I’m broken and don’t know what to do. But finally, as my tears dry, my anger begins to boil. This entire situation is ridiculous, and none of it is my fault.
I email my attorney.
TO: Charles Arnold
FROM: Tinsley Pratt
SUBJECT: Translations sale to Disruptive
Charles,
Disruptive is imploding right now. How do I take my company back? Is it even possible?
Tinsley
He responds the following day.
TO: Tinsley Pratt
FROM: Charles Arnold
SUBJECT: RE: Translations sale to Disruptive
Tinsley,
I’m sorry to hear that. It hasn’t been very long. You can ask if they’ll let you repurchase it. We can find someone else who might buy you out. Or, if they declare bankruptcy, you can pull the company back. But for now, if they’re not interested in any of those options, you can only wait.
I spend the next couple days mulling that over, trying to decide if I’m interested in any of those options. Finally, I realize I need to lay it all on the line, so I text Landon. If he isn’t coming out of hiding, I’m not sure what else to do. I’ve been here for almost a week now, and I can’t stay indefinitely.
Me: I’m going home. I’ve talked to my lawyer about taking Translations back. Please speak with Claire and Mason and let me know what it will cost to buy it from you. I can’t work like this.
I’m all cried out. But I’m going to continue to work because I have every intention of making sure my software sees the light of day. My fingers fly across the keyboard—almost nonstop for the next two days.
By the end of my visit, I know I’m going to miss Darlene at the diner. Talking to her each evening is the highlight of my day. I give her a hug on my final night, and she sends me off with more apple pie. I’m not sure I’ll ever return to Lewiston, but it’s been nice to work here, unencumbered by San Francisco.
My flight isn’t until two, but I take the lone cab in town and arrive at the Lewiston airport early. There isn’t a huge waiting area, but I find a corner and quickly become engrossed in my work.
“You’re leaving already?”
I look up, and Landon is sitting across the table from me. The rush of emotions barreling through me renders me nearly speechless.
I settle on cold anger. “I’ve waited five days for you. You didn’t even acknowledge me when I came.” If we weren’t in public, I’d be yelling. Instead, I stand and stuff my computer into my bag. “I want out. I won’t be in the middle of you and Claire. I don’t know what she said that made you run away, but you’ve shut me out, and you’ve turned your back on all your responsibilities for two months. That’s unbelievable, Landon. What on Earth have you been doing? I needed your help.”
“I’m sorry.”
I shake my head. “Fuck you and grow the hell up. You told me that woman was full of shit, yet now you’ve let it get so bad that two other women are saying you’ve done the same to them. I told you I was coming here, and you agreed. Then I sat in a hotel for almost a full week, and you’ve ignored me. No more. I want out.”
He nods. “Then you’re out.”
“I want my software.”
He shakes his head. “Sorry, you sold it to us.”
“At the rate you’re going, Disruptive will join the thousands of companies that have gone before you and die. I’ll sit back and wait.”
He shrugs, his eyes unreadable. “I accepted your resignation. The software belongs to us.”
“You don’t seem too interested in working on it. Good luck getting it to work.”
The gate has security, and I walk through, knowing he can’t follow me. My flight is boarding anyway. I get on the plane and ugly cry the entire hour and a half into Salt Lake.
I’m not going to go back to San Francisco. Fuck them.
Upon arrival in Salt Lake, I find the customer service desk and ask about changing my flight from San Francisco to Denver.
I want to go home, and I want my mom.
“I’m sorry,” the woman behind the desk says. “That’s a busy flight for us, and I don’t have any open seats. We run four flights a day, though, and you’re welcome to try to fly standby tomorrow. You might also check with other airlines to see what they can do for you.”
At this point, I’m just overwhelmed. I manage to thank her without falling apart, walk over to the gate for my flight to San Francisco, and watch the flight board. They call my name over the loudspeakers, warning me I’m going to miss my plane. Still, I sit and allow the cacophony of travelers rushing to their desired destinations to engulf me.
Once the doors close and my plane pushes away from the gate, I stand and walk out to the rental car counter. I rent myself a car to drive the eight hours home to my mother and the comfort of my childhood bedroom—far away from the mess my professional and personal life have become.
Chapter 24
Landon
“What do you mean you accepted her resignation?” Claire bellows at me.
I thought after all the messages she’d sent me, Claire would be thrilled when I walked into the office this morning. I came right here and didn’t even stop at my apartment. I also thought Tinsley would be here. Turns out I was wrong on both counts.
“She said she couldn’t be in the middle of us. She asked to buy us out and take her company back.”
“So how does that translate to her quitting? Besides the fact that she’s a fantastic addition to our team and we want and need her, you
