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Of Corporate Scandals

Chapter 26. Mommy Issues

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"Mom?"

Percy's eyes snapped to Annabeth. Did she just say Mom? He shook his head, wondering if he misheard her, "What?"

The dark haired woman standing next to his father crossed her arms, "Hello, Annabeth." The woman, almost as tall as his father, was in an impeccably tailored cream suit.

His father seemed to notice their presence for the first time, cutting off the woman, "Percy, Miss Chase, we didn't expect you here so soon."

Annabeth, in turn, didn't seem to notice that his father had addressed them at all as she stared at the woman, "What are you doing here?"

The woman, her raven hair in a plait down her back, turned Annabeth with a stern expression, "It's nice to see you as well, dear." The harsh bite of sarcasm was clear to Percy.

"What is going on here?" Annabeth said, on the verge of being very much upset. Percy sensed the hint of hysteria in her voice."

"Did you just say 'Mom,' Annabeth?" Percy aske, incredulous

"Why, Annabeth, it seems you've caught yourself a charmer," the woman continued, lazily glaring at Percy.

Poseidon, stepped forward, "How about we all take a minute to, ah, regain our composure." Percy and his father both glanced at the mother and daughter who were both glaring at each other fiercely. "Let's take a seat, perhaps and we can all take the chance to explain ourselves." Poseidon added.

Percy frowned as Poseidon sat in his chair at his desk, and reluctantly pulled up two chairs for him and Annabeth. The woman huffed before sitting down across from Poseidon.

Poseidon cleared his throat, prepared to begin. Annabeth, however, seemed to be in no mood for peasantries. Percy's eyes wandered to each person in the room before settling on Annabeth.

"Why are you here, mother?"

"Just hold on a second," Percy asserted, yet again, "I met your mom at Thanksgiving."

Annabeth crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, never breaking eye contact with the woman as she spoke, "You did meet my mom, Percy. This is the woman who gave birth to me."

"Oh, Helen asked you to call her mother?" the woman scoffed,

"Helen's not your mom?" Percy aske.

"Step-mother," the woman interjected, cooly.

"Only on paper." Annabeth's voice had grown low and her knuckles were white from clenching so hard. "So, yes, Percy, meet my mother, Athena Wisdom."

"You're Athena Wisdom?" Percy couldn't help but blurt out in disbelief. Ever since he was a young boy who shadowed his father on business trips, Wisdom Industries had been a name thrown around with disdain. As Open Seas main competitor, he'd heard many phone calls where his father and colleagues had cursed 'the witch, Athena Wisdom.'

Athena rolled her eyes, "Yes, Perseus, I am Athena. You certainly are a bright one just like your father."

The insult flew right over Percy's head, "Dad, what is she doing here? Your arch nemesis?"

Both Poseidon and Athena both laughed. Percy's father's laugh lines crinkled, "I would hardly call her my nemesis, Percy. We did indeed used to be colleagues."

"Colleagues? I thought Wisdom Industries was our competitor."

"It is," Poseidon continued, "I fear you may have taken the stories that I told you when you were younger too seriously."

"Stories?" Athena raised an eyebrow.

Poseidon grinned sheepishly, "Maybe our feud has made my stories a bit biased. But, yes, Percy, Athena and I have had our differences in the past, but that is not the reason she is here."

"But—" Percy's mind seemed to be computing faster than his mouth as he stumbled over his words, "Annabeth, you never told me your mom was Athena Wisdom!"

"Well I didn't think it was relevant—"

"Enough!" Athena silenced them, "I am here as Annabeth's mother, but first and foremost as the CEO of a very prominent company. Poseidon has called me here to discuss the certain press conflict we have at the moment."

Percy could feel the blood rushing to his cheek. He took some comfort in the fact that Annabeth seemed to be just as embarrassed as he was.

Annabeth said, "Mother, we—"

"No," Athena said, coolly, "It's my turn to speak and your turn to listen." Percy was beginning to notice the similarities between them, from their intense gray eyes and icy demeanor.

Percy looked at Annabeth, expecting a smooth retort erupting from her mouth, but for once she stayed silent.

Athena continued, "Before you two arrived, Poseidon and I were speaking–"

"Arguing," muttered Poseidon.

"We were not arguing," snapped Athena. She took a breath, "We were speaking about this certain predicament that you two managed to get yourselves into on this so-called business trip."

Percy glanced over at Annabeth bowing her head in shame. How could someone she had never mentioned to him before in her life hold this much power over her.

Athena clasped her hands together on the table. Even as she spoke, Percy could feel her calculating gaze on him, "Despite our differences, Poseidon and I agree that this press situation is not ideal and must be dealt with accordingly. We've decided to handle this together rather than fight each other on it or place blame."

Annabeth nodded, her eyes seeming to trace a pattern across the table. Percy noticed this quirk whenever she was thinking hard about something, as if she was seeing the blueprints of a plan in her head.

Poseidon continued, scratching his beard, "Being the CEO, Percy has undergone intensive media training. You have not, Miss Chase. Percy's already in the papers as it is, and with this scandal, the press is going to be more vigilant than ever upon you two. That means there will be eyes all over the company. Both of our companies now, actually."

