Justice For The Billionaire's Daughter

MISS FORRESTER

AMOS.

Having been away for so long, am so elated to be back home to my father and mostly to the business that I love. I have been away to take a very important course that will help me to propel MARSHALL LIMITED to the next level. Before leaving I held a very high position in the company, and my father, the CEO, wanted to retire and leave everything to me, but I felt that I wasn't ready enough to take up the huge responsibility.

In view of that, I requested him to postpone his retirement to let me take up this important course, and now I feel as ready as I will ever be.

I have worked for our company since my college days, helping my father bring it to the current prosperous stage and sometimes I feel that I have sacrificed more than I should. The last test was when my girlfriend Cindy broke up with me. I remember that incident as if it happened yesterday. I loved Cindy, but she asked for something that I couldn't give. That afternoon she found me in my office and dropped the bombshell.

“Amos, I don't think we can continue seeing each other." She had said upon entering the office. I was taken aback because this is something I didn't expect. I rose from my seat and approached her.

“You are always busy at work, you rarely have time for us and I think it's time for me to move on." She said, trying to move away from me. Seeing that, I desisted from going any further. I chose to listen.

“It's over between us Amos. Over!" She emphasized, tears flowing down her cheeks. I noticed that she was a bit tipsy. I had heard from friends that she had taken on drinking, something that didn't go down with me but I wanted to talk to her about it. But I didn't get the opportunity because I was always busy at work.

“Cindy, I need us to talk, let's find some time and rescue our relationship before it crumbles." I said, but she screamed at me.

“Really Amos? create some time? time that you can't afford to lose? give me a break Amos. This is over. It's over Amos. Don't call me again and I won't bother you. And Amos, I'm seeing someone else."

That stung me like a thousand bees.

“What? get out of my office now."And I shouted in a bit of fury.

That moment two security guards walked in.

“Mr Marshall, is there a problem?" one of them, a mean looking hunk asked me.

“No, Miss Cindy was just walking out." I said. She looked at me for a moment, then turned to leave.

“One day you will regret how you treated me Amos." She said. I heard the mean looking guard saying, “This way madam," in a mean voice.

Just like that she walked out of my office, and I was left wondering what to do next. A week earlier she had demanded that I resign from the company so that we can get married and I had declined. This was what I got for failing to grant her request.

The plane grips the runway, and my reverie is broken. I watch as the metal bird slows down, I am home at last.

Minutes later I am in a taxi heading to our enterprise. I am going to become the CEO of our company and ideas are already filling my head. I am going to turn MARSHALL LIMITED into a behemoth, the envy of every businessman. I am going to sacrifice even more, because I am not ready to fall in love again any time soon. Business first.

The moment I arrive at our headquarters I notice something that doesn't go down well with me. The employees at the ground floor are so rude to me and I only make it to the lifts after the intervention of an one elderly receptionist who knows me. I make a mental note to save him from the purge I am going to do.

I find my father in his office busy with some documents, and he stops when he sees me.

“What a surprise Amos!" He says, getting up from his chair. We shake hands and I can't help but notice that in the one year I have been away he has changed, gotten older and added weight. The work has obviously been more than he can handle.

“I missed you dad. I'm glad to see you are fine." I say, returning his smile. We talk for about an hour as I try to catch up with how the company is doing.

“By the way, you are now going to take up huge responsibilities, I don't know how prepared you are." Father says.

“I am very prepared father. I know everything that needs to be done and I'll do it ASAP." I say.

“I am glad to hear that my son. But what about your own life? You need a wife, or girlfriend to take care of you, build a family." He says. I wonder what he thinks of me, always advising me to get a spouse.

“Father, when that time comes I'll do the necessary. As of this moment I don't even have a girlfriend."

“Yes I know, Cindy got engaged to some young man two months ago. I hear they're getting married. It's time for you to move on too. Having a family elevates your social standing my son."

Yes, maybe I should move on, but not right now. That's not a priority. The priority is to get the company up there where I want it, make money and become the best in the business. I decide to change the topic.

“Tell me father, you always let me see how the company is doing financially, why not today?" I ask. It was always his tendency of bringing out the books for me to see every time I came to his office and I was worried by the change.

“Clever child, always evading the more important chapter. Now, talking about the company's financials, I think it's time I introduced you to my personal assistant." He says

“Personal assistant?" I ask, “the last I heard was that she resigned and you were handling everything on your own."

“Well, I got blessed with one. A very nice girl. Before I summon her here, I want to extract a promise from you." He says.

“Anything father." I say.

“Promise me that you are not going to fire her in the purge you are planning. She is a hard-working young lass who has served me well." He says. I have already hinted to him about the purge I am going to conduct.

“Father, I can't promise you anything. We had an agreement that I was going to run the company the way I saw fit. Please don't come with some hitherto undisclosed conditions." I say, trying to sound cool.

“Only this one please. Do it for me son and I won't ask for anything else." He says, looking me in the eye with pleading eyes.

