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The CEO'S syndrome CHAPTER THIRTY SIX: Hustle never sleeps.
'Hustle never sleeps'. That had been Ashan's motto for a very long time. Ever since he lost his father to a gang fight and his mother left their hometown, he and his kid sister. Ashan only ventured into things that would yield positive results. Ashan came from a typical poor family and has lived a totally boring life. He never did fun things nor enjoyed his youthful age but spent all his time working hard to attain a satisfactory degree in order to earn a living.Yes! He is the breadwinner of the family. His mother and sister do a few odd jobs to support but he is responsible for their annual living expenses and he took great care of them. He got admitted to a prominent university on scholarship and came out in first class honors in the degree of Accounting. Even though things were very hard and challenging for him, he still made sure to get a masters degree and at the same time struggled to provide at least three square meals for his family.At that time, he was working for a very
The CEO'S syndrome CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN: 'Be the tough girl and win the man'
PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW. THANK YOU FOR READING!"Phew! I've done a good job". Joseph wiped his hands dry as he self-appraised himself like he did all the cleaning alone. Omar, with a devilish smirk on his face, pushed Joseph to the freshly wiped surface intentionally. They had worked and prepared all that was needed for a little get together but Joseph tried to take all the glory for their hard work and he was only doing the next right action.Joseph produced a yelp as he fell towards the table he had just finished wiping and stained the glass with his prints in the process.Joseph turned to his friend and glared angrily as his nostrils flared in anger. He couldn't believe that his friend had made him soil the table he had spent what felt like a whole year to clean."The table won't clean itself", Omar shrugged his shoulders and walked away smugly.Joseph got to work and lamented bitterly as he wiped the table. He would get back at Omar when he least expected it, just as he did to him.
The CEO'S syndrome CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT: She's beautiful.
PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW. THANK YOU FOR READING!True to James' assurance, Joseph did come out but not as soon as they all thought. The boy had spent so much time away, so it was expected that he would join in before the first batch of meat was grilled but Joseph came too late. Rather too late for his liking. He had rushed a bath and washed his mouth-like he had not brushed in the morning and then proceeded to replace his former outfit with clean fresh ones, hopefully to see Angela in time. Joseph had no intention to waste time or be late but he came out later than anyone expected.But some inexcusable circumstances are to blame, he didn't like how he looked after wearing a fresh pair of sweat clothes. He believed himself too tall for the pants and the shirt seemed a little too tight for his liking so he changed into another. Angela would definitely not find him handsome, so he ended up changing a few more times like a teenager who was preparing for her first date. Not a HE but only th
The CEO'S syndrome CHAPTER THIRTY NINE: Exigent situations.
PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW. THANK YOU FOR READING!"Hmmm?", Angela turned so fast that she heard her neck creak and she was sure that others did as well."Please I need your help, I'm afraid Fyodor is not as good in cooking as he claimed to be", Sophia smiled at her friend and sent a glare towards Joseph.Joseph rolled his eyes. There's no need to play civil today. The troublemaker had done naught but to disrupt the tranquility in the air."Let's go", Angela stood up but was stopped from moving by Joseph's hand engulfing hers."I'm afraid, Angie and I need to get the game box", he presented a too strained smile to Sophia and waited for her to oppose.Sophia opened her mouth and closed it like a fish, she wasn't expecting Joseph to refuse. What manner of man caught checking out a woman openly would still have the guts to speak boldly?Obviously a shameless man like himself. Thus, her level of respect for him was further depleted.She opened her mouth to speak but was cut short by her Tea,
The CEO'S syndrome CHAPTER FORTY: Panic attacks in one night.
Wednesday did come. And no, Thursday did not appear after Tuesday. But Jospeh did not still relent, he prayed that an impromptu meeting would present itself in the evening or Angela would call to cancel.But it looked like none of those things were ever going to happen and the hour hand of the clock was speedily nearing six. They had planned to meet at five thirty and ride to his house in time for dinner at six.Meanwhile, Angela took permission from work and went home early to prepare. She wanted to look her best. She went shopping Tuesday evening and bought a new dress, nothing in her wardrobe beats the image she had pictured in her mind. She wanted to look abstract-like she had both tried to make an impression and at the same time wanted to keep things neutral. And Sophia played a major role, even though she complained repeatedly, that Angela didn't need to waste so much time and money, that she didn't need to look beautiful for Joseph, she followed her around and helped her mak
The CEO'S syndrome CHAPTER FORTY ONE: Winning Angela over.
