Justice For The Billionaire's Daughter

HISTORY OF MARSHALL LIMITED

AMOS

According to the book, written by father and updated every now and then, MARSHALL LIMITED was started by my father thirty years ago and he wasn't the wealthy man he is today, I find out after reading the book.

He left the east coast when his parents were savagely killed by mafia mobsters. He ran away with his life and even then the mafia still pursued him. The boss of the mafia issued a prize for whoever will produce the young boy, dead or alive. He did this in the fear that after becoming an adult the boy may come back and revenge his parent's deaths.

The young Phillip Marshall was lucky and hiked a ride from a truck driver who helped him cross the borders of the state. With only fifty dollars, a gift from the benevolent truck driver, he reached this city. He was now on his own in a city where no one knew him and he had no relatives.

Starting life here for him was not easy. He had nowhere to stay so he started by staying in the streets with other homeless people. Unlike these street families he had the determination to make it in life. He had learnt a few business skills from his parents who owned a dry-cleaning business and he yearned to put the skills to work.

At that young age he was employed by a Chinese merchant as an errand boy, to deliver items Mr Wong had sold. And that's how father came to know every corner of this city. He would traverse the whole city on a bicycle delivering pots, pans, cutlery and other assorted items. He kept most of his wages and in the first three months he had bought himself his own bicycle. The little amount left he got himself a single room in the least privileged part of the city.

He worked again for another six months for Mr Wong then resigned, because he knew that he had all that he wanted to start his own supply business. He already knew where Mr Wong got his supplies at a cheap price, and he also knew how to repackage the same items and sell them at a higher price, making a profit.

He also knew where to sell the repackaged merchandise and the customers knew him. With his bicycle, he started the business, albeit with little capital.

Working hard, he gained the confidence of his customers and they could now give him orders for items that gave a bigger profit margin. That way he started selling few items and getting more money.

However Mr Wong was not happy with father's thriving business and he connived with the police to have him arrested. One morning he was getting ready to go to work when two police officers arrested him and he was charged with frivolous offences. He denied the claims and the case went to full hearing. How he wished he could afford a lawyer. In jail as he awaited trial he met another man who helped him by getting him a lawyer. His name was Richard Shannon. The complete stranger, a son of a wealthy man got him a very fierce lawyer who managed to have the case quashed, then he went for Mr Wong's business. When father went to see Mr Shannon in prison to thank him it was too late, Mr Shannon had been released.

In the other hand Mr Wong had no proper papers for his business, and his bookkeeping was suspect. The lawyer threatened not to sue him if in return he gave father ten thousand dollars. Mr Wong had little choice.

The book has a whole chapter dedicated to Mr Richard Shannon, thanking him for rescuing father when he was in need. It goes further to state that father is eternally indebted to Mr Shannon.

At the age of twenty one father bought his first delivery truck, and he rented his first premises. He registered the business as MARSHALL LIMITED and employed three people. To serve his customers well he remained behind the wheel of the truck as the delivery man. Business boomed for three years straight and the shop grew. He moved from the original location to another bigger premises then later bought a house for the business.

It was a small house and he demolished it, then approached a bank that financed the construction of the behemoth we now occupy. He had now gained wealth and bought a villa in the privileged location.

At forty five years he married one of his employees, who gave birth to me. In the book she is described as a tall slender girl with blonde hair. She was meek and very hardworking such that she would take me with her to work when I was a child. However, she didn't live long.

One morning while she was driving to work the brakes to her car failed as the car sped down a steep slope. She was in the car with me as a two year old child. The speeding car hit a stationary lorry and she died on the spot. I was rescued without even a scratch, the book says.

Thus my father raised me alone as he also ran the business which was growing in leaps and bounds. He wasn't obtaining merchandise from other traders now, but he got it from the manufacturer. And with growth he ventured where the money was, in the import and export business.

For twenty eight years straight, this business has been doing importation of fast moving goods and selling locally, and also exporting the merchandise needed by our overseas customers.

The book was last updated by father the day he left, and he states that he has complete confidence in my leadership. It also emphasizes the need to recognize the contribution Mr Shannon contributed to his success. I wonder who this Shannon is but I'll find out slowly.