“Well, if you insist." I say, relaxing a bit. Maybe she is different from the rot I witnessed earlier in the other staff. I'll give her the benefit of doubt. If she is good as father says, she stays. He presses a button and I can hear a bell buzzing at a room some distance away. I recline on my chair and take a sip from the cup in front of me and wait.

A minute later the door opens and I find myself looking at the most beautiful girl I have ever set my eyes on.

It's not every time you find a girl who is six feet tall, with pronounced features and a professional aura around her. Dressed in nice cut suits, she looks fabulous. I have wished for our employees to dress like this, executively. This now is the future of the company, and I understand why father didn't want her being fired. I quickly lose my confidence , she has taken it all.

After introductions she leaves, but not before leaving a few files on the table and I am left yearning for her to be near me always, to remind me about what I want for the company.

“I can see that she has left quite an impression my son. I told you she was a good girl." Father says with a sly smile.

“Indeed. She is good looking. I hope she is just as good when it comes to her work." I say my mind is racing. I want to see Olivia again. Yes, Olivia. I won't be calling her Miss Forrester,no. I just want to talk to her. I should make up some reason and walk into her office.

“Are you ok son?" Father asks, and I realize that I have been day dreaming.

“Yes father." I say.

“Then we should go ahead with the orientation. I want to get out of here any today and I'll appreciate if you concentrate. Did you hear what I just said?"

“Pardon me. I was thinking." I say.

“I knew it. take a look at the books then we'll proceed."

“Well, I am in agreement. Shall we?" I say.

I have made up my mind. After father leaves I will go over to her office and engage her in small talk, but right now I must get busy with the taking over.

We go through copious files together as he explains to me all that has being going on when I was away. The company's financials look great, and I'll be able to use the available resources to expand even further and open new branches.

By the time we are through with our work, it's almost closing time and father insists that we must have a staff meeting to announce his retirement but I think it's too fast. I manage to convince him to hold it at another date because I want him to leave immediately so that I can have time to go to Olivia's office and talk to her even if for a few minutes.

“I wish you the best of luck my son. I am looking upon you to perpetuate my legacy, that I have built for all those years. Don't let me down." He says as he leaves with his briefcase in his hand. We shake hands at the door.

“I will never let you down father. To the contrary, I'll make you proud. You will never regret leaving the business under my control." And with that I walk him to the lifts and after he has left I go back to the office.

I find myself behaving like a small boy, wondering what to do, choosing the words that I am going to use on Olivia. Father has left and I am just sitting in his office, now my office. Olivia technically is still my personal assistant and I toy with the idea of pressing the same button I saw father pressing, but then I hesitate a few times. At last I gather enough courage and just as I am about to press it the red light at the door turns green. Someone wants to come in and I pray that it's her. My heart beats faster than usual and I suspect that I am sweating a little.

I push the button that opens the door, ready with the right choice of words, but the person that comes in kills all my morale. The anxiety is replaced by utter disinterest. It's Beatrice, my former secretary. I would have called her Miss Elvis but I know she hates me calling her by that name. She was always evident that she was throwing herself at me, feeling so entitled because she was my first secretary and when I knew nothing about running my office she helped me out, something that I am so grateful for.

However, her tendency of involving herself in my private affairs didn't go down well with me even then and she didn't hide her jealousy for my ex girlfriend Cindy. They hated each other so much and at one time they almost fought when Beatrice flatly refused to let Cindy see me in my office. That is the true character of Miss Elvis, Beatrice.

After I left she was assigned other duties and I hear she has been doing just fine. To give credit where it's due, she is a good worker if she could avoid the side issues. And now she has just entered my office.

“Hi Amos. Great to see you are back." She says, hurrying to close in the distance between us. I remain seated because she may take it further than a simple handshake.

“Glad to see you too Beatrice. How have you been?" I want to sound a bit formal so that she doesn't get the wrong message.

She grins as she shakes my hand. “Congratulations. I hear you are the now our CEO."

“Thanks. I think I am now ready to take over from my father." I say. I just wish that she gets over with whatever it is that brought her here so that I can execute my plan.

“Since I was your secretary, I have to ask you that you reinstate me to my former position, I have been on general duties since you left." She says. I wonder what she's implying, that general duties are not her thing?

Why can't she just leave? I ask myself. Well I need to get rid of her quickly, even if it means that I give her what she wants.

“Yeah, why not. You can start tomorrow. You know the strings." I say, wishing that I have put an end to her presence. But she bursts out in loud ululations, completely annoying me and making me restless. Why can't she just walk away and assume her office professionally like Olivia next door? I reach a decision, I need to tell her to leave. She may take up a lot of time and since it's almost closing time, Olivia may leave before I execute mission.

“Look, Beatrice, I need to finish up some work so if you excuse me.. " I say, gesturing for her to leave. She behaves as if she wasn't expecting that but she leaves anyway after seeing the seriousness in my face. As the door closes behind her my heart resumes it's hasty beats. Then I push the button to summon Olivia, but it's too late. Through the glass window I can see her outside her office, approaching the lifts. I want to rush out and see her before she leaves but I'm too late once again.

The lift opens up and she walks in and I'm left watching as the doors slowly slide to close.