Chapter 8

Alex froze that instant. His mind processed so many thoughts. What was he going to tell them? How did Philip see him? He swallowed a large amount of his saliva as he turned back to face Mr. Blackwood.

Mr. Blackwood was now interested in what he had to say. He had left his table and taken a stand just in front of it. Maya too looked curious. Elias sat at the other end of the room, anxious as to what would happen next.

“I asked a question, Alexander. Or are you deaf all of a sudden?” Philip asked. Nothing was coming up. Alex just stood at his spot, watching everyone's interest grow in him.

“I needed a job from the company,” Alex finally said. After his statement, there was a few seconds of Silas, before Mr. Blackwood burst into an outrage of laughter. Elias joined him, but Maya and Philip stayed quiet.

Philip was staring into Alex's eyes, trying to detect a lie. For a second, Alex thought Philip had discovered who he was and was just waiting for him to say it. He stared back into Philip's eyes, waiting for his next line of action.

“You were looking for a job?” Mr. Blackwood said amidst his laughter. “Oh Alexander” he added. “How funny of you to think the Thompsons would bat an eye at you. Get the hell out of my office immediately!” Mr. Blackwood lashed out.

Philip let go of Alex's grip. Alex walked out of the room immediately. He felt his wife running behind him as he headed for the garage.

She caught up with him and pulled him back.

“Did you visit the Thompson company to seek a job?” She asked. Alex nodded. Maya sighed in exhaustion. “Look, Alex, you should understand your status, okay”

“You're my husband. I expect you to tell me your decisions before you make them. Especially decisions like this. The Thompsons aren't ordinary people,” she added.

Alex noticed his wife's attitude towards him was changing. But every time he got that feeling would always remind himself that the pressure that her family exerted on her was too much.

Her love for him in high school was without blemish. She never complained about a thing. She never raised her voice on him. The birth of their child even brought them closer. 

All this happened because, after their marriage, they lived outside Gold and Ravish. Maya's father got irritated that his only daughter was living in a slump and decided to bring them to Gold and Ravish. 

Ever since they moved in, the pressure from Maya's family on her grew with every passing day, seeing they were now easily accessible. Alex held Maya's hand gently.

“Our daughter was bullied today in school, by Claire Brown,” he said.

“I know Alex. And as much as I hate Jacob for covering up for his daughter, I think we should understand that we do not have a say out there. No one would believe our words over theirs,” Maya said to him.

Alex's phone beeped again. It was a message from Ruth. “Can we talk about this when I get back?” Alex asked. 

Maya nodded affirmatively. “Fine, but where are you headed now?” She asked.

“To Zeela's school. I need to visit her principal,” he answered.

“Alex please don't do anything stupid. Zeela is home and safe now. Just please—”

“I’ll be back Maya” Alex interrupted her and left. He drove off in his Scooter and stopped a few meters away from the school, behind a tall building. 

He dialed the number Ruth, his secretary had sent and the masculine voice at the other end of the call greeted him. 

“Who is this?” He asked.

“It's Mr. Thompson,” Alex said. “I'm in front of your building,” he added. 

The call was still on, and Alex could hear him shuffling and hurrying. He kept apologizing, telling Alex to hold on and that he'd be down immediately.

In less than thirty seconds, a short man with a protruded belly hurried out of the building.

Alex had his dark shades on. He watched as the man raced down to him. 

“I'm so sorry Mr. Thompson. Forgive me for delaying. You're Gerald Thompson. One of the Thompson's sons? He asked.

Alex smiled as he walked closer to the man. “I want you to do something for me,” he said with a smile still on his face. 

“I am at your service sir,” the man replied immediately.

_____

The next day, as Alex walked into the school's building, leading his child to her classroom, he bumped into Principal Yunhui, who had three brown cartons in her hands.

They contained her office files and every other thing she used in the office. She was sacked from her position very early in the morning. The principal tried avoiding his face but he obstructed her path.

“Are you moving to a new office principal Yunhui?” He asked.

The principal stole a glance at him as tried squeezing through the very little space left. The cartons fell off her hand, leaving the files scattered on the floor. “Go to your class love,” Alex told his daughter. Then he shifted his gaze to the principal.

 “Oh no, principal, what's the problem? Are you alright?” Alex mocked as he bent over to help her with the files. He grabbed her hand immediately and pulled her in. “You deserve no place here. You treat kids unfairly,”

He stopped and looked around to make sure no one was watching. The principal was struggling with his grip, but he tightened it. “Now look who's facing the punishment,” he said.

“What going on here?” A feminine voice interrupted. Alex let go of her hand immediately and stood up, cleaning them on his shirt. “She tripped so I was—-” he stopped in his sentence as he discovered who it was.

“Maya?” He said in shock.

Alex had asked the principal be sacked, and replaced with Maya Thompson, whom he didn't introduce as his wife to the school's owner.

Being the principal of one of the best schools in Manhattan was an achievement.

And as much as Maya loved the position, seeing it would finally be a means for income generation, she still had her eyes fixed on the bigger picture. The Blackwoods Art High School. She planned on continuing Zeela's education there. 

She needed that position, to become relevant once again in the Blackwoods’ family. But she saw her father's condition to be a big tax. She couldn't just divorce her husband. At least not now.

“Maya, what are you doing here?” He asked with a look of surprise. Maya smiled and walked to his position. Principal Yunhui was still gathering the files into the boxes.

Maya called into a security personnel who was standing by the entrance to the hall. “Make sure you see Mrs. Yunhui out,” she instructed. Then she took Alex's hand. “Come with me,” she said.

“I got a call this morning from Mr. Won. He claimed they needed a new principal and the new CEO of the Thompson empire recommended me,” Maya said with a smile.

“Oh.. wow. That's– that's beautiful Maya. Did he mention a reason?” Alex asked. Maya shrugged. They got into her office and she sat on her chair.

 Alex could see the smile on her face. This was all he needed. To see her happy. To see his family happy. He couldn't wait to tell her who he was. He planned on making it big.

He planned to announce her on her twenty-ninth birthday which was just around the corner. He admired her smile as she swayed in circles in get swivel chair.

“This is just the beginning, Maya,” he thought to himself.

A knock came on the door and it opened slowly. A man dressed in black walked in. He had a tag, identifying him as a delivery guy.

“Miss Maya Blackwood?” He asked.

Maya furrowed her brows in surprise. Did her husband plan to surprise her with gifts?

But these flowers in the delivery man's hands were quite expensive, way above her husband's pay.

“Alex, did you get me these?” She asked.

Alex looked confused as well. “No, I didn't,” he replied.

Maya took the flowers from the man and thanked him. She waited till he left the office before she pulled out the nite inserted in the flower. Her eyes dropped in shock and disbelief. How could he?

Ajex took the note from her. He swallowed angrily, looking at the name.

“Why would Jacob Brown be sending you flowers Maya?” he asked, squeezing the note and tossing it into the bin.