MR BILLIONAIRE, NOT YOUR WAY!

WELCOME TO THE GAME BOARD

|Michael|

I rushed inside the large conference room with my crookedly knotted tie, my suit jacket hanging loosely on my shoulder. I had just come back from Paris on a business deal when Jude announced that an emergency meeting had been called for, and it was for my dismissal.

I never committed any crime that called for dismissal, but just like I had suspected, the power struggle had begun. They left me to be relaxed for a year and waited to attack just when I never expected it. The eyes of the evil vultures that my father trusted in the company roamed my body as I adjusted myself in front of my seat.

“Michael Clinton’s dismissal proposal” was boldly displayed on the screen.

No one felt bad that I was being put through such humiliations for nothing. Every one of them was wearing a rude grin, they had all waited for this moment. Everything that was mine was being taken away from me and I had little or no support to stop it.

I thought my father’s people were loyal to me, but I was wrong. They all had their plans all along.

“The largest shareholder is now Steve Clinton, and he has shown a lot of business support for the group. The Chairman has always been adamant about his own ways and never listens to the opinions of the shareholders. We cannot fold our hands and watch the company we built with our sweats and money crumble just because of an inheritance declaration”, one of them spoke fluently. The happiness was evident in his tone.

“I am still the largest shareholder, you cannot dismiss over nothing”, I countered, and Jude slowly placed a document in front of me.

I flipped through the pages fast and saw that I had been stabbed badly in the back. Steve was now the largest shareholder and a paper company had been attached to my identity. I was being accused of embezzlement.

“I know nothing of this” I cried out, but no one gave me a listening ear.

I couldn’t say anything further when the police busted the room and declared my arrest. Everything was happening so fast. My life was crumbling right in front of me and all I saw was the happy faces of people behind it as I was led out of the hall.

****

Jude had been all and about ever since my arrest, trying to fix whatever the crime I was being charged with and also prove my innocence, but the situation was not looking good with the looks on his face.

“The financial manager resigned last night, and she’s nowhere to be found. I think you have been set up and gotten good. The shareholders had also recently sold their shares to your cousin, so he’s now truly the largest shareholder”, he explained.

My brain was working faster than a computer program. I needed to get myself out of here before they do the unexpected.

“Ava?”

Jude shook his head.

“She’s not interested in helping, she told me to tell you that she’s getting married to her fiancé next Saturday and also sent an invitation”, he answered, slowly pushing the invitation card to me but retracted his hand when I shot him a glare.

I couldn’t believe what Jude had told me. The same Ava who had been on my neck even when I was in a fake marriage with Helena had suddenly moved on. It was a well-planned attack and everyone I knew and counted on was in on it. Nothing was working no matter how much I tried, everywhere was blocked.

"I have been gotten good", I muttered to myself, as I ran his fingers through my hair in frustration.

Nothing was coming to mind anymore. I had been pushed to a corner and there was no way out. Time was running out and I couldn’t find any solution. Jude's voice cut through my messy thoughts, and I froze at his words.

“Your ex-wife is in town. Do you want to ask for her help?”

My face went blank, and my heart stopped for a bit. There was no way I would ask for her help in that situation. I had cut her off and that was it.

“I’d rather rot in jail.”

My fist folded tightly as my teeth clenched against each other. Being at the mercy of my ex-wife was not something I ever thought of. I had all I wanted. I am the billionaire Michael Clinton. A mere butler’s child wasn’t what I needed to secure my position and I will never stoop that low.

At the mention of my ex-wife, I turned it down immediately. I had cut her off that night, and I wouldn’t have anything to do with her anymore. Also, with the way things happened between us, she would definitely not accept to help me out. I had abandoned her coldly. Asking for her help right now means I am the most shameless person to ever walk the surface of the earth.

***

My lawyer tried to bail him out, but the prosecution was adamant about the charges. The bail was refused flatly, thanks to the pressure from the side of his opposition. Seeing how there was no way to go because the embezzlement charges were so perfect. All the transactions that were made pointed to me clearly, and there was no way I could deny them because I did make the transactions, but not for the purpose of a paper company for embezzlement. The financial manager I worked with after firing my ex-wife was the weapon fashioned against me.

I didn’t know he was playing into his enemies’ trap.

“We have searched for her everywhere, but there’s no trace of her. I think the other side took care of her cleanly. There’s also no record of her leaving the country or even making transactions, she’s hiding pretty well”, Jude informed me, and the last hope in me crashed.

I was so busy with the company that I never saw the hints and their moves to oust me from the company my father built with his blood, sweat and tears. My hands roamed his messy hair in frustration as he scanned his brain for more options, but nothing was coming forth.

“How about we hire a financial specialist who can prove that all these are lies?” I proposed.

“We have tried that already, nobody is willing to take your case. They don’t want to get on the bad side of the company”, his lawyer stated.

"Grandfather? He's not saying anything too?" my tired voice asked and Jude shook his head, "He said you are strong enough to get yourself off the hook."

Realization dawned on me that I either had to pick the option of my ex-wife or just rot away in jail over the crime I never committed.

“You don’t have a choice at this point. You have to either take her hand or stay here, and you know what that means”, Jude chipped in. He knew I was already considering the option, but my pride was getting in the way.

“I’ll think about it, so stop nagging me”, I finally surrendered, but Jude countered me that I didn’t have to brood over it. We needed to move fast because the case was moving fast, and we have to do something before it get out of hand.

****

Jude took my silence as an approval and did everything within his power to schedule a meeting with Helena, who turned down the offer flatly instantly. She was vocal about her stance and how she never wanted to have anything to do with the Clintons, especially Michael. That night was still fresh in her heart, she still hadn’t forgiven him for chasing her out of the house coldly, in the middle of the night.

After several attempts and persuasion from Jude, his lawyer and finally Brian, who made her understand that she had to be professional because it was a job offer and nothing more.

“You can set your rules. It’s a game and you are the player. They are just the pieces on the chessboard. It is up to you to use them to your advantage. I trust you. You are good at what you do.”

Brian’s words rang in her ear several times that very day as she thought about their offer. She would gain a lot in exposure and money, truly. She also had a project to fund and push for, so it was a good offer financially.

“Let’s go play some games”, she concluded.