Chapter 88 Wonderful People
Phil got home late that evening after leaving his father’s house. The sky was already dark, and the lights in the living room were on. Edith was sitting on the couch, flipping through a magazine, but she looked up immediately when she heard the door open.
"You’re back," she said with a warm smile.
Phil smiled tiredly and loosened his tie as he walked toward her. "Yes, I am. Today was a long day."
Edith studied his face for a moment. "Did everything go well with your father and Richard?"
Phil loosened his tie and sat down beside her. "It went well enough," he replied. "They were not fully happy about my decision, but they said the final responsibility is mine."
Edith studied his face for a moment, then nodded slowly. She knew how serious he was about the company and how carefully he made his decisions.
After a short silence, Phil spoke again. "I was thinking… why don’t we all go out tonight? You, me, Cora, and Michael. A small dinner. I want to treat them."
Edith’s eyes lit up immediately. "That’s a lovely idea," she said happily. "Cora will be so excited. We haven’t all spent time together in a while."
Phil smiled faintly. "Yes. And I also have to tell Michael about our decision. It would be nice to do it over dinner."
Edith understood at once but did not say it out loud. Instead, she picked up her phone. "Let me call Cora now," she said, already dialing her number.
On the second ring, Cora answered. Edith greeted her cheerfully and told her about the dinner plan. From the way Cora’s voice rose with excitement, it was clear she was very happy about the invitation.
"She said they’ll be there," Edith told Phil after the call ended.
Phil nodded. "Good. Let’s get ready then."
Later that evening, the restaurant was calm and beautifully decorated with soft lights and gentle music playing in the background. Phil and Edith arrived first and chose a comfortable table by the window.
Not long after, Cora and Michael walked in together. Cora wore a simple but elegant dress, while Michael looked neat and slightly nervous, as if he sensed that something important was about to happen.
Cora spotted them and waved excitedly. "Phil! Edith"
Edith stood up immediately and hugged her friend warmly. "You look beautiful, Cora."
Cora laughed. "Thank you, And you look amazing as always." She replied.
Michael shook Phil’s hand respectfully. "Good evening, sir."
Phil smiled. "Please, Michael, call me Phil or I'll stop being your friend," he said and they all laughed. "Honestly, you really have to stop. Tonight is just a friendly dinner and even at work, I see you more as a friend."
The honorific is still something he's getting used to when it comes to Michael.
They all sat down, and soon the waiter brought their food. The atmosphere was relaxed, filled with light talks and laughter.
Cora teased Michael about how serious he always looked at work, and Michael shyly defended himself, making everyone laugh.
After some time, when the main dishes had been served, Phil cleared his throat slightly. The table grew quiet as everyone looked at him.
"There is actually a reason I invited you both tonight," Phil began calmly.
Michael’s heart skipped. He sat up straighter, suddenly alert. In his mind, he ran through everything that went on at the office that day, he tried to remember if he had done anything wrong but came up with nothing.
Phil looked directly at him. "Michael, in the months you have worked with me, you have shown dedication, honesty, and loyalty. You handle responsibilities well, and the company has improved because of your efforts."
Michael blinked, surprised. "Sir… I was only doing my job."
Phil shook his head gently. "You did more than that. And because of this, I have made a decision." He paused briefly. "I want to promote you to the position of Co-CEO at Smith Real Estate."
For a moment, Michael thought he heard wrongly. His eyes widened, and he stared at Phil in complete shock.
"Co… Co-CEO?" he repeated softly.
Phil nodded with a smile. "Yes. Starting from next month, you will officially take on that role, I just have to put something in place before your official appointment."
Michael was speechless. He looked at Cora, then back at Phil, as if trying to confirm that this was real.
Cora covered her mouth in disbelief, her eyes filling with happy tears. "Oh my God… Phil… Edith. . .thank you so much," she said emotionally. "You have no idea what this means to us."
Michael finally found his voice. "Sir… I don’t even know what to say. This is too much. I don’t deserve this."
Phil leaned forward slightly. "You do deserve it. And I believe you will do even better in this position."
Michael’s eyes became moist. "I promise you, Phil… I will never disappoint you. I will work even harder and prove that your trust in me is not a mistake."
Edith smiled warmly. "We believe in you, Michael. That is why we made this decision."
Cora reached for Edith’s hand. "Thank you for always supporting us. You’ve treated me like family from the beginning and now you are doing the same to my fiance," she said, on the verge of tears.
The rest of the dinner continued with joy and celebration. Michael kept thanking Phil again and again, while Cora could not stop smiling proudly at her fiancé.
Later that night, after they returned home, Cora and Michael sat quietly in their living room. The house was calm, and the events of the night still felt like a dream.
Cora looked at Michael and smiled softly. "I’m so proud of you," she said. "You worked so hard for this."
Michael shook his head gently. "No… I should be thanking you," he replied. "If you didn’t introduce me to Phil and Edith, I wouldn’t even have this life. They are truly wonderful people."
Cora’s eyes softened. "They care about us like family."
Michael stood up and walked to the small shelf beside the wall. He picked up a small gift box he had secretly bought earlier that day. He turned and walked back to her.
"I wanted to give you this," he said quietly.
Cora looked surprised. "For me?" She asked.
He nodded and handed it to her. She opened the box slowly and gasped softly when she saw a delicate bracelet inside, though it wasn't overly expensive, but to her it looked perfect.
"It’s beautiful…" she whispered.
Michael took her hand gently and wore the bracelet on her wrist. "This is just a small way to say thank you," he said sincerely. "Thank you for believing in me, loving me, and bringing me into a life filled with good people."
Cora’s eyes became teary as she smiled. "You don’t have to thank me. We are in this together."
Michael pulled her into a gentle embrace. "I love you," he said softly.
"I love you too," Cora replied, resting her head against his chest.