Disillusioned by Cari Moore Read Free Book Online Page A

vices
into virtues, at least in Tessa's mind. When he had first shown
interest in Tessa, she had rejected him outright. He had, she
decided, bought into “the system,” and the mindlessness of such a
choice repulsed her.
    Still, hesitant to do anyone injustice, Tessa
embarked on the a campaign of observation, watching Merritt from a
distance and trying to determine his true character. On the
surface, he seemed the typical popular, handsome, all-around
American teenager – not Tessa's style; Tessa had always preferred
the bad boy. When she had looked closer, though, she had seen
something unexpected.
    While he played the role of conformity, he
possessed an almost Machiavellian ability to manipulate the system
around him. Intrigued, she realized that she had definitely
misunderstood him. With her new insights came an unwilling
admiration. Rather than buying into the status quo, Merritt seemed
to share Tessa's disdain for establishment and bureaucracy. Not
only that, but like Tessa, his disregard for the powers-that-be
stemmed, not from self interest, but from the belief that “the
establishment” did not sufficiently value “the individual.” Part of
the reason that so many people liked Merritt stemmed from his
genuine belief in each individual's worth.
    Merritt had so affected Tessa, in fact, that,
as she had watched him work his magic, Tessa had begun to question
her own methods of dealing with bureaucracy. With his pleasant
demeanor and smiling countenance, Merritt accomplished more good
for the downtrodden than Tessa had ever achieved with her
vociferous protestations against injustice. After a short time,
Merritt had transformed Tessa's patronizing derision for him into a
passionate approval. Her original assessment turned to his favor as
she saw that she could have both the moral, ethical man she desired
and the rebel - just one with a cause.
    Can't get much badder than
Machiavelli , she had grinned to herself
when she had accepted his outstretched hand for the first time.
Tessa could clearly remember his smiling eyes as he dragged her to
his lunchroom table, the beginning of a school crush that had
eventually resulted in marriage. Tessa had lost willingly; Merritt
had defeated her resistance. Since that moment, he had always
conquered her completely.
    Sinking into a chair near the back of the
banquet hall, Tessa submerged herself in the past, smiling at
Merritt where he stood stalwart among the revelers. The scene
before her amused her as long-buried memories woke and stretched in
her mind. Breathing deeply, she purposely recalled the blossoming
admiration that had first warmed her to him: his unbelievable
diligence as he pursued his goals, his ridiculously slapstick sense
of humor, his competent command of a crowd. For a moment, Tessa
almost forgot the cacophonous discord of her surroundings.
    Unfortunately for Tessa, though, her mind
could not completely filter out all of the bedlam around her. Every
time that her eyes wandered from Merritt's face, Tessa encountered
some stuffy, artificial executive-type who reminded her too much of
what Merritt had recently become. In fact, he seemed magnetically
connected to David Brabham and the two other vice presidents in
attendance. Sure, she had known the young Merritt, and she could
drum up nostalgic memories on command, but he had morphed from a
brilliant and adorable young man into an almost carbon copy
businessman, sold out to the corporate world.
    Tessa could have overlooked
his conformity, however, if she hadn't held other frustrations with
Merritt. Perhaps, she realized, her ego felt too offended by his
free criticism of her, but it seemed the more firmly entrenched he
became in Pericorp, the harder he had gotten on Tessa. Harder on me, she
realized suddenly, and more
distant. He charmed and simpered at
everyone he met, playing the most convincing role she had ever
seen. To the outside world, he seemed pleasant and amusing,
intelligent and resourceful. At times, he