I sneered inwardly. I had believed those words once. After marriage, I had pleaded with Frank to let John work in Lawson Group while I stayed home to prepare for pregnancy. John gradually pushed aside the company's veterans and replaced them with his own people, causing several major projects to fail. Frank was so enraged that he was hospitalized, and his illness flared up, leading to his death. John blamed his subordinates, claiming they had acted without his knowledge, and I foolishly believed him. I was blind to this toxic relationship. After Frank died, I lost my support system. John began to control my outings and dictate my attire. Any objection from me was met with emotional manipulation, claiming he loved me too much and feared I would leave him. There was even a time when I visited the company, and he beat me upon my return, accusing me of making others think he relied on me for his position.
"We'll discuss that later. Let's go toast first," I said, deciding to placate him for the moment.
For a week after my marriage, I left early and returned late, not mentioning arranging for John to join Lawson Group. He grew impatient.