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1052 Words
On the day of the board meeting, I walked into the conference hall with a faint smile on my face. I sat in the CEO chair. Mr. Thompson sat close to me and for a few minutes, there was silence.
Mr. Thompson cleared his throat, breaking the long silence, “Shall we begin,” he said and began talking, “As we all know, we just lost this company’s CEO, it’s time to vote for a new one,” he paused, surveying the room and all the board members nodded in agreement.
“Mara’s father, Mr. Jordan Smith,” he continued, “was the biggest shareholder of this company. He didn't leave a will, but he left a message saying he wanted Mara to take over. So, all his shares will go to Mara.” Mr Thompson said
A board member, Mr. Parker began to talk, his face twisted in frustration. “Wait, the deceased CEO's brother is Adam Smith, right? Why can't he lead the company?”
Mr. Peterson chimed in, “I totally agree, Adam's been with S Constructions for years. It's only wise and fair for him to become the CEO.”
“He knows this company inside out. So what are we talking about here?” Mrs. Vivian nodded vigorously.
All other board members began to murmur in agreement
Mr. Thompson's voice cut through the tension, “Alright, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We'll put it to a vote.
The vote happened, and I was shocked: 2 votes for me, 13 against. I was so angry and devastated. My uncle looked satisfied and victorious.
I turned to Mr. Thompson, “But my father is the largest shareholder,” I protested
“Mara, the board has voted and with 13 votes against you, there is nothing we can do,” Mr. Thompson said, sounding confused.
“Mara,” my uncle finally spoke, “We are family, and no matter who runs this company, we are still together” he paused and laughed loudly and continued,
“Your father said those exact words to me when he wanted to take my place, and you want to do what now? Take my place like your father?” My uncle said, his eyes burning red.
“My father earned his place, he rebuilt this company from scratch when you ran it to the ground,” I shot back and paused,
“Uncle, this was your plan all along, wasn’t it? You were just waiting for my father to die, huh? This board meeting, the vote, it was all rigged, wasn’t it?” I accused, my voice shaking with fury.
My uncle’s expression didn’t flicker, he stood up and came straight to where I was seated. He bent down slightly enough to make eye contact with me, “You’re a clever girl, Mara, but you are no match for me.” He whispered, his eyes cold.
“You’re still in possession of something that belongs to me, Mara.” He said, his voice low “The documents your father had, I want them now. And you’d be wise if you hand them over. You don’t want to end up like your father, do you?” He said with a cunning grin.
I stood up and faced him directly, “You have nothing with me” I said firmly and walked out, my mind racing with rage.
I got into my car, my hands shaking on the steering wheel. My uncle’s threat sent a chill down my spine.
“What if?” I thought, my head spinning and my heart pounding in fear.
I considered heading home to clear my head, but something told me to go to Alex's house. I needed to talk to him. He's been my rock through all this mess.
I started the car and headed to his place, hoping we’d figure out what to do together.
I pulled up to Alex’s house, my head still spinning. As I got to the door, I heard a laugh, a woman's laugh. I paused and leaned my ear to the door.
“You are so hilarious, Baby,” she said playfully and flirtatiously.
I pushed the door open and saw Lucy, my cousin, and Alex in a celebratory mood. Alex was kissing and caressing her, she was moaning softly.
I stood there, frozen, as they turned to face me. They didn't seem surprised, like they had expected me to walk in on them.
“Alex,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
He raised an eyebrow, and smirked,
“What are you doing here, loser?” he said, unapologetically.
Lucy chimed in, “Aww, poor Mara. Heard you didn’t win the CEO vote.” She said with a mocking tone.
“Mara, it's over,” Alex said, his words cutting like a knife. “I was with you because of your family's wealth and status. Now that you're an orphan, you're nothing. Don't flatter yourself thinking I'd stick around,” He paused and pulled Lucy to his side by her waist.
“Take a look at Lucy, she is smart, beautiful and her father is now the CEO of S constructions, she’s everything I want right now,” Alex said kissing Lucy all over as he talked.
I stood there, frozen in hurt, as Alex's words sliced through me. Tears filled my eyes, blurring my vision. I couldn't muster a response. Without a word, I turned and walked away, my back straight, my heart shattered.
I drove home with a broken heart. As I walked into my sitting room, a chill ran down my spine, the place looked messy. It looked like a burglar had torn the house apart, searching for something.
But before I could process the chaos, a sudden pain exploded at the back of my head and everything turned black.
I woke up in a moving truck, panic set in when I realized my hands and legs were bound with a thick rope, and my mouth was covered with duct tape. “What did I do?” I asked myself, then remembered my uncle’s threat. “You don’t want to end up like your father, do you?”
Fear gripped my chest, “Oh God, had he finally made his move to get me killed” I thought.
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