REBORN FOR REVENGE

CHAPTER ELEVEN - CROSSROADS

Vanessa’s POV

I had spent over an hour waiting for Harold Cooper. The man felt the need to take his sweet time and keep me here and I knew why, he did not respect this company at all. The only person I had ever seen Harold cower to was my father.

I sighed deeply, wanting to bring out my phone to call the front desk. Knowing Harold, it was very possible that the man was just stalling in the reception to waste my time.

Just then, my office door burst open and Harold stepped in, with a wide smile on his face.

“You must be Vanessa,” he greeted as he walked in, sitting down before I could ask him to. “Your office is even more cramped than I expected.”

Forcing a smile, I sat down in front of him. “Welcome Mr Cooper. Mara said you had some complaints that you wanted to address?”

“Complaints?!” Harold suddenly screamed at me. “You think I came all this way because of complaints?”

Harold was a short burly man with a prominent bald spot in the center of his head, he had a thick black mustache that seemed to catch everything he ate or drank. So having him screaming at me like this, was not a pleasant sight at all.

“I came here because the stocks of Anderson Corporation are falling fast and as an investor I need to be assured that your company will not grow bankrupt and leave me at a loss.”

“Mr Cooper, I want to personally assure you that you have nothing to worry about,” I replied calmly. “Within a week, you will see the difference in our stock prices so you can be rest assured that nothing will happen to all your investments.”

“And how do you know that?” Harold asked suddenly, staring at me like he could read my mind.

“I…I—”

“Didn’t you just start working here?” He cut in rudely. “As far as I know, you are the least qualified person in this building to assure me of anything. Didn’t you only get employed here because of Carlson?”

“Yes,” I admitted frankly, not feeling embarrassed. I knew this company better than anyone else and I knew that I would have to prove myself to them somehow.

“You are only here because Carlson is p**sy whipped by you,” Harold said suddenly and I froze in disbelief at how inappropriate that comment was.

“Looking at you now, I can see why,” Harold said as his mouth spread into a grin.

I knew Harold could be inappropriate at times, but this was absolutely crazy.

Suddenly, he stood up and began walking up to me.

“I know that Mara has given you an ultimatum,” he said, pausing beside my desk.

“What? Who told you that?” I asked in confusion but Harold only smiled.

“You don’t have to play dumb,” Harold said, dropping a firm hand on my shoulder.

“I am not playing dumb Mr Cooper,” I replied, pushing his hand off my shoulder as I stood up. “Please return back to your seat.”

Harold smiled again, “I know that if I don’t renew my contract with your company, you will lose your job.”

He stepped closer, placing his moist hand on my shoulder again. “So the way I see it, you need me.”

I scoffed in disbelief, looking into his beady eyes and the way they ogled me and feeling nothing but disgust and shock.

Could he really threaten me like this?

Was this how he kept getting his way with other female staff?

“I think you are a bit confused Mr Harold,” I said to him calmly, shoving his hand off me again. “I am engaged to Carlson Gray and if you think you are going to get away with all the inappropriate comments you have made, you can think again.”

Harold stared at me for a moment, before bursting into laughter.

“You are funnier than you look,” he laughed, holding his round belly like I had said something hilarious.

“What are you going to do, Vanessa?” he asked, his expression suddenly turning serious. “Report me to HR and give Mara the reason she has been looking for, to fire you?”

I hated that he was right. How did he even know about the ultimatum anyway?

How did he know so much about the company?

“I saw you at the company gala,” Harold started, his beady eyes fixated on my chest. “So I know exactly the kind of girl you are Vanessa.” Harold said, his beady eyes fixated on my chest. “You are the type that would do anything to get ahead, isn’t that why you are with Carlson?”

I smiled, looking at the bald spot on his head. He really could not be more wrong about me.

“Meet me at Empire Hotels by 9pm Vanessa or I would not renew my contract with your company.”

I scoffed in shock, watching as he began to walk out of my office.

There was no way that man had just indirectly asked me to sleep with him for a contract.

There was no way he actually thought that I would do it.

Angrily, I followed him out of the office.

“You are f**king crazy, Harold!” I screamed after him, not caring who heard me.

Harold turned back to me with a confident shrug. “You will see how crazy I am by tomorrow morning.”

What the hell did that even mean?

Was he really forcing me to sleep with him to make sure he renewed his contract?

What a bastard!

“I see you have just ended the meeting with Mr Cooper?” Mara’s voice suddenly asked from behind me.

I turned back to see her smiling at me with a satisfied look on her face. She had known he would do this, knowing her, she probably told him about the ultimatum herself to make me seem more desperate.

Everytime I thought I couldn’t hate Mara more, she exceeded my expectations.

“Yes, it went well,” I lied, forcing a bright smile.

“Well, let’s hope Mr Cooper thinks so because he is supposed to renew with us tomorrow and we both know what would happen if he doesn’t.”

The warning in Mara’s voice was so loud and clear that it echoed in my stomach, leaving me in a state of dread.

Cooper had ro renew his contract with the company, no matter what.

I stared at my reflection, almost hating how good I looked later that night. I was dressed in a simple knee length black dress that hugged my curves

I had made up my mind to see Harold Cooper because I could not bring myself to tell Carlson that I had sabotaged everything he had worked for by accepting Mara’s ultimatum.

It will be fine, I assured myself. Carlson wasn’t even back from work yet. If I left and came back before he did then he never had to know about Cooper.

I stepped downstairs, clutching my purse only to find Carslon seated on the couch in the living room.

Shit. When had he even gotten back?

It is still fine, all I have to do is ignore him and walk out of the house, besides it wasn’t like I was a prisoner here.

“Going somewhere?” he asked, just as I placed my hands on the front door.

Ignoring him, I turned the door knob and walked out of the house.

Carlson reached me before I got to the car. “I asked you a question. Where are you going?”

“Out,” I replied, unlocking the car door.

“Don’t act funny with me Vanessa, where the hell are you going?” Carlson asked, slamming the door closed.

I turned to him in surprise. “Why are you acting so possessive? I am literally just going out to see a friend.”

Carlson frowned. “You don’t have any friends.”

“Ouch,” I gave him a fake hurt look hoping he would at least smile, but his frown remained plastered on his face.

“Okay fine,” I sighed. “I am getting dinner with a potential client for the company.”

“And dinner with this person requires you to try and lie to me?”

“Carlson, can you ease up,” I replied to him, feeling defensive. “I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you would act like this.”

“And how am I acting?” Carlson asked, seeming more annoyed by the second.

“Like you own me!” I fired back and he scoffed, shifting away from the car.

“I suppose trying to protect you is making me seem possessive,” he replied with a stung look in his eyes. I stared at him with my mouth open, wanting to apologize but unable to bring myself to say anything.

“I will be back soon,” was all I could say.

“Stay safe, Vanessa,” he said as I got into the car.

I drove away in silence, feeling the weight of guilt in my chest.

I arrived at the Empire Hotel at exactly 9pm. Harold was waiting for me in the Lobby when I walked in.

“I had a feeling you would come,” he said with a bright smile as I tried to force myself to ignore the whitish liquid that was stuck on his mustache.

What a disgusting dog.

“Well, you knew I had no choice,” I replied and he laughed.

“You are still as funny as ever.” he said as he draped a hand around my waist and pulled me closer to him. “Let’s head up to my suite, shall we?”