Single dad comes home to find his CEO cleaning his house! Her reason left him in tears
The kitchen fell silent except for the hum of the refrigerator. Jake wanted to stay angry. Anger was safe. Anger kept him from hoping, from trusting, from getting hurt again.
But something in Lara’s eyes—raw, vulnerable, and utterly sincere—made it hard to hold on to.
«I don’t need your pity,» he said quietly.
«Good, because I’m not offering pity. I’m offering respect and a partnership.» Lara stepped closer. «You know that company inside and out. You know where the problems are because you’ve lived them. Help me fix this. Not just for you, but for everyone else stuck in the same trap.»
Jake crossed his arms. «And if I say no?»
«Then you say no. I’ll still make the changes. I’ll still deal with David and anyone else who’s been exploiting my employees. But it won’t be as effective without someone who understands what it’s really like down there.»
She met his eyes. «I need you, Jake. The company needs you. And whether you believe it or not, I think you need this too.»
Before Jake could respond, he heard the front door open.
«Daddy?»
His heart stopped. Sophie wasn’t supposed to be home until tomorrow. Small footsteps padded down the hallway, and then Sophie appeared in the kitchen doorway. She was still in her pajamas, dragging her stuffed rabbit.
His sister Karen appeared behind her, looking apologetic. «Sorry, Jake. She woke up with a stomachache and wanted to come home.»
Sophie’s eyes went wide as she spotted Lara. «Daddy, who’s that?»
Jake’s mind went blank. How did you explain this? «This is… Mrs. Wilson. She works at my company.»
Sophie tilted her head, studying Lara with the unfiltered curiosity only a seven-year-old could manage. «How come she’s here? Are you having a meeting?»
Lara knelt down, bringing herself to Sophie’s eye level. «Hi, Sophie. Your dad and I were just talking about work stuff. I’m sorry if I interrupted your bedtime.»
«It’s okay. I don’t feel good.» Sophie clutched her rabbit tighter. «You’re pretty. Are you Daddy’s friend?»
Something flickered across Lara’s face. Surprise, then a softness Jake had never seen before. «I’d like to be,» Lara said gently. «If that’s okay with you.»
Sophie nodded seriously. «Daddy doesn’t have many friends. He’s always too tired.»
The words hit Jake like a physical blow. Out of the mouths of children came truths you couldn’t escape.
Karen cleared her throat. «I’ll get her some ginger ale. Jake, can I talk to you for a second?»
Jake followed his sister into the living room, leaving Lara and Sophie in the kitchen. Through the doorway, he could see Lara showing Sophie something on her phone—probably pictures, judging by Sophie’s delighted giggles.
«What’s going on?» Karen whispered. «That’s Lara Wilson. The Lara Wilson. Why is she in your house at 9 PM?»
«It’s complicated.»
«Jake,» Karen gripped his arm. «Is everything okay? Are you in trouble?»
«No. Maybe. I don’t know.» He ran a hand through his hair. «She found out some things about work. Bad things. And she’s trying to fix them.»
Karen’s eyes narrowed. «What kind of bad things?»
«The kind that explain why I’ve been working myself to death for pennies.»
His sister’s expression shifted from concern to fury. «Are you telling me they’ve been screwing you over?»
«For two years, apparently.»
«Those bastards.» Karen looked back toward the kitchen, where Sophie’s laughter rang out. «And she came here to tell you that? Personally?»
«Yeah.»
Karen studied his face. «You like her?»
«What? No. I don’t even know her. She’s my boss’s boss’s boss. She’s way out of my league.»
«Jake, I’m your sister. I know that look.» She poked his chest. «You’re interested.»
«And this isn’t… she’s just trying to fix a corporate problem.»
«Uh-huh. Corporate problems don’t usually involve washing dishes in your kitchen.»
Jake didn’t have an answer for that. They returned to find Sophie sitting at the table with Lara, both of them drawing on the back of some paper Lara had pulled from her bag.
Sophie was explaining, in elaborate detail, the difference between regular butterflies and magic butterflies. «And the magic ones can grant wishes,» Sophie said seriously. «But only if you’re really, really nice.»
«That’s a good rule,» Lara said, adding details to her own butterfly sketch. «What kind of wishes would you make?»
Sophie thought for a moment. «I’d wish for Daddy to not be so tired. And maybe a puppy, but mostly the first one.»
Lara’s hand stilled on the paper. She glanced up at Jake, and the look in her eyes made his chest ache.
Karen touched his shoulder. «I’m going to head out. Call me tomorrow, okay?»
After his sister left, Jake stood in the doorway, watching his daughter and his CEO draw butterflies like it was the most natural thing in the world. Sophie yawned, and Lara noticed immediately.
«I think someone needs to get to bed,» Lara said softly.
«But I’m not sleepy,» Sophie protested, even as another yawn betrayed her.
Jake stepped forward. «Come on, kiddo. Let’s get you tucked in.»
Sophie looked between Jake and Lara. «Will you still be here when I wake up?»
Lara glanced at Jake, uncertainty crossing her face. «I don’t know, sweetheart.»
«I hope so,» Sophie said simply. «I like you.»
After Jake put Sophie to bed—complete with three stories and two glasses of water—he returned to find Lara cleaning up the drawing paper. She’d folded Sophie’s butterfly drawing carefully and set it aside.
«She’s wonderful,» Lara said quietly. «You’re raising an amazing kid.»
«Thanks.» Jake leaned against the counter. «She doesn’t usually warm up to people that fast.»
«Kids are good judges of character, or so I’m told.» Lara smiled sadly. «I don’t have much experience with them.»
«No kids of your own?»
«No husband, no kids, no life outside work, really.» She looked down at her hands. «I’m 31 years old, and I can’t remember the last time I sat down and drew butterflies with someone. Can’t remember the last time anyone told me they liked me just because.»
Jake felt something shift in his chest. This wasn’t the untouchable CEO. This was just a woman who’d built walls so high she’d forgotten how to let people in.
«The job offer,» he said slowly. «Is it real? Or is this some kind of corporate liability thing?»
«It’s real. I’ve already drafted the paperwork. But Jake,» she met his eyes. «I won’t pressure you. If you want nothing to do with me or the company after this, I’ll understand. I’ll still make the changes. I’ll still ensure you’re compensated for what was done to you. But the choice is yours.»
Jake thought about Sophie’s words: Daddy doesn’t have many friends. He’s always too tired.
He thought about two years of killing himself for nothing. Two years of believing he wasn’t good enough. And he thought about the woman standing in his kitchen who could have sent an email or a lawyer, but instead showed up to wash his dishes and face him like a human being.
«I’ll think about it,» he said finally. «But I need time. This is… it’s a lot.»
«Of course.» Lara picked up her purse. «Take all the time you need. I’ll have HR send over the details of what we’re offering, no obligation.»
She moved toward the door, then paused. «Jake, for what it’s worth, I meant what I said about needing you. But more than that…»
She turned back. «Thank you for letting me sit with Sophie tonight. I didn’t realize how much I’d been missing until I saw it through her eyes.»
After she left, Jake stood in his quiet kitchen, staring at the butterfly drawing on his table. For the first time in two years, he felt something he’d almost forgotten: hope.
