Chapter 3: Liam's Refusal
1627 Words
Mr. John Patrick smiled at Mr. Taiye. "Oh, my daughter studied Business Administration at the University of Nigeria."
"That's fine, then. Have her submit her CV to us once she's home. I'm sure we have vacancies for newbies like her. I will be expecting her response."
"Father!" Liam quickly cut his father's speech off as his frown deepened.
"You cannot just court me with her yet," Liam said, and his father smiled at him.
"I know, son. I'm only trying to compensate Mr. John Patrick for his goodwill and commitment in working with us for over twenty years," Mr. Taiye responded, while Mr. John only smiled faintly at Liam as he bowed a little to leave.
"I will be taking my leave now, Boss. Thank you, and congratulations once again, Liam."
Liam nodded as he heard Mr. John's last words, and he walked with his father back to the front of the meeting hall, standing near the exit door. He said, "I don't like what you just did right now, Father. There are many other ways to compensate Mr. John, not at my own detriment."
"What do you mean by that, son? Mr. John has been a committed worker. I know you won't understand all this because you're new here with us, but it's okay. Besides, he said only if his daughter agrees. So she might not even accept to work with us, and there's no need for you to worry about what I've just said." Mr. Taiye turned to leave the meeting hall too, and Liam replied.
"I hope she doesn't, Father. Women aren't in my interest for now."
"Liam!" Mr. Taiye stopped and stared back at his son, shaking his head.
"You don't say that within your mother's hearing. Someday you'll find a good wife, but that's all beside the point. Let's focus on business and forget about what I've just said."
"Okay, Father." Liam sighed and watched his father exit the meeting hall, leaving only him in the hall. His personal assistant walked back into the meeting hall to meet him immediately after his father left.
"What should I do now, Boss?" Brown asked as he stood in front of Liam.
"Prepare the car. I will be going back home for today. All official duties start tomorrow."
"Okay, Boss." Brown exited the meeting hall on the second floor and walked back downstairs to inform Liam's personal driver to prepare the car.
"Israel, get the car ready. Boss is about to leave," Brown informed Israel on the ground floor, and Israel nodded.
The Benson Group was a five-story multimillion-dollar company with lots of staff and workers in it. Liam stepped out from the elevator and walked toward the car park, while some of their workers stood outside beside their cars, discussing.
It was a free day, and not much work was available to be carried out, as Mr. Taiye had given them the break the previous day to witness Liam as the new CEO.
Liam sat in the back seat while Israel started the car's engine and drove him home to the Benson residential villa.
Liam stepped down from the car and walked straight into the living room downstairs. His mother wasn't in the living room, as she was in the kitchen cooking, even though they had lots of maids and servants working for them in their home. His mother, Mrs. Juliet Jackson, still preferred doing the cooking herself, as she loved preparing their local dishes.
A maid stepped out to welcome Liam as she heard the sound of the car arrive. She bowed to him and greeted him in a courteous manner. "Welcome back, Master Liam."
Liam nodded and stared away from her as he made his way toward the kitchen to find his mother.
The aroma of the food she was preparing had filled the entire living room. She was making the popular egusi soup, garnished with beef and fresh fish.
"Good afternoon, Mom," Liam greeted his mother as he walked into the kitchen. The two maids assisting his mother in the kitchen immediately bowed their heads lower to him. "Welcome back, Master Liam."
"Thank you," Liam nodded to them while his mom washed her hands in the kitchen sink and dried them with her short kitchen towel. She walked up to meet him and gave him a warm hug.
"Welcome home, son. How was your day today in the office?" Mrs. Juliet asked.
"Fine, Mother. Hasn't Father arrived home yet?" Liam asked in return, and she replied, "No, son. Probably he's with his friends. You know he's happy you finally returned and now resume the position as the new CEO."
"I know that, Mom." Liam smiled faintly at his mother as he stepped out from the kitchen first, while his mother instructed the cook on what to do, as her meal was almost done.
