Merged And Married

Episode Four

One of Jackie's favorite pastimes is zoning out during office meetings. It's the only way she gets through the meetings without trying to forcefully strangle herself or gouge out her eyeballs while screaming for help. Roger, one of the office managers, is showing a giant presentation on the board while the other meeting members, all sitting on either side of the long table, listen attentively. Her grandfather didn't come to the office anymore and the last thing her parents wanted to do was get involved with it, so it was up to her to decide on office matters sometimes and head the staff.

As Roger brags about his transition from one slide to the other, Jackie's mind starts to float out of her head again, memories of Ethan flooding in.

She'd met Ethan in boarding school and, right from then, had never given him the light of day. This didn't come without reinforcement, and she was quick to know that he didn't like her too. The first clue being the plethora of women he went out with throughout his boarding school days, and not once, was Jackie ever included. Ethan's boyish charm and flirty attitude made girls flock to him like ants on sugar. He wasn't ugly, not by a long shot. He was the kid every girl wanted to be with and the guy every guy wanted to be. He was immensely attractive, and he knew it, a feat that had always aided Jackie in disliking him greatly. The only time he ever spoke to Jackie was to tell her to lighten up, and she'd snapped back with some venomous speech that had been waiting at the tip of her tongue. Were it not for the fateful visitation day, they would've both finished high school and possibly gone their separate ways without having to meet or talk to each other again.

Ethan's father, Joaquin Galloway, had come to visit his son, and his visit had coincided with Frederick's, who had decided to come with Jackie's parents for some reason that day. Somehow, Frederick and Joaquin had hit it off, and they'd become inseparable since then. At that moment, Joaquin was also building his now massive business empire which was in direct competition with Frederick's. Galloway Incorporated dealt in almost everything Weissman did, but this fact never made Joaquin and Frederick enemies. Instead, it would spark an idea in them a few years later, which would alter the course of Jackie's life. Jackie still remembers that evening like the previous day, when her grandfather had called her to his study, and he'd broken the news to her.

"Joaquin and I are planning to strengthen our relationship and merge our empires." He'd said.

"Is that a great idea? They're our competitors." Jackie had responded. Unlike her parents, she'd shown great interest in handling the company's affairs right from scratch. She wanted to leave her mark on it too but to do that, she needed to have people take her seriously first, a feat she was and is still struggling to achieve.

"It's a brilliant idea. This way, we'll be the only ones in the market. Other competitors won't stand a chance."

Before Jackie could ask why he wanted to break the news to her, Frederick stopped her in her tracks with his next words.

"You need to get married to Ethan Galloway. We've decided it's the best way to strengthen the relationship between both companies and foster the bond between the empires."

Jackie had felt her ears still at that moment.

"Hey!" Roger's familiar voice snaps, sending her back to the present, back to the giant conference room where the boring meeting is being held. Back to Roger's overly excited face and his shitty presentation transitions.

"Were you even listening to me?" Roger asks, narrowing his eyes at her from the board.

"Yes, I was." Jackie replies and then proceeds to sum up everything Roger had said to that point, surprising everyone including herself. She must not have zoned out that much after all.

"This whole thing could've been an email, Roger." Jackie continues. Roger says nothing, turns back to the board and mutters a word under his breath. A word Jackie had grown too familiar with. A word she hated being called, especially by men.

"What did you just say?" Jackie asks, rising from her table, watching Roger turn back to her. It's right there, the guilt on his face. He knew he'd been caught calling her a b***h, despite how low his voice had gotten. Hell, Jackie would probably had let it slide, until Roger decided to speak again.

"It's just if Frederick were here, he'd be more effective." Roger says, a nasty expression creeping onto his face.

The room goes still and for a second, nothing could be heard except the slight beep coming from the monitor.

"How about this for effectiveness, Roger. Get a box and go pack your things. You're fired." Jackie says, her voice succinct as she lowers herself back into her seat.

"Wait, what?" Roger cries. "No, you can't just fire me. That's not how this works. That's not how any of this works."

"Well, seeing as it's my company and not yours—"

"It's not your company, you smug b***h!" Roger repeated, his voice rising along with his temper. A slight smirk creeps on Jackie's face.

"If you spend more than ten minutes packing your stuff from your office, I'll have security come up and escort you."

Silence again.

"Now get out."

Roger looks furious. He obviously had way more to say to her, to the silent meeting members who all looked terrified. He turns to the board behind him and kicks it with all his might.

"Now five minutes. Don't test me, Roger."

Roger storms out of the room, shutting the glass door behind him harder than normal.

Jackie's eyes swept through the remaining members of the meeting, all sitting in pensive silence.

"Anyone have something else to say?" She asks, the playful smile still playing on her face.

She is met with nothing but complete silence.

"That's what I thought." she sighs, reclining further into her chair.