Chapter 78 Acting CEO
THIRD PERSON POV
Four days had passed since Serena went to Marrakech, meaning it’s been 3 days since Sarah’s house got flooded and she had to move in briefly with Horace.
Her health had gotten worse, because Horace had successfully given her all the doses he needed to incapacitate her. The last dosage was the easiest to administer as she was already weak, she could barely stand, barely talk, barely even keep her eyes open.
When Horace had put the last drop of poison in her tea that morning he hadn’t even bothered to hide it from her.
He had started inviting doctors to see her on the second day and all the doctors he had invited to check her out seemed to all say the same thing, nobody knew what had gotten her so down so fast.
The doctors had advised that he move her to the hospital, but Horace wasn’t willing to take that risk. Until he was officially declared the new acting CEO, Sarah would remain under his watch. And if things didn’t go as planned, if he was forced to finish what he had started, to finish her off—he would have no hesitation doing just that. The thought settled in his mind with a chilling calm.
Sarah had already missed two days of work, and at this crucial moment in their company, they needed the CEO to be stable and present.
On the third day of her absence from work the
Shareholders had called for an impromptu meeting, which was where every member of the board was currently heading to at the moment.
In the boardroom, Alex Greyson spoke first, “Is Sarah dying? What is going on?” He asked.
“Even if she’s not dying,” someone from the back said, “she’s still unable to lead us right now. We need a leader we can see face-to-face, someone who can perform properly under pressure.” Horace nodded at every word he spoke like he hadn’t transferred a large chunk of money to Higgins’ account last night for him to say those exact words.
“This is exactly why I was against giving the position to a woman,” Collin said, his voice laced with disapproval. “It’s obvious the demands of the role are what pushed her to this point. She simply couldn’t handle that level of power.”
“Oh please, Collin,” Tamara Johnson shot back sharply. Aside from Sarah, she was the only other woman on the board. “You’ve had it out for Sarah since the day she became CEO. You’ve opposed nearly every decision she’s made. Why can’t she just be sick like any other human being, instead of you turning it into proof that she’s an incapable woman?”
“You are the one making this into a gender war,” Collins said, “I was merely pointing out an observation.”
“How about you start keeping your observations to yourself from now on?” Tamar fired back.
Tamra and Sarah were not even the best of friends but Tamara knew how fast men would turn on you if you give them the opportunity, being a black woman, she’s had to deal with men telling her she wasn't enough her whole life, and that had been the fuel that made her the woman she is today. She couldn’t stand by and let them drag another honorable woman’s name through the mud just to sell their personal agendas.
“That’s enough from both of you,” Marcus finally spoke up. After the CEO, Marcus had the most authority in the company because of the amount of shares he had in the company. “The CEO is quite unwell at the moment, as we all know. But we can’t leave the position open until she’s healed and ready to join us again,”
Everybody in the room nodded in agreement. “So, what do you suggest we do?” Alex Greyson asked.
“The deputy CEO is right here,” Marcus said standing to his feet. “We gave him that position for this very reason. Let Horace take over the reins of the company till Sarah is healed and back on her feet.”
“Okay then, all in favor of appointing Horace as acting CEO pending Sarah’s return, say aye,” Collins declared.
The votes were split. Half the room sided with Horace, while the other half remained silent, choosing to stay loyal to Sarah.
Marcus glanced around the room. “I believe we have a tie,” he began, but before he could finish his sentence, a voice from the back cut in.
“Aye.”
Alex had said, raising his hand as he spoke.
Horace quietly released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Alex’s vote had broken the tie in his favor. In that moment, he was grateful he hadn’t picked that fight with Alex in the hallway the other day.
“In that case, the ayes have it,” Marcus announced, officially appointing Horace as the new acting CEO of Gregory Estate.”
A few people clapped, walking up to congratulate him. He shook their hands politely but their congratulations meant nothing to him. He was back in his rightful position as CEO and now nothing could stop him, Serena had no idea what was heading her way.
Amidst the congratulations and applause Horace had made an excuse and headed straight back home.
When he got to the compound, he went straight up to the room Sarah now occupied with her live-in nurse.
He knocked twice before pushing the door open, Sarah lay motionless on the bed while her nurse sat by her side, reading a book to her.
“Excuse us a moment,” Horace said to the nurse.
She kept the book neatly beside Sarah before standing and leaving the room.
When the room was empty, Horace walked slowly to the bed, taking the seat the nurse was just occupying.
“Guess what, sweetheart,” he muttered, with a big grin on his face. “I wanted to personally be the one to tell you so I can enjoy the satisfaction of seeing the look on your face when you hear that as at this morning, the shareholders of The Gregory Estate had summoned an impromptu meeting and called for a vote to reinstate me as acting CEO until your return, that’s if you ever return.”
Horace said smirking down at her as he watched her digest every word he spoke, he watched the. Blood drained from her face when she heard he had been made acting CEO.
“No,” she mumbled weakly, shaking her head.
The heart monitor started to beep uncontrollably, as she tried to wriggle off the oxygen mask attached to her nose.
Horace chuckled, “Yes, Sarah, you'd better be scared. Be scared for yourself and be scared for your little niece Serena,”
The door slammed open, and the nurse running inside, she had heard the monitor all the way from downstairs. “Please step aside.” She pulled out her iPad to monitor her heartbeat.
After a moment she turned to Horace, “Sir, I know you said you didn’t want to take her to the hospital just yet but I’m telling you if we don’t get an ambulance down here right now we might lose her.”
“It’s fine, call the ambulance,” he said with no sense of urgency. “We don’t want her dying on us, do we?” He laughed coldly.
Ten minutes later, the EMT’s were rushing her into the back of an ambulance on a stretcher, Horace didn’t seem like he was going to go with them so Constance, the family chef, offered to go.
“Fine, go,” Horace said. “But if you breathe even a word of this to Serena or anybody else, I will make you regret the day you were born. Do you understand me?” He seethed.
Constance nodded quickly before joining them in the back of the ambulance.
Horace watched as the ambulance tore through the gates and sped down the road, its siren cutting through the night as if it were racing between life and death. Perhaps it was.
But he couldn’t bring himself to give a damn about the life inside it.