Chapter 20 Back To Work
“Okay, you can do this, Alyssa,”
Mentally preparing myself, I could feel a numbness surging in my body.
No matter what I confront, I won’t let it disrupt my determination.
Holding my head high, disregarding the whispers going around and met with Wick, my assistant.
Wick used to work under Papa before assigning under me, he had been with us for years. In fact, he saw me grow up.
“Welcome, Ma’am,”
“Oh, hey, Wick, it’s been a while. How are you?” I smiled.
“I am great. I will be your executive manager, I shall assist you, Ma’am,”
“Hmm,”
Nodding, I went inside my cabin which induced a sting on my chest.
My throat dried, hating the emptiness I felt when I realized I was alone there.
“We are no longer a part of the Whitlock group. This is the list of stocks and factories that come into our care.” Wick explained, pointing at the stack of files on the table.
“I know what falls under, Wick. Just never thought I would be working on it alone.” Sighing, I picked one, going through it.
Not panicking, I glanced at the stack, smirk and, going back to the file, impressing Wick at my calmness.
In fact I had gone through most of them already.
Vince knew too much, he had sent me well prepared.
“Then why did you leave?”
Humming, engrossing myself in work, I inclined on the CEO’s seat, claiming that position as my own and continued.
“He doesn’t want to see my face and I can’t hide permanently either. I have to take harsh decisions,”
“He believes in the talks-”
My jaw clenched, “They all are bullshit.”
“What?”
“Ken cheated on me. Vince helped me in getting the divorce,” I growled.
Throwing the file on the table, exposing the reality that the bastard hid perfectly.
“That’s what actually happened!?” He gasped in disbelief.
“Yes. And…”
“And?”
“Papa refused to shelter me, I had no one, I lost everything, no one believed in me…”
“Did you try telling him?”
I chuckled dryly, “He finds this world a saint except for his daughter for loving Ken and punishing me for it.”
I lowered my gaze in dejection, “He abandoned me when I married Ken…”
And would never forgive me for my one mistake
That night I lost it all, the day I called to tell about the marriage, flashed before my eyes, converting my gloom into rage.
He did not trust me, he left me alone to suffer and I would NEVER forget or forgive him for that.
“Don’t say-”
“Enough. Leave it. I don’t have time to deal with accusations,”
“But-”
“Go back to your work, Wick. We are not here to discuss rumors,” I ordered strictly, picking another file from the stack and continued working.
Since it had been a while, I was getting distracted easily, my focus was shifting. My shoulders were sore too.
I must pour all my efforts to ensure it stands unbreakable. This company was all I had left, defeat was unacceptable.
I called for a coffee and sandwich, munching on the bite, eyes affixed on the screen, going through the reports, solely focused.
But, soon my phone rang, I was about to ignore it upon seeing it was Vince, an unknown smile adorned my lips as I picked it up.
“Hey, Vince,”
“Hey, how is your day going?”
“It's fine, for now. Work’s load too much,”
“Well you disappeared for months. What did you expect?” He chuckled. I hummed in agreement.
He took a pause before asking hesitantly, “And the people?”
“They are talking and glaring but I can’t gouge their eyes out or cut off their tongues now, can I?”
“Oh, they are still working? I thought they would strike or refuse to work ‘someone like you’” He cracked a joke, earning a feeble chuckle from me as well.
“In this economy? No, they need employment. They wouldn’t risk it.”
“Hmmm,”
I checked the time and it was well past the lunchtime, baffling me that he bothered to call during the work hours.
“I am amazed you called. Does the cold billionaire have this much time?” I couldn’t help but to chuckle.
“I thought about checking up on you since the news of the separation is all on the media,” Oh.
Of course, why would he call to talk to me? How stupid of me.
“What can I say? I have faced enough humiliation already. And besides, it’s not like I can shut them up, right?”
He asked seriously, “Do you want them to shut up?”
“What?”
“If you want, I can stop the media from discussing about it,”
Giving his offer a thorough thought, I was tentative but I doubt he would be able to seal people’s mouth.
How many he would shut, right?
Still, I went along, and whispered hopelessly, “If you can… Then please do, Vince.”
A flame ignited in my chest, curling my hand in a fist, I grit my teeth and whispered weakly, honestly.
“I can’t bear the talks of the people accusing me over and over. Stop the media, Vince,”
“Okay,”
With this, not listening further, he cut the call. Bewildered, I didn’t think much about it and shrugged my shoulders.
After a hectic day, I returned home and went straight to sleep without having dinner. I was exhausted, all I required was slumber.
I almost forgot how tiresome it got.
‘Here I thought I would leave all the work in Ken’s hand and be a housewife, take care of our kids- Nevermind,’
Maybe fate will always be cruel to me.
I would never have what I desire.
From my first love to my small dream of being a housewife.
“Huff. Forget it, Alyssa,”
Shaking my head to not let this thought agonize me more than it already did, I went to work tomorrow after having breakfast in a hurry.
When I returned, I saw Wick with a few others.
“Wow, just yesterday they were discussing about you taking your inheritance and now silent,” Wick chuckled.
“Probably it wasn’t giving them enough TRP so they just stopped,”
“Yeah, but good for us, they stopped else they would have taken our potential clients from us,”
“Isn't this a good thing, Ma'am?” They asked me.
Relieved it was gone before it could hurt me, I smiled and opened my mouth to speak.
But, our finance director, Perry smirked.
“Why would she be surprised? She is the one who asked Mr. Lysander, didn’t she?”
I blinked, “What…?”
He wasn’t kidding!?
“Yeah, sorry but I came and heard you asking Mr. Vince Lysander to stop the media and look it happened,”
“N-No, I just mentioned casually… it wasn’t a request,” I justified but Wick gave me a reassuring smile.
“Maybe he took it as one. Good for us,”
Clearing my throat, forcing myself to not justify uselessly, I tried to say strictly.
“If you are done discussing, go back to work,”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Nodding, they went to work, still discussing with each other.
I doubt I could seal their lips. Such dominance didn’t exist in me or at least it would take me some time to attain it.
But, the fact Vince did it for me induced strange feelings in me.
Why would he do this much for me?