Chapter 16 CHAPTER 16: Rising to the Occasion
Hazel
A cold dread settled in my gut as I sat there trying to make sense of what Mr. Thorn just said., I had a degree in Public Administration from one of the best federal universities in the state but public speaking was not my forte. When I was an undergraduate, I always tried to escape public speaking, especially during seminar presentations, but they always left me sweating and rambling.
Addressing a frenzy of reporters about a company I’m not directly involved with nor know much about was not part of the plan when I married William, but the desperation of the situation and the helplessness I saw in his eyes was the propeller I needed to make a decision. I also wanted to prove to him that he did not marry a simp. Maybe then he will really see me.
"Alright," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "I'll do it."
The surprise on Mr. Thorn's face was refreshing. "You will?" he sputtered, momentarily thrown off guard.
"Yes," I confirmed, meeting his gaze head-on. "But on one condition."
A flicker of annoyance crossed his features, but before he could protest, I continued. "I need access to all the relevant information. Financial reports, press inquiries, anything that will help me understand the situation and present a united front." I looked at Williams, and he looked like he was in shock.
“Wow, where did that come from, Hazel?” he asked.
“I have a degree in Public Administration and I learned a thing or two about running a business as well. The terms I used are quite familiar to me. I replied proudly.
Mr. Thorn hesitated, then nodded curtly. "Fine. I’ll send William's assistant to the house later in the day to brief you on everything, and I’ll get in touch with the relevant people so we can arrange a press conference as soon as we can, preferably before the end of tomorrow” he said.
I gasped "Tomorrow?", that barely gives me any time to prepare." I frowned, turning to William, who just shrugged.
"Desperate times, I have faith in you, Hazel" Mr. Thorn offered with a tight smile, devoid of warmth.
“Faith in me? Since when, Mr. Thorn? I thought to myself, then smirked.
He rose to leave, then paused at the door. "William," he began, his voice gentling slightly, "try to get some rest. We need you to be OK in no time. Before he disappeared out the door, he paused, turned back and looked me straight in the eyes.
“Hazel, Bluetrace is counting on you and I trust you to deliver one hundred percent”, with that he left as my heart hammered in my chest.
I turned to look at Williams and saw a flicker of hope in his eyes, but he tamped it down with a little smile. Then he took my hand in his “If this is too much for you, let me know, and I will talk to my dad” he quipped.
“Don’t worry, I can handle it” I smiled reassuringly, although I felt a knot in my stomach.
He looked me in the eye "Thank you, Hazel, I don't know what I would have done without you." He rasped before his fingers began to trace lines in the back of my palms, sending jolts of electricity coursing through me. I tried to withdraw my hands from his but his grip tightened.
“I really messed up our relationship, didn’t I? He said in a grave tone. I didn’t have a retort to the question that hung heavy in the air, so I just forced a smile, and he let go of my hand with a sigh.
“I need to get home and prepare for the press conference.” I spoke
He nodded
“Do you need anything? Feel uncomfortable in any way? I asked, my eyes scanning his face.
“No, I think I can manage until Maria gets here” he whispered, a tremor in his voice.
As I leaned in to kiss his forehead, his eyes fluttered shut. When they opened again, they were red-rimmed and filled with a vulnerability I'd never seen before.
A million questions swirled in my head trying to figure out this person lying on the bed. Was this a new William, revealed by the accident? Or had he always been this way, hiding a side of himself I never knew existed?
I did not know how to deal with the emotions I was feeling for these two very distinct humans. The weight of Adam's earlier words when he came to the hospital pressed on my chest, a leaden weight dragging at my heart.
I took his hands in mine, squeezed them, but he didn’t return the gesture. Then, as I was about to leave, he held my hand and drew me back. I questioned him with my eyes, and he straightened up from the bed and drew me close. He planted his lips on mine and held on for some seconds before he released me to go. Leaving the room, I felt a sense of unease settle over me.
As I got home, William’s assistant was already sited in the parlor waiting for me. She looked everything like a model from the cover of Forbes magazine. She was young, tall, and slim. She wore a perfectly tailored two-piece navy-blue suit that looked like it was tailored just for her and her hair was neatly styled in a bun. When she saw me approaching, she stood up from the couch, plastered a blinding smile on her face and stretched out her perfectly manicured nails for a handshake.
“You must be Mrs. Thorn; My name is Ava Jones” she said excitedly.
“Hi Ava, you can call me Hazel” I replied, because from her look and stature we were almost the same age.
