My Son Blocked Me From His $40m Merger Dinner Because I’m Just A “Poor Mechanic.” He Didn’t Know I Own The Building Where The Party Was. Now, He’s Begging For A Job. Aita For Evicting His Entire Career?
Michael sent me articles about the merger, press releases, photos from the celebration dinner I missed. His LinkedIn post thanking everyone who “believed in this vision.” I didn’t respond to any of it,.
Then, two weeks after the dinner, Sarah from Martinez Property Management called.
“Mr. Harrison, we need to talk about the Blake Street property.”
“What about it?”
“The Sterling Restaurant Group is threatening legal action. They’re claiming the termination is retaliatory and violates good faith provisions.”
“Let them try. The clause is ironclad.”
“Mr. Harrison, with respect, is this really worth it? They’re offering to pay a substantial penalty to stay. Six figures.”
“Not interested.”
“May I ask why?”
I paused.
“Sarah, you have kids?”
“Two teenagers.”
“They ever do something that made you question everything you taught them?”
She was quiet for a moment.
“Yes.”
“Then you understand.”
Three weeks after the dinner, Michael’s Instagram went dark. No posts, no stories. The merger announcement disappeared from his LinkedIn. I didn’t ask. Didn’t search.
Kept working. Oil changes, brake jobs, transmission rebuilds. The work I’ve done for 42 years. Honest work.
Then, five weeks after the dinner, Victoria showed up at my shop. She arrived in a white Range Rover, picked her way across the garage floor in heels, stood awkwardly by the counter while Tony stared,.
“Mr. Harrison?”
I came out of my office. “Can I help you?”
“I’m Victoria Sterling. Michael’s…”
“We were engaged.”
“Were?”
She twisted the massive diamond still on her left hand.
“May we speak privately?”
We went to my office. She sat in the same chair Michael had sat in. But she looked smaller somehow, less certain.
“I came to tell you that Michael and I are no longer together.”
I waited.
“The merger fell through. My father pulled his investment. Michael’s company is struggling. He’s been difficult lately. Stressed. Not himself.” She paused. “Not the man I thought I was marrying.”
“I see.”
“Mr. Harrison, I want you to know I didn’t ask him to exclude you from the dinner. I didn’t know he’d done that until afterward. My father was horrified when he found out. He may be traditional, but he’s not cruel.”
“Good to know.”
“Michael told me…” She stopped, started again. “He told me that you grew up poor. That your father was an alcoholic. That you had nothing when you started your business. He made it sound like he’d overcome so much, like he’d pulled himself up from nothing.”,
“That’s not quite accurate.”
“I know. I did some research. Your business has an excellent reputation. You’re very well respected. Your home is modest but fully paid off. You put Michael through Stanford without loans. You’re not…” She chose her words carefully. “You’re not what he led me to believe. He was ashamed of me.”
“Yes.” At least she was honest. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I think…” She met my eyes. “I think I would have liked the man Michael could have been. The man you raised. But somewhere along the way he became someone else. Someone I don’t admire very much.”
She stood.
“I’m sorry for what happened. You deserved better.”
“So did you.”
She smiled sadly.
“Maybe. But I’ll be fine. I always am. Michael, though… I think he’s going to need his father.”
After she left, I sat in my office for a long time.
Two months after the dinner, Michael came back to my shop. It was late, almost closing time. Tony had gone home. I was finishing paperwork when I heard the door,.
He looked different. Thinner. Tired. His clothes weren’t as pristine. His hair needed a cut.
“Hey Dad.”
“Michael.”
“I need a job.”
I set down my pen.
“Excuse me?”
“A job. I need…” He swallowed. “The company is going under. We’re burning through cash. No more investors. The merger partner backed out. I had to let everyone go. I’m probably going to have to declare bankruptcy.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Victoria left me. Her father made sure every investor in Denver knows what happened. I’m blacklisted.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Dad, please. I know I messed up. I know I hurt you. But I need… I’m running out of money. My apartment lease is up. I can’t afford…” His voice cracked. “I need help.”
Every instinct in me wanted to say yes. To tell him it was okay, to offer him money, to fix everything like I always had. But I thought about Ellen. About what she’d want me to do. Not for Michael as he was, but for the man he could still become.
“There’s an opening at the shop. Tony’s assistant quit last week. 50 hours a week. Starting at $15 an hour. You’d be changing oil, rotating tires, cleaning the bay. You’d work under Tony’s supervision.”,
He stared at me.
“You’re serious.”
“Completely.”
“Dad, I ran a company. I managed employees. I…”
“Well, you embarrassed your father at the most important dinner of your career because you thought he wasn’t good enough for your new friends.”
