The CEO and the Stepsisters

Finally leaving

"What is written there?"

Marker Williams asked, feigning ignorance.

"You want me to invest in a South American drug cartel to ship drugs to the east valley?"

Rev Albert asked, finding it hard to believe what he had just read.

"Of course, you've got the money, don't you?"

Mr Williams replied impatiently. Now he rolled his eyes, trying to confuse Albert the more. He couldn't help but curse Jake under his breath, accusing him of being the reason Albert had changed his mind.

But Rev Albert wasn't going to be dumb to trade all he had worked for a man like Mr Williams.

He wasn't worth it, nothing was. Not even in exchange to cleanse his already stained reputation.

"You must be out of your mind, Marker!"

He howled, tossing the documents into Mr Marker's face. "I can't believe you expect me to be this foolish. Do you even realize I'm a priest?"

He continued, stating his disappointment at getting involved with someone like him in the first place.

"Don't be holier than thou, Rev. Besides, all this wealth couldn't possibly have come from legitimate earnings, could it?"

Mr Marker asked flatly, infuriating Rev Albert the more.

"Oh my God, you're ridiculous!"

Now, Rev Albert had had enough, he quickly pointed towards the door, signaling Mr Marker to take his leave.

"I'll be back, Albert. Think about the money we'll make from this."

Mr Marker advised. He pushed the document towards Albert, and took his leave.

Albert hissed loudly, now he couldn't help but curse the day Elly brought shame to him, as he surveyed the two documents on his table. The two documents were now his heartache and, ironically, they came from a father and his son.

He wasn't thinking of patronizing Mr Williams' offer, but he was worried about how much disturbance he would get from him.

He knew Mr Williams would be a thorn in his flesh. And as for Jake, all he needed was to make calls and threaten Elly never to return to Orchid Valley, since there wouldn't be a divorce if Elly didn't sign the divorce papers.

*****

Elly stood at the airport, waiting for Rafe to pull out the rest of her luggage.

With a heavy heart, she spread her arms across him, enveloping him in her warm body. She could no longer hold her tears, and now she allowed them to fall freely.

Rafe was too emotional, but had decided to be brave and hold up his own tears.

The two were best friends and had been friends since childhood.

"Are you sure you still want to do this?"

Rafe asked in a sad tone. He had been trying to convince Elly to stay back in the country for the past two weeks. She moved in with him.

"Yes, sure...I mean I don't have anything else to do here. It's best I leave."

Elly sounded.

Rafe reached for her hand and pressed against it gently. He was filled with rage, and it pained him so much to watch his friend go through all that.

His eyes swept down Elly's body, surveying her perfect hourglass figure, and it made him infuriated the more, because why would a man treat a lady that beautiful like she was trash?

"I'll surely kill that bastard if I set my eyes on him, Elly. I promise you."

He sounded, while extending his hands to help her wipe off her tears.

Elly chuckled and gave a sad smile, and just like he had expected, she stated,

"You don't have to. I mean, it's his loss."

Rafe held her hands firmly again, now he was already struggling to hold back his tears. He was going to miss Elly badly. The two had been great friends, and had it been he wasn't into men, he knew he would have asked Elly out a long time ago.

"Don't hesitate to call me if you feel like coming back to the country. I promise I'll come pick you up whatever you are."

Rafe sounded. He pulled Elly closer to him and wrapped his hands around her again, filling himself with the awesomeness of her cologne.

Suddenly, there was a vibration in his jacket and his phone buzzed.

Pulling himself out of Elly's grip, he took the phone out and, to his surprise, the caller was Rev Albert.

For a while, Rafe was motionless, thinking if he should hand over the phone to Elly or take the call and lie about not knowing of Elly's whereabouts, but Elly quickly noticed the suspense.

"Why don't you pick the call?"

She sounded, pulling the phone closer to see the screen. Seeing the caller made a wave of pain run down her spine again. Her father can't possibly be calling her now. She has decided to move on.

"Of all the time to call it now?"

She asked rhetorically, as she began to get her luggage into the airport. That was the first time her father called after her wedding. She felt hurt that he didn't even bother to call to know about her whereabouts after he heard she left Jake's house two weeks ago.

Yes! Sane should have told him. Her jealous stepmother loved breaking that kind of news the most.

"Do you want to talk to him?"

Rafe asked as calmly as he could, as he tried not to get her pissed.

But Elly chuckled and shook her head.

She had thought her father had called to ask for her return, not knowing that he was going to threaten her to never return again.

"He should adopt his reputation as his eldest daughter. "

Elly said calmly, as she waved her hands to Rafe, who couldn't follow her further to the check point.

"My regards to aunt Helen.".

Rafe sounded and continued waving.

Suddenly, a message dropped into his inbox, and it contained the threats Rev Albert specifically wrote down for Elly.

He would have sent it to Elly directly if not that Elly had changed her call line that morning, as she wouldn't want anyone to reach her except Rafe.

"He still hasn't had a change of heart?"

Rafe howled inwardly.

Quickly, he screenshots the text and sent it to Elly.

He knew Elly too well, and he knew it was a matter of minutes before she regretted not allowing her to talk to her father, so in order to take those regrets off her mind, he had to show her what her father still thought about her.

When the message dropped on Elly's mail, her heart was further shattered.

She wiped her eyes, "I'll make the best out of myself."

She said and boarded the plane.