Mercedes paced the floor of the living room as she waited for Sam. He wasn't going to be happy that she was even considering what she was thinking of doing. But this was such a great opportunity for her and her siblings. This is what she needed to take care of her family and she hoped Sam could understand that. Especially since he was practically disowned by his family. This was a way she could provide for all of them. She bit her bottom lip nervously. "This has to go well. I don't want to have to choose between my family and the man I am falling for…" She said to herself. "God please don't let him hate me." Hearing a car pull up she sighed going to the door. It was now or never.
Sam arrived at Mercedes place a little anxious. He didn't know what to expect or how everything was going to go down. He just hoped that this whole situation doesn't put a damper on their relationship… if they ever had a relationship. After ringing the bell, and seeing Mercedes open the door, he did what came naturally to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He didn't say anything, just held her for a few minutes. He needed to feel her close, and he had a feeling that she may have needed him close as well.
Nothing could have prepared her for how much she needed Sam in that moment. His hug was a breath of fresh air and it healed her in some ways. She held him closer, wrapping her arms around him. "I missed you, it was only a day but I missed you Sam. I don't want space, I don't need time, just don't leave me okay? We can work out anything together." She was strong but Sam made her the kind of weak she avoided at all costs.
He nodded still holding on to her. "I don't want to give you space. I didn't realize how much I needed you and wanted you with me." After a few more minutes he pulled away. "Did you want to talk over dinner, or we can order out and talk here, because as much as I want us to be together, we have to talk and put everything out on the table."
Mercedes wiped her eyes as he pulled away. "I really don't want to go out. And I Think the stuff we need to talk about would be better suited for here." She shut the door and grabbed her phone. "Care for the best burgers in town again?"
"You read my mind. Definitely in the mood to dip my fries into my shake. And a burger with everything on it please." Comfort food was what they needed at the moment.
Mercedes nodded with a small laugh and ordered their food, before sitting on the sofa and looking over to Sam. "Okay so the best thing to do here is to rip off the bandaid. I don't care what your parents offer me Sam, I want to be with you, I don't want to lose you, but if you feel like you should give things a try with Quinn because she is pregnant, I won't like it but I will understand."
Sam took Mercedes' hand in his. "I don't want to try things with Quinn. I want to be with you and only you. I made a lot of mistakes in my life, and I haven't owned up to all of them. But I can't change the past. One thing that I am sure of with every fiber in my being is that you're the one for me. I hope I'm the one for you. As far as my child goes, I'll be the best father that I can. And I don't have to be in a relationship with Quinn for that to happen."
Mercedes sighed and smiled at Sam's words. It meant a lot to her that he wanted to be with her. She just hoped her next revelation wouldn't send him running. "I have no doubt in my mind, my heart, I know you are the one for me." She sighed. "There is something else I need to tell you. I met with Barnes and Wade today. They want me to come on as Project Manager, head of my own division with an assistant of my own. They offered me 6 figures, a company car, a housing allowance as well as full tuition for the kids. We could start over Sam, together."
Sam didn't say anything at first. He didn't know how he felt about Mercedes working for the competition. Of course he wanted her to be able to provide for the twins, and she deserved to have her own career that isn't tied up with his family. But it would feel weird to him because even though his family disowned him, he still wanted to remain loyal to Evans Corp. It was a company he was bred for. It was everything to him. And though he is no longer CEO, it would forever remain a part of him. Of course he didn't expect Mercedes to understand that and she had no reason to feel the way he did. She was her own person, and it was time he became his own person.
"Well, you seem excited for this opportunity. And yes it's a fresh start for you and the twins. You deserve it." He wanted to be happy for her, and show enthusiasm, but he just couldn't, and that made him feel like a shitty person.
He was saying all the right things, all the things she wanted to hear and yet, his face said it all. His tone said it all and she found herself moving away from him. "Your words are everything Sam, but I have learned that people's true emotions are read from their face and heard from their tone, not words and while your words are saying what I need to hear, you are looking at me like I betrayed you or will be betraying you if I take this job."
Sam knew he couldn't hide his emotions. And leave it up to Mercedes to see right through him. "Honestly, you have to do what you need to do for your family. It doesn't matter how I feel about it. I get that. It's fine." He had no right making her feel bad about anything. She was basically a single mother doing what she had to for her family. He respected it. And he didn't want to fight. He knew if he told her how he truly felt, there might be no coming back from it. And he wanted to preserve his relationship with her.
"It does Matter Sam, how you see me, how you feel about this, it does matter. Whether we talk about it today or later we will still have the same conversation and I would prefer to have that conversation now, we have to say what we feel Sam and the truth is I can see how you feel in your eyes, so just tell me. Be honest."
