Perhaps, it would be less about the future of the company but more about our future together if he even through that we still had a chance of being together.
“I’m not running away. I’m just doing things my way and I ask that you stick to your promise and respect that,” Ace stated calmly.
“Why didn’t you consult me about this before? Why did you have to get up there and announce it at a large event like this? Do you know how much money I put in to put this event together? This whole party was supposed to celebrate your success so far as the CEO and look what you’ve done!” the chairman thundered as his eyes glared at his own son.
Ace did not show any hint of regret or remorse regarding his action and that was probably because he simply did not regret it. I had no idea why Ace thought that his action was the right one.
What made him so confident or was he just going to run away from his responsibilities again just as his father had just accused him of?
“I didn’t think that there was a need to, given our previous agreement. Plus, if I had consulted you, you would have just disagreed with me. It would have just complicated things without leading to any progress, so naturally, I decided against consulting with you first,” Ace explained logically.
“You…how dare you ruin everything that I’ve tried to build? Get out there and apologize for your foolish decision and take your words back right now!” the chairman yelled as he pointed his index finger towards the door.
Ace didn’t move from where he was standing. His father looked like he was ready to murder his own son when he saw Ace’s apparent refusal to comply with his command. Things were really getting out of hand, and I wondered what I should do to stop this argument between father and son before it got worse than this.
“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to quit right away. I’ll make sure that the company wins the Ashford competition first and that things are pretty much settled,” Ace replied levelly.
“You’re not quitting! I won’t allow you to do something so crazy again and that is final!” the chairman yelled.
“Father, I want you to stick to your promise and start believing that I’m really doing what is best for the company,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders.
“You’re fickle. Your dreams are unrealistic. Whatever talent you have is wasted on you!” the chairman spat.
Ace had a cold and emotionless mask on his face that did not betray any emotions at all. His father’s words were harsh, but it seemed like it wasn’t Ace’s first time hearing those words or something similar. Despite how great I thought Ace was, it was clear that his father did not share my point of view at all.
“Don’t you have anything to say for yourself, Ace?” his father asked when Ace continued to stand there completely in silence.
“I have nothing to say but neither will I withdraw my decision,” he replied simply.
“We’ll talk about this later. I’m going to go out there and try my best to clean up this mess that my stupid son has created,” the chairman declared as he strode towards the door.
I was relieved for a moment now that the chairman was leaving. At least, this argument was coming to an end even if it was just for now. The chairman stopped in his tracks when he came to stand at my side and my entire body stiffened.
“You should know now that he was never serious about marrying you. He’s never been serious about anything or anyone, so don’t start thinking that you’re any different. Leave while you can, if you want, I can transfer you somewhere more promising for your career,” the chairman said to me before he headed for the door without waiting for my reply.
I heard the door open and then close behind me at the chairman’s exit. His words shocked me and left me feeling so cold and empty inside that I couldn’t respond to him.
Could he be right about Ace?
I felt tears sting the back of my eyes and it took everything inside of me to stop my tears from overflowing. I told myself repeatedly that this wasn’t the time for me to cry. Taking in a few deep breaths made me feel slightly better and I managed to swallow the lump that had formed in my throat. Now that Ace’s father had left the room, I was left all alone with Ace.
“Let’s head back,” Ace said to me casually while I struggled to find the words to start up a conversation with him.
Without another word and without waiting for my reply, Ace walked past me and headed toward the door. I watched his broad back as he walked away from me while my legs felt like they had turned into thick and heavy lead. Although the birthday celebration still continued, for us it felt like it was already over.
“I’ll get the driver to drop you off at your place first,” Ace told me when we were sitting next to each other in the backseat of his car.
I knew that if he sent me back, I would lose my opportunity to talk to him about his sudden announcement to quit his position as CEO and I had to avoid that at alcostsst. If I didn’t get to talk things out with him tonight, I doubt that I could get any sleep. That left me with no other choice.
“Please take me to your place,” I requested as I stared into his gaze with pleading eyes.
He had to know that he owed me so many explanations. There was the issue with Elizabeth which he never got around to explaining and now there’s another issue. I had no idea which one was the bigger deal right now. However, unlike his secretive relationship with Elizabeth where I didn’t know for sure if they were really involved in an illicit affair, I was certain that Ace was serious about the announcement that he made.
--To be continued…
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