Bruce eyes widened at his statement. He had always been the manager of the company. The one who heard directly from the headquarters. The one who fished out orders and duties. Why was he being demoted? It was better sure than being laid off, but he feared the humiliation and shame that would come along with it."But sir, isn't that too harsh of a punishment? I have always been the manager and I have done my job well up to this date. I'm sorry to protest but...""I do not think you are sorry though. Maybe you do not want the job anymore.""No, sir. I need the job actually. I just....""You are in no place to make suggestions as it stands. So you better shut up and be grateful, else I will demote you to being the cleaner or guard. That would be better wouldn't it?""No sir." He said immediately. "Thank you, sir.""I thought so." Mark sighed and turned to Leanne. "Now, you. What do you want?""Sir, the boutique. That store is my life, my all. If I lost it, I wouldn't know what to do anym
Immediately, they all hurried out of the office for fear of being locked up if they were walking too slow. The few days they had sent in their little cell was enough for a lifetime. They all scurried down the hallway, searching for the elevator. And the moment they found it, they all squeezed in and descended to the first floor. Each person looked so happy to finally be out. The receptionist glanced at them and looked away immediately. Whatever had happened to them was none of her business. Her only one concern and duty was to welcome guests to the headquarters.Diana looked at her angrily but could not do anything for fear of being locked up just like the rest. They immediately left the building and rushed past security. Once totally outside, they all took deep breaths.Diana and Lilly immediately hugged their parents once more."Please, do not ever return here, unless you are asked to. We were so worried about you." Diana started, holding both her parents by their hands. "You can't
Justin noticed a group of people standing in front of the headquarters. And he was sure that he recognized all of them. They were talking discreetly amongst each other. So he decided to go over and talk to them. He excused himself from the lady he was speaking with."Hi there." He said with a warm smile as he got to where they were all standing. "Do you need help with anything?" He stood so casually, and from his simple looks, no one would ever believe them if they told them that he was the cause of their problems.Diana stared at him angrily, trying hard to hold in the words she had for him. They all hissed and turned away, and began heading to Lilly's car."Sir..." She said desperately falling to her knees. The sound of Leanne's voice stopped them from going any further."What are you doing Leanne? Let's go now." Diana said angrily. She proceeded to grab Leanne's arm, trying to pull her up but she refused and pushed Diana's hand away."I am really sorry for what I did, sir. I didn't
"Shut up." Leanne said in anger and got to her feet. She turned and faced Bruce, her eyes burning with so much rage. "You act like you're all that when you are not. The real truth is that I am in this mess because of you. I lost my boutique because of you. Now I am trying to set things straight by fixing my wrongs and you are trying to discourage me? What is wrong with you? Why are you so full of yourself? Acting all high and mighty when you really can't do anything? That is why you were demoted today and you know it."Her words were harsh and piercing, even to the people she wasn't referring to. They looked at her in surprise. She didn't seem like someone who had a sharp tongue so they were extremely surprised at her outburst."Wait what?" Bruce finally managed to say. "Now you're really blaming me? Aren't you the one who made your decisions on your own? Did I force you?" He scoffed in disbelief and shook his head. "And to think I even got locked up because I came here to try and hel
Justin paid no mind to the words of the Tucsons as well as their future son in-law, Bruce. After all, they were the ones who needed him the most, and if they had not learnt their lessons, it just meant to him that they had very thick skulls that he should not be bothered with.He began walking away with Diana still slinging unsavory words at him."Are you going now?" Leanne asked, almost in an anxious way, as though she wanted to follow him to wherever he was going to. "Yes," Justin responded. "I have a lot of things to do." "Alright, take care. Bye." There was a sound of desperation in her voice that seemed to the Tucsons to be utter embarrassing. They cringed seeing Leanne sound so entirely submissive to Justin who they looked to be little more than a dog."You are just embarrassing," Diana commented on her behavior, contorting her facial features to show disgust.Leanne did not mind or care at all about whatever opinion they had of her, she had gotten the reassurance she wanted,
Justin got up to his office door, wondering how much of a rowdy bunch the Tucson's had become. He did not remember that they had ever been there way before now. He met his assistant in the office.With a grin he said, "Don't tell me you have not gotten tired of playing the boss."Mark laughed at the statement in an almost shy manner. "Well I have to admit, it is fun playing the boss," he said.Justin laughed at this statement but commented under his breath, "Too bad I don't exactly enjoy playing it." Mark did not hear him say this as it was impossible for him to do so."What's your next order sir?" He asked, getting up from the seat, as just twirled around the table. "Well, first of all," he began, "You should reinstall that woman's business." Justin sat down on the seat."Which of them?" Mark asked. "The woman that owned the boutique. Her case is settled. I just wanted them to beg for mercy that's all. Turns out she was the only one that did as I expected. The Tucson's are still as
A few days later, on a somber cold day, Justin stared from a window of his, across the city. His eyes held the round orange sun that hung on the sky like a ball held on the air by some invincible string. The only excitement of the past few days had washed over him. It did not seem like there was anything much to do than to attend meetings, plan schedules, sign papers, watch his bank account receive credit alert every few minute, and then sit and watch the city from his office which was at the highest floor.He could remember faintly what had been his fate before the present moment. When he was still with Lilly. It almost seemed like a dream, or a memory of a distant event from very long ago. Sometimes he still thought about Lilly. Her eyes, her hair, his fingers holding on to that hour glass figure of hers. That was the her he remembered. The one he was seeing in recent times, proved to be different. She looked at him different, she walked different, and she spoke different...Admitt
It was Justin's phone. It was buzzing right there on the table. His eyes as well as that of Mark's eyes moved towards where it was, simultaneously. He stretched his head above the table and took a peek. He saw who was calling and got back to the position he was in, acting like he had not seen a thing in the first place."Who is that?" Mark asked, rather respectfully, as though trying not to overstep the boundaries set for him."Why would you want to know?" Justin replied, not taking his eyes off the table to look back at his curious assistant. "You do not need to know everything that goes on in my life."Justin's tone had immediately changed to seem more colder, something that only happened when his father's name is brought into the fray. Mark sighed, immediately guessing right off his head who was calling. "Sir, I am sorry but I have to say this," he began, "But don't you think it's high time you start picking your father's calls?" Justin gave him no response. Because it was true