Chapter 10 - The Phoenix Legacy
Two years later.
The name on the massive factory building in Chula Vista had been changed. The bright, bold letters now read: Four Daughters Crafting & Supply.
The transition hadn't been easy, but once the dead weight of Raymond and Gavin’s incompetence was removed, the company bounced back with a vengeance. I rehired the staff that had been wrongfully terminated, secured new distribution contracts in the Midwest, and modernized the production line. Profits were up forty percent.
I sat in the CEO’s office—formerly Raymond’s office, completely renovated to remove any trace of his dark, imposing aesthetic. The room was bright, filled with sunlight and plants. On my desk was a framed photo of my girls.
Gaby was now seventeen and looking at colleges, talking about majoring in business administration. Paige and Maya were thriving in their new high school in San Diego, having moved back once the dust settled. Zoey was eight, currently sitting on the rug in the corner of my office, happily drawing in a sketchbook.
A gentle knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. Teresa peeked her head in. After I took over the company, I hired her back—not as a housekeeper, but as the company’s head of employee relations, a job she was incredibly good at.
"Excuse me, Ms. Brenda," Teresa smiled warmly. "The Seattle distributors are waiting for you in the conference room. And... there was a phone call at the front desk. From Raymond."
I didn't flinch. "What did he want?"
"He was asking if there were any entry-level positions open in the warehouse. I told him we weren't hiring."
I nodded slowly. I had heard through the grapevine that Raymond and Florence were living in a cramped, two-bedroom apartment in a bad part of town. Florence rarely left the house, consumed by bitterness, while Raymond jumped from one low-paying job to another, his reputation completely destroyed in the local business community. Gavin was rumored to be in prison in Nevada for check fraud.
"Thank you, Teresa," I said, standing up and smoothing my skirt.
I looked out the large glass window of my office, watching the trucks load up cargo, watching the bustling, productive energy of an empire that I had built, lost, and conquered once again. I had taken the worst moment of my life and forged it into an unbreakable foundation for my children.
"Mom?" Zoey called out from the rug, holding up her drawing. "Do you like it?"
It was a picture of the five of us, standing in front of the factory. We were all holding hands, and we were all smiling.
May you like
"I love it, sweetheart," I said, walking over to kiss the top of her head. "It's perfect. Now, stay here with Teresa. Mommy has to go run our empire."
I walked out of the office, the click of my heels echoing confidently down the hallway. I wasn't just Brenda Miller anymore. I was a force of nature. And nobody would ever tell my daughters that they weren't enough, ever again.
