Drowning in Shame

It was almost as if she had a heart attack the moment she saw him walk up the stage. She had been adjudging her dress to make herself extra pretty for the new heir when she saw none other than her ex husband. 

Daniel Robertson held his fiancée before she collapsed and helped her back to his feet. 

It wasn't like he wasn't astonished by the face he saw, if anything, his soul had left his body for more than a second. 

Kelly Goldberg fell into her seat in shock almost as if she was pushed into it. Her brain flipped upside down the moment she saw him and her heart beat drowned amidst the chorus of applause. 

Ryan smirked. "Thank you Kathie." He said as he moved closer to the pulpit to give a speech. 

The loud applause and cheers fell silent just then. "Thank you for the standing ovation everyone, you may have your seats." Ryan said and they all sat back down. 

Lilly shakily returned herself to her seat with the help of her fiancé and she tried her best to calm herself down before she would pass out in front of everyone. 

"Uhm... I don't really have much to say except that I'm going to do my best to serve you all well but of course, you have to reciprocate that. I shouldn't talk about business here but I just want you to know that I will be giving two weeks to each and every one of the companies J international is funding to prove that they are worthy of my assistant. 

"As you all know, money isn't so easy to come by and the truth is I don't actually have a secret tree in my backyard that grows money."

The audience chorused a laugh at his words and a few snickered about how handsome he was and somewhat friendly. 

"But that aside, thank you all for being a part of J international for the past decades and I know, I know, I'm talking too much, most of you are secretly telling me to speak faster so you can help yourself at the food table."

Another roar of laughter filled the hall. They were all grateful that the new heir was someone who could sense the anxiety in the room and try to calm them with comic relief. 

Well some of them that was. Lilly could hear each and every word that her ex husband was saying but she couldn't even bring herself to laugh no matter how funny it was. 

She and her family had never been more surprised in their entire lives!

Meanwhile, Ryan had a smile on his face as he spoke. "So please, everyone, help yourself to whatever it is you want here tonight except if it is the decorations then please don't help yourself to it." He said with a chuckle that they all chorused. "Thank you, if anyone has any questions, I'll be around." 

With that being said, he left the podium with Kathie walking close to him which brought a lot of murmurs from the people but none that he paid any attention to. 

Lilly tapped her mother. "Mom, mom please tell me I am seeing things... Tell me that the person who was up there isn't Ryan." 

Kelly was finding it hard to swallow her own saliva. All she could think about was the way she treated him when he was her son in law, all the words she said to him then. 

"Mom!" Lilly yelled, her voice snapping her mother out of her thoughts. 

"Uh? Hold on, le-- let us try to talk to him or-- or should we hide? I don't... I don't know what to do!" She felt like she was losing her mind. 

Lilly summoned the courage she didn't know she had in her the moment she sighted Ryan's whereabouts and began approaching him. 

Her mother and fiancé followed behind her as if they were no more than her shadows. 

"...thank you for being here today and I can remember clearly that you were at my grandfather's burial ceremony." 

Ryan was in the middle of a conversation with a young decent looking man with brown hair and eyes. His name was Berry and he claimed to have met the late Austin Jacobs when he was alive. 

Not minding the fact that he was busy, Lilly gently tapped his shoulder to get his attention. "Uhm... Ryan." She called his name. 

Ryan turned around with an arched brow. "Excuse me? Why do you call my name like we are acquaintances?" 

"Sorry?" Her eyes widened in surprise. 

"And I believe you should have been wise enough to wait until I was done before trying to speak to me." He turned back to face Berry who was feeling a little awkward still being there. "I'm sorry but you will have to excuse me. I do hope to see more of you and your company, Berry." 

"Of course sir." Berry chuckled softly. He turned and walked away. 

Ryan let out a gentle sigh as he turned back to face his ex wife. "What do you want?" 

"Uhm... Can we... Talk? In private?" She pushed the words out of her mouth. 

Meanwhile, Kathie had gone to fetch him a drink and she was on her way back with two glasses of champagne in her hands. 

"What do you want to talk about? If it isn't about the progress of your company then I don't have the time to spare." Ryan sternly said. 

She swallowed hard. "It's uhm... I just... Let us talk in private please." 

"Mr Jacobs," Kathie said as she stopped next to him. She stretched his glass towards him. "Your drink. Am I interrupting something?" 

Ryan collected the drink from her. "Not at all. Shall we?" He pointed ahead and she nodded her head. 

Lilly grabbed his hand as he made to leave. "Wait, Ryan I--"

"What is the meaning of this?!" Ryan snapped as he pulled his hand away from her. 

His drink spilled on his clothes and gasps erupted in the hall as all eyes fell on them. 

Lilly felt like she was electrified. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry!" 

"This is outrageous!" Kathie interrupted. "Why are you trying to harass Mr Jacobs?" 

"No I--"

"Miss Goldberg..." Ryan said, cutting her off, in a gentle tone. "What exactly are you trying to do? What impression are you trying to make? What is the meaning of this? Do you know this is harassment? I told you I don't care to have any private talks with you! Why are you being so stubborn?!" His voice ravaged like thunder in the hall.

Everyone fell silent at once at his voice and Lilly felt like she was drowning in shame.