Sam took a deep breath. He didn't want to upset her, but she was right. He had to be honest with his feelings. "I don't like you working for them for a few reasons. How do you know that they aren't just using you for information on Evans Corp? I know you are capable, and you would be an asset to any company, but you don't know if this whole thing is just an act to get inside information or to just have something to hold over my parents...And what about loyalty? Loyalty should be an unconditional thing, not something you forget about because you don't see eye to eye with Mary and Dwight." Sam knew he wasn't being fair, and she deserved to do what she had to do, but she asked how he really felt, so he told her.
Mercedes listened to Sam, her heart breaking every word that dripped from his lips. She stood up and looked at him. "Loyalty? LOYALTY! I was loyal! I worked for your family for 6 years, I helped build the company, maybe not in the way your parents did from the ground up but I put my sweat and time into it as much as anyone else and when I needed your family in my corner they disrespected me, they hurt me." She grabbed her phone and went to her voice mail. Playing the message she got this morning.
"Ms. Jones, this is Headmaster Hill from Hamilton Prep. We are calling about Miles and Maddie. Unfortunately we are unable to renew their Scholarships for next year. We can offer you a discount on our tuition or we can write great letter of recommendations for them. Please give me a call at your earliest convenience and we can discuss this further."
Mercedes turned her phone off and looked at him. "Your mother had the school revoke their scholarships. She brought the twins into this Sam. I was loyal. I was the bigger person through all of this. Your family telling me I am not good enough, you choosing Quinn over me, I quit my job out of respect for your family. Where was my loyalty?" She grabbed her contract and handed it to him. "They aren't hiring me for intel on your family. I made sure my contract specified that. Even after all they have done I am still loyal. Can't say that about your family." She said, wiping her eyes.
Sam knew his words would upset her, but he didn't think this much. He was about to interrupt, but she played the message. He knew that his family were blackballing him and pulling out all the stops to make him agree to their terms, but he never thought they would bring the twins into it. And he regretted his words. He even felt more guilty when she showed him the contract and how she was still looking out for Evans Corp. He was embarrassed and didn't know what to say. He wasn't good with words when it came to Mercedes. She was an amazing woman and he just always seemed to take her for granted. He had to be better for her.
"I'm sorry! God Mercedes from the moment I met you I have just been screwing everything up for you. I never... I never thought my parents would do this. Not to you or the twins. I know sorry isn't enough. I know sorry just seems pathetic and worthless because instead of realizing how wonderful you are, I was blinded by my own failures and insecurities." He wouldn't blame her if she didn't want to deal with him. He needed to show her he is in this for the long haul and that he will be there and defend her and their relationship. "I just keep screwing things up but I know that I am a better man with you, I know that you make me want to be better." Sam's issue was that he was never required to be better, Quinn wanted him and his name, so she let him treat her however he wanted. Not that he was a bad guy but he just always got what he wanted and it spoiled him. He was loyal to his family because that's all he knew. But in knowing Mercedes, even if he may not always show it, he was becoming a better man, one who didn't hide behind his money, or his parents anymore. One who would stand up and defend the one constant in his life, the one person who always seemed to put him above herself..And he knew that to Mercedes, actions spoke louder than words ever could and so now he was going to start letting his actions speak for him instead of his words. He took out his phone and decided to call Mary and this time, he wasn't holding back.
Mercedes wanted to say something but for a moment she just listened, and reflected on his words. She didn't know if she made him a better man but she hoped that was true. When he grabbed the phone she wasn't sure who he was calling, but the look on his face told her whoever it was, was not gonna like this conversation.
Mary didn't even bother with the pleasantries. She knew her son was calling for one reason only. And that was to get his job back. "It's about time you came to your senses? I know all I had to do was play a little hard ball and you would have no choice to stick to the plan."
"Enough! I can't believe after everything I still defended you to Mercedes, still thought that things would get better and that you were only bluffing. Even called her unloyal when all along, you are the one who's unloyal and such a snake. How could you revoke the kids scholarship like that? I get being upset with me, but why take it out on innocent children? Children that you claim to have loved?"
"I told you that this was how things were going to go, and I am a woman of my word. Does that make me evil or ruthless? I guess so, but that is how you have to be to get things done sometimes… You know that about me. I don't see why it's a surprise to you." She didn't mean to sound like a bitch, but there was no backing down now. Sam would break, he always broke.
"It's not. I've seen how you are. But for someone who claims to love family above all others, you are such a lying hypocrite, and I'm embarrassed to be your son."
"You're embarrassed? No, I am embarrassed to be your mother. I raised you better than this. Raised you to be the best. And to be the best you have to be with the best. You walked away from your family, and you knew what that meant. I told you I would do whatever I had to, to make sure you don't walk away from this. And I have. Mercedes has nothing, no scholarship, no job, nothing. How long do you think she will stay with you, before she accepts my offer of 8 million dollars? And for a man who claims to care about her, you seem to be digging her deeper and deeper into that poverty hole."
