5 Days Later
Nothing would have prepared him for the way he felt the moment he entered the main villa of Imperial Hub Limited.
What used to be Morris’s villa….
Arthur Reeves walked through the familiar pathway that led to where Morris used to stay. He used to go here to talk to Morris in his personal library. They would laugh, talk and joke around about different things.
In the midst of their laughter and conversation, he never suspected for once that Morris despised him and was looking for a way to get rid of him.
Till today, he still couldn’t understand why Morris didn’t just let him go….
He knew that Morris felt uncomfortable about all the board members saying he was a better leader and businessman compared to Morris. He decided to leave because it made perfect sense to do so at that moment.
He was already packing his things, making it known that he was resigning and would have nothing to do with the company anymore. Was that not enough?
What else did Morris want? What else was he aiming for? Why did he hurt him so deeply?
For years, he had wished he never crossed paths with anyone in this company. At first, he thought the person behind his false accusation was a board member who was jealous of him and wanted to deal with him….
Imagine his shock when he found out it was Morris all along.
He didn’t know what to think or feel regarding anyone in this family or company. He would need some time to really let things go.
Before he could open the door that led to the main sitting room, George opened it from inside, almost bumping into him.
“Oh my…” George stepped back, creating space for Arthur to walk inside “…. Good morning sir. It’s good to see you.”
“How have you been, George?”
“Quite fine. I’m sorry I couldn’t bring my mother over to see you instead. She is still recovering from the bullet incident that occurred last week”
Arthur nodded “I understand. I heard about it”
George smiled “please come in, she is inside”
Arthur stepped in, moving farther into the sitting room. He saw Patricia sitting on a sofa, her hands folded together on her lap. She looked like she had a lot on her mind.
Patricia turned when she heard the door open “Mr Arthur…”
“Good morning, Mrs Patricia. How have you been?”
“I have been okay. Please have a seat”
Arthur settled on a sofa and peered at her. He had heard that it was based on her recommendation that Morris came looking for him. He could as well say that she was the cause of everything but he knew that made absolutely no sense….
She just recommended someone she believed could be of help to the company without knowing of Morris’s intention. If she had known, he was sure that she wouldn’t do that.
As they talked, Patricia suddenly burst into tears….
“Mrs Patricia….” Arthur muttered in concern.
“I-I am really sorry for everything. I know you might hate me, if I never mentioned your name to him, you would not have to go through all of this. I am so sorry for playing a part in ruining your life ….”
Arthur Reeves sighed. “It is not your fault, Mrs Patricia. Morris was the one with bad intentions, you never had any ulterior motive when you told him about me. It’s not your fault, really”
Patricia sniffed “But I can’t pay you back for the years you’ve lost. I am sure you had dreams, plans…. things you wanted to do with your life during these six years. That’s a lot of time.”
“You are right about that” Morris replied “But it doesn’t change the fact that you had no part in this. If there’s anyone who should be apologizing to me, it’s not you. It’s Morris.”
Patricia wiped away the tears on her cheeks and chin.
Arthur glanced at her “You know, I still can’t believe that he actually tried to kill you. Who would have thought? Why did he do that to you?”
Patricia smiled “He wanted to put the company in James name and make Judith the chairwoman. His plan from the start was to go against the contract we signed and then kill me so I wouldn’t be able to fight for my right”
“What?!!” Arthur gasped “At the end, he lied to everybody. He played with our minds”
“Yes, he did”
“I remember you said we have to see him in the prison today…”
“Yes…” Patricia answered “… I believe we need to ask the questions on our lips. He might not answer us but it will help us know where to go from there. It will help us to let go of him in our mind easily. I also plan to go with George to see Judith”
“That sounds good enough”
“Alright. I’ll tell George to take us there”
~~~~~*~~~~~
Patricia and Arthur sat in front of the transparent screen, staring at Morris Scott on the other end.
“I am actually surprised you showed up. I thought you would ignore us” Patricia voiced out
“Be quick about whatever you have to say” Morris answered coldly.
