When William finally glanced up, his heart stopped. Walking toward him was Isabelle—his daughter. But she wasn’t the little girl he remembered. She was confident, poised, and now, the CEO of a thriving business.
“Dad?” she said coolly, as though they were mere acquaintances. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
William struggled to find words. “How… how did you become CEO?”
Isabelle’s expression was sharp. “That’s your first question? Not how I’ve been, but how I’m successful?” She scoffed. “You’re here to work. Don’t let this distract you. But meet me in my office later.”
That afternoon, William sat across from Isabelle in her office, unsure of what to say.
“You left us with nothing,” she began, her voice steady but filled with emotion. “Mom and I were homeless after you walked out. I had to sell what little we had just to survive. You didn’t care enough to look back.”
Her voice trembled as she recalled the hardest times. “I had to drop out of college to pay for Mom’s medical bills. Did you even know she had coronary heart disease? She almost died.”
Years ago, Isabelle had faced impossible choices. When she found out about her mother’s illness, she acted quickly. She gave up her education, moved into a tiny apartment, and worked relentlessly to revive the failed beef jerky business. Through sheer determination, she secured retail deals, transformed the product, and built the business from the ground up. It hadn’t been easy, but she made it work.
“Mom got the surgery she needed because of me,” Isabelle continued. “I got our home back too. We survived—without you.”
William sat in silence, overcome by shame. “I… I didn’t know,” he muttered, tears filling his eyes.
“No, you didn’t care enough to find out,” Isabelle replied coldly. “But here’s the thing, Dad. I’m not here to punish you. You’ve punished yourself enough. What I want you to understand is that you don’t get to walk back into my life and act like nothing happened.”
She stood and motioned to a small box on her desk. “Inside this box are the old kitchen tools you and Mom used when you started the business. Take them. Start over. Build something from nothing—like I did.”
William stared at the box, his heart heavy with regret. But Isabelle wasn’t done.
“I’m letting you go from this job,” she said, her voice firm. “Use this as a chance to change your life. I know what it’s like to be at rock bottom.”
With that, she walked out, leaving William to face the remnants of the life he had destroyed.
Isabelle had given him a gift far greater than anything material: the opportunity to rebuild. But this time, it was up to him to make it count.