Brian's Revenge: The rejected son-in-law

Chapter 5

Uncle Richard, following his nasty experience with Brian, was left waiting in the reception area. He fidgeted anxiously, ready to discuss the business situation he had come to handle on behalf of his own family, the Johnsons, with Ms. Anderson.

As he sat there, deep in meditation, the receptionist approached him, clutching a file. "Excuse me, sir," the staffer responded gently, "Ms. Anderson asked me to give you this."

Uncle Richard received the file with a courteous nod, a grin emerging on his face as he assumed it held the papers and information he had been waiting for.

He opened it joyfully, but as he examined the contents, the smile on his face was swiftly replaced with a wrinkled raised brow and frown.

His voice quivered with shock as he murmured aloud, "What? They've canceled their partnership with us?"

The employee, noticing Uncle Richard's grief, said kindly, "I'm sorry, sir. It looks that Elysian Enterprises has dissolved its association with your family."

Uncle Richard's cheeks became a shade of scarlet red as sadness and rage welled up inside him. He couldn't believe that the business transaction he had come to pitch was already in risk before he even had a chance to propose it. He realized this change of events would be a massive blow to hisa family's interests, and he was left with the difficult responsibility of explaining the situation to his family members.

Uncle Richard's anger spilled over, and he couldn't control his rage. His voice got louder as he yelled, "This can't be possible! They can't simply dissolve the partnership like this!"

His scream grabbed the attention of the receptionist, who, sensing the growing situation, indicated to one of the security officers quietly. They shared a knowing look, recognizing that it was their role to keep order in the reception area.

Uncle Richard continued to rant, his voice booming through the lobby as he raged against the rapid change of events. "I won't stand for this! They can't treat us like way!"

The security officer approached slowly, his stance solid but non-confrontational. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to lower your voice and leave the premises."

Uncle Richard, engrossed in his annoyance and rage, didn't hear what the security officer said. Instead, he continued to express his frustrations, ignorant that his failure to comply with the request was leading to a more aggressive reaction.

The receptionist, noticing that Uncle Richard wasn't complying, gestured to the security officer, giving him the signal to get Uncle Richard out of the premises.

It was a painful but important action to protect the security and order of the company's facilities.

The security officer went closer, his tone harder as he said, "Sir, you need to leave now."

Uncle Richard finally recognized the seriousness of the situation, but it was too late. He had pushed the bounds of acceptable conduct, and the security officer dragged him outside. 

As Uncle Richard was hauled out of the Elysian Enterprises office premises, his phone rang incessantly. Fumbling to answer it, he noticed his father's name flashing on the screen. He took a deep breath and answered the phone, knowing that this would be a hard talk.

"Yes father." he replied, attempting to keep control.

His father's voice, full with concern and fury, came through loud and clear. "Richard, what in the world is going on? Why are there reports circulating around that Elysian Enterprises has dissolved our partnership?"

Uncle Richard paused for a bit before saying, "Father, I was just going to talk to you about it. I went to the office to speak with Ms. Anderson, but it appears they've already decided to end the partnership."

The silence on the other end of the line was deafening, and then his father's voice got even more furious. "Terminated? Just like that? Do they have any clue what they've done to our family's business?"

Richard, attempting to ease his father's fury, answered, "I understand, Father, and I'm also livid. But there was nothing I could do. They've already made up their mind."

His father's tone got much harsher. "You were supposed to manage this, Richard! You were expected to guarantee our relationship stayed solid. Now look at the mess we're in!"

Feeling the weight of his father's displeasure, Richard sought to explain, "Father, it was as if they had made up their minds before I even arrived. I don't know what triggered this quick shift, but we need to figure out our future moves."

His father's fury subsided, replaced with a feeling of urgency. "Yes, we do need to sort this out, and quickly. Our family's image and financial interests are at risk here. I expect you to do everything it takes to settle this."

Richard nodded, even though his father couldn't see him. "I will, Father. I'll get to the bottom of this and do everything in my power to save our partnership with Elysian."

As the conversation ended, Richard was left with a terrible feeling in his heart. He understood that he had a lot ahead of him, one that entailed not just repairing the damaged relationship but also regaining his father's faith in him. 

As Richard continued to concentrate on the stormy events of the day, a nagging sensation of remorse and self-blame overwhelmed him. He couldn't help but wonder whether his treatment of Brian had played a factor in the unexpected end of the partnership.

Perhaps there were security cameras around the workplace, and someone had watched his altercation with Brian. The notion of being watched and assessed exacerbated his discomfort.

"Was it my behavior towards Brian?" Richard grumbled to himself, his mind clouded with confusion. "Did I push things too far?"

His thought was interrupted when he went into the company's parking lot. He sensed people pointing at him and heard the quiet muttering of people around. The news of the canceled partnership had apparently reached the ears of everyone in the city, and the atmosphere in the car park was filled with talks.

Someone, who had overheard the news, approached Richard warily. "Richard, what is this news we are hearing about the terminated partnership between your family and Elysian Enterprise? What happened?"

Richard's rage surged and his fear welled up as he said, "I'm still trying to put it all together. It's a disaster. But I'm handling it."

Another person couldn't help piping in, "Well, it didn't look good when they had to escort you out of the building."

Richard tightened his hands, his cheeks reddened with humiliation. He understood that his image in the city was now tainted, and the weight of his actions was starting to set in.

As he got into his car and drove away from the company's premises, Richard couldn't escape the sensation that he had played a role in the failure of the partnership.

 The disapproving eyes and comments of people served as a continual reminder of the implications of his behavior. In the days to follow, he would need to struggle with the implications and find a way to redeem himself in the eyes of both his family and everyone in the city.