“Sir, we have a problem!” George uttered immediately.
John felt a sudden throb of pain upon hearing George's words. Why did this problem have to come, especially after his conversation with Maya? He thought.“What seems to be the problem, George?!” John asked impatiently.“I'm sorry, but I can't give you any more information over the phone. It's important that we meet in person as soon as possible. The situation is very serious, and time is of the essence. You need to get here quickly.” John put forth in panic. One that John could evidently sense from his voice.“Okay, I'll be right there!” John announced as the call came to an end.John hurriedly got out of his car and rushed to the garage, grabbing some tools and returning to the driveway. He got rid of the nails as quickly as possible, then went back to the garage to get a different vehicle. He drove off at high speed, breaking a few traffic laws as he made his way to the office. Thirty minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot and rushed to the front door. There he found George pacing back and forth looking concerned. He seemed relieved to see him.John walked up to George and was immediately peppered with a barrage of questions. “Where have you been? You're never late! What's going on?” George exclaimed, his voice rising in pitch. His bombardment of questions made John unable to respond to the greetings he received from his employees. As they made their way to the elevator, John remained silent, trying to process everything that had happened. Finally, George noticed his silence and decided to get straight to the point.“We have a serious problem!” he said, his voice somber and serious.John shook off his earlier experience and tried to focus on the problem at hand. He turned to George and asked, 'What's the issue, George?' He tried to sound calm, but the worry was still evident in his voice. “It's about your wife, Monica!” George replied.John's heart skipped a beat. “What about her?" he asked, his voice quivering slightly.“She has called for an emergency meeting with the board members, the shareholders!” George explained the situation.“Why would she do that?” John asked, confused and concerned. "I thought you knew, Sir. She has called the meeting because she wants to vote you out as the CEO of the company." George said, his voice low and solemn.“What?! That's ridiculous! I'm the founder of this company, and I've been running it successfully for years. There's no way she could get enough votes to remove me!” John protested furiously in the elevator.“I know, but I think you should come down to the meeting room. Things are getting heated!” George said. John's mind was racing, trying to make sense of what was happening.As the elevator doors opened, John hesitated for a moment. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to face the board. But he knew he had to go in eventually, so he took a deep breath and stepped out of the elevator. George followed close behind him. They walked down the hall to the conference room, and John could hear the sound of voices inside. He took another deep breath and opened the door. John entered the conference room, his face impassive. His usual charisma and charm were nowhere to be seen. He looked around the room, his eyes finally settling on his wife, Monica, who was seated on the seat next to the head of the table. George matched John's somber demeanor, standing behind him as if to offer silent support. The tension in the room was palpable, and everyone's eyes were fixed on John and Monica.John approached Monica, trying to keep his voice and expression neutral. “When did you get back?” he asked, maintaining a careful tone.Monica stood to face him, her eyes brimming with a daring look that could easily be mistaken for seduction. “Yesterday.” she replied, her voice calm and collected. John was taken aback by this information. “Why didn't you tell me?” he asked, forgetting about the others in the room. “I didn't want to bother you." Monica responded, her voice now cold and detached.Something about his wife seemed different, and John couldn't put his finger on it. Her manner seemed foreign to him, and he struggled to understand what had changed.“What do you mean you didn't want to bother me?" he asked, his voice rising in volume. “You're my wife! There is no possible way you could ever be a bother to me." He emphasized the last few words, making it clear how strongly he felt about her. But Monica simply stared at him, her expression unreadable.John's eyes darted around the room, taking in the expressions of everyone present. He took a deep breath before speaking again. “Why did you come back so early? Did something happen while you were in Germany?” he asked, his tone slightly more gentle than before. “I came back to take what is rightfully mine!” Monica replied, her words carrying a subtle threat. John understood the meaning of her words, and his heart sank. “Is it true?” he asked, his voice trembling slightly. “Did you call this emergency board meeting to have me voted out?” He could barely believe the words as they left his lips.“Well, I guess you will just have to find out for yourself.” Monica gestured to a chair, her voice taking on a tone of command. “Please, take a seat while we wait for the last person to show up.” she said.John reluctantly sat down, his eyes still locked on her. She returned his gaze for a moment before turning to face the rest of the room. After a few minutes, John leaned over to George and whispered, “Who are we waiting for?”“I don't know, Sir.” George replied, his voice low and uncertain. John sat back in his chair, anxiety gnawing at his stomach.Suddenly, the door flies open, and a tall figure strode into the room.“Here he is.” Monica announced, glancing in John's direction. The room's attention turned to the newcomer, who stopped in front of Monica. As the person came into view, John's stomach sank. It was none other than Scott - his best friend. The two men locked eyes, and for a moment, it was as if time had stopped.John stood up slowly, facing Scott. Though they had seen each other just last weekend, John sensed something noticeable had changed. The two men's gazes locked, an intense silence hanging in the air. Scott finally broke the stalemate, speaking in a cheerful tone. '“John! My man! So good to see you!” pulling him into a warm short embrace.John exhaled, letting his shoulders relax as a smile spread across his face. “You're full of it, you know,” he retorted, “We were just together last Friday for drinks.” pulling away from the hug. “Yeah, but I still miss you!” Scott said with a laugh."John couldn't help but smile. “The feeling is mutual!" he said, trying to sound nonchalant despite the excitement bubbling up inside him. He pushed away the thought that had been nagging at him. Scott sat down next to John, then turned to him again. “By the way,” he said, “You never told me that Monica was in town. I thought she was still on vacation in Germany!” His tone was light, but there was an e