The last part stung. Since meeting Sam, he has brought nothing but hardship to her. If he would have just kept things professional, she would be so much better financially.
"You're right. I made life harder for her unintentionally. And through all of that, she is still by my side. She is still thinking about me and my happiness. More than you, dad, or Quinn has. And she has earned my unwavering support and loyalty. So, Mary, since I'm embarrassed to be your son, and you are embarrassed to be my mother, then we don't have to be in each other's lives. I'm giving back my inheritance, and the money I get after marrying Quinn, you can give to my child. I don't want to be in your life until you realize that I'm old enough to make my own decisions."
The words came out faster than he had time to realize what that meant. But there was no taking them back and honestly, he didn't want to. He wanted to be with Mercedes and they weren't going to stop him.
The moment she realized he called his mom, she was speechless. And as the conversation continued she sat there watching him take his life back, watching him grow right before her eyes. He wasn't just saying he wanted to be with her, he was taking action, taking charge and proving he wanted to be with her. Then he gave it up, all of it, for her, he gave up his money, his family and he truly showed her that actions meant more than words. As he hung up Mercedes stared at him. There was nothing she could say, but she would be there for him, help him. She went to him holding him close, and hugging him tight. It was in that moment she knew, she wasn't falling in love, she wasn't on the fence. She was in love with Sam Evans. And she prayed he loved her too.
Mary hung up the phone not knowing what to say. She was sure that Sam would have taken the bait and left Mercedes alone. Why couldn't he just stick to the plan? Mercedes just wasn't a good fit, and because of her, Sam is acting irrational. Though she would never admit it, she was kind of impressed with Mercedes standing her ground and not taking the bribe. Only a little. She still thought that Sam would be better off with Quinn, especially since Quinn is pregnant. Now her grandchild will have to be raised in a broken family.
Mary was interrupted from her thoughts when Sandra, her maid, and these days, her closest confidant walked into the room.
"Mary, I was just about to get started on dinner, did you want me to cook anything special?" Sandra was surprised Mary was even home. She thought she would have been at the office all day. She didn't expect her to be back only two hours after she left.
"Oh, Sandra...you startled me?" Mary chuckled. "No, whatever you prepare is fine." Mary had too much on her mind to even think about dinner.
"Trouble at the office? I wasn't expecting you home so soon."
Mary just shrugged. "Today wasn't the best of days, Dwight stayed and handled things. I just needed to come home and relax or nap."
"I'm surprised that you guys are working so soon after you retired. I thought you would spend your retirement on endless cruises." Sandra giggled a bit. "But then I remember how much of a workaholic you two are."
"Cruises do sound perfect though. But when you own your company, and your son isn't as reliable as you thought, things change."
"I couldn't help to hear what was going on, but whatever is going on in Sam's personal life, you raised him well enough that he knows how to separate personal from professional. I'm sure the business is still in good hands."
Mary frowned a bit. "Well as of today, Sam is no longer CEO of Evans Corp."
"Y-You fired him?" Sandra was shocked. No matter how upset Mary and Dwight would get at Sam over the years, they always wanted him to succeed and be happy. She would never think that they would just fire him.
"I had no choice. He ruined everything. He was supposed to be married to Quinn, and merge our families together to ensure our finances for generations to come. But what does he do? Throws it all away for someone he just met. He's being selfish. He's not thinking about his family and what this merger means.
Sandra nodded. "Sam's a good kid, I'm sure he'll come around. You raised him to be a fine young man. I wouldn't worry too much about the choices he makes because he always makes it work out for everyone.
Mary knew that Sam was a good kid, and he would always be her son, but right now, he is a fool blinded by love and that is a dangerous thing. "You may be right Sandra, but love can make you do some crazy things and that's what Sam is doing. Crazy things."
"Is it so bad that he fell in love and wants to derail the plan a bit. Is the girl that bad? She seemed lovely when she was here."
"It's not about Mercedes...well it's not only about her. They don't fit. Yes she is a lovely girl and works very hard, but if they got together, people would have a problem with it no matter how progressive they may seem. Plus she wouldn't be able to elevate him. What would he gain by marrying her? She would gain an Empire, but he would gain nothing."
"I don't think that's necessarily true. I think there is a way to honor the merging of your two families while letting Sam live his life the way he wants."
"The way he wants? He doesn't know what he wants. He just met this woman a few months ago."
"That may be true, but Mary, you knew her for years and sung her praises. I'm sure he sees in her what you did. Do you think she would try and take everything from him?"
"I can say she wouldn't. I offered her millions, and she got offended."
"Then that's a sign that she doesn't care about the Empire."
