Chapter 2: The Weight of Expectations

Amy threw her heels across the room the second her bedroom door slammed shut behind her.

One landed near the vanity.

The other hit the wall.

“Perfect,” she muttered bitterly.

She loosened the collar of her blouse and stared at herself in the mirror.

Calm face.

Perfect hair.

Controlled expression.

Exactly how an Armstrong was expected to look.

Even when they were falling apart inside.

Her bedroom was massive, luxurious, and elegant enough to belong in a magazine spread, yet somehow it had never truly felt like hers.

It felt staged.

Like every expensive object in the room existed to remind her who she was supposed to become.

Amy walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city.

Diamond Towers glowed in the distance against the darkening sky.

The same building that made her father feared.

The same company everyone assumed she was lucky to inherit.

Lucky.

She laughed softly at the thought.

People saw wealth.

Power.

Luxury.

They never saw the pressure that came with it.

Never saw what it felt like to spend your whole life trying to earn approval that never fully came.

A knock interrupted her thoughts.

Before she could answer, the door opened.

Victoria Armstrong stepped inside gracefully, dressed in an elegant cream-colored gown as though she had just walked out of a fashion campaign.

Everything about her mother was composed.

Controlled.

Untouchable.

Victoria’s sharp eyes swept across the room before landing on the heel lying near the wall.

“How mature.”

Amy folded her arms immediately. “What do you want?”

Victoria ignored the tone and walked further inside.

“You embarrassed your father today.”

Amy blinked in disbelief. “Excuse me?”

“That little exchange with Mr. Keller was unnecessary.”

Amy let out a dry laugh. “So I was supposed to sit there quietly while he insulted me?”

“You were supposed to remain professional.”

“I was professional.”

“You were emotional.”

Amy’s jaw tightened.

There it was again.

Every reaction she had was always labeled emotional.

Weak.

Immature.

Never human.

Victoria crossed her legs elegantly as she sat on the couch.

“You need to understand something, Amy. Respect in business is earned over years, not demanded in one meeting.”

“And how exactly am I supposed to earn it if nobody gives me the chance?”

“You haven’t proven yourself yet.”

The words landed harder than Amy expected.

“You think I’m incapable too,” she said quietly.

Victoria sighed softly, almost impatiently.

“I think you romanticize leadership.”

Amy stared at her mother, hurt flashing across her face.

“You think this is easy for me?” she asked. “Do you have any idea how hard I’ve worked just to be taken seriously?”

Victoria’s expression barely changed.

“You’ve had everything handed to you your entire life.”

That one hit deep.

Amy laughed softly, but this time her eyes burned.

“Everything except support.”

Silence filled the room.

For a second, Victoria actually looked affected.

But it disappeared quickly.

“You’re too sensitive,” she said as she stood. “That will destroy you in this industry.”

Amy shook her head slowly.

“No. Pretending not to feel anything is what destroys people.”

Victoria grabbed the door handle but paused.

“You want honesty?” she asked without turning around. “Then here it is. Your father built Diamond Groups from nothing. People fear him because he had to survive things you can’t even imagine.”

She finally turned toward Amy.

“You grew up protected from all of that.”

Amy swallowed hard.

“You don’t believe I can do this.”

Victoria studied her quietly before answering.

“I believe you still have a lot to learn.”

And with that, she walked out.

The door clicked shut behind her.

Amy stood frozen for several seconds before exhaling shakily.

Her chest hurt.

Not because of the criticism.

But because a part of her still desperately wanted her mother’s approval.

She walked slowly toward the bookshelf near her desk and pulled out an old leather notebook.

Inside were pages filled with ideas.

Business models.

Expansion concepts.

Market strategies.

Plans she had spent years working on in secret.

Because every time she tried discussing them with her parents, they dismissed her before she could even finish speaking.

Amy sat at her desk and opened her laptop.

If nobody believed in her, fine.

She would believe in herself.

Her fingers moved quickly across the keyboard as she researched emerging markets and investment opportunities.

Hours passed unnoticed.

The anger inside her slowly transformed into determination.

One day they would see her differently.

Not as a sheltered heiress.

Not as a little girl playing business.

But as someone worthy of leading the empire they spent years protecting.

A soft vibration pulled her attention toward her phone.

A message from her father.

You handled yourself well today.

Amy stared at the screen in surprise.

A second message appeared.

But next time, be smarter than the men trying to provoke you.

For some reason, that hurt less than her mother’s words.

A small smile tugged at her lips despite herself.

Maybe her father didn’t completely doubt her after all.

Amy leaned back in her chair, exhaustion settling into her bones as she looked out at the city lights again.

This was only the beginning.

And deep down…

She was ready for war.