Hinata received a frantic text from her sister. 'Dad incoming!'
What? Hinata glanced around the meeting room before returning to her phone. 'What do you mean?'
'Dad found out where you work and is heading there right now! He doesn't approve.' Hanabi sent back. 'He just called me, but he's already on his way!'
Hinata stiffened, looking around the room more frantically. Could she excuse herself and intercept him? She messaged the front desk to keep him on hold if he showed up.
"What's wrong?" Hinata jumped. Fugaku glanced down at her. She must be showing her discomfort more than she meant to.
"It's a personal matter," Hinata whispered.
Fugaku's face scrunched. "Will it affect this meeting?"
"I hope not, sir." Hinata replied.
"Then deal with it later. We have to be in the car in twenty minutes. Deal with it, then." Hinata nodded, placing the phone in her lap. Before long, she could feel it vibrate. Either the front desk or her father was calling her. She tried to ignore it, but her hands were shaking with the phone.
Why was her father upset with her job? How was he so upset to come to pick her up? Why couldn't he just call her or wait to yell at her? Could she avoid a scene?
Hinata worked so hard to keep this job. There was no way that she wasn't getting fired if her father blew up on her in front of her boss, not after last night.
At least she was already training a replacement.
Hinata pressed her lips together to keep them from trembling. Stay professional. She scooped up her things, following Fugaku to their offices when the meeting was done. She scrambled for her items, but unfortunately, he beat her to the elevator.
Hinata watched the floors tick down as the elevator dropped with her stomach. Her phone had a stack of missed calls from her father, and messages from the front desk.
The elevator hit the ground floor. She could hear the shouting before the doors opened.
"Sir, the director's assistant is in a meeting. We can't reach her either. Please sit down!" The front desk attendant tried.
"How long is this meeting? I have been here for half an hour!" Hiashi snapped.
"Please continue to the car." Hinata ducked her head to Fugaku.
"What?" Fugaku looked at the shouting man, whom she was embarrassed to call her father.
Hiashi caught sight of them and stocked toward her. Hinata stepped forward with her hands out. "Father, you shouldn't be here."
"You did not tell me you were working for this man!" Hiashi jabbed his finger at Fugaku.
Hinata took a double-take between them. Fugaku's face went hard. "Father, I'm working. You should have just called!" Hinata attempted to pull her father's attention back to her.
"Haven't you destroyed your own career enough, Hiashi?" Fugaku asked coldly from behind her. "You have to try to destroy your daughter's as well."
Hiashi's glare snapped up. Did they know each other? "Haven't taken enough, have you? Had to try to take my daughter too?" Hiashi's hand snapped out to point into her face, making her stiff. "You are coming home! Now!" He grabbed her wrist.
"No!" Hinata demanded, yanking back on her arm.
Hiashi stared at her in shock. Hinata felt fear drip down her spine. She had never told her father no before.
His hand shot across her face, and she squeaked in surprise. She stumbled back, holding her stinging cheek. "If you stay here, you are no daughter of mine!"
Hinata felt tears fall down her face as she shook. In all the years of disappointing him, her father had never struck her before.
"Security." Fugaku snapped.
Hinata could hear her father shout and fight, but it droned out as she held on to her face. Did he hate Uchiha that much? Did he care so little for her and her career that he would make such a scene?
Hinata felt a hand on her back. She looked up, trying not to look as miserable as she felt.
"Let's get in the car," Fugaku told her.
Hinata let out a shaky breath, trying to control the sobs that wanted to be released. She followed him to the car and bowed her head to the driver, who held the door open. She sat down numbly, folding her hands in her lap.
What was she going to do?
Hinata flinched as a handkerchief was held in front of her. She took it, blotting her eyes and sniffling.
Fugaku stared ahead. He looked regretful. She wasn't sure why. "Cancel the meeting."
Fugaku ordered the driver to change course. Hinata did as she was told, canceling the meeting. She tried to calm herself, but it was apparent that Hiashi did a number on her emotions as well as her face.