Annabeth bit her lip, "Then how do we get the press away from the company?"

"We don't," Poseidon simply replied with a shrug, "I never said press was a bad thing. Why, good press would be wonderful for the company."

"Then I don't see what the problem is."

"I said good press, Miss Chase. That's the tricky part. The media is a fickle, fickle thing. Athena and I both have some precarious deals in the works, and one bad story could send our investors running."

"And a notorious playboy CEO having relations with his assistant is bad story," Athena grimaced. Annabeth's face flushed as her mother continued, "But good for all of us is that this story is still fairly new. The public is still trying to figure out how they feel about you two. Is it a Cinderella story? Or an immoral scandal."

"If we play our cards right, we can decide for the public," Poseidon continued. "We met with both of our PR teams this morning, the most optimal chance of success is the happily ever after angle. This is every working woman in Manhattan's dream."

Annabeth blinked, "You mean want us to flaunt this? Make our relationship completely public?"

"For the time being. Believe me, the public gets bored easily. This will all blow over soon."

"But what about people here in the office?" Percy questioned. "This was against the rules."

"No doubt HR will give you a slap on the wrist for not filing a report," Poseidon chucked, "But son, you're the boss. There's nothing they can really do about. You can date whoever you like."

Both and Annabeth and Athena's faces mirrored the same disgust.

"But what does any of this have to do with Wisdom Industries?" Annabeth frowned.

Athena clasped her fingers, "Oh, my dear, it will only take some light googling for them to link us together as mother and daughter. We have just as much at stake here. So you and Percy must convince them that everything is fine."

"I guess we can do that," Annabeth glanced at Percy.

"Good thing this is all settled then," said Athena much more cheerily than before, "Of course, I don't like the fact that my daughter will now be publicly associated with you people, but as long as the company is safe. I have a 3 o'clock to catch." Athena stood and collected her things and smoothed her pantsuit.

"But mother—"

"Goodbye, Annabeth." She nodded towards Percy and Poseidon before leaving.

Poseidon stood, "I have a call to make as well. We'll be in touch. I've hired to the best publicists in the country to smooth this all over."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you, Percy," Annabeth sighed, irritated with his pestering. She slung her bag over her shoulder as Percy unloaded all of her luggage from the cab.

Percy extended the handle of his carry-on, "Start with how you, uh, never mentioned Athena before."

Annabeth turned to face him. She glared at him, hard, "Not now." She sighed, then continued in a hushed tone, "Later, I promise."

"How much later?" Percy said, paying the cabbie and thanking him.

Annabeth sighed, glancing up at Percy's skyscraper apartment building, "Just let us get settled and let me gather my thoughts and I'll explain. Promise."

Percy muttered, "Fine."

Annabeth nodded a quick thank you to the doorman as he held the door open for the couple. The ride back home from the office had been hectic; Percy desperately trying to figure what the hell just happened and Annabeth trying to remain calm after being ambushed by Athena.

After dumping their luggage in the foyer of Percy's apartment, ("Home sweet home") Annabeth collapsed on the black leather couch.

Percy sat across from her, propping his feet up on the coffee table and crossing his arms, "Ok, Chase, explain."

Annabeth sighed, "So, remember before we started going out, you asked me about my mother? And I said she's not in the picture."

"Uh huh."

"Well, that was true, Athena wasn't in the picture. Helen was the closest thing I had,"

Annabeth had spent lazy Sundays in bed with Percy, telling him about the pranks her brothers pulled, afternoons with her stepmother taking her to and from her track meets, or her father taking her along his conferences and stopping at any monuments on the way.

Annabeth always stayed clear of any mention of her mother. Because there wasn't much to tell.

Annabeth took a deep breath, "I"m the unwanted product of their fling back in my dad's college days. Growing up, my dad never talked about her, and I never asked because I could tell it made him sad. All I knew was that she'd left as soon as I was born."

Annabeth pulled her hair up into a ponytail, "When I turned seven, that's when I got my first birthday card from her. Along with invitations to spend the summers with her in the city, or in Greece, or wherever she was working at the time."

Percy was looking at her tenderly. She shot him a sad smile, "I never responded. And I never went. After the first letter, my dad looked so sad and I knew I would disappoint him if I went. Then, of course, my dad married Helen."

Annabeth pulled her legs onto the couch, tucking them under her, "When I got accepted at Columbia, and moved to the city a few years ago. I decided to go look her up and see her."

Percy reached for her hand. Annabeth scoffed, "I met my mother for the first time in a board room at her office at twenty-one. Not the heartwarming story you'd think."

Percy said, "So what happened."

Annabeth grimaced, "Ever since I was little, I just had this picture in my head of this kind woman who wanted to reconnect with her daughter so badly, but distance and my father had kept us apart."

"And?" Percy said, intently listening to his girlfriend's story.

Annabeth scoffed, "It wasn't even her writing the letters or sending birthday cards. Just her assistant after she found out about me. And you met my mother, she's not exactly maternal."

"You got that right."

"So that's it. I never told you about her because there's nothing to tell."