Ch-1 Only Solution

Ashley's POV: 

Everything here belongs to me and I was born with this right! And if someone tries to snatch what is your right, you have to fight for it.

Thinking this, I touch my pendant, seeking some strength before I resume walking… until I finally reach my destination: the grand foyer of the prestigious Waverly Corporation.

Today, I was facing the glass doors that lead to my father's office, but they seem imposing instead of welcoming. I can see the group of older directors looking at me through the glass door with scornful looks on their faces.

They can't even hide how much they hate me being here; everything and everyone present here is standing against me, forming a barrier and blocking my path.

But ignoring them, I take a step forward. Just then, the security guard also signals me to stop, leading me to declare angrily;

"I demand to be let in!"  

I could hear my voice echoing through the marble-clad entrance hall. 

"This is my father's company, and no one can legally stop me from entering."

The tall and muscular security guard stationed at the doors exchanges a knowing glance with his colleagues. 

They all know me, and also know what was going on, but their expressions are enough to narrate the apology that they can't help me– at least in this lifetime.

"Sorry, miss." 

He replies, his tone firm but not unkind. "I've got orders from above, you are not allowed to go inside this office."

"You do realize that the person you are stopping is the only daughter of the owner of this–"

Before I can complete my sentence, the man joins his hands in supplication, making me fall silent. 

"I know, Miss, but I can't help you. I just work here, and my duty is to follow the order of the Directors. So if you have any problem with this decision, you'll have to take it up with Director Kenston."

I realize what they are saying is also true, and it seems like I'm left with no option apart from shouting at the top of my lungs to get the attention of Director Kenston, the man I hate from the core of my heart.

I have always had a doubt about him being the hidden snake of the office, and it looks like he has finally shown his fangs now… 

"Mr. Kenston! I know you are in the office right now, and I know the meeting is going on without me. So stop your cunning tricks to block me from the meeting and let me in, because you can not make any decision without me!

Even though my father is not here, I still possess twenty one percent of shares in my name."

I know that the bastard Kenston can hear every single word, and he is smart enough to know that I am not going to leave so easily. 

That's why that snake has finally decided to step out from his hiding place and approach the gate; 

"What do you want from here, Ashley?" 

He sneers as he is speaking in a patronizing tone, as if he is talking to a tantrum-throwing toddler instead of a grown woman. 

"If you are here to beg for something, I suggest you can beg for alms elsewhere… because you won't get anything from here!"

He takes a pause as the muscle of his jaw twitches, but he isn't done just yet. 

"And in case you have some doubts about  getting the throne of your father, just because you are his daughter, then let me tell you… 

YOU are never going to be the chairman, at least till I am alive, because you don't deserve it-!"

I can practically feel my eyes blazing with hatred and defiance, as I bellow at him;

"This is my birthright!" 

My voice might be shaking with emotion, but I refuse to give them the satisfaction of seeing me in tears! Instead, I continue to speak what I came here to say;

"My father built this company from nothing, and I won't let you or anyone else take it away from me."

But my words have no effect on Director Kenston, rather, his lips curl into a mocking smile;

"Your father may have founded this company, but he entrusted its leadership to us." 

He retorted, his tone laced with arrogance. "And as long as I have a say, you'll never set foot in that office."

As Director Kenston's words hang in the air, the other directors also step forward in his support, forming a united front against me. 

"Kenston is right," one of them declares, as if God has given him the sole authority to decide what is right and wrong. 

"We cannot entrust the future of this company to someone so inexperienced and uneducated, it would mean running the company straight into the ground!"

Another director joins in, his tone just as patronizing. 

"Qualifications are not passed down through genetics, little girl! It's best that you leave the running of the company to the experts."

This is when another director interjects, but I can easily tell that he is speaking out of false sympathy instead of sincerity. 

"Ashley, dear, try to understand, we are not your enemies. We are just trying to save the company, and if you don't believe me, we are even willing to offer you a way out."

"You can sell your shares for a tidy sum and walk away from this headache completely, or perhaps we can find a lesser role for you in the company… something that would be, er- more suited to your capabilities. How about a receptionist position? Or maybe someone's secretary?"

My anger feels close to bursting, and I stop listening to anything they had to say after this point. 

I have already heard enough; these words are no less than any ultimatum. The way they have dismissed my presence, my legacy, my existence so ruthlessly is enough to show her that I am facing an uphill battle just for the sake of my rightful place.

Although I was somewhat hopeful while coming there, right now, I feel only pity for my naive self. Because now, I have understood that there is nobody in my corner, and there is no use of me screaming and shouting here… 

But the flame of anger in my heart refuses to die out, and this betrayal and injustice has only fanned its flames. I might be turning away from the entrance of the company for now, but I am not going to give up so easily.

I am not running away from the battlefield, I try to console myself. It's just that, I am sensible enough to know that I have no experience in dealing with corporate politics, and might end up doing more harm than good.

What I need right now is an ally, and there is only one person who comes to mind… 

___

I get down from the cab outside the grand white mansion on Hampstead Avenue, my gaze fixed ahead as I walk past the front gates. 

Normally, I would have stopped to greet the guards at the gate, taking a moment to admire the new blooms in the garden before moving ahead.

But today, my mind is completely consumed by my thoughts, as I hurry towards Tiffany's room without so much as a glance at anything else. 

"Good afternoon Miss! Are you here to see Miss Clifton?"

The polite greeting from the guard stationed at the entrance barely registers in my mind before I just nod absent- mindedly. 

It was only when another voice rings out, filled with warmth and familiarity, that my focus shifts. 

"There's my girl!"  

I turn to see Tiffany, my best friend, rushing towards me with open arms. I was expecting a warm embrace from her, but I find myself on the receiving end of a surprise tackle. 

Before anyone can say "ouch," I feel myself stumbling backward, thanks to the girl zooming towards me like a human cannonball. 

"Here you are! I was just coming to see you!"

Her eyes hover over my face, and happiness on her features is quickly replaced by concern. 

"Did something happen? You were going to go to the company today, right?"

I meet Tiffany's gaze, allowing myself a moment of vulnerability;

"Yes, Tiffany, that's why I need your help…"

Five minutes later, Tiffany and I find ourselves seated in her father's office. 

Mr. Fraser Clifton, Tiffany's father, sits behind the mahogany desk with a thoughtful expression on his face while I narrate everything that had happened since that morning. 

"I don't think they are going to step down so easily, Ashley. What they have done today was nothing less than a statement establishing their authority and absolute power. 

Over the week that your father was absent from office, they must have rallied all the shareholders against you. In this case, I think seeking help from Ethan might be your best course of action." 

"Dad, you surely don't mean… Ethan Johnson!?"

"I do, in fact."

Fraser's tone is calm and measured, in complete contrast to the horrified look on his daughter's face. 

"Although the chances of success are rather slim, the Johnson family's influence could prove to be invaluable in reclaiming control of the company."

Without thinking anything else, I find my voice echoing;

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Clifton, I'm willing to try anything, as long as my father's company is restored to its rightful heir."

_____