insisted that other families moved there, and it would expand their children’s horizons at an early age, which could be good for them.
But for Valerie, it was also true that fashion was an unforgiving milieu, and she wouldn’t have an easy time stepping back into it in three to five years. It might be over for her, and she wasn’t ready to give that up. At times, she wondered how Jean-Philippe could even consider it. And although she tried not to be she was angry at him for wanting to turn their life upside down.
He tried to talk to her about it several times after their first conversation, and she refused.
“Why can’t we at least discuss it?” he asked, pleading with her.
“Because I don’t want to. I don’t want you pressuring me, or trying to influence me either way. I need to think about it without your pushing me.” She had been short-tempered with him since the subject came up, which was unlike her.
“I’m not going to push you or force you to go,” he said reasonably, but she didn’t want to hear it, and she didn’t believe him. She knew what he wanted. He wanted to take the offer in Beijing. He had made that clear. “It’s your decision too.”
“Is it?” She turned to him halfway through dinner with her eyes blazing, and she set her fork down. “Or do you just want me to say it’s all right, so I can’t blame you for destroying my career? This isn’t my decision, Jean-Philippe. You’ve given me an impossible choice. Go with you to a place we’re all going to hate, and screw up my career, or stay and have you hate me forever for the opportunity I robbed you of. You make more money than I do, so I guess in the end, you have the bigger vote. I just don’t think it’s fair to put it all on me. And what happens when we hate it there, or the kids get sick, or I never get another job, or you don’t make the money you think you will? Then what?”
“Then we come home,” he said quietly.
“It may be too late for me by then. It’s taken me almost thirteen years to get where I am at
Vogue.
Why do I have to give that up? Just because you make more money than I do, or because you’re a man?”
“We’d be doing this for the family, Valerie. For our future. I can’t make that kind of money here, and it’s a big step up for me.” It was the truth, and she knew it too. “The time is now, the market there is hot. There are fortunes to be made.”
“We don’t need a fortune,” she said seriously. “We’re fine with what we have.”
“Then maybe that will be our decision in the end. I’d just like a chance to make more and put some aside. We may be happy to have it one day. And I can’t make that kind of money in France or even in the States,” although he had never thought of working there. They were totally entrenched in France, and loved it.
“Why does money have to rule our life? You’ve never been that way before. That’s one of the reasons I love it here. It’s not just about running after money, it’s about quality of life. And what kind of quality of life will we have in Beijing? We’re not Chinese. It’s a completely different culture for all of us, and not an easy city. Everyone says so. Are you willing to sacrifice all of that for the money you’ll make? I’m not sure I am.”
“Then we won’t go,” he said, looking depressed. He felt beaten down by their arguments, and he was well aware of the downsides himself, especially relating to their kids, and couldn’t deny them to her. He didn’t want to lie to her. He realized there was a good chance they would hate it there, and even three years at a minimum was a long time.
She was still at her computer, working, when he went to bed, and she barely said goodnight to him. She hadn’t kissed him in days, and overnight she had turned into an angry woman, ready to blame him for everything. She had never been that way before. But she felt as though their whole life was on the line, and she was worried about
But for Valerie, it was also true that fashion was an unforgiving milieu, and she wouldn’t have an easy time stepping back into it in three to five years. It might be over for her, and she wasn’t ready to give that up. At times, she wondered how Jean-Philippe could even consider it. And although she tried not to be she was angry at him for wanting to turn their life upside down.
He tried to talk to her about it several times after their first conversation, and she refused.
“Why can’t we at least discuss it?” he asked, pleading with her.
“Because I don’t want to. I don’t want you pressuring me, or trying to influence me either way. I need to think about it without your pushing me.” She had been short-tempered with him since the subject came up, which was unlike her.
“I’m not going to push you or force you to go,” he said reasonably, but she didn’t want to hear it, and she didn’t believe him. She knew what he wanted. He wanted to take the offer in Beijing. He had made that clear. “It’s your decision too.”
“Is it?” She turned to him halfway through dinner with her eyes blazing, and she set her fork down. “Or do you just want me to say it’s all right, so I can’t blame you for destroying my career? This isn’t my decision, Jean-Philippe. You’ve given me an impossible choice. Go with you to a place we’re all going to hate, and screw up my career, or stay and have you hate me forever for the opportunity I robbed you of. You make more money than I do, so I guess in the end, you have the bigger vote. I just don’t think it’s fair to put it all on me. And what happens when we hate it there, or the kids get sick, or I never get another job, or you don’t make the money you think you will? Then what?”
“Then we come home,” he said quietly.
“It may be too late for me by then. It’s taken me almost thirteen years to get where I am at
Vogue.
Why do I have to give that up? Just because you make more money than I do, or because you’re a man?”
“We’d be doing this for the family, Valerie. For our future. I can’t make that kind of money here, and it’s a big step up for me.” It was the truth, and she knew it too. “The time is now, the market there is hot. There are fortunes to be made.”
“We don’t need a fortune,” she said seriously. “We’re fine with what we have.”
“Then maybe that will be our decision in the end. I’d just like a chance to make more and put some aside. We may be happy to have it one day. And I can’t make that kind of money in France or even in the States,” although he had never thought of working there. They were totally entrenched in France, and loved it.
“Why does money have to rule our life? You’ve never been that way before. That’s one of the reasons I love it here. It’s not just about running after money, it’s about quality of life. And what kind of quality of life will we have in Beijing? We’re not Chinese. It’s a completely different culture for all of us, and not an easy city. Everyone says so. Are you willing to sacrifice all of that for the money you’ll make? I’m not sure I am.”
“Then we won’t go,” he said, looking depressed. He felt beaten down by their arguments, and he was well aware of the downsides himself, especially relating to their kids, and couldn’t deny them to her. He didn’t want to lie to her. He realized there was a good chance they would hate it there, and even three years at a minimum was a long time.
She was still at her computer, working, when he went to bed, and she barely said goodnight to him. She hadn’t kissed him in days, and overnight she had turned into an angry woman, ready to blame him for everything. She had never been that way before. But she felt as though their whole life was on the line, and she was worried about
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