Chapter 4
1235 Words
Emily recoiled, taking two quick steps backward. "What are you trying to do?" she asked.
"Emily! Why is Aiden like this? Don't you know? It's all because of your wr*tched Wilson Group!" Sarah demanded, her voice sharp with accusation.
"Watch your words." Emily let out a short, bitter laugh. "Auntie, please, get your facts straight. If it weren't for the group, what would your son have eaten and drunk all these years? Without my support, he'd be living on the streets, a leech on my generosity, and now he's complaining?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
She scoffed, her head tilted back. "Oh, you call my Wilson Group wr*tched? You should take a look at yourself! How pathetic!"
Sarah jabbed a finger toward Emily's nose. "Your group is what it is today because of my son! He used his body to get you where you are today! How dare you speak to me like that?"
"Ridiculous!" Emily waved a dismissive hand. "Let me tell you, even without Aiden, the Wilson Group would still be a top advertising firm in Veridonia. Forget it. What's the point of explaining this to you? You just want money, right? Fine!"
Emily pulled out a thick wad of cash from her purse. "Here you go! Ten thousand dollars. Consider it a final payment. Don't bother me again."
Slap!
With a swift, contemptuous movement, Emily flung the money into Sarah's face.
Everyone present gasped.
"Emily! What are you doing?" Aiden shouted, his voice filled with disbelief.
"How could you treat your elders like that?" Mandy asked, her voice laced with disapproval.
Liam's anger was palpable. "You were married, after all. She's Aiden's mother!"
Emily's voice was cold and hard. "I don't care who she is. Aiden and I are finished. And I don't appreciate your judgment. If you want to lecture me, climb your way up the social ladder first!"
Sarah's face was contorted with fury.
She could tolerate the insults, but seeing Aiden's distress was more than she could bear. She pointed a trembling finger at Emily. "You... you... you monster!"
"Say that again," Emily challenged, her eyes blazing.
"You're a monster!" Sarah shrieked, her voice breaking.
Emily lunged forward, shoving Sarah to the ground. "I'm telling you, show some respect!"
Liam's voice was choked with disappointment. "My son was blind to marry you! To run away from home for you! I never imagined... I never imagined you were like this!"
Emily let out a harsh, humorless laugh. "Humph! I'm the one who was blind to marry him?"
Mandy quickly helped Sarah to her feet, brushing the dust from her clothes. "Mrs. Tate, are you alright?" she asked, concern etched on her face.
Just then, Aiden struggled to his feet, his eyes wide with confusion. "What do you mean?" he mumbled.
"I made it perfectly clear. Our marriage is over! From now on, we go our separate ways. And keep your filthy family away from me!" With that, Emily spun on her heel and stormed out.
Sarah stared at Emily's retreating back, her mouth agape. "She... she..." she stammered, unable to find the words to express her outrage.
Mandy gently placed a hand on Sarah's arm. "Mrs. Tate, don't worry. I overheard her mention she's working with Apex Antiques. Aren't you in the antique business? This Apex Antiques..."
Liam sank heavily into a chair, his shoulders slumped with defeat. "We deal in high-end antiques. Apex Antiques isn't in our social circle. I've only heard of them in passing."
However, Mandy's words seemed to spark a flicker of understanding in Liam's eyes.
"Mr. Tate, Mrs. Tate, please calm down. I'll take care of Aiden's fees." Mandy turned and headed outside, pulling out her phone. "Hello! This is Mandy from the board. Please check how many of our collaborations with the Wilson Group are expiring?"
A moment later, her voice rang out, carrying an undercurrent of steel. "I'm instructing you to immediately cancel all collaborations and blacklist the Wilson Group. We will never work with them again!"
***
Back at the Wilson Group, James Wilson, Emily's little brother, burst into Emily's office, his face a mask of anxiety. "Emily! Bad news!" he blurted out.
Emily raised an eyebrow. "Alright, alright. You're a grown man. Why are you always in such a fluster? What's so important?"
James wrung his hands. "Emily, the Harris Group... they don't want to renew the contract!"
Emily shot upright, her chair scraping against the floor. "What? Say that again!" Her voice was sharp with disbelief. "Wasn't the cooperation going smoothly? Why would they suddenly pull out?"
"I don't know! Their elevator advertisement contract is expiring, and I was going to get them to renew it this week. But before I could even call, they called me! They said... they said..." James's voice trailed off, his eyes wide with apprehension. "They said they won't renew."
Emily jabbed a finger toward James's nose, her anger simmering. "What did you tell me? You said it didn't matter whether Aiden was involved or not, that you'd already coordinated with Harris Group and there wouldn't be any problems. But what happened?"
James looked aggrieved. "I really did coordinate everything! I don't know what happened!"
Emily's voice was steely. "Were there no warning signs beforehand?"
"No!" James insisted, his voice strained.
"Impossible!" Emily snapped. "You must not have paid attention or handled things properly. That's why they're pulling out!"
James protested, "Emily, really, there were absolutely no signs. I even had dinner with their manager yesterday! I never expected them to change their minds so drastically today!"
Emily spun around, her eyes scanning her desk. She located her car keys, snatched them up, and was already heading for the door. "What are you still standing there for? Hurry to Harris Group!"
Before she could leave, the office door swung open, and a breathless employee rushed in. "Ms. Wilson, Harris Group just called..."
Emily stopped, a flicker of grim anticipation in her eyes. "Alright! I know, it's about the elevator advertisement, right? I'm just about to go talk to them."
The employee's voice was barely a whisper. "It's not just the elevator advertisement, Ms. Wilson. They're canceling the bus and subway advertisements as well."
Emily stood frozen for a moment, the implications sinking in. "What? They're canceling the bus and subway ads too?"
"Yes, Ms. Wilson." The employee nodded, anxious.
The cancellation of the elevator ads, followed by the subway and bus ads, sent a chill down Emily's spine. Something was seriously wrong. "James, did you offend Harris Group these past few days?"
James looked genuinely distraught. "No."
Emily's face was grim. "Let me tell you, Harris Group accounts for a third of our company's revenue. If they stop cooperating, it will be a catastrophic loss for us."
"Emily! They're major clients," James exclaimed, his voice rising in panic. "I wouldn't jeopardize that relationship for anything!"
Emily's voice was sharp. "Then why would they cancel our contracts? And two at once?"
"I... I don't know," James stammered, pulling out his phone. "Don't worry. I'll call them right now and find out."
Before he could dial, another employee hurried into the office. "Ms. Wilson!"
"What now?" Emily demanded, her anxiety palpable.
The employee's voice was flat, devoid of any hope. "Harris Group just called. They've blacklisted our company. No more cooperation, ever."
Emily stared blankly ahead, the blood draining from her face. Then, she slumped forward, unconscious.
- Writer
