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Chapter 1
"Not in a million years," said the nearly bald man who held the key to Michelle Clemens's financial future. "There's no way I would ever allow my wife to force me to take that pill." He gave her a stern look as he stabbed a thick finger at her.
Michelle took a hard swallow. She couldn't understand why most male retail purchasing agents were against the tiny pill. A pink pill that had the potential to drastically preserve the delicate bond of marriage and help a couple, especially a husband, be accountable to their spouse. It was the latest and greatest miracle drug from New Life Pharmaceuticals designed to extinguish a man's lustful urges. A medication designed to help men stay faithful to their wives.
Michelle sucked in a breath and continued. "Mr. Holt, let me explain ..." She tried her best to sound professional. But the truth was, she was having a disappointing day with sales and had been fighting a nauseating feeling in her stomach all day. In addition, two other retailers rejected her and knew she had to update her supervisor, Stan, with today's numbers. If this last prospect fell through, her day would be a perfect trifecta of losses.
"There's nothing to explain, young lady," Holt continued, eyes on his paperwork and not on Michelle.
Well, at least he called her young. She thought that that was a check in the win column for the day.
"Listen, I know what your company is trying to do. You want to market to women who are afraid their husbands or boyfriends are cheating on them. Well, I'm not buying into that." Holt looked up and gave her a hard stare.
Michelle recognized that look and knew there was nothing that could sway the man's mind. Another wave of nausea swept over Michelle as she sat back, too tired to fight.
"Here's what I think," Holt continued as Michelle began to dream about the account she had just lost. She saw Shopper's Depot, the store she was sitting in, carrying the magic pill. She saw the bright red packages lining the shelves of every store they had and watched as women filled their carts with the miracle drug, pushing and shoving to get their hands on the last bottle.
Holt went on, "It's not about the urges, little lady. It's about marriage. Lust is a natural human emotion. And if a woman doesn't want her man to lust after other ladies, then maybe she should up her game." That caught Michelle's attention. She snapped back to reality.
"If women took better care of their appearance and didn't nag so much, maybe men wouldn't have wandering eyes." Michelle felt her jaw drop as the visions of eager customers and big commissions evaporated from her mind.
Holt noticed Michelle's reaction. "Listen, I don't want a women's lib fight here."
Was this guy serious? Michelle was almost too stunned to speak. Almost.
"Mr. Holt, if you'd just allow me to ..." But he cut her off before she could recite her well-rehearsed script. A script she had blurted out dozens of times in the past weeks. One she detested and made her skin crawl. Just the thought of cheating spouses made her sick. Maybe that was why she was nauseous, she considered.
"Listen, I'm sorry. I can see this means a lot to you," Holt went on. "But I'm not interested. Now, I have a busy schedule, so if you don't mind," Holt flicked his eyes to the door behind Michelle, signaling her that the appointment was over.
Exhausted and too sick to even try, Michelle conceded and headed to the door. "And Miss Clemens," Michelle spun around, hoping he had changed his mind. "Just because your guy cheated on you doesn't mean all men do." And with that and a wink, Holt dismissed her.
The California sun had heated Michelle's car to a scorching 120 degrees. Throwing her briefcase onto the back seat, she slipped out of her black stilettos and slid her feet into her comfy beach sandals for the long rush-hour commute back to her apartment in Newport Beach. She loved the California life but hated the traffic, especially at rush hour. Michelle had seen her life turn around in the three years she had been with New Life Pharmaceuticals. After being plucked from obscurity as a coffee shop waitress by one of New Life's recruiters, Michelle took on the role of sales rep with no experience. But she was a natural. She rose quickly in the company, gaining territory after territory and winning nearly every award the large corporation offered. Her name, Michelle Clemens, was printed on several certificates that adorned her cubicle walls: fifteen leader of the month awards, half a dozen top achievers, and one trophy Michelle had received when she was inducted into the elite President's Club.
With her financial success, Michelle had found the love of her life and was engaged to be married to Luke Young, a successful realtor. The two had met at a friend's party two years before, and Michelle fell hard. His charismatic personality easily outdid his California good looks. People were drawn to Luke. He had a killer smile, golden hair, and bronze skin. And when he spoke, people listened. Not only was he funny, but Luke was also well versed in the world's ways. And although Michelle was hesitant to get involved with anyone after her break-up with Justin, she felt drawn to Luke. And the two had been together ever since.
As she sat in traffic, Michelle's mind wandered back to her first real love, Justin. She remembered the first day they met in English class. They were both students at the University of Hawaii, and although she had been attending for a year, she had never seen him before. Justin and Michelle both swore it was love at first sight. They were both Hawaii natives, loved literature, and wanted to get off the island and flee to the mainland to experience what life was like in California. As their relationship deepened, so did Michelle's desire to please him. As a lukewarm Christian, Michelle knew they shouldn't live in sin, but her heart and flesh overcame her Christian beliefs.
When Michelle's father got wind of the relationship, he pressured her to break it off. Larry Clemens was a third-generation cattle farmer. He had worked on Trinity Ranch, the Hawaiian farm his family owned his entire life. When he met Michelle's mother, Elizabeth, she joined him on the farm, and there they raised Michelle and her younger brother and sister. Her parents were loving and always provided. But Michelle's father was emotionally distant. He had always made clear his expectations for his children—that they would obey God as their Holy Father and him as their earthly father.
From when Michelle was old enough to show interest in boys, Larry had begun searching for the perfect husband for his firstborn daughter. Kana was the son of a prominent family who owned a thriving pineapple plantation on the Big Island. In high school, Larry merely hinted at the impending union. But when Michelle began college and became more independent of her parents, Larry became insistent that Michelle and Kana wed.