I place the book back in the shelve where I found it and sit behind my desk digesting the information I have just gathered. The business started from scratch to where it is now and I can't be the one to make it fall.

That has been one interesting read. I wonder why father kept this information hidden from me for all those years. I have always wondered where he got his money but now I am full of respect for him. I decide to keep on reading through the book from time to time so as to keep reminding myself that I should not fall, that I should keep his legacy alive. Maybe I should also keep on updating.

It's around three o'clock in the afternoon when I rise from my desk and decide to walk around and see how the various departments are doing. I take the lift to the ground floor and this time everyone knows me and they accord me maximum respect. Work is going on just fine. Then I read a notification pasted on a wall to the effect that the sales and marketing team is meeting their new manager in the boardroom. The new manager is Olivia. Well, she doesn't believe in wasting time, she has already hit the ground. I decide to find out what the meeting is about.

The boardroom is almost full. We have a huge sales team that goes around the city, and other cities, marketing our produce and searching for orders. The orders are then taken over by our delivery team that takes the merchandise to the customer's doorstep. I take a seat at the back and Olivia who is addressing the team sees me.

“I'm glad to see that our CEO has joined us and I would urge him to come forward and take a front seat." She says. Well, I can't decline that request and I move to the front. There's pin drop silence until I get seated and Olivia continues.

“As I was saying, we have to aggressive, we have to go out there and achieve. What you have been doing is good, but I want to see those efforts doubled or even quadrupled. I want to see change." She says. Wow! This is someone who speaks my language.

“I want us to set targets. Everyone here will set a target for themselves that they must achieve. I will personally make sure that those who achieve their are awarded something, and it's good that the CEO himself is here and I want to yield the floor to him so that he can say a few words." She says. At that juncture I regret why I came in here.

Olivia is a person who knows what she is doing, unlike the guy I just fired, and I admire what she just told her team. But I wasn't prepared to talk to this team and as she gestures to me to take the floor I feel like I am sweating. We shake hands as she moves to her seat.

“Ladies and gentlemen, as you can see the management has changed, I am now the CEO and you have a new manager. I would urge you to accord her maximum cooperation. What she said about targets is a good thing and I support it. I promise to see to it that the top performers are rewarded. Thanks so much. Now I have to leave so that you can continue with your meeting." I say. There's something I learned about speeches. The shorter the better. I shake hands again with Olivia and the grip is electrifying.

As I walk out of the boardroom I can hear her continuing with her lecture. At the corridors I find two women facing away from me, and they're talking. I decide to eavesdrop.

“Who does she think she is, behaving as if she's an aristocrat?" One of them quips.

“She must be lucky. She just joined the company six months ago and now she's got herself a managerial position. Do you think she was banging the old man?" The other asks. I feel some pain in my chest. How can they accuse my father and Olivia for stupid things like these?

“No. Old man Phillip was a gentleman. Maybe she has her eyes on the new CEO, Philip's son." The first one says.

“Fine looking chap. I wish he could notice me." This one is accompanied by a stupid giggle.

“Don't forget that Amos used to work here. We all wanted him for ourselves but he isn't interested in us. But keep on hoping." She consoles her friend. I slip away silently and move back to the lift and to my office.

Seated behind my desk I wonder what I am going to do because I need to capture the attention of Olivia. I am no longer undecided. The moment I saw her I knew that I wanted her, and the craze has been building up every passing day. I wonder why she hasn't noticed.

Or maybe she has a boyfriend? That would kill my morale completely and even affect my work because I don't think I can get another girl with the same qualities. The meeting I have just attended has increased the feelings I have for her and I just hope that when I ask she will agree.

Today I must ask, and I'll get rid of anything that tries to interrupt.

“Amos," Beatrice's voice comes through the intercom. “I have a few applications for the vacancies I posted. When do we grant the interviews?" She asks, waking me up from the reverie.

“The day after tomorrow first thing in the morning. Meanwhile I want you to constitute an interview panel before noon tomorrow. I want it on my desk for approval by then." I say as I look at the clock on the wall. It's four thirty in the evening. The management will be soon going home, Olivia included, but this time she won't go before I see her.

“Thanks Amos." Beatrice says before she goes off.