Over the next few days, Moira frequently appeared in newspapers and on radio stations. Today, she would discuss the city's future plans; tomorrow, the number of criminals arrested and the amount of contraband seized.
For a moment, Moira felt like the rising star of Star City. Thea wasn't surprised by her mother's sudden enthusiasm. Some people are born for politics but are buried by circumstances before they can shine. When the opportunity arises, they soar.
Many claimed that President George W. Bush had a low IQ and performed poorly in school. While his grades weren't stellar, he knew a third of Yale University's students and could recall their names and interests. Impressive, wasn't it? In real life, knowing a few hundred people is considered a wide social network. That was his true talent.
To Thea's surprise, Moira's newfound passion for politics slightly altered her relationship with Walter Steele.
She was so busy that she barely had time for her daughter, let alone a boyfriend. Thea didn't mind. Walter was a good man, but marrying him would mean accepting a new father—something she wasn't ready for. It was better for them to remain just companions.
Moira had just finished an exclusive press interview. Physically exhausted but mentally exhilarated, she realized that the business world wasn't her true calling. Some employees had already hinted that she should step away from corporate management and pursue a political career.
She wanted to hear her family's opinion on this shift. In her mind, however, there was only one and a half family members: Thea was the one, and Walter was the half.
"Thea, you've been planning this for so long, but your mother ended up stealing the spotlight. You don't blame me, do you?" Moira asked as they lay in bed.
Young people love being in the spotlight, at least according to Western values.
"How could I? If it were me on stage, I would've messed up ages ago. Mom, at least 90% of the credit for all this goes to you," Thea replied.
In truth, all Thea had done was make a few calls and talk to some people. If anyone else deserved credit, it was Felicity.
The two embraced. Moira studied Thea's eyes carefully. Seeing no resentment, she sighed in relief. What she had initially considered a routine engagement had unexpectedly led to a major transformation. If it had damaged her relationship with Thea, it wouldn't have been worth it.
"What do you think about me going into politics? I've felt so fulfilled these past few days. It's completely different from running a company," Moira said, looking at Thea expectantly.
Finally! I got her on this path! Thea wanted to punch the wall and scream. Her mother was as shrewd as any seasoned politician. And since they saw each other daily, deceiving her was even harder. But through effort and a stroke of fate, Moira had entered politics earlier than expected.
Even so, Thea maintained her composure, offering only a neutral smile.
"If you think politics suits you, go for it. Who knows? I might even benefit when you land a high-ranking position! By the way, what about Walter? How will your relationship change if you leave the company?"
In some cultures, a mother and daughter casually discussing a stepfather's role in bed might seem odd, but here, it was perfectly normal.
Moira had already considered this. No politician is entirely "clean," but all maintain a polished image. With her husband and son gone, this was the perfect time to play the sympathy card. A sudden remarriage wouldn't ruin her reputation completely, but it would certainly tarnish it.
After a moment's hesitation, she said, "Let's keep things as they are…"
Thea understood instantly. This was the American version of severing emotional ties with cold logic. Her mother was truly decisive. She had probably held the same mindset when sending her husband and son to sea.
For a brief moment, Thea felt sorry for her kind uncle Walter. At least her stepfather crisis was over. In the original timeline, Walter and Moira never had children together. But what if, due to this butterfly effect, she ended up with a new sibling?
The three siblings already had three different biological fathers and one mother—complicated enough. Maybe it was best not to add another layer to the story.
Moira was now in politics, and Walter had been sidelined. Mission accomplished! Thea kissed her mother's cheek enthusiastically.
"You, child…" Moira wasn't bothered by the sudden gesture; she simply patted Thea affectionately.
Over the following days, Moira gradually handed over control of the company to Walter. Although their relationship had become uncertain, they trusted each other enough for him to take over as CEO.
Walter, however, couldn't understand why Moira had suddenly grown distant. He assumed he hadn't been persistent enough or hadn't expressed his feelings clearly, so he resolved to keep trying.
During this time, Thea also began stepping away from her responsibilities. Her acceptance letter from Princeton had arrived. Unlike in some countries, where entrance ceremonies and formal speeches marked the beginning of college, here, she could come and go freely. As long as she completed the necessary credits, she could graduate.
She handed over her work in the software department to Felicity, who immediately set about building her own team. When she realized she'd have to develop every version of the facial recognition software herself, Felicity panicked.
"I'm not doing all this tedious work alone! The Queen family has plenty of money—why not hire more people?"
On her first day as department head, she recruited thirty employees. She promoted her three original team members, assigning each one ten people. That way, she could work at a more reasonable pace.
Meanwhile, Thea was entering the final phase of developing her "tech skateboard." She planned to finish it before leaving Star City and make a fortune! There was no other choice—cutting-edge technology was expensive! Her allowance had run dry long ago. If not for Felicity covering a few meals, she might have starved.
"Thea, why do you call it the Red Arrow Skateboard? Why not the Green Arrow Skateboard?" Felicity asked as she adjusted some settings.
"Red is way cooler. It represents energy, sunshine, and joy, don't you think?" Thea replied, thinking green should be reserved for her brother.
Felicity, chewing on a pen, frowned and muttered, "But red also represents violence and blood…"
"Oh, please. And I suppose green represents decay and old age?" Thea shot back.