There it was.
I kept my tone polite.
“Thank you, Marlene. I’ll review the proposal and get back to you.”
We hung up.
The next morning, I declined the offer by email.
Formally, respectfully, and with legal clarity.
No counter. No negotiation.
Just a straight “not interested in selling.”
I cc’d my attorney, added my property manager for good measure, and moved on with my day.
Twelve hours later, Evan called me directly.
“Julian,” he said, his voice low and tight. “What are you doing?”
I played dumb.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t act stupid. Redway Holdings. That’s you. Since when do you own property in Greenpoint?”
I let the silence stretch.
“Since you were still buying suits on credit,” I said finally. “Why?”
He didn’t speak.
I imagined him pacing in some sleek glass office, jaw clenched, hands gripping a desk he didn’t actually own.
“Do you understand what you’re messing with?” he said eventually. “This isn’t a side hustle, Julian. This is my job. My name’s on this proposal, my bonus, my promotion. My department depends on this land deal going through. You’re going to block an entire project just to what? Prove a point?”
I stood up from my desk and walked to the window, watching the early evening traffic crawl by below.
“I’m not blocking anything,” I said. “I’m just not interested in selling. It’s nothing personal.”
He laughed.
A short, bitter sound.
“Don’t insult me. You think I don’t know what this is about? You’re bitter because I called you a leech.”
I let out a breath.
“No, Evan, I’m not bitter. I’m just finally in a position where I don’t have to tolerate disrespect from people who look down on me. That includes you.”
“You are being petty.”
“No,” I said, and my voice sharpened. “You’re just not used to me having power. This isn’t me making a scene at a party. This is business. And if your firm didn’t do their homework and realize I control a third of your build site, maybe you should be the one rethinking who the real professional is here.”
There was silence on the other end.
Then, quietly, “You could cost me everything.”
“You already cost me everything once,” I said. “Respect, dignity, a family that saw me as more than backup talent. Maybe it’s your turn.”
I hung up before he could respond.
The fallout was immediate.
I didn’t hear from him for a week, but the silence didn’t mean nothing was happening behind the scenes.
My attorney forwarded me a revised offer, nearly double the original.