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1311 Words
By the time Cassie and her family had settled into her Aunt Linda’s modest home, the day was already slipping away.
The move had been chaotic, and Cassie was still recovering from the events of the morning.
Her mind buzzed with frustration and exhaustion as she glanced at her phone, it had been ringing for a while.
She picked it up to see a message from Kate, it was a reminder, ‘Don’t forget! Special guest in business class today! You can’t miss this!’
Cassie sighed. She had already missed most of her morning classes, but she couldn’t afford to skip her business class too.
With a groan, she grabbed her bag and rushed out, apologizing to her mom for not sticking around to help unpack.
The campus was already filled with people going to their classes when she arrived, her legs burning from sprinting up the stairs to the lecture hall. She reached the classroom just as the professor was closing the door.
“Running late, Miss. Blake,” Professor Adams remarked with a raised brow.
“Sorry, sir,” Cassie mumbled as she slipped into the seat beside Kate, who was practically bouncing with excitement.
“You made it just in time!” Kate whispered, her eyes shining.
“You’re going to love the guest we’re expecting today, he’s super important in the business world and absolutely dreamy!”
Cassie raised a brow. “Who is it?” she asked, trying to sound enthusiastic despite her sour mood.
Kate opened her mouth to respond, but before she could utter a word, Professor Adams cleared his throat and addressed the class.
“Good afternoon, everyone. Today, we’re privileged to have a special guest speaker with us. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Luke Hudson, CEO of Hudson Motherboard Construction Ltd.”
The applause that erupted was deafening, but Cassie froze, her heart pounding as if it had been struck by a sledgehammer. The name echoed in her head.
‘Hudson Motherboard Construction Ltd!’
Her eyes snapped to the front of the class just as the door opened and in walked a tall, striking man in a tailored suit.
He exuded confidence, his sharp features complemented by neatly combed dark hair and piercing blue eyes.
He appeared to be in his early thirties, carrying himself with an air of authority that immediately commanded attention.
The class erupted into cheers, especially the girls, who whispered among themselves. “Oh my gosh, he’s so handsome!” someone squealed.
Cassie clenched her jaw, gripping the edge of her desk as she stared at him.
‘This is the man who’s destroying my neighborhood,’ she thought bitterly.
She was suddenly reminded of the destruction, the bulldozers, and the pain in her mother’s eyes, it all fueled her resentment towards him.
“Isn’t he handsome?” Kate whispered dreamily, nudging Cassie.
“Nope,” Cassie snapped, her voice sharp and bitter. “And I’m pretty sure he’s ugly on the inside.”
Kate blinked, startled by Cassie’s tone. “What’s with you?” she asked softly.
Cassie didn’t respond. She couldn’t take her eyes off Luke Hudson, who was now smiling politely at the class.
To the others, he probably looked like a charming, successful businessman but to her, he was a heartless villain.
Professor Adams gestured for the class to quiet down. “Mr. Hudson, thank you for joining us today. We’re honored to have you here.”
“Thank you for having me,” Luke said, his voice smooth and confident. “I’m excited to share some insights into the world of business and construction, and hopefully inspire some of you to chase your dreams.”
The class hung onto his every word, their enthusiasm palpable. Cassie, however, felt like she might choke on her rage.
She wanted to stand up and yell, to tell everyone what kind of ruthless man he really was. But she forced herself to stay silent, her hands trembling as she clenched them into fists.
Luke began his presentation, talking about his rise in the business world, the challenges he faced, and the importance of innovation and determination.
He even cracked a few jokes, earning him laughter and admiration from the students especially the female students.
Kate leaned closer to Cassie. “Come on, you have to admit he’s impressive,” she whispered.
Cassie turned to her friend, her eyes blazing. “Impressive my foot” she hissed.
“This guy is demolishing my neighborhood! My family and I had to move out this morning because of his company. He doesn’t care about the people he’s hurting, Kate. He’s just another greedy CEO.”
Kate’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait, what? Your neighborhood is … oh my God, Cassie, I didn’t know…”
Cassie shook her head. “Of course you didn’t. And neither does anyone else here, because he gets to stand up there and act like he’s some kind of hero.”
Kate fell silent, her earlier excitement replaced by an uncomfortable tension. Cassie turned her attention back to Luke, her glare unwavering.
Luke had moved on to the Q&A portion of his presentation, inviting students to ask questions about entrepreneurship and business strategy.
Hands shot up around the room, and Luke answered each question with the same polished charm.
At that point, Cassie couldn’t hold back any longer. She raised her hand.
Luke pointed to her with a smile. “Yes, you in the back.”
Cassie stood, her voice steady despite the anger bubbling beneath the surface.
“Mr. Hudson, you’ve talked a lot about innovation and growth, but what about responsibility? How does your company ensure that your success doesn’t come at the expense of others?”
The room fell silent and she could feel a nervous gaze on her. Luke’s smile faltered for a brief moment, but he quickly recovered.
“That’s a great question,” he said, his tone measured.
“At Hudson Motherboard Construction, we prioritize sustainable development and community engagement. We work closely with local stakeholders to ensure our projects benefit as many people as possible.”
Cassie’s hands tightened into fists. “Really? Because this morning, your company started demolishing my neighborhood. Families were given no notice. People lost their homes without any warning. Is that what you call ‘community engagement’?”
Gasps rippled through the room. Kate’s hand flew to her mouth, and Professor Adams looked visibly uncomfortable.
Luke’s expression shifted, the confident mask cracking just slightly. “I wasn’t aware of the specifics of that project,” he said carefully.
“But I assure you, we follow all legal procedures and aim to minimize disruption wherever possible.”
“Legal doesn’t mean ethical,” Cassie shot back.
“Do you even think about the people your decisions affect, or is it all just numbers on a spreadsheet to you?” Cassie spat. At this point, she didn’t care that he was the CEO and poured her heart out.
The tension in the room was getting intense. Luke looked directly at her, his blue eyes unreadable.
“I understand your frustration,” he said slowly. “And I’m sorry for the hardship you’ve experienced. I’d be happy to speak with you after class to discuss this further.”
Cassie scoffed. “What’s the point? You’re already tearing everything down. Talking won’t bring our homes back.”
Luke didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he nodded slightly, his expression unreadable. “Thank you for your question,” he said, before moving on to the next student.
Cassie sank back into her seat, her heart pounding. She could feel the weight of everyone’s stares, but she didn’t care. She had said what she needed to say.
When the class ended, Kate turned to her hesitantly. “Are you okay?” she asked.
Cassie nodded, though she felt anything but okay.
- Writer
