THE MYSTERY BEHIND OUR MARRIAGE

Test Of Faith

Chapter 1

Mr Thomas John, CEO of Thomcore Company, an electrical appliances production company, is busy going through the scattered white papers on his desk. He looks frustrated and abjectly confused.

"Where is the documents?," Mr Thomas sounded harshly to himself. "They should be here." He said, scattering the papers and glancing at each paper.

The banks are few hours away from coming down to the company. Thomcore Company took a loan of $50 millions from zenith bank. And they are here to get their money back.

As Mr. Thomas was busy searching for the documents, a loud knock echoes through the office, He looked up with a sharp eyes, his heart beating fast.

'Are they here already?' he said to himself softly, his voice barely audible.

Mr. Thomas quickly stood up but froze on his feet when the figure came in. His heart beats too hard, almost feeling like it will explode.

"Darcy, what are you doing here?" says Mr. Thomas with a surprising face.

"I came by to see you Dad," Darcy replied. "I was at the neighborhood and decided to show up." Said Darcy, walking towards her father.

"And why are you looking confused?" Darcy asked, gazing at the break of sweat on her father's forehead. "Is everything okay?" She asked again looking at the papers scattered on the desk.

"Ahh, nothing," says Mr. Thomas, he quickly put together the scattered papers on his desk.

A brown paper fell from the desk. It was the paper Mr. Thomas was searching for. Darcy's eyes caught the paper,l. She bend down and pick it up, reading the content on the paper.

"Dad, what's happening?" Darcy asked staring at the brown paper and with a wide eyes in shock. "Did you took a loan from the bank?" She asked further more.

Mr. Thomas quickly grabbed the paper off Darcy's hand.

"Give me that," say Mr. Thomas grabbing the paper of her hand. "It's nothing."

Mr. Thomas was about to hid the paper away when his office door banged open widely. His secretary rushed in.

"There's a ln emergency call for you sir," says the secretary.

"What is it," Mr Thomas asked.

"The bank just called," says the secretary.

Mr. Thomas heart sank heavily as it begins to beat faster. He followed her and took the phone

"Hello," Mr. Thomas pick the call and answered.

"This is Zenith bank calling, are we speaking Mr. Thomas?" Said the voice

"Yes," He answered.

"Our representatives will be with you shortly at your company." The voice said.

"But....," Mr. Thomas couldn't complete his statement before the phone hung.

Mr. Thomas buried his head in his palm and suddenly, he fell to the ground. Darcy rush towards her father, screaming for him to stand up.

"Dad!," Darcy screamed. "Call the ambulance now," she yelled at the secretary

The secretary quickly dial the call and informed the emergency line of the situation at hand.

Few minutes later, Mr. Thomas was driven to the hospital and was attended to. The doctor called Darcy to his office.

"Miss, Darcy," the doctor begins. "Your father is lucky to have been brought very early, if he had been left for a minute, he won't have survived."

"Doctor, please what is wrong with him?" Darcy asked, her face looking serious and confused.

"I am sorry, Miss Darcy," said the doctor with a pitiful voice. "I don't know how to put this..."

"Doctor please tell me," Darcy's heart began to beat fast as she asked. "What is wrong with my Dad?"

"He had a heart attack," said the doctor.

The words from the doctor sent a shocking wave into Darcy's heart. Tears began to roll from her eyes.

"And also, he has a lung disease." The doctor added.

Darcy raised her head in great shock and confusion.

"What did you just say!" Darcy asked with a trembling voice.

"I am sorry Miss Darcy," the doctor sounded apologetic. "But your father need a transplant, for now he can only rely on oxygen tank for breathing.

Darcy broke into tears uncontrollably. And as she sat in the doctor's office sobering her phone rang, it was the secretary.

Darcy pick the call, "Hello," she answered with faint voice barely audible.

"Miss Darcy, the bank representatives are here and demand to see your father," says the secretary.

"Didn't you explain to them what just happened few minutes ago?" Darcy asked

"I did but they still insisted on seeing him," the secretary answered.

"I am coming down to the office now." Says Darcy.

Darcy left the doctor's office and hurriedly rush down to her father's company. She got to the company and met some stranger dressed in black suit sitting in the boardroom waiting. The secretary directed Darcy to the boardroom where the representatives are waiting.

"They are in there," said the secretary pointing towards the boardroom.

Darcy walked into the room, her eyes met with the strangers. She walk straight to the sit in one of the chair facing them.

"And who are you?" One of the representative asked.

"I am Darcy. Darcy Thomas," she answered. "Mr Thomas's daughter." She added.

They all nodded. And then, the leader of the representative begins to speak.

"Well, Miss Darcy, your father's company took a loan of $50 millions from our bank and is yet to pay," says the leader.

$50, million what!" Darcy screamed in surprise.

"The loan has been due for over three months now and he is yet to pay some portion of the debts," the leader spoke again.

Furthermore, he added, "The bank has decided to involve the court and to seize any valuable assets of the company untill the debts are paid in full," says the leader. "Also, here is the court order and an agreement documents to be signed, the company must pay at least 10% of the payment every three days. Failure to pay after the three days attracts 5% of the initial amount,"

The leader spoke with confidence and without given Darcy a chance to speak. He push forward the documents and Darcy signed it. The representatives stood up and about to walk away when Darcy found her voice and spoke.

"Wait," says Darcy, standing up from her seat. "My father is sick and diagnosed with a heart attack, please give us some time."

The leader of the bank representatives turned and look at her and replied her, "Deal with it. The bank is only concerned with what is it own."

The leader spoke without remorse in his voice as they all walked away from the room.

Darcy sat on the chair back burst into crying profusely. Her mind was filled with difficult decisions to make, to save her father's company or to save her dying father.

Just as she sat there crying, Darcy received a text message, 'It is now or never, you have 48 hours to save your father'.