Chapter 8

After Rex’s announcement, the tension in the room thickened. Mike, the once-powerful CEO, stared at Arnold in disbelief, his face pale. “You can’t be serious,” he stammered, his voice trembling.

Rex’s expression remained icy. “You heard me correctly. It would be effective immediately, Arnold William is the new CEO of this company. As for you, Mike, you’ll be working as his assistant.”

The shock was evident in Mike’s eyes, but he knew he had no choice. Decades of service to the company flashed before him, and the thought of losing everything he’d built was too much to bear. 

He swallowed his pride, bowing his head. “I… I understand,” he muttered, barely able to meet Arnold’s gaze. “I’ll do my best as your assistant, Mr. William.”

Arnold looked at the man who had fired him so callously just a few hours ago. The tables had truly turned, and the power dynamics had shifted in his favor. 

He decided to address one of the issues that had plagued him during his time here. “Your first task,” Arnold said, his voice firm, “is to review the company’s processes, especially regarding employee dismissals. The way I was treated was unreasonable, and I want to ensure no one else goes through that.”

Mike nodded quickly, eager to please. “Of course, Mr. William. I’ll start on it right away.”

“Oh, make haste. I want a report by Monday,” Arnold gave a professional smile.

“Yes, Sir. I will try my best.” Mike nodded solemnly while sweating a bucket. 

Arnold’s eyes narrowed as he delivered his final blow. “And Mike, if you fail, you won’t even be sweeping the floors by the time I’m done with you.”

Mike’s face drained of color as Arnold turned on his heel and strode out of the office. The butler followed, a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips as they left the building.

As they stepped outside, the butler turned to Arnold. “You handled that well, young master. Your grandfather will be pleased.”

Arnold nodded, a mixture of emotions swirling within him. The day had been overwhelming, yet he felt a sense of accomplishment. His phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling him from his thoughts. He glanced at the screen and saw a familiar name flashing.

“A party?” Arnold said, raising an eyebrow as he answered the call. “Sure, I could use a break. It’s been a long day.”

Later that evening, Arnold found himself driving the Lincoln to the party. The smooth purr of the engine was very soothing, he focused on driving as he tried to clear his mind.

He had almost begun to relax as he reached the venue. He carefully tried to park his car but another car came and it wasn’t able to control it’s speed as it collided with his. 

“What a day,” Arnold muttered to himself but he called the insurance company calmly as he informed them about the incident. 

He wanted to go out to asses the situation but before he could, the driver of the other car stepped out first, walking over to Arnold’s window with an apologetic expression. “I’m so sorry,” the driver began, “I didn’t see you pulling in—”

Arnold rolled down his window, ready to address the matter, but the words caught in his throat as he saw who the other driver was. His heart sank. It was his wife, Diana, and beside her was Ethan, the man she had betrayed him with.

Diana’s eyes widened in shock, then narrowed with disbelief. “Arnold?” she spat, her voice dripping with disdain. “This is your car?”

Arnold nodded, trying to keep his composure. “Yes, it is.”

Ethan leaned in, a sneer on his lips. “Come on, Arnold. A car like this? You’re more likely to be the parking attendant than the owner. What’s the game here?”

Diana looked him up and down, her expression turning from surprise to amusement. “Honestly, you look even less impressive than a parking attendant. What are you trying to prove?”

Arnold felt a familiar sting of humiliation rising within him, but this time, he wasn’t going to back down. He stepped out of the car, standing tall despite his disheveled appearance. “I’m not here to play games, Diana. This is my car, and you just hit it. I expect you to take responsibility.”

Ethan laughed, shaking his head. “Responsibility? For what? Are you dreaming? Maybe that bump on your head messed you up more than we thought.”

Diana folded her arms, her voice laced with mockery. “Arnold, let’s not make this any more embarrassing than it already is. We were married once. Just walk away before you make a fool of yourself.”

But Arnold wasn’t backing down. Not this time. “No,” he said firmly. “I’m not going anywhere. You caused this accident, and I want compensation.”

Diana rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. “Compensation? For what? You’re nothing but a car thief pretending to be something you’re not.”

Ethan reached for his phone, his smirk widening. “You know what? Let’s get the police involved. Maybe they can help you understand that this was your fault.”

As Ethan began to dial, Arnold felt a surge of anger and frustration. He had been humiliated by these two enough, and he wasn’t going to let them walk away so easily this time.

“Go on, call whomever you want,” Arnold said coldly. “You hit my car, and you’re going to pay for it. I don’t care if you believe it’s mine or not. I’m not the same person you thought I was.”

Ethan’s face twisted with anger as he looked at Arnold with fire in his eyes. Diana, realizing that Arnold was serious, tried to intervene. “Arnold, don’t be ridiculous. Just let this go before you get yourself into more trouble.”

Arnold looked her dead in the eye, his voice steady. “The only trouble here is thinking you can treat me like I’m nothing. Those days are over, Diana. You hit my car, and you’re going to answer for it.”

The tension between them crackled in the air, the situation escalating with every passing second. Arnold wasn’t backing down, and for the first time, Diana and Ethan seemed to realize that the man standing before them wasn’t the pushover they had once known.