Grandfather Ashley stood up and greeted everyone who was present. They were all his friends or business associates, well distinguished men who were within his rank in the business world. The dinner was strictly on invitation and no one below the top social ladder was allowed to come in. In this hall were men whom ordinary people would never have the chance to meet in their lives. Having greeted them, he officially announced his retirement and handed over the company to his grandson Jake Frederick. Jake got up from his seat and was greeted with a standing ovation. He got to the centre of the hall where his grandfather was standing and stood beside him. The only people who had seen him when he entered were the few close friends of his grandfather who were seated on the same table with him. Now, his grandfather was showing him off to the world as the new CEO of the Frederick conglomerate! Camera's clicked as Jake took his stand besides his grandfather and bowed low. He was officially the
Aidan was about stepping into his car when his phone rang. He took it out and when he saw the caller ID, he slid his hands across the screen and answered the phone call. It was one of his friends from Everest university. Springfield university and Everest university were one of the popular universities in the area and the children of rich and proud men attended the school. Aidan was one of them. He had a circle of friends whom were in the same level with him financially. The loved to show off and spend money on trending things. They also had a group chat for only the ten of them from different schools. “Hi Aidan. Have you heard the latest news?”“What's that Dan? What news?”“The new heir to Frederick conglomerate is Jake Frederick!” Dan disclosed. “Humph!! You have to be kidding me. How can that low life be the CEO? That isn't true. It's a joke, right?”“I'm not kidding. You know what, check the news blogs, check the group. The gist is everywhere!”“I'll do that now.”Aidan hung up
Jake sat in front of an large, exclusive style table, made of high quality mahogany wood. He was tapping away on the keyboard of his laptop and the air conditioner and fan buzzed in a corner. He adjusted the swivel chair in his office and stretched himself. This was his third day as the CEO of the conglomerate. “No one told me this work could be tiring too,” he muttered. His office was well befitting of a CEO of his rank. It was typically spacious and elegantly designed. It had floor to ceiling windows that offered a parabolic views of the city. The office had a mix of modern and classic furniture pieces such as a sleek conference table, plush sofas and armchairs. Decorative elements like plant vases and sculptures added a touch of elegance and personality to the space. There was a bespoke bookshelf with books neatly arranged in it. The lightening was smart and beautiful, creating a comfortable and immersive environment. On the wall hung a very beautiful photograph of the CEO, Jake
“Young master, you have an invitation for the business gathering in three days. Should I accept it?” Richard asked, bowing low before Jake. “What are these kinds of gatherings about? Is it something that requires my presence?”“Yes sir. Moreover, you are a VIP there and this meeting is for the business men and moguls in this vicinity. In the past, Sir Ashley never missed any single one of them.”Jake took a deep breath. The gathering was on a Saturday and he had planned to have a long rest that Saturday. However, since his grandfather had always attended it as the CEO of Frederick conglomerate and a special position was always arranged for him, he did not want to let them down. This was his first public appearance and he didn't want to disappoint them. Moreover, Jake wanted to get acquainted with more people in the business world since he would soon be dealing with them directly. Therefore, Jake decided to attend the gathering. “Fine. I'll be there. Let me know my schedule for today
It happened that Aidan and his group of friends also belonged to the second grade families. They joked and laughed about their recent achievements. Food was served and they continued chatting while they were eating. Evan, one of the guys from Everest university looked around and caught sight of Jake Frederick, seated with a very beautiful young woman. “Isn't that Jake? What's he doing in the area for second grade families? And he's even seated with a pretty girl! I'm sure she's from a wealthy home too!”The others turned and looked in the direction he pointed. Sure enough, Jake was seated with a beautiful girl! He was enjoying the privilege reserved for rich kids! What more, he was smiling and eating in the same space with them. He's a mere waiter who's job should be to be at their beck and call! “That's him. So bold of him to be seated here,” Dan added. He took some spoonfuls of his food, drank some water and stood up. “He needs a reminder that he's a poor brat, and I'll do him th
Jake hadn't seen that coming, neither did Emelda and the others seated with him. When Aidan stood up, Jake was relieved that he was going to leave with his friends, although he didn't expect it to be that easy. Unfortunately, Aidan had other plans and the next thing Jake knew was that a clear coloured liquid flowed down his face and stung his eyes. His hair and clothes were also stained with spicy food. “What? How can you do that?” Emelda said, staring at Aidan in surprise. This was bully and as far as she was concerned, it was uncalled for. They could have handled the matter in a civilized way and Jake would have to return to his post and face appropriate punishment. Although she was disappointed in Jake, she didn't expect Aidan to take such rash actions. “He deserves even worse than that!” One of the guys on the table offered his unsolicited opinion. To him, Aidan didn't even do anything to Jake. He deserved worse than that. “How can you say that? Waiter, get a towel quick!” Emel
“Mr Thane!” Dan said when he found his tongue. Mr Richard Thane was a popular man in the country as well as city and was respected by all and sundry. Everyone knew how powerful he was and so, no one wanted to be in his bad books. He could blow up a family and render them bankrupt in few seconds! Aidan was still standing in front of Jake who hadn't left his arm. Instead, Jake twisted it even more painfully.“Are you crazy? Let go! Can't you see Mr Thane here?” Aidan spat.“What's going on?” he repeated firmly, a light frown on his face. Just then, the announcement was made again for the reception of the biggest CEO in the country.“This thing is causing a nuisance and I'm only putting him in his place. He dared to sneak in here and eat our food,” Lyle explained dutifully. Mr Thane turned and looked at the supposed nuisance. Hell no! That can't be his boss dripping of food and wine! He looked like he had been dipped into a pot of soup and was a huge mess. “Young master Frederick!”
It was an entirely different Jake that stepped out of the bathroom. Clean, fresh, powerful and handsome. No one would even believe he was untidy and dripping of food some minutes ago. His hair was well washed, neatly combed and well styled. His clothes were from the most famous designers and they fitted him as if the clothes were specifically made for him. With Richard and the guards beside him, he walked majestically to the front of the room and bowed politely. Firstly, he apologized for showing up late. “Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed colleagues and honoured guests. I want to start by apologising for showing up later than expected. Please, note that it was not a reflection of excitement or my commitment to my new role as the heir, but rather an unexpected circumstance I couldn't avoid. As I stand before you today, I'm honoured to take the reins of power for this incredible conglomerate. Most of your companies are under our conglomerate and I want to assure you that our company's