The Power of Weakness

Chapter 2

Mr. Meyer stood out on the plaza a few minutes more. He darted his eyes around to the various people who were watching him. None of the faces were ones he recognized, but then they were all part of a massive company and most people only knew a few others in their own departments.

Some of the watchful eyes looked with jealousy at the man who had been the youngest person in Fairfield Management's history to attain the position of Vice President. Intimidated by both his stature in the company and his imposing physique, these people were generally the ones who raised their arms in long-distance greetings. 

They were the kind who believed that being even marginally associated with him would improve their own image. Whether it was true or not, Mr. Meyer refused to allow such pretenses to stand and ignored them, causing resentment among those with fragile egos and a sense of entitlement.

"Prick." He heard one man say to the people he was standing with. They groused about all the "unfair advantages" they assumed Mr. Meyer had over everyone else, especially themselves. The imposing VP turned his glare to the group and they all developed a sudden need to clear their throats and to search for something interesting in their surroundings.

Being appointed Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions at age twenty-nine was the fruit of Sebastian Meyer's inherent talents, instilled ambition, and hard work. Any advantages he'd had came with a price almost no one would be willing to pay if they'd known the truth. Meyer's family had been moderately wealthy, but not enough to have any impact on his position in the workforce. Not that his father, Baron Meyer, hadn't tried to gain such power for himself, but his appetite outweighed his abilities. The elder Meyer hadn't been willing to fully accept defeat so he transferred his goals to the next generation.

From the time the younger Meyer entered school, his overzealous father required the child to perform up to his exacting standards in everything from academics to athletics. To say this had made Meyer's childhood difficult would be too simple for there was more to it than a father trying to live vicariously through his son. There were also the kinds of things that set the first stones of bitterness in his boy's heart.

Observing his father's methods of using people and how he was used by others, gave Meyer the framework for his own interactions. The man's imperious demands on his son led Meyer to become obsessively competitive and driven. It pushed him to outperform everyone around him even after his father no longer had any day-to-day influence over him. Meyer's life until the age of twenty, shaped the way he'd been living in the eleven years since. For better or worse, everything that happened during that time was his own doing.

Meyer entered the building with the ease and confidence a person at the top of the corporate food chain is expected to have. His broad shoulders and long stride only accentuated his aura.

"Good Morning, Mr. Meyer!"

"Nice to see you this morning, Mr. Meyer."

The people, women and men, who hoped to catch Meyer's fancy stopped and verbally greeted him as he passed by.

"Did you sleep well?"

As he did with the other strivers, he ignored these comments, shutting down any effort to open a channel of flirting. Meyer never dated from within Fairfield and even if he would have, there were only a couple of people he'd rank high enough to bother with.

At the bank of elevators just beyond the security gates, stood his executive assistant, the man who had been with Meyer in the car earlier. Trevor Brightman was slightly taller than his employer, but much more lean. When he saw Meyer approach, Trevor moved to the front of one of the lifts, letting people exit, but letting no one board. He did so wordlessly, barely even needing to make a gesture. For the regular employees at Fairfield, forfeiting an elevator to one of the highly recognizable top executives was a regular occurrence.