To avoid her father's harsh criticism and satisfy their physical and emotional desires, Justin and Michelle ran off together in their second year of college and fled to Newport Beach, California. It was there, after the glow of new love wore off, that Michelle saw Justin for who he was. But unfortunately, his quiet, loving demeanor was replaced by a controlling, jealous, and often violent one. Within three years, Michelle realized her mistake, and fearing for her self-respect and safety, she chose to end the relationship and establish her own life on the other side of the city.
At first, life was complicated. Michelle was forced to make it on her own because she was estranged from her father and had minimal contact with her mother or grandmother. Although she had some college under her belt, she didn't have the degree she needed to secure a high-paying job. But when the dust from the break-up settled, Michelle found herself alone in a small apartment on the north side of Newport Beach with no income. When she was with Justin, he supported her very simply. Michelle didn't have to work and dabbled in photography classes, yoga, and even volunteered at the local humane society. Her farm roots beckoned her to the wayward animals, and Michelle instantly connected with them. For the first year after her break-up, Michelle focused on her passions instead of a career. Eventually, the money she had stashed away dwindled, and she realized she needed to bring in an income. Either that or call her father for help.
She searched the downtown area she frequented in the years she had lived in Newport Beach with Justin. There were art galleries, skateboard shops, restaurants, boutiques, and coffee shops. Michelle spent several days filling out applications only to be told she wasn't qualified. Really? she thought. How qualified do you have to be to serve food or sell clothes?
The days stretched into weeks, and as the weather warmed, the surfers and tourists began streaming into the city in droves. Michelle knew it was hiring season and hit all the employers once more in a desperate attempt to secure work. She finally landed a waitressing job at The Beach Brew, the local coffee shop. It didn't pay much, but it paid. And Michelle knew that if she kept her expenses low, she would be able to get by until something better came along.
Three years after Michelle started at the coffee shop, something better finally came along. Two gentlemen were having a business meeting, and Michelle was their waiter. She didn't think they were paying any attention to her, but they called her over when they were ready to pay the bill. After some small talk, they told her they were recruiters for New Life Pharmaceutical and had been watching her with the customers. They were impressed with her friendly attitude, her ability to sell the items on the menu, and the fact that even though she was only a waitress in a coffee shop, she came across as very professional.
After the sting of the "only a waitress in a coffee shop" comment had worn off, Michelle began listening. She agreed to meet the men after her shift to find out more. By the end of the week, Michelle had left Beach Brew and embarked on her new career as a sales representative for New Life Pharmaceuticals. Within four short years, she had risen to the top, upgraded her apartment, and fallen in love. Everything was going great until New Life introduced Abstinze, the new pill designed to reduce a man's sexual urges. Michelle had no problem selling the heart medication, the diabetic medicine, and all of the other supplements designed to improve people's quality of life, but Abstinze was different.
She wasn't sure if it was because it was a sexual medication or an anti-sexual drug or if she wasn't successful selling it because it required that men be willing to stay faithful to their spouses. Either way, she was hitting wall after wall, and her sales numbers were dropping rapidly. Michelle looked through her windshield, past the cars in the parking lot to the large steeple across the street. It had been a long time since she had been to church. And it had been even longer since she had talked to God. Something stirred in her again as another wave of nausea swept over her. She started the car and turned the air on full blast just as her phone started ringing.
"Hi Stan," she said to her supervisor, dreading the impending conversation. Instead, she listened to him rattle on, not having the desire or energy to interrupt him with her less than thrilling news.
"Listen, Michelle," Stan continued. "I've been carrying you because you are my top rep. Well, you were my top rep." Michelle closed her eyes and rested her head against the leather headrest. "But lately, I don't know, you've slacked off."
Michelle wanted desperately to argue with Stan. She tried to tell him that no, she hadn't slacked off. She had been working harder than ever, pushing and pushing, but no one was biting. Her calls had doubled, and her sales had dropped by 50 percent. All while fighting some serious stomach bug. She felt the stinging of tears at the corner of her eyes. She wanted to tell Stan all of this. But she didn't.
"Michelle, Michelle? Are you still there?" Stan practically yelled on the phone.
"Yes, I'm here," she said, barely audible.
"Well, what are you going to do? You know I can't keep you if you don't make your quota. Even if I like you, 'cause I do. And even if I know you're a great salesperson, 'cause you are. But you know I can't keep dead weight around, right?"
Dead weight. What a delicate way to put it, Stan, thought Michelle, the tears leaving dark stains on her pink silk blouse. "Yes, I know that, Stan," she said, not wanting to fight. Why did she feel so sick and tired? Was it the job? Was she worn down because she was pushing something she was morally and ethically against? Was she sick because the weather was warming up? Or was it the stress she had been experiencing with Luke lately?
Just the thought of Luke caused another wave of sweat over her body. She really loved Luke. But lately, they had been less than close. It was as if they were drifting apart. After two years, she thought they would be headed for the altar. She wanted to make it official. She wanted to do right by her Christian upbringing, even though she had strayed far from it. And somewhere deep inside her, she wanted to do right by her father.
"I know, Stan, I know. But, listen," Michelle cut him off. "I've got to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow." She hung up the phone and sat in the cool car, waiting for her nerves and stomach to settle. The air conditioning dried the tears on her face. After several minutes of thinking about her job, Luke, and her father, Michelle decided to call it a day. She had one more appointment scheduled, but it was a drop-in that could be rescheduled. She chose instead to flee to the safety and comfort of her home, where no one would bother her. But as she pulled her silver compact car into the large parking lot of her luxury apartment complex, her cell phone rang.
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