When Christopher’s parents found out about his dream of doing a fashion internship, they were strictly against his decision. They tried to convince him otherwise and eventually kicked him out, not knowing that the tables would turn years later.
Christopher’s mother, Mrs. Davis, beamed as she checked the college acceptance letters that had come in for her son. In addition to Dartmouth and Georgetown, Christopher also enrolled at Stanford.
Mrs. Davis could not resist shouting excitedly to her husband, and both hurried upstairs to the boy’s room to make an important announcement. “Son! You got accepted to Stanford! You did it!” his mother exclaimed.
“My boy! A Stanford man! I am so proud of you!” his stoic father smiled and embraced him tightly.
“Wait, guys!” Christopher wanted to say something, but they were not listening to him. He should have sensed that something was off when his parents, who were not exactly the most affectionate and emotional people in the world, rushed into his room with smiles on their faces.
“Let’s call your grandparents! They will be so thrilled! Oh! And let’s plan a party!” Mrs. Davis continued, joining her husband and son.
“Stop, Mum!” Christopher snapped. “Please, stop!”
“What’s wrong, son?” Mrs Davis frowned and stepped back.
“You’re wrong!” Christopher shouted, pulling away from his father. “I’M NOT GOING TO STANFORD!”
“But, son, Stanford is our family legacy. All the men have to go there,” his father added as his mother nodded in agreement.
“Boys, stop! Stop pretending I’m not here! I’m not going to Stanford or any of those stupid schools! Clear?”
“Chris!” his mother admonished.
“No, Mum, let me finish. I’ve tried to tell you, but you’ve silenced me,” Christopher continued, reaching for the papers on his bed. “This… I’m going to New York. I got a fashion internship.”
Mr. Davis’ face was pale, and Mrs. Davis’ eyes widened in horror. “Fashion?! Have you lost your mind, boy!” His father coughed out of the blue, and Mrs. Davis shot her son a resentful glance while patting her husband’s back.
“Father, come on, you sell clothing! You should understand me!” Christopher tried to explain his dreams to them, but his parents didn’t listen.
“But I don’t make clothing, son! Or worse, I design it! I own the business. I won’t spend my money on your silly dream! You’ve just proven that we failed as parents! You need to leave! You’re worthless to me!” he said and walked away.
Christopher looked at his mother and held her hands firmly. “Mom, it’s my dream. I need your help to convince my father!” he begged her.
But his mother pulled her hand away and shook her head. “Our dream for you was Stanford, my son. I’m sorry, but you have to leave this house.”
Those words pierced Christopher’s heart, and he could hear his mother’s cries from his bedroom. But he had no intention of giving up on his dreams. So, he packed his bags, called his friend Johnny, and left.
Christopher had decided that once he finished high school, he would fly to New York with Johnny. And that’s exactly what he did.
Johnny’s parents took him in after he was kicked out of his home. And a few months later, after the boys finished high school, they flew to New York.
Johnny attended NYU and worked at his uncle’s real estate firm, while Christopher received a small scholarship for his fashion internship but worked nights at a 24-hour market to pay the rest of his bills.
Christopher hadn’t heard from his parents since the day they kicked him out. They didn’t even come to his graduation ceremony or say goodbye to him at the airport.
Since leaving his home, it had become increasingly difficult for him, and it wasn’t until he arrived in New York that he realized the path to his dreams wouldn’t be easy.
There was a final project for his internship, an opportunity to present a small collection to major design houses, but the materials and fabrics were expensive, and Christopher realized he couldn’t afford his vision. So, he called his father and asked for help.
“What do you want?” Mr. Davis angrily asked when he picked up the phone. The man didn’t even bother to ask his son how he was doing.
“Hey, Dad,” Christopher said hesitantly. “I need your help. There’s a big opportunity for me.”
“What? To choose different shades of pink?” his father sarcastically replied.
“No, it’s not that,” Christopher explained that if the design houses liked his project during the internship, he would immediately secure a job, and they would also fund his future education.
But Mr. Davis remained cold in his tone. “Then why are you telling me this?” he scoffed, and Christopher could imagine his father rolling his eyes.
