffled around, then she appeared on the floor, hurrying towards him.
“Sounds fun, sir,” she said. She was breathing hard and looked nervous, but she beamed up at him.
From beside him, his father's rage reached Defcon 4.
“If you walk out with him,” he hissed, spittle flying from between his teeth. “I will personally make sure you never work in law ever again. Anywhere in this country.”
“With all do respect, sir,” she took a deep breath. “Screw you. You're mean, you give the worst Christmas bonuses I've ever seen, and your breath stinks.”
Ari barked out a laugh. Who knew the tiny girl had it in her?
He gestured towards the exit with his case, so she hastily turned around and hurried towards it. He followed, with his father close at his feels. When they emerged into the lobby, his dad pulled him to a stop.
“Aaron,” he growled. “Do not walk away from this! This is your life! Are you really going to ruin your life for some girl? For some piece of ass?”
Ari thought for a long moment.
“No,” he answered, shaking his head. “I'm going to save my life for that piece of ass. Goodbye, Dad. Call me if you ever decide you'd rather be a father than a boss.”
And with that, he stepped onto the elevator, pulling Rose along when she just stood there gaping at him. His father kept ranting and cursing, but Ari didn't hear him at all. Just smiled back as the doors slid shut.
An awkward silence settled over the elevator for a couple floors, then Rose couldn't hold it in any longer.
“What was that?” she burst out. “What just happened? What is going on?”