The Next Day (Nelson Fox's Office)

"Dad, that's a ridiculous accusation!" Joe ran his hand through his hair, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Why would you even think that? You know it's not true."
Nelson laughed. "Of course it's the truth, Son! Anyone can see it."

Joe took a sip of his coffee. "Well I don't believe it for a second, and I never will. Kathleen Kelly is a loving, caring person. She'd never do a thing like that."

"Son, be careful around her. Kathleen Kelly is bad news."

"Why? Because we were on opposite sides of the book industry?" Joe asked.

"Thanks to her publicity stunts, she almost destroyed our chances at building in the Upper West Side. Your grandfather worked hard to build this company into what it is today."

Joe rolled his eyes. He'd heard the speech about his grandfather's legacy so many times, he knew it by heart.

"I'm telling you, Son. Kathleen Kelly is out for revenge."

Joe sighed. "She wasn't out for revenge, Dad. She was just trying to stay in business. It was her mother's legacy."

"Cecelia Kelly." Schuyler said. "I think we might have had a date once."

Joe smiled at his grandfather's recollection.

"Well, I for one am glad that it's gone." Nelson said. "I was getting tired of the picketing and protesting that was always going on over there."

"Dad, don't start that again."

"I don't want you getting mixed up with her, Son. There's no telling what she'll try to do next. In just a few days, our profits dropped a whopping-."

"Two percent, Dad!" Joe finished. "That's hardly the end of the world."

"Thank God it only took mere months for her store to bit the dust. Now that they're all unemployed, they won't be bothering us anymore."

At his father's words, Joe had a disturbing revelation. Had he really been so insensitive that he took pleasure in seeing smaller companies go under in favor of larger ones?

"Take my word for it, Son." Nelson said. "Kathleen Kelly is a fake. And I can prove it."

"You don't even know her, Dad." Joe said.

He stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

Joe barely knew Kathleen himself.

But he knew one thing... He loved her, and nothing would ever change that.