"Come dear, you should adjust your makeup. A woman has no excuse for looking disoriented".Mrs Benjamin scolded. She was expecting Angela to excuse herself to the bathroom to adjust her makeup but the girl-seeing as she naturally screamed 'disoriented'-is totally okay with her disorganized state. She watched her freak out for more than ten minutes. Mrs Benjamin wondered if there were still humans who couldn't control their anxiety.Mrs Benjamin had a staff take Angela to the bathroom. Joseph reluctantly released her hand and was relieved that the bathroom excuse was not one of his mother's ploy to talk to Angela alone. He would not allow it. No private talks with Angela.Angela joined them on the table, a few minutes later, in time for the prayers to be said, only for his mother to begin another episode of her drama again."As the mother of the house, permit me to share the dish". Hilda smiled as she began to dish out the food. They had all taken a seat on the large dinning table wi
The CEO'S syndrome CHAPTER FORTY TWO: Stranger-toddler
THANK YOU FOR READING! PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW"Greece!" Omar shouted at the top of his voice like he was just coming to know of 'Greece'. "I'm going to Greece. My assistant and I found something interesting, we can talk when I'm back!".He hung up at once and he joined his assistant at the queue. They were both rushing to Anthens. His dependable, extremely reliable assistant had found a huge tip, which Omar had personally handed over to 'Mister man' who had provided account details managed in Athens.And so Omar was in a haste to catch the thief and he would stop at nothing to end the only reason he constantly suffered from headaches. And stomachaches and all forms of aches.Athens. That was where he was headed. The thief owned an account with the Bank of Greece and he was hoping they would comply, coupled with the connections he had in Greece. He told himself again, 'he was heading to Athens'.Once they were comfortably seated in the plane, with their seatbelts secured, Omar went thr
The CEO'S syndrome CHAPTER FORTY THREE: Such a beautiful heart.
THANK YOU FOR READING! PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.Aunt Meredith huffed in anger. She was going to give Sophia an earful. The girl had done it. Again!She wouldn't remember to wet the shrubs at the right time, it was past eleven in the morning and the soil was still wet like it just absorbed water. She marched straight to the kitchen. Sophia always was in the kitchen. She didn't understand the girl's close relationship with food. Perhaps it was her safe haven, but that was not the discussion for today, she was going to pull Sophia's hair out and her husband would do nothing but cry for his balding cousin.She opened her mouth to scream but closed it quietly as she caught sight of Sophia chopping beef in a manner that's totally unacceptable. None of her children deserved to be unhappy. It's unacceptable! Sophia sighed and packed the meat, only to arrange another set that needed chopping. "Sophie, what is wrong?", Aunty Meredith turned soft, she walked quietly and touched Sophia's shoulde
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- The CEO'S syndrome
CHAPTER SEVENTY SEVEN: The breakup
Her feet felt heavy with every step she took afar, her heart was drumming wildly within her ribcage and it felt like she was nauseous. As she ran, all she thought of was Joseph, he'd definitely misunderstood. Fate was cruel. Too cruel. Things were only just beginning to look bright only for this to happen. Angela didn't even care when her legs stopped moving or when her butt cheeks found comfort on the floor. She cried as the turnout of events replayed in her head, mocking her. When Joshua had noticed her unenthusiasm in whatever he had to say, he had proceeded to physical contact and just before she could have acted on his inappropriate manner of touching her, he had forced their lips to merge and enforced a rhythm. Angela regretted her decisions, she shouldn't have acknowledged his message when he'd sent it and even if she had, she ought to have picked a cafe that was packed with customers, not to reserve the most remote seats just so they do not get distracted easily with the da
- The CEO'S syndrome
CHAPTER SEVENTY SIX: A change
The next morning, they took a bath together again. Even though Joseph's eyes twinkled with interest he didn't do anything out of question. He still respected the distance between them but he was insanely aware of her naked body throughout. After the bath, he made breakfast while Angela watched.Angela was happy. She was so happy that she couldn't control it when a tear slid down her face because she thought she wouldn't see a day when Joseph would be capable of taking care of his daily needs, talkless of another. Even though she had promised Joshua brunch, she ate a lot. After breakfast, they cleaned the dishes together and that was when she saw it again. That undeniable gaze that said it all. She had noticed it when they were taking a bath and how it didn't disappear when they broke their fast. Joseph would secretly watch her and shyly take his eyes somewhere else when she caught him.She held his hand in hers and smiled before she whispered with all alacrity, “I'm all yours. Foreve
- The CEO'S syndrome
CHAPTER SEVENTY FIVE: The devoted caretaker
Like a cycle, days turned into weeks and weeks to months but Joseph still didn't get better. He still said close to nothing to Angela. He'd rather spend his time in his study. He had turned lean with time, as he barely ate. He barely associates with anything or anyone apart from his study. Angela has had enough. She didn't care what Joseph thought anymore or what her next actions would incite. Because he was slowly losing it. He needed help. And so, that fateful morning, after preparing a hot soup with easily digestible contents, she marched straight to his study and tried to force her way in but the door was locked. With no other plan but to scream, shout, cry or even use force if she had to, Angela marched towards the familiar corridor. Her next destination was his room, still no Joseph. She forcefully pushed the slide-in door that led to his bathroom and there he sat. Joseph sat like a fetus in its mother's womb as he wept. Like a child.Her eyes lost all the fire and she somewha
