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.” Monica said to the guest as she picked something from her bag and went after John.Just as he was about to open the door, Monica's voice stopped him in his tracks."John," she said, her voice soft but firm. "I need you to sign these papers.”John turned to face her, his eyes brimming with hurt and anger. He could barely bring himself to look at her. She handed the papers to him.“What are these papers?” John asked coldly as he held them in his hands.Monica took a deep breath and continued, "They are some papers for you to sign. They're related to the board's decision while the other one is a divorce paper.”John stared at her in disbelief. "What are you talking about? What papers?" he asked, his voice shaking with emotion."They're just some documents that will formalize the board's decision. It's standard procedure," Monica explained, her voice steady and calm. “Concerning the other papers, I already signed them. I want to put an end to our marriage. I no longer want to be your wife.”John felt a surge of anger welling up inside him. "You're trying to take everything away from me," he said, his voice breaking. “Monica…” John called softly."Please, John, just sign the papers quickly. I need to get back to my meeting," Monica said, her voice betraying her impatience. "You know how important it is to be CEO - I can't keep the board members waiting."John felt a surge of anger rising within him. How could she be so cold and callous, when he was going through the worst moment of his life? He reluctantly reached for his pen, his hand trembling a bit with emotion, and signed the papers.Monica smiled, the corners of her mouth turning up just a fraction.“That was quick!” Monica said asshe chuckled softly "Thank you, John. I appreciate your cooperation," she said, her tone almost mocking. "I'm glad we could get this taken care of so quickly - it's much less of a hassle that way, don't you think?”John felt his anger threatening to boil over. "You know, Monica, this has been the most difficult thing I've ever had to go through," he said, his voice trembling. "And you're making it even harder with your attitude."“At last, it is done…I am no longer your wife!” Monica said, ignoring John's words.John stood there, his body stiff, his emotions threatening to spill over. Monica wrapped her arms around him in a gesture of comfort, but he remained still, refusing to reciprocate."Your doom is here!" she whispered evilly into his ears before she pulled away, smirking.John's eyes welled up with tears, but he refused to let them fall. He didn't want to give Monica the satisfaction of seeing him break down. His eyes further widened in realization as his conversation with Maya flashed right before his eyes as he looked at Monica. She smiled before walking away.She released him from her embrace and stepped back, a sad look on her face. "I have to go," she said, turning to leave. She paused for a moment, and then turned back to John. "Oh, before I go, there's just one more thing I need to take care of," she said, her voice steady.John looked at her, his eyes narrowing. "What is it?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion."The watch," she said, pointing to the expensive timepiece on his wrist. "I'm afraid I'll need to take it back!"John's mouth dropped open in disbelief. He felt like the world was crashing down around him. He looked down at the watch, the gift he got from her, the only thing he had left to remind him of his beautiful times with her. The thought of giving it up was almost unbearable."No," he said, his voice shaking. "This watch is mine. You gave it to me for our second year anniversary.”Monica's expression softened. "I know it has sentimental value to you," she said, her tone gentle. "But it was I who gave it to you and I can take it back whenever I want. I mean, we are not married anymore!”John felt like he was being torn in two. He loved the watch, but he knew that Monica was right. Reluctantly, he took it off, his gaze still focused on Monica.“Thank you.” Monica said as she turned to leave, but then paused and looked back at John. "Oh, and one more thing," she said, a sly smile playing on her lips. "The company car is no longer yours, so you'll need to return the keys at the front desk. I wouldn't want you to get into any trouble." chuckling lightly.John felt a knot forming in his stomach. How could Monica be so cold and calculating? He couldn't believe she was treating him this way, after everything he'd done for the company. He watched as she walked away, his mind reeling. Sheturned back to face him one last time and said, "I'll be seeing you around, John...or should I say, Mr. Smith? See you later…maybe never!" Her tone was light, but John could hear the malice behind her words.As she walked back, John felt his heart sink. He couldn't believe that this was how things had turned out. After all his hard work and dedication, this was how they were going to treat him? He felt betrayed and alone, like he had nothing left in the world.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
“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
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