Chapter nine Between two worlds.
The morning after her rooftop promise with Hayden, Ruth woke with a calm resolve she hadn't felt in years. She was not reacting anymore- she was choosing. And that choice was clarity.
She knows the best for herself, she is sure she was not heading to regret. She has put everything behind her and is looking forward to a better home and future with Hayden. She has also decided to brace up every challenge that will try to stop her. But the world around her wasn't ready.
At Gold Holdings,a leaked memo stirred the press into a frenzy. A source inside the company claimed Ruth's" emotional instability" had begun to impact investor confidence. Financial blogs question whether the once- unshakable empire was showing an internal plot.
Leo called her in the early afternoon.
"They are sharpening their knives, Ruth. You're trending again. The board's having quiet conversations without you. Some are suggesting you take a leave of absence".
The company is feeling insecure about Ruth's change of attitude, they are not comfortable with her romance with the poor musician. The only way to excuse her is to give her a "temporary leave". They concluded that she is not fit to mentally fit the company.
"Let them talk", Ruth said."If they are shaken by my presence, maybe they should question their stability".
"And I am not shaken about their conversations, I am on the right track", Ruth Continued.
Leo paused." You are stronger than all of them. But be careful. This isn't just business anymore . It's blood.
That evening, Harmony Center buzzed with excitement as they prepared for the upcoming youth voices night. It was a program that gives every teen an opportunity to rehearse and Come up with a song presentation. Every teen must be ready for that night, it is also a moment of talent discovery.
Ruth helped hang lights in the atrium, laughing as Talia and Marcus squabbled over playlist choices. She felt at home.
Talia pulled her aside at one point , handing her a piece of folded paper. " It is a poem", she mumbled. " I wrote it after you came to talk to us last week". Ruth read it under the soft lantern light, it was raw, honest, and filled with pain-and hope. A line stuck in her mind: She wore heels on broken streets, but never looked down.
She blinked back tears
You're an artist, Talia", she said
"No", Talia smiled shyly, "I just feel things now because of you".
It was moments like that which fed Ruth's soul moments where she didn't have to defend her heart- she could just live in it.
One of the volunteers handed me a clipboard. She reviewed a list of youth scheduled to perform and realized how personal each name had become to her. They weren't just students, they were pieces of a future she believed in. But just as she was starting to feel the joy settled in, Hayden approached with his phone in his hand.
Already, Ruth has made up her mind to keep coming to Harmony Center. Her father's choice over this doesn't matter to her. She has diverted her focus to helping Hayden in the Harmony Center.
Hayden wasn't happy with what he saw on his phone.
Ruth,.... you need to see this".
She took the phone. On the screen was a smear article titled Heiress or Hypocrite? It painted her as a privileged tourist romanticizing poverty, exploiting inner city kids for publicity. The piece included photos of her laughing with volunteers, smiling with Hayden, even helping serve food. Ruth knew that these are strategies and plans to weaken and discourage her from her relationship with Hayden.
" They want to make it look like I'm using the kids", she whispered.
Hayden placed a steady hand on her back. "They want to scare you back into silence".
He continued," they want to ridicule you in the public and defame your name".
Ruth replied," They are free to do whatever, that isn't my headache".
Hayden said," they also want to tarnish our image before the kids and the teens".
Ruth clenched her jaw," It won't work".
Hayden looked at her closely", you don't need to prove angry to them, Ruth. Just keep showing for yourself and for us".
She nodded slowly, eyes glinting with quiet fire. " I am not going anywhere".
We need to be strong and be focused, they would come with a lot of plans to separate us. Our unity and the commitment for ourselves will conquer them. Hayden said to Ruth.
Ruth and Hayden are bonded by a serious love that can't be broken. Ruth's father will definitely protest but there he can do about it. That love for each other keeps growing like a wildfire.
Later that night, back at her mother's studio, Ruth stood in front of her a half finished canvas. She dipped her brush in crimson and let her feelings bleed onto the canvas.
Fear. Rage. Hurt. Truth.
Every spoke was defiance.
She would not be silenced. She would not succumb, she would not bow and be subdued. Not by wealth. Not by shame. Not by fear.
In the quiet, she thought of two worlds she now straddled. One of polished boardrooms, power lunches, and legacy; the other of laughter over crackled titles, real people with real problems, and unexpected joy. She didn't belong fully in either
But maybe she wasn't meant to.
Maybe she was meant to build something entirely new. Certainly, she said to herself, I am not meant to be part of an existing structure. I am meant to build another one.
Ruth was full of bravery like her late mother. She knows who she was, and she was meant to do it. Her father has left something big and great for her, she was not anticipating having her father's properties. She has seen where she was meant to be.
Cracks were showing in the Gold facade- but that was how the light was getting in. Her exit from Gold Holdings will take them by surprise. They will have to forge ahead and make the company greater. Her mind is in the Harmony Center. She's dreaming big things for Harmony Center. Her thought is how to expand Harmony Center beyond borders and make it greater than where it is presently. She was not regretting her actions. And for the first time, she wasn't afraid to shine through them.
She looked around the studio- half restored, filled with life and purpose- and felt for the first time, like she was standing on the bridge between two futures. And this time, she would choose direction. Her direction would be where it matters to her. She has had satisfaction ever since she met Hayden. Her future belongs there. Ruth has determined never to follow wealth, or fame. She has chosen to pursue choice through her convictions.
Ruth would definitely become a light that will shine. She has made the right choice. She has chosen peace, love, honesty and integrity. She has chosen a simple life.
She believes her mother will be happy with her. The time is coming close when all she has in mind for Hayden and the Harmony Center will be fulfilled. She will surely become a builder.