Liam stepped into the conference room with a clenched fist, amidst the greetings of the board members and the flashing lights of the reporters. He sensed a deep feeling of dread and uneasiness gnawing at his heart. For some reason, he wanted to halt the conference but it could tarnish his reputation. He had been waiting long for this, he couldn’t mess it up.
“What’s this?” He questioned himself, feeling frustrated deep down that he could get rid of the pains in his stomach. As he walked up to his seat, he instinctively glanced by his side and saw a smile on Max’s face that gave him the chills. His intuition kicked in that very moment, he wanted to end this, but he wasn’t the type to fall for his enemy’s trick. Another voice in his head spoke to him, telling him to observe the process of the meeting. He stood in front of the whole people present with a newfound determination to see this through.
“Welcome everyone. I appreciate you for coming to witness the meeting that would lead to the great transcendence of our enterprise….”
He kept on saying, occasionally glancing at Max who had the same smile on his face. When his speech was almost done, he glanced at Max’s spot again and was shocked- Max wasn’t there anymore. Where and how did he go?”
And it came back again, the feeling of dread tugging at his heart. His guts told him his cousin was up to something crazy. But how crazy would it be?… He was waiting to be baffled.
Suddenly, the lights went off causing a huge uproar as people began to search for ways to get out of the eerie darkness that gave a bad premonition. Before this could get out of hand, the lights came back, calming the tension. People began to ponder on what had happened until a voice among the press resounded in the room.
“A file is loading on the projector” the voice shouted, causing everyone to turn their gaze towards the direction the man was pointing to, and true to his words, a green box showing ninety-five percent on the top was displayed right in the middle of the screen.
The people waiting in anticipation of what was about to be revealed.
“Maybe, it’s the new project” a voice uttered with a questioning tone.
“Has the new project been plagiarized again?” Another asked.
“Or maybe another drama is about to occur like the scandal” a scornful voice was heard.
Meanwhile, invincible sweat beads had appeared on Liam’s forehead, his heart thumping hard as his gaze was fixed on the project. He had, for a moment, thought it was another form of plagiarism but he felt there was something else. He glanced at Adrian who was typing endlessly on his laptop, searching for a solution to what had happened.
At last, the green bar on the screen was filled and slides of images began to appear.
“Haaa” someone gasped in shock. “Isn’t that our boss’s fiancee?… Why is she naked?”
“Oh my God! So it’s true” another said, outraged. “She’s having an affair with his cousin”
“So, shameless” a voice exclaimed.
“No wonder her mother-in-law tried to kill her, she has no shame” another yelled out.
“Only God knows how long she’s been sleeping with him, “Another said
“I knew she was a golddigger and a slut.. tch”
Suddenly, the screen became blank. Adrian had taken off the pictures but the damage had already been done. The press had already taken pictures and videos of it. Everybody now knows that the fiancee of the rich business lord, Liam Callahan, had slept with his cousin.
“Mr. Callahan.. boss.. we need to leave” Sarah shouted anxiously to her boss who was lost in his world.
“Betrayal, pain, anger, hatred”
Those were the only words that could be used to describe Liam’s emotions at the moment. His coldness spread across the room, causing everyone to shiver in fear. Knowing that the lion’s tail had been stepped on, they swiftly evacuated the room, knowing how dire the consequences would be if they stayed there.
“Sir….. Are you okay?” Sarah asked while glancing at Adrian who shook his head, telling her not to disturb him but she remained persistent.
“Sir, please. you need to…”
“Get out”Liam barked at Sarah and Adrian who were still astounded by the current situation.
“I SAID LEAVE, NOW” he yelled, causing the two people to run out of the room with fear engraved in their hearts.
Now, he was left alone to suffer in anguish. His cold facade crumbled as he slumped on his chair, holding his head with his hands. The excruciating pain in his heart could not be replaced with anything. He began to recall his last conversation with his cousin, whom he suspected to be the mastermind behind it. Those two had hidden a dark secret like that from him and the woman he so much loved had cuckolded him with no thread of pity for his feelings.
“Isabelle…. Isabelle” he kept calling her name in a daze. His heart mixed with the feeling of love and hatred as he pictured her innocent face in his head.
He had trusted her blindly
He had broken the barriers surrounding his heart, walls he had built for many years, just so he could look at her wholeheartedly.
But what did she give him in return? How did she repay him?
She betrayed him with his cousin, the same person he had always warned her about.
He remembered Adrian’s words about something fishy that could have led to the previous scandal, telling him to investigate, but he had pinned all his hopes on her, thinking she would one day tell him the truth herself. How could he have known it was something this unforgiving?…. And that damned cousin of his had taken him for a fool. He should have put him in his place instead of letting him grow his wings so high, that he could cause this great damage.
He wanted. no, he desperately needed to listen to her explanation. And then he would decide for himself if she’s still worth caring for.