“Give me a few minutes to freshen up. I'll join you soon”. I smiled
“That’s fine ma’am. Also, if you don’t mind me asking how my boss is? Recovering nicely? She asked
“Yes, he will be fine in no time” I replied, while she nodded and sat down again.
Just then, Maria emerged with a tray filled with snacks and a drink and dropped it in front of Ava, who smiled and thanked her. As I looked at her, she averted my gaze and disappeared back to the kitchen.
The next few hours were a blur of activity. After I was done refreshing and having a meal, I sent Maria to the hospital. Then Ava bombarded me with a mountain of documents and press clippings, but she efficiently eased me into the role perfectly. My job was just to stand tall, look pretty and answer all the questions that the media would throw at me.
We worked into the night before exhaustion finally took over. I stole a glance at Ava who was still very active trying to sort out some documents. She finally noted that I could handle the conference, then called it in for the night.
I woke up the next day with a nasty headache that refused to go away. I groaned, tossed and turned on my bed, pulling the duvet over my head. I knew I was prepared for the press conference, but that did not leave any form of comfort as I was terrible at public speaking. The knowledge that everything I would say would be scripted did not do anything to dislodge the uneasiness and the tightness I felt in my chest. I checked the time on my phone and realized I had about two hours before the event, so I stood up dragging the duvet with me, then I sank back into bed as memories of my night with Adam overwhelmed me. I remember every touch, every breath and every sound that took place. I squeezed my eyes shut to forget, but they kept invading my memories and my body tingled.
Thirty minutes later, I dragged my worn-out body to the bathroom, got in the shower and had a quick but thorough bath. As I stepped out of the bathroom, I noticed my face in the mirror and drew close. I had visible dark circles under my eyes. I looked down to find my eye cream, then noticed Adams Rolex wristwatch sitting at the table. I grabbed it and made a mental note to get it to him.
As I stepped into my room, I heard the shrill sound of the intercom in my room and I rushed to pick it up on the third ring.
“Good morning Mrs. Hazel, this is Ava. Your makeup crew is here, and I also came early so we can go through the script before the press conference” she cooed.
“Already!” I spat.
“Yes ma’am?” Ava replied happily.
“I just got out of the shower. I’ll be with you in a bit”, I replied.
“I’ll be waiting” she said in a singsong voice.
“And Ava, its Hazel, no ma’am” I stated.
“Copied”. I could feel the smile in her voice.
After the call, it was a flurry of activities. When I got down, my breakfast was ready - a simple dish of yam and egg sauce. Maria was thoughtful enough to add some sliced mixed fruits too. I had some coffee. After my breakfast, I went through my lines with Ava again and when she was satisfied, I wouldn't go out and commit a blunder, she left me to the mercy of the makeover crew who primed and pruned my face to perfection.
After all preparations had been made, and I was dressed to the nines by the makeup crew, Mr. Thorn sent the company car to pick us up from the house.
On the way to the press conference, Ava made last-minute preparations by bombarding me with questions we prepared and the ones we didn't. I answered all the questions perfectly, making her marvel.
As we stepped out of the car, a sea of flashing cameras and hungry eyes awaited us as my stomach dropped and my heart raced. But in all of that I was confident that I'd do well. I needed to ace this, not just for company, but for William, who was counting on me and for myself.
I was introduced to the sea of paparazzi and reporters. My nerves were all over the place as I climbed the podium. I gulped and squinted at the flashes of cameras blinding my sight. I tripped but the guard close to me was fast enough to help me stand on my feet before it became catastrophic. I gave him a nervous smile and thanked him with my eyes. He nodded and guided me to the podium.
As I stood at the podium, I fixed my gaze on one part of the conference room as Ava had taught me, plastered a smile on my face and began my speech.
The room felt silent as my carefully crafted statement resonated through the conference room, my voice surprisingly strong as I smiled and delivered my speech efficiently. Then it was time for questions. A lot of unrelated questions were thrown at me, but I managed to answer all the questions and avoid the ones that were unrelated.
After the press conference, the smile on my father-in-law's face was palpable. He came over to me and hugged me for the first time since I came into the family. He had never shown any affection towards me, so the brief took me off guard and also made me feel like I had made a difference. Pride surged through me and I couldn't stop smiling.
When I stepped down from the podium in the company of some bodyguards, Ava, who was glued to my side the whole time, pushed my phone into my hands and whispered.
“He called as we stepped down from the podium and demanded to speak with you”. She said,
I glanced at my phone screen and the missed calls I saw made my heart race. I gulped and excused myself from the crowd but was distracted again when a reporter came over to ask a follow-up question. I smiled and waved her away as my phone began buzzing again in my hands.