CHAPTER 8
ROWAN
After my saviour took her leave, Ailey turned to me with a suspicious smile and as soon as she sat beside me obviously with the intention to ask what was going on, the loud sound from my phone filled the whole room.
I wasn’t one to use ringing tones so, I went with the default one even though it was sometimes annoying. My brows knitted when the person’s name flashed on the screen.
Father.
I didn’t know what to feel. Happiness or annoyance, I couldn’t pick any one. Did he just remember my exixtence or what?
“Aren’t you going to pick up?” Ailey asked bringing me out of my confusion and I glanced at my phone before accepting the call.
“Good morning, father,” I greeted as soon as I picked up the call. I never referred to him as Dad because that would make me feel like we were close when we were the exact opposite.
“Good morning son. Alex told me you got discharged. I stopped by at your place this morning and didn’t meeet you. Where are you?” He inquired and I glanced at Ailey who got on her feet and headed to the door, she was obviously going there to let whoever was knocking into the house.
“Yeah, I’m not home now.”
“Are you in your office or what? Have you forgotten you need to resume work at my company?” He inquired and I resisted the urge to scoff. Of course, he’d only called me because of that.
“I can’t come over now and not even in the next one month. I’m not going to my company too.”
“Why? You’ve fully recovered, right?” He asked as my eyes caught sight of Ailey heading to me with a black middle aged woman, obviously, the housekeeper.
“No, I’m still recuperating. That’s why I need to break, I’m at a rehabilitation centre,” I lied smoothly and Ailey who seemed to have heard my lie raised her brows in a questioning manner while I waved at her to give me some minutes.
She bobbed her head before heading to the kitchen with the housekeeper.
“Rehabilitation centre, why? Is it that serious? Why can’t you remain in your home and get a doctor? You have the money for that, why are…”
I cut him short. “I feel staying at a rehabilitation centre would be more effective.”
“Well, if you say so. But you know we really need you at Orientals, you’re the only one that can do it,” he stated in a more pleasing tone.
Well, he’d only wanted me to take over for his selfish interest. They were having some problems at the company and yet he still wanted more expansion, he believed I was the only one that could make his dream come true since I became successful at a young age, he didn’t offer any help and I’d only stated with the little savings mom left me.
I knew his intention was to make me give up the game company so he’ll take over and acquire it; that was certainly the reason he wanted me, he believed being the CEO of Orientals would appeal to me when it was obviosu he had other intentions.
“I’m not sure I’m the only one that can solve the problems. Adrian and Alex can as well do that,” I reminded him and he scoffed.
“They’re not as brilliant as you. They don’t know how to handle business at all. Just the chain of restuarants Adrian handled, he and his wife almost ruined the whole thing and Alex almost made me close the car marts. They’re both blockheads,” he uttered and I licked my dry lips.
Well, the issues had happened last year and Father had almost banned them from working in his company let alone handling any business but their mother had interevened.
She had him wrapped around her fingers so he’d only allowed them to work in different departments, not as the head but just as regular employees; though it only lasted for a month since their mother made him elevate them into head of departments even though father demote the previous head of departments. So, in other words, Alex and Adrian only held the positions
for nothing.
“I think you’ll need to give me time to think it over. Probably, till I’m done recovering,” I told him. I could hear him sigh from the other end and probably contort his face as that was a sign of his frustration.
“You still need to think it over. I thought you already accepted.”
“I didn’t. You never mentioned it until the AGM,” I reminded him. Though he’d been hinting about it during family dinners but I never expected him to announce it that soon at the meeting, I’d only attended the meeting because I was a shareholder and he’d told me it was compulsory to come.
I was more than surprised when he announced it and I was the only candidate nominated, when the vote started and I was eventually selected, I conisdered walking out of the meeting but I didn’t want to disgrace him. Luckily and unluckily, I couldn’t be appointed due to the unfortunate accident.
“I expected you to be happy about it,” he uttered and I huffed this time.
“Can we just talk about it later?”
“Okay then,” he hung up and I dumped my phone on the sofa.
“What would you like to eat?” Ailey asked as she walked up to me.
“Anything, I’m not really hungry.”
“I’ll tell Maggie to prepare my favorite meal then.”
“Maggie? That’s her name, right?”
Ailey took her seat beside me before replying, “Yeah, let me introduce you guys.” She called the woman who looked so small and petite but her face gave away her age. After the introduction, the woman returned to the kitchen and Ailey turned to me with an amused smile. I knew Ailey too well not to know what would come next.
“So, how come your attending doctor slept over at your place? Was she attending to your sexual needs or what? Is that part of her job too?” She teased and I shook my head.
“Shouldn’t you be at work? It’s still early,” I told her and she flipped her hair.
“I’m the boss and I can go to work any time I deem fit. Also, today is Sunday, dumbass,” she replied and my mouth formed an ‘O’.
Well, Ailey owned her studio, she was a glass sculptor who was really passionate about her job and I admire her for that. She’d been doing this since we were young and while she found her passion early, I found mine when I became an adult, though I knew I’d always loved games but I never expected I would come to run a game company.
“Oh, I forgot.”
“So, back to the question. Why was she here so early in the morning? And don’t even think of lying because her look gave it off,” she warned giving them glare that dared me to lie and I smiled.
“She crashed in my place last night,” I started but she didn’t even allow me finish the sentence before talking.
“How come? How did your paths cross?”
I shrugged. ” I guess she stays in this building, anyway, she missed her way last night because she was drunk and ended up on my couch. You should imagine how I felt when I found out someone was in my house,” I explained and then went further by explaining what happened the previous day before I realised it was my doctor.
Ailey erupted into a mocking laughter that made me glare at her. She kept on laughing for a few minutes before eventually turning to me.
“Wow, you’re such a scaredy cat and yet you’ll be proving bravery,” she mocked and I gave her a scowl.
“You know I’m brave.”
“Says who? Anyway, it’s nice that she stays in the building though. Maybe…” she added a shrug before continuing, ” Just maybe, you know? Maybe,” she wriggled her brows at me and I shook my head.
“Get your head out of the gutters.”
Her boisterous laughter filled the air while I picked up my phone.