"Just keep a watch on it so it won't get burnt. Once it's ready, serve it right out," Mrs. Juliet instructed a maid.
"Okay, ma'am," Nora responded, as she was the cook and head of all the maids and servants in their home.
Mrs. Juliet then walked out to meet her son as he sat on the long couch, stretching his long legs. She stepped out of the kitchen dressed in her usual long brown gown, and she removed her kitchen apron from her chest and handed it over to a maid who stepped out next after her.
"Here, take this to the laundry room and wash it."
"Okay, ma'am." The maid collected the apron and left, while Mrs. Juliet walked up to sit on the opposite couch across from Liam.
"Mom, why are you stressing so much on cooking when you have the maids and cooks at your service?" Liam asked as he watched his mother sit.
"I know that, my son, but you know cooking is part of exercise, and I enjoy cooking too. I cannot leave all the work to the maids and cook. I might end up becoming lazy and sick, as I have already retired this year from the nursing home before you returned."
"Hmm," Liam hummed.
"It's okay, Mother. So long as you're not stressed with it, I'm okay with that," he replied.
"Not at all, son. Tell me, how did the event go?"
"Fine, Mother. It was just a simple meeting with the new staff, but I don't like how some of the young female staff dressed," Liam stated as his face twisted in irritation.
"What do you mean by that, son? Weren't they wearing clothes, or how else did you expect them to dress?" Mrs. Juliet asked with wide eyes, confused by her son's claims.
"Decent, Mother. Decent! That's how a corporate worker is supposed to dress for office work—decent, not trying to seduce anyone at work."
"Oh, Liam!" Mrs. Juliet had a faint smile on her face.
"They're young females and probably searching for a husband. You don't expect them to dress like married women, covering everywhere. And besides, they might want you to admire one of them."
"No, Mother! That's not something I will allow. Tomorrow I will give a new dress code order to Brown, and any of the new female staff and old staff who cannot follow suit are expected to quit."
"Liam! You won't do that. You just resumed the CEO position. You won't be harsh to your workers and colleagues at the office just because you're their boss." Mrs. Juliet frowned.
"I'm sorry, Mom. But that's how I will like them to start dressing from tomorrow. I will have them inspected at the gate before they're allowed into the company, and I've already prepared the dress code. Brown will give out the information to them tomorrow." Liam stood up, and Mrs. Juliet was dumbfounded.
"Liam!" she finally called him, and he stopped.
"I'm sorry, Mom, but if Father interjects in this, then I will have to resign from the company. One must keep his or her focus, and I won't like to be tempted by any of my female staff."
"Okay, son. If that's how you want it, I just hope there won't be any backlash on the company's growth."
"Not at all, Mother." Liam smiled at his mother, seeing that she already agreed.
"I will have to go upstairs now and freshen up. The aroma of the soup is inviting. Let me freshen up first and come back downstairs to join you for dinner."
"Okay, son. I will be expecting you."
Mrs. Juliet Jackson watched as her son took the stairs in the living room and walked up to the second floor, as their house was a standard duplex. Even though her husband had the money to purchase a multimillion-dollar mansion, she still preferred them staying in the Benson villa, as it kept a lot of her past memories alive.
Mrs. Juliet sighed as she stood up to prepare the dining table with the maids. Just then, her husband arrived home with another of his friends, Mr. Tunji Martin. She greeted them as they walked into the living room and met her walking toward the dining room.
"Welcome, honey!" Mrs. Juliet walked back to welcome her husband, even though he was 68 years old. She didn't fail to call him honey.
"Wow, the aroma of the soup is inviting," Mr. Taiye said to his wife, and she smiled at him.
"Where's Liam? Isn't he back yet?" Mr. Taiye asked.
"He's back. He went up to freshen up," Mrs. Juliet replied.
"Okay. Meet my friend Tunji. We have a little business discussion, but that will wait, as Tunji will be joining us for dinner."
"Okay, honey." Mrs. Juliet smiled at Mr. Tunji, and he greeted her. "Well done, ma."
"Welcome," she responded.
- Writer