- The CEO'S syndrome
CHAPTER SEVENTY FOUR: Grief
“Oh, I've always had a thing for grotesques but for work, it'll always be romance”, the writer chuckled to the camera as he adjusted his sitting position a few more times to look good for his audience.“What inspires your books then?”. Angela read out loud, totally uninterested. Joshua, the writer looked at nothing as he tried to form the right words or what he believes is right. “Love inspires my book”, he smiled to himself like he had just found something no one would ever find. “Love is real. Now, not the kind between siblings or relatives. The simple attraction you feel towards someone you don't even know too well”. He frowned as he continued, Angela almost thought he was already possessed by what made some writers write so well. “That wanton feeling is power. It's so powerful and beautiful and there's a lot to unravel, so yeah. That's why I always find myself writing about it”. He smiled finally, awarding himself marks for a test no one gave him. Angela nodded when she was su
- The CEO'S syndrome
CHAPTER SEVENTY THREE: The Funeral
Mr James Wilson was buried on Friday. A very sunny Friday. It was so sunny that Joseph wished that it was raining. They had set up a small gathering, rather too small for a man established as Mr James. But still, many came to pay their respects, some even flew in that morning just to pay their last respect to such a kindhearted man like Mr James. As the priest said the prayers and Mr James' coffin was leveled into the ground, Joseph only prayed to wake up from this dream. He still hadn't accepted the news. He still remembered the conversations he'd shared with his father prior to his surgery. The words he had shared with Angela up to the time he had patiently waited to be reunited with his father once again. Alive. Not dead. But Dr. Murphy's downcast look had ruined it all. Joseph had waited patiently all for nothing. Had believed Angela's words before the surgery, all for his father's death to drive him to the end of time. He had killed his father.No. Not the doctor, at least J
- The CEO'S syndrome
CHAPTER SEVENTY TWO: Horrid mistakes
Accuracy. That was definitely Dr Murphy's best word. He was always accurate. He knew the human anatomy like the palm of his hand. As a career man, he was never wrong, and has never lost a single patient during his thirty six years of treating patients. Dr Murphy was literally known as an aldonis in the surgery room.As he scrubbed in and entered the operation room, he said a little prayer to God that he’s kept his nickname this long. Inside the OR, he shook his head vehemently like a boxer ready for battle and whispered “Let's do this” to himself after washing his hands and went in where a nurse came forward to help him wear his sterile gown.A nurse eyed his scrub cap knowingly and turned to share smiles between her colleagues. They all knew Professor Murphy to be present for only very important surgeries and whenever he wore the specific cap on his head, it meant real business. That means the patient on the table would survive no matter the cost. The patient's lucky, she concluded
- The CEO'S syndrome
CHAPTER SEVENTY ONE: An hopeful day
Morning came, even though Joseph was sore, his whole muscles ached and he had barely even slept, he was glad that an hopeful day had come. A day, he was allowed to dream. That morning Joseph prayed. He hadn't prayed for a long time but he found himself kneeling on the floor as he prayed for a successful procedure.Omar and Fyodor, Angela and Sophia had spent the night at the hospital but Omar had to leave because he had a meeting that couldn't be postponed, he had to be there. But he promised to return as soon as he could.Joseph watched Angela quietly from his side view, he hadn't said anything to her after crying at the garage, now, they were no different from two strangers. Or that was what he thought. She was saying something to Sophia before Sophia left to take a phone call.He watched her as she rubbed her eyes sleepily and sank deeper to the seat, she raised her legs from the ground and folded them to cross one another. These past few days, he had been rough. Very rough with he
- The CEO'S syndrome
CHAPTER SEVENTY: LAST MOMENTS
Joy. Ultimum joy. Not the kind you feel after bagging a million dollar deal or getting a scholarship but the kind you feel when a ray of sunshine graces your head and suffices your skin with vitamin D, the kind of happiness you feel when the calm breeze grazes the short hairs on your skin. That kind of joy that bubbles from within, that shows itself even when you have a straight face. And that was all the duo felt as they watched intently.Fits of laughter, though weak, rumbled from Mr James chest as he watched closely. Upon his request, his son had transformed his hospital room into a cinema room. The lights turned off, except the lights sourced from the machines attached to him, Mr James relaxed into his bed folded halfway to allow him see the screen comfortably. Joseph was surprised when his father told him where he'd kept all the video clips in his house. He had thought naturally, that clips as such would have been lost. His parents hadn't parted in good times and his mother clea
- The CEO'S syndrome
CHAPTER SIXTY NINE: Death, the inevitable
And there he sat. Like the dutiful son that he will always be. After the little episode at the garage, under the pretense of getting some air, Joseph returned to his only reason for both his unshed and shed tears of agony. Joseph adjusted the duvet that covered his father's body a few times. Afterwards, he'd stand and walk around a few times, he'd grit his teeth a few times, sometimes, torturing his poor nails as well. Only to look outside the window again, rake his hair frustratingly and then sit again. Joseph messed up the routine a few times, willing to do everything to while away time, he only wondered when his father would wake up again. He had to try again.He had to try to convince his father again. He just had to do something. His hands raked his hair again before a sob broke out. A second followed.“Son”, though hoarse, his father’s voice called out. Joseph jerked up immediately and covered the little distance between them.“Big man! Big man!!” His voice was hoarse too. May