"We'll see how true that is. Sam is giving up his inheritance, so we will see how devoted she is when he has nothing to his name, and is down and out and living out of a car he can't afford."
"Mary, you know as well as I know that Sam is resilient and will make a way for himself. I can't imagine him being down on his luck for two long. He's smart, someone will hire him."
"I know, but at Evans Corp, he started at the top of the food chain. He only has a few months as CEO, he won't be at the top. He will probably get an entry level job at some small company."
"With two master degrees, I'm sure he'll find decent employment. I'm just hoping that when all of this is said in done, your family can come back together. I'm going to go get started on dinner." She started to walk out when she saw Dwight make his way in. She nodded in greeting before making her way to the kitchen.
Dwight nodded towards Sandra as he moved to kiss Mary on her cheek. He stayed at the office after she left to try and figure out the changes that needed to come to pass now that Sam was no longer a part of Evans Corp. He was torn with the whole situation. Sam was everything he wanted in a son, and yet this was so out of character.
"Have you heard from Sam yet? Did he change his mind?"
"I did. And it wasn't a pleasant conversation. To make a long story short, he relinquished his trust fund." Mary still couldn't fathom him doing that. "Maybe I pushed him too hard."
Dwight sighed, shaking his head. He walked over to the couch and took a seat loosening his tie. "What exactly did he say? What happened?"
"He called upset because I had Mercedes' siblings scholarship taken away. He was upset and started saying how Mercedes is the only one that cares about him and blah blah blah. And when he saw I wasn't bluffing, he basically said he isn't a part of this family anymore and he is giving us back our trust fund and everything we ever gave him." Mary sighed and sat down next to her husband. "I'm not sure if he is really going to do that though. Start over from scratch? Who would want to do that?"
"Mary, you didn't," Dwight sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I don't know what to say here Mary, I want what you want, for Sam to return to his life, to the company, to Quinn. And I think a few weeks of him living on his own with nothing is going to put him back in his place. But what I don't like is making those sweet kids pay for this situation. Making Mercedes, who has always been here for us, for Stevie and Stacey, Pay." She sighed looking at his wife. "Is there… is it really bad that he fell in love with Mercedes? I fell in love with you despite my parents complaining."
Mary looked at her husband in disbelief. "I hope you're not having a change of heart. You know just as well as I do that what Sam has done will ruin his reputation and career. What if he goes and marries her? He will lose everything."
Dwight cleared his throat. "No, I do agree that Sam needs to come back home, come back to his life. But I never thought we would sink so low that we would hurt children and people who don't deserve it. I want Sam to come back, but I want him to come back the right way." He sighed heavily. "So what do we do now?"
Of course Mary didn't mean to hurt Mercedes and especially her siblings. She admired Mercedes taking care of them and putting her life on hold for them. That's why she helped her as much as Mercedes would allow. She felt guilty, but Sam was her son and her main priority was protecting him, even if he ended up hating her. "I don't know. Nothing has worked. Now he has no trust fund, no cushion. I just want him to go back to how he was."
Dwight looked at his wife and sighed. "This might sound crazy but hear me out. Sam is not giving up Mercedes if we keep pushing him to do so. That much is clear. But maybe we should do something drastic, like my parents did for you, except we both know Mercedes won't turn out like you did. Not that she isn't just as driven but you Mary, you were able to put your own personal feelings aside, for us. But we both know Mercedes prides herself on her independence, so let's use that."
He stood walking towards his wife. "All this time we have been focused on Sam, focused on getting him to leave Mercedes. Did you see her face when you offered her the money, she may not admit it yet but it's clear she loves Sam. So let's go for her and not him. Tell Sam we support his relationship, and have him bring Mercedes around, and show them both how different she is. How bad things would be if she marries Sam. One thing we know is that she cares about him. She won't let him ruin his life for her."
Mary looked at Dwight and gave him a kiss on the lips. "See, you remind me of why I fell for you in the first place. You are so smart Mr. Evans. This will work. Just watch her basically realize that we were right all along. Let her fail and then push Sam away not wanting to ruin him." Mary was glad Dwight came up with this. There was no way Mercedes would stay with Sam knowing that she is hurting him. "Of course, we can't say anything now, then it would be obvious. Let's let him sweat it out for a bit a week, and then we put our plan into motion."
Dwight smiled, kissing his wife back. "Yes a week of him not being able to work or pay his bills. I will also play mediator in this situation to make Sam feel like I am on his side. It won't be obvious." He said hugging her. But what he didn't say was this was not just a way for Mary to get what she wanted. It was a test. Ultimately Dwight wanted his son happy, and if Mercedes made him happy, then it was up to them, to convince both he and Mary that this could work. EIther way, Sam would be back where he belonged.