The room was filled with a heavy silence as John struggled to process what he had just heard. He had never thought that his actions would be discovered, and he was caught completely off guard. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. The board members were waiting for him to say something, to defend himself, but he was lost for words. After what felt like an eternity, Scott finally spoke. “This is a very serious accusation," he said, his voice stern. “Do you have any proof to back up your claims?”“As I mentioned before, I have concrete proof of the transactions that I've mentioned. The records are available for you to examine, so you can see for yourself that what I'm saying is true. I have no interest in deceiving you or anyone else in this room. I'm simply trying to ensure that we make the best decision for the company.” Monica put forward with no regard for John's feelings, deliberately not staring at him.John stared at Monica, his mind reeling from the shock of her
John looks around the room, trying to gather his thoughts. He knows that he has to be careful with his words, or he could be in even more trouble. Finally, he speaks. “I don't know where Monica got her information,” he says, “but I can assure you that it is not true. I have never embezzled any money, and I have never set up a fake charity organization. I am innocent of all the charges made against me.” Monica lets out a scoff and walks back to her seat, but Scott holds up his hand. "Please, let John speak," he says and Monica raises both of her hands in surrender.John takes a deep breath, his face still neutral and calm before he continues “I know that you must be confused,” he says. “I understand that the evidence looks bad, but I swear to you that I am innocent. I have always been a man of integrity, and I would never do anything to betray the trust of this company. I advise you to consider the evidence carefully, and to not rush to judgment.” The board members look at each other
"I think it's time we remove John from his position," one of the board members said, and the others nodded in agreement. John shot a look of disgust at Missy, who had her head down, before turning to George, who was on the verge of tears."That audio is fake," John said calmly. "This is a setup.""Enough, John!" Scott said, his voice rising in anger. "You don't have the right to say anything!""You will not speak to me that way!" John yelled, his voice echoing through the room, making Missy flinch. The tension in the room was palpable, and the other board members shifted uneasily in their seats.John turned to look at Missy for what he was about to say."Missy," John called at her, his voice gentle but insistent. He turned to face her, and she slowly lifted her head, her eyes red and damp with tears. "Please," he pleaded. "Tell the board the truth. They won't believe me and it's obviously clear why, but they might believe you."Missy sniffed and swallowed hard, her body shaking with e
John opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He felt like he was drowning, unable to breathe. The room began to spin, and he gripped the edge of the table.“Monica…” John called at her but she ignored him."I don't think a vote is necessary," Scott interjected. "We all agree that this is the best course of action." Scott voiced out, to the surprise of John.The board members nodded in agreement, and John looked around the room, a sense of defeat settling over him. Monica smiled, a look of satisfaction on her face."Very well then, it's settled," she said. “John's assets will be seized in order to recoup the losses incurred by his actions."Monica nodded, her expression unreadable. "We will proceed in accordance with the decision of the board."As the board members applauded, John made his way to the exit, his shoulders sagging with defeat. He could feel the eyes of the board members on him as he left the room, and he wondered what they were thinking.“Give me a minute.” Moni
The sun streamed through the curtains as the alarm blared, signaling the start of another busy day in the life of John Smith.“Time to get ready for work.” he said to himself as he stood up from the bed to get ready for the day.He got up and took a shower, shaved, and got ready to get dressed in his usual crisp suit and tie. As he walked to the closet to get his suit, he noticed that his favorite tie was missing. It is the one he always wore on important days, and its absence was jarring. He went on to check the rest of the closet, but it was nowhere to be found. A sinking feeling came over me, and he felt like his whole world was shifting…slowly.To an outside observer, a missing tie might seem insignificant. But for John, it was a sign that something was deeply wrong. He took pride in the order of his life, and every detail was meticulously organized. So when something was out of place, it sent up a red flag. Even the smallest deviation from his routine was cause for concern. So,
John was completely taken aback by Maya's words. He stood frozen in place, his mind racing as he tried to process what was happening. He didn't know whether to believe her or not, but one thing was certain: he was in serious danger. Maya's grip on the gun was firm, her eyes fixed on John as if daring him to move. 'What do you want?' he stammered, his voice trembling. 'Why are you doing this?”“Don't worry. I am not going to kill you.” Maya said to John as she lowered her gun.John felt a little bit safe and turned around to face with his hands still up.“By the way, drop the act! I know you're not as helpless as you're pretending to be. You're a trained fighter, with experience in taekwondo and mixed martial arts!” Maya revealed to him with her cold and heartless eyes staring at him. I can't believe this is happening, John thought. I trained for years to be able to defend myself, but now that I'm faced with an actual threat, I feel completely unprepared. I don't know what to do.“I d
She moved a little bit towards John whilst staring at him in the eyes. Maya let out another sly smile before saying “I could go on and on about your days in pri–”“Don't you dare say another word!” John cut her short, roaring his words at her.Maya chuckled softly before saying “I don't intend to…but…I have something important to tell you.”“Why didn't…haven't you carried out your mission yet? Why am I still alive?” John couldn't help but ask.“What I am about to tell you is concerning that.” Maya answered him as the lightning and thunderstorms roared from the sky while the rain only got even more heavier.“What is it?” John asked slowly with fear building up in his heart.“You are supposed to be dead.” Maya said almost in whispers.“What?” John asked in utter disbelief.“I was supposed to kill you two weeks ago after gathering all the information I needed to know about you. I didn't go through with the plan though.” Maya stated plainly.“Why?" John asked like he had lost his voice an