“I need money,” Christopher said and got down to business. He was confused, but he had no choice. “And it won’t be a handout. I’m going to pay you back. The thing is, I can’t let this opportunity pass. It can stay with me for the rest of my life.”
“Well, you’re an adult and you make your own choices. Get over it. You should have gone to Stanford,” his father said callously and hung up.
Christopher hadn’t cried a few months ago when his parents kicked him out of the house, but now he couldn’t hold back his emotions. He buried his face in the table in front of him, sobbing so hard that Johnny walked in.
“Hey man, it’s OK,” he comforted Christopher and sat down in a chair. It took a few minutes for Christopher to calm down and tell me what had just happened.
“Why don’t you borrow some money from me?” Johnny offered, but Christopher declined. He already owed him a deposit on their flat.
“Maybe you could take a break? Like if you rescheduled the class?” – Johnny suggested. He noticed that Christopher looked uncertain. “You could ask them, and I have a job at my uncle’s company. You could take that job, make enough money to finish your internship.”
Christopher had never wanted to work in an office. He wanted to be a fashion designer. But then Johnny told him that if he did a good job, his uncle’s company would pay for his education.
Christopher had always been good at maths, and with money tight, he accepted the offer. “I think it’ll work out,” he nodded nervously.
“Cheer up, mate! You’ll be back in fashion soon,” Johnny encouraged him, and Christopher nodded, telling himself that he would make his own money. He didn’t need his father’s help.
Ten years later, things were different. Mr Davis couldn’t bring himself to look at the papers on his desk. He had to decide whether to declare bankruptcy or sell his business.
Mr Davis could have tried to start over, but he didn’t want another defeat. He had failed as a father when Christopher refused to go to Stanford to study fashion.
“I’ll flip a coin! Let fate decide,” the older man thought, nodded and threw the papers back on his desk in frustration. Just then, his secretary burst into the office.
“Mr Davis, I found something!” – She said, placing the document on his desk and pointing her finger at the name on the paper.
Mr Davis’ eyes widened in shock. “This is… But that’s impossible,” he muttered, continuing to read. Richard couldn’t believe his son’s name was on the buyer’s forms.
“I made a few calls and confirmed it, sir. It could be a sign from the universe,” she said. “He has a great reputation. He worked in a brokerage firm and climbed the corporate ladder faster than most. He also bought up other struggling businesses and expanded them into clothing, accessories and more. I think it’s worth a try.
Richard smiled and even let out a chuckle. His son was a real businessman, not a hapless designer living in a dirty apartment with a dirty Ramen. He decided to sell the company to his son.
A few days later, Richard walked into his company’s conference room with a big grin on his face. He confidently shook everyone’s hand and smiled at his son.
Christopher sat surrounded by his lawyers. The negotiations had already taken place; all that remained was for the papers to be signed. Then the company would officially be his.
“Don’t be so serious, my son. Your mother is outside. Let’s celebrate when we’re done,” Richard said to his son, but Christopher didn’t accept the invitation.
His parents refused to help him when he needed it most. It was Johnny who helped him get a job at a brokerage firm, and Christopher was so good that he quickly rose through the ranks. But Christopher couldn’t go back to fashion or his internship.
After Johnny moved in, Christopher had to keep working hard to make ends meet and his dreams of becoming a fashion designer faded. But when an opportunity came up to make a deal with a clothing company, he saw his chance and took it.
The business grew so much that Christopher expanded it. He also offered scholarships and internships to fashion students, healing the wounds of the past and fulfilling his dreams a little.
“Mrs Pattison,” Christopher addressed his father’s secretary after he had signed the papers, ignoring his father. Mr Davis has to leave the building. And yes, that includes Mrs Davis.”
“What the hell are you doing?” Richard jumped to his feet in anger.
“Please hurry or I’ll have to call security,” he said to Mrs Pattison, looking his father in the eye. “I have no desire to have dinner with you two! But, yes, I do want to know one thing…. Am I worthy enough now?”
Mr Davis’s eyes were red with anger, but he nodded and left, accompanied by his guards.
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