Arthur Reeves blinked at his abrupt and cold body language. Looking at him, he even had a scowl on his face. It was almost as if they were the ones that hurt him, not him hurting them.
“Don’t you have anything to say to us?” Patricia responded. “Even if you have nothing to say to me, what about Mr Arthur Reeves over here?’
Morris rolled his eyes and chuckled. “What are you expecting? An apology? You can’t be serious!”
Patricia stared at him, wide-eyed with her mouth wide open. Did he really just say that? After everything he had done?
She sighed. What was she even expecting from her in the first place? She already knew the kind of person he is, stubborn and rigid even when he was wrong. It was clear that he wasn’t remorseful in any way, he probably thought they were the ones who hurt him instead.
He was a crazy man. Completely blinded by his greed and desire to ‘prove’ himself.
Morris glared at her in anger, completely ignoring Arthur Reeves. “Are you expecting an apology from me after you ruined everything I worked so hard for? How does it feel like having a company to your name when you didn’t build it??”
Arthur Reeves blinked, surprised by his statement to Patricia…..
The way he twisted his words, trying to manipulate and make her feel guilty when he was the wrong person.
Arthur smiled sadly. He couldn’t believe he actually expected to get an apology from Morris. Obviously, that was not happening. He didn’t even feel sorry for anything.
“Have you lost your mind?!” Patricia yelled at him through the transparent screen. “That company belonged to me first. I have it to you because you received me by insisting you wanted to make it better before George became the rightful owner. You took advantage of my soft spot for him and used it to your advantage….”
She swallowed and continued “…. And what are you even talking about? Which company did you grow? It was all Arthur Reeves doing. He grew it to two billion dollars in annual revenue and you kicked him out because of your jealousy! Even when he was in jail, you couldn’t increase the revenue of the company further because you still had no marketing skill!”
Morris glared at her, seething in anger.
“You were so blinded by anger, greed and your desire for control that you couldn’t see how much you were lacking-”
“What is that supposed to mean?!” Morris snapped at her
“What else is that supposed to mean?! Don’t you get it?! You ruined your own self. You ruined everything! You messed up what should have been a peaceful company relationship between two business associates due to your greed and jealousy. If you were as capable as you claim you are, you wouldn’t have to act like a coward who goes around fabricating lies about an innocent man. You messed up big time, Morris and you will pay for it”
“Whatever. Enjoy your lives!”
Arthur who had been quiet finally spoke “I see it was a waste of time to come here. You actually think you are the victim in all of this. Anyway, how does it feel like to be staying in the same condition you put me in for six years? It feels good, right?”
Morris glared at him. He looked at Patricia “You must be so proud of yourself. George finally becomes the real CEO and the whole villa and money will belong to you. Your life must be amazing!”
Patricia scoffed at his statement “You have lost it. Your mind. You ruined my ability to walk and you’re talking about how amazing my life must be. Is money everything? You tried to kill me and you have the guts to say I must be proud of myself? You disgust me!”
“It’s all my fault for taking too long to get rid of you and George. I’ll never forgive your parents for what they did to me!”
“Really?…” Patricia laughed. “… I see you love being the victim. Judith loves it too. Both of you were really made for each other.”
Morris rolled his eyes and looked away.
“George felt disgusted at the idea of seeing you. After hearing all you have said so far, I am glad he stayed outside. There’s no need for him to see what a mess you are.” Arthur Reeves whispered loud enough for Morris to hear.
“Next, I’ll be going over with George to see the love of your life, Judith in her cell….” Patricia mocked him “…. I am sure she’ll play the victim too. I’ll make sure I send your greeting to her”
As Arthur Reeves stood up to leave with her, Patricia turned to Morris one last time and said;
“Don’t even think about seeing any of us again. For all the damage you’ve caused, rotting away here for the next twenty years and more is a good enough reward! Morris Scott, I can assure you of one thing. You will not be missed”