Heather
“Are you insane?! First, your wife voted against me, making me lose my position. And as if that’s not enough, you are thinking of pairing me up with… him?! Are you trying to get back at me for something bad I did to you?” I asked Markian, staring at both him and Jeffery.
“Trust me, I don’t want to get involved with you either. So, I was proposing something else. Why don’t I just sell back my shares to you as immunity?” Jeffery proposed, surprising me.
“Why would you do that- for me?” I asked Jeffery humbly.
Those shares were the only thing that made him agree to do the Decel Digitals project with our group. So, what his reasons were for doing this, I have no idea.
I knew him to be very business conscious just like Markian and that’s why they both like each other, so, I’m wondering, what would he get out of all these?
“Of course. No matter how heartless you presume me to be, I have grown a kind of fondness for you. And I also understand what it’s like to have what you’ve worked for all your life taken from you in an instant, so if you ever need to talk about it, I’m here for you.” He said, sounding completely genuine and making my heart flutter.
Oh no. I can not start what I can’t complete. Obviously, he is just being nice and benevolent or whatever his reasons are, so falling for him because he’s trying to be nice would just be a stupid mistake.
Calm down my beating heart, you’ve been betrayed enough and it’s already difficulty as it is, so, that’s enough heart break for one lifetime.
“Thank you very much for your offer, but I’ll be fine. Hold on to your shares, I don’t think I need your help and I hope I never will.” I said completely conceited.
I could see Markian’s disapproval look, but I didn’t care, I’m more mad at him than I am at Daniel.
Yes! I’m proud and my pride won’t let me accept their pity offer. I’ll handle Daniel myself, because he just went way over his head.
“Ok, I’ll just let myself out since clearly she doesn’t need my help. See you later, man. I’ve got somethings to handle before I head back to Shanghai tomorrow. Bye, Ms. Winfrey and have a good day,” he said sarcastically, as he left the room.
“Do you always have to be so arrogant and bigheaded?” Markian asked me completely out of the blue.
“Look who’s talking about me being bigheaded. Arranged marriage? Really? As if yours is working out great. You’re even worse than my father and brother.” I told him feeling irritated.
How dare he try to point fingers at me when all these is just a stupid men’s egotistical war for power and love between him and Daniel.
“You know Jeffery was just trying to help right? All he has done since he got here was help you and me. Not everyone can give up their shares for such a cause as this,” Markian declared.
“Well, now- wouldn’t that be something. Have you ever thought of his reasons for doing it? For the past month I’ve worked with Callum, he has been far from friendly with me. So, forgive me if I’m not completely on board with the fact that he would willingly give up his shares to me without wanting anything in return.” I clearly stated.
“Hmm. We’ve both been close to people who wouldn’t do something nice unless they have something to gain from it, all our lives, haven’t we? I can tell you just one thing, and that is- Callum is one of the good guys. Trust me on that.” Markian said before he dived back into whatever work he was handling at the moment.
“What do I do with my life now, Markian? I have no idea what to do with my life and my time now. Without S. Group, I don’t know how to do anything else. I don’t have any friends, my family don’t give a hoot about me. It’s like no matter how hard I try to control everything in my life, without my job I still lose control of it.” I told Markian completely disheartened.
Now, this was me being honest with myself and I honestly don’t think i can do anything else other than be CEO and work.
“Then go do those things you’ve never done before. The weight of having the paycheck of almost a thousand lives on your shoulder have been lifted, and it sucks because it’s all you’ve ever known. But- this is your chance to do what you’ve missed out on in life.” Markian sympathized.
“And what would that be? I’m almost 30 Markian, not 18 anymore. I can’t just do what I’ve missed out on in life.” I told him, obviously irritated because nothing he was saying was making sense.
“I don’t know- move back here, make friends, date someone, whatever. But don’t be sad and lonely, that sh*t doesn’t suit you.” He said bluntly.
“I’m bigheaded, remember? So, I can’t just make friends or date like a regular girl. I’m Heather freaking Winfrey, Markian, the ‘goddess of sassy’. And I know sad and lonely doesn’t suit me, but it’s where I am right now.” I told him, unable to still grasp my new reality.