She sat down at the restaurant, obediently taking an ice pack for her cheek.
He was wrong.
Hiashi hadn't trained her. This wasn't an elaborate ploy to weasel back into his business. She wasn't a sleeper agent here to destroy him. She was just like her mother, as innocent as she seemed.
Fugaku had to admit the signs were stacking up, working all hours without complaint, taking any request even if it made no sense, ordering food for him if they stayed too late, scheduling him up for a doctor's appointment, and making secret pastries for his breakfast.
She had no idea who he was or why her father was so angry.
Hinata tucked her head down, holding the ice to her cheek, staring numbly at the table. She was embarrassed and hurt. For once, he didn't think she deserved it. "Hiashi and I were once business partners in university."
Hinata's eyes slid up to him.
"I didn't think it was a good idea. We butted heads as it was, but your mother thought that it was a good idea, and I trusted her judgment." Fugaku loosened his tie, taking the offered wine from the waiter.
"You knew my mother?" Hinata asked quietly.
"Yes, a good friend as was Hiashi once" Fugaku leaned back in his chair. "I introduced them to each other."
Hinata looked away thoughtfully.
"I'm sure you know your father can be a stubborn man." As much as he could complain about Hiashi, he wasn't going to sit here and make a list. Hinata felt bad enough. "It went well for a while, but he got too ambitious. There was this deal he put too much of our assets in. It fell through because the place didn't have its paperwork. So they had to be shut down. I backed out because I couldn't trust him after that, and the company tanked." Faguku poured her some wine. Hinata took it, sipping it carefully. Her hands were still weak and shaking. "Your mother never blamed me, but he did," Fugaku explained. "I was the heir of Uchiha. I couldn't tank my name on sketchy business deals before I even started working for my family business."
Hinata nodded, understanding.
"He went on to try to smear me by telling my father I used company funds when I went into business with him. My father had never been so angry with me. Didn't matter if it was true or not." Fugaku poured himself more as he drained his glass. "I hired you because I recognized you. You look just like your mother." Fugaku admitted. "But I thought it was impossible for you to escape your father's personality. I thought you had tried to weasel your way in to cause more damage, or, well, I don't know what I thought you were trying to do."
Hinata's eyebrows furrowed together as she put the signs together herself.
"I apologize. You're nothing like your father." Hinata started to laugh. Small and quiet. She set down the glass of wine, covering her mouth as the laugh grew, tears still in the corners of her eyes. He wasn't expecting that. "What?"
"I applied by accident." Hinata managed to say between giggles.
"What?" Fugaku asked, more confused.
"I applied for a low-level assistant job that was open in the production department," Hinata waved her hands. "I realized I applied wrong when I got called for the interview. I came in to get experience in getting rejected. I didn't think I would get the job."
Fugaku sat back in his chair. She interviewed well, her voice shook, and she fidgeted, but her answers were well-thought-out. At the time, his assistant mentioned she even bowed to his turned chair, even though the interview ended rudely. All their interactions looked different now.
"Am I fired?" Hinata's giggles resided.
Fugaku snapped back. "You will know if I fire you."
Her mother's smile still ghosted on her face. "I don't know what I am going to do about my father."
"If he doesn't want you as his daughter, then you are more than welcome as mine," Fugaku finished his glass of wine and sat up with conviction. "Your mother would be appalled at his actions today."
Hinata shrank. "I wouldn't know."
"I do. Your mother wanted nothing more than a good life for her children. It was all she talked about." Fugaku snapped. "You live well, and you will have honored her. I've done her a disservice by thinking you were like him."
Hinata slouched as the alcohol started to kick in. She nudged her phone on the table. "I hope he lets me see my sister. I still haven't given her the coat I got with Itachi-sama." Hinata whimpered. "This job allowed me to put away a lot of money for her university." Fugaku watched her deflate, tired, rejected, and miserable. "She's going to be a doctor like her mother wanted to be."
That hurt his heart more than she realized.
Hinata tipped back the last of her glass of wine. "Can I order a dessert?"
Fugaku smiled, just like her mother.
