The Craziest Scandal
1620 Words
Chapter 7
Damian
The mild tap on my shoulder woke me up. Faint vision, slowly becoming clear.
“Cynthia?…What…are you doing here?”
The shock on her face was confusing.
“The question is what are you doing here, sir?” She paused, slowly approaching the widow and pulling back the blinds. Damn! That much sunlight.
“Looking like this….did you sleep in the office?”
Shit! It totally slipped my mind that I dozed off here last night. The plan was to wake up early before my staff resume and leave. Too weak I was to drive to a hotel or worse the penthouse. Going home wasn’t an option for me despite the stern warning I had dished out to Vivian to leave the house, I wanna be sure the b***h gets out before I return.
“Is everyone?”
“Yes sir….the office is up and running for the day.” She affirmed wearing a smirk, she must really be loving my frustration. How the heck am I going to get out of here without making a mess of myself? I stink of alcohol too.
“Here!” She passed a suit bag to me.
“Where did you…”
“Your order came in yesterday…I’ll call everyone to the boardroom for a fake meeting…you can get out then.”
She turned to leave.
“Cynthia?”
As if she expected a call back, she turned swiftly holding my gaze.
“Thank you.” Beaming a warm smile, she shut the door. Quickly rushing into the bathroom, I changed into the new suit. Waiting for Cynthia to do her thing before sneaking out. Some of the workers still saw me despite my new look, they still stared with a strange awe. What’s wrong with everyone? Do I stink that bad? Smith! Why didn’t I even think of going to his place? Instead of sleeping in the office like a refugee.
Driving home, I had no wish than for Vivian to have gotten out. I can’t even deal with her right now. Her car isn’t in the premises, that’s a good sign. Entering inside, I sight Laura cleaning the television wares downstairs.
“Good morning sir.”
“Morning, is she…”
“Sir?”
“Is that…bitch still here?”
“Yes, I am!”
Vivian’s annoying voice interrupted the conversation. Turning, to meet her scornful expression. Almost like the most sober I have seen her in a very long while.
“I thought I told you…to get out?!” She bent back laughing loudly.
“I’m not going anywhere…without my son!”
“Son?! The sane one you left without any form of care alone….just to f**k your lover?!”
I scoff pushing her off my face. The deeper I stare at her the more intense my anger becomes.
“You must think you’re the perfect…saintly dad, Damian…but you’re not! Nothing but a sulking man who…can’t get over his ex wife?!”
The anger in my belly welled up, beclouding my ability to pause and think before landing her a slap.
“Go ahead!” She yelled, pulling my shirt forcefully. “Slap me again!…It won’t change anything.”
“You’re mad, Vivian!”
I need air, pushing her hands off my shirt to go upstairs. My body aches from sleeping on a chair all night.
“But not as mad as kissing my ex on camera in front of the whole world!” She yelled.
Kissing? What is she talking about?”
“What?
“Guess you haven’t seen the trending news online.” Pulling out her phone she read out.
“Billionaire lawyer, Damian White reconnects with ex wife in a public…fucking bathroom!”
My hands swiftly snatch her phone from her. What the hell? Who made this? My hands begin to shake…it makes sense why those staff were looking at me like a ghost.
“Give me my phone!” Snatching the phone from my grasp.
“Father of the year! File for a divorce….and watch me sink every pin attached to Damian white!”
She sighed matching upstairs. She’s right, the odds are against me now. f*****g b***h! Who made this video? I wonder how this would affect Willa, I need to see her. What have I done?
Willa
“What?”
He hung up immediately. Someone is watching me. My eyes scurried around searching for the prying eyes. The well wishers soon all began to look like suspects. Trying to call the number again but it isn’t available.
“Boss, is everything is alright?”
“Someone….is…watching me.”
“What?”
“Someone is f*****g watching me! Get me out of here!”
John and Jack formed a body shield around me, taking me out of the space.
The next morning, I resumed on the construction site with the workers supervising the building of the new branch. Choosing to focus on the positive reality instead of the bleak and scary things the anonymous caller said. All my days in business, it was my first threat.
“Assemble those blocks properly!”
The building is slowly beginning to take its expected shape at least before my return to New York.
“Boss?”
Jack called.
“What is it?”
“You need to see this..”
“No now, Jack….place those iron bars on the planks!…what the hell are you guys looking at?”
Their eyes instead of focusing on their jobs, all struggled to give me a glimpse. My supervision is strict but not as terrific as they made it seem.
“It’s urgent!” John added, pulling my attention from the site to the corner where they stood.
“What is it?”
They said no words instead stretched their phones. I picked Jack’s. Why would he be showing me a blog? Wait- a video? Quickly opening it, my fingers froze. Immediately the reechoing threats of the caller rang in my head
‘…hope you enjoy tomorrow’s trend.’
Such a clear video, no one else was in the toilet…or so it thought. s**t! This is bad, the comments are…crazy.
“Who…posted this?!”
“An anonymous tip to several blogs…all posted almost immediately…it must be doctored.” Jack affirmed, taking back his phone.
“I wish it was….those views…do you think Chris has…”
“Boss…this is the number trending video…in the country right now!”
“Get me out of here!”
Throughout the drive back home, my eyes were fixed to my phone. Thinking how the hell they got the video? Damian couldn’t have done it…right? Or maybe he did, because it was all too sudden, f**k! My business phone was buzzing with calls from several clients and employees.
Roland swerved in front of the house with John opening the door for me. I wish I didn’t have to step out of the car.
Stepping out and seeing Damian in front of my door was a shocking welcome. The bastard!
“What the hell are you doing here?” My hands hit his chest in frustration. “You planned this right?….you must be very happy!”
He pushed me back lightly. John and Jack stood back refusing to interfere. His dark circles were enough counter to my claims but I wouldn’t his pity card as defense.
“Happy?…really? I came to…apologize….I know how much it must have…affected you…”
“You don’t know anything, Damian….you have no idea how I feel….seated on your rich and high horse….you must have come here to mock me but…nothing will take me back to you!”
I found myself telling as if affirming my worth again. He held an unflustered gaze, letting me vent.
“Again…. I’m sorry…” patting my shoulders, he walked away. Is that it? He really came to apologize? Why wouldn’t I just keep shut? He must also be hurt and affected too. How didn’t I even think of that? His car zoomed off leaving me outside.
“Boss…what next?”
I can’t stay here anymore, the internet is buzzing with my name everywhere on the internet for a negative cause, validating the caller’s threat.
“Book the next available flight to New York….I need to go home.”
“Yea, boss.”
***
The next couple of days, I spent offline and away from the office, letting Jack and John run my errands and the company’s affairs while I worked from home. Being at home have me enough bonding time with dad and helping me value the weight of the pastoral life. The peacefulness that came with it, away from the unhealthy competition of the labor market.
The beep on my phone that night was the most distraught. The debit alerts in dad’s name, what was he using such amount of money for.
“Dad!” I called out, moving around the house in search of him. He must be in the Study. Opening the door to the dark room to meet his chair rocking from behind. His window open with the eerie wind singing the familiar sing of the night.
“Dad, why did you remove two million dollars from the company account?”
A loud hum from the turned chair was the only response I got. What kind of response is that?
“Really, dad? You know what the company is going through right now…that kind of money would sink Grey.”
He said nothing apart from the hum again.
“Dad!” I stump, moving back to turn on the light.
The loud familiar whistling of the femme voice turning the chair around. Those identical blue eyes, clothed in her usual black apparel “Aman…da?”
“Glad to see you, sis.”
- Writer