Maybe Markian is right, maybe I should make something out of these whole madness. I still can’t believe that I lost to Daniel though, and even worse, I get to move back here, to Minnesota.
At least my life can’t sink any lower than this, right?
Daniel
This victory of mine was almost too easy, and I for one was incredibly excited to see Markian’s face again after his defeat, so I went to his office to turn in my resignation letter.
At the board meeting after the results were announced 3days ago, Markian still had his crude business face on, showing no emotions whatsoever.
But we were in the midst of a lot of people and we couldn’t properly share our feelings, so he only congratulated me with a smile and headed out.
Which is why today is one of the most important days of my life aside the day of the board meeting, because today i get to see Markian’s true reaction to his defeat.
“Hello cousin! I was about to call you in, it’s good you are here already.” Markian yelled excitedly.
What’s with his demeanor? We are at war here, we are not friends. Not what I expected, but I’m sure this is going to be good.
“Really? So, why did you want to call me in?” I asked eager to know why he was so excited.
“Well, let me start by first congratulating you once again on you becoming CEO, you were highly recommended. (Scoffs). And also I’ll be throwing you a send forth party- like the one we threw Heather 11yrs ago, remember? when she had to go live in Shanghai. By the way, how is she doing?” He babbled joyfully.
“She hates me and still curses at me each time she sees me. What sendforth party are you talking about?” I asked, not quite understanding what he was implying at first but soon got the gist.
“Yeah, you didn’t think things through did you? I can lie and say that your victory was unexpected, but it wasn’t. See, i knew that if you win, you’ll have to go to Shanghai for a pretty long while so, I supported your plan. You didn’t think I was oblivious that you have been meeting with my wife, did you? I didn’t stop anything because I actually needed you to win, so I can finally get rid of you.” He confessed.
Typical Markian Winfrey, always thinking he’s a step ahead all the time.
“But my stay in Shanghai won’t be a permanent one, you see. I’ll just have to settle a few things and get a proxy to fill in for me, and I’ll be back before you know it.” I told him confidently.
“Oh, but it’s not that simple than what you think? If it were that easy, Heather would have done that before now? You just don’t know the Chinese people. They believe so much in their culture and traditions, and one of which is that it’s incredibly rude to send a proxy when negotiating business with them. To them it’s unprofessional, you see. So, I give you and- your proxy a year maximum, or 8months and you’ll run S. Group down to the ground. But I’m just speculating here, so don’t mind me.” He said nonchalantly with that dubious smirk he always had on when he finally has his prey in his trap.
“I heard Livy filed for a divorce after all. So, I don’t think it matters whether I stay here or go to Shanghai, because she will be leaving you anyway.” I gloated proudly.
Oh, how I felt like punching that smile off his face. This was my victory but somehow like always he was turning into his own.
“Both partners have to agree to sign the divorce papers, don’t they? Well, I’m sure there won’t be a divorce since it’s only one party is willing to sign. Simply put, I won’t be signing anything.” he said proudly.
“I know what you mean, I’m not a fool. But, you have to know something too, it’s only fitting I tell you. Right now, Livy hates you for reasons only she knows, and it drove her to help me. So imagine how worse her hatred for you would escalate and how dangerous she would even get, if you don’t give her what she wants. I’m just saying, is Castlehill worth losing for her? Because that’s what she plans to take from you if you refuse to sign the divorce papers,” I stated redundantly, desperate to have the last laugh as I turned in my resignation letter and walked out of his office.
It was so obvious at last that I touched a nerve with that last bit, which wasn’t a total lie.
Livy and I have been hanging out quite often these days since I became CEO, and she would share everything with me except how she was really feeling about Markian.
And it gave me great concerns because outwardly, she has like these high walls of steel around her, sharing no emotion both facially and mentally. She would smile from time to time but with no real feelings attached to it, so it’s hard to tell if she was fine or not.
I’ve asked her several times and her only reply would be; ’emotions are like little drops stirring up countless ripples on a still water, so why go through such disturbance?’
I may not know her reasons for suddenly becoming emotionless, but I do know that the last bit of her calmness- she has chosen to share with me by her side.
Even that little is enough for me.