Lost without words

Shortly a knock was heard on the door and Norton, Clyde's personal assistant, walked in graciously as usual. He bowed briefly and reported “Mr Adric the chairman wishes to see you.” 

Standing up Clyde arranged his suit and marched towards the door but stopped on his track when he remembered something. Having a bleak expression on his handsome face he turned to the woman beside him.

“Before I forget, when you are done taking a tour around my office you should leave.” he replied coldly, not giving her a glance. “And please I would appreciate it if you don't ever show your face in my work place again.” 

Ava turned immediately and she heard those words that came out of Clyde's mouth but all she saw was an open door since Clyde left before she could notice.

Ava wondered how her beautiful relationship with her son came to this. Perhaps it was all her fault and she needed to carry her cross now. Biting her lips she tried to hold back the tears that had threatened to fall ever since she stepped into his office. However it all resulted in an epic fail because she suddenly collapsed on the floor and began to sob softly.

Meanwhile Clyde, who was on his way to the chairman's office, stopped halfway and with a glint of emotion in his eyes he looked back and let out a deep sigh.

Norton noticed the look on his boss's face and couldn't ignore it, so he asked after a deep sigh“Mr Adric are you alright?” 

Having the cold look back on his face, Clyde simply replied “I am fine, let's head to the chairman's office. We shouldn't keep him waiting.” 

Having a glum facial expression, Clyde watched as the chairman of the company he worked at, ate to his satisfaction. However he was immersed in his own thoughts, hence he did not speak much but only watched.

Getting tired of watching the Chairman eat in a hasty manner, Clyde opened his mouth to say something but instantly kicked against it and kept mum instead. Just then the chairman hit a bell and the waiter walked in with another plate of vegetables spaghetti with extra toppings. 

Clyde knew too well that the chairman was going to keep him here for a long time and he never wanted that, so after mulling over the issues for a while, he decided to start a conversation.

“So what was it you needed to tell me Mr chairman?” his voice came out calm as usual following the faint expression he had on his face.

The old man who was in the middle of twirling a few strands of spaghetti into a ball, halted and narrowed his gaze at Clyde. After a few minutes of being mum he resumed eating his meal and said “You should order something to eat too, the food here is really delicious.” 

Clyde let out a deep sigh and frostily he replied “You know too well that I don't eat out Mr chairman.” he looked at his wrist watch and noticed the time fleeting so fast, and just when he wanted to say something the chairman caught him off guard.

“Drop the honorifics Clyde, will you?” the chairman's facial expression stiffened as he spoke. Dropping his cutlery, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and sat upright. “When will you get married? Huh? You almost thirty already” 

Clyde was taken aback for a moment, only to realize that the old man in front of him was unaware that he wasn't going to get married anytime soon. He quickly replied in a sneer “I am not going to get married, not now, perhaps never.” 

The chairman didn't make any comment. He simply kept mum and only looked at the young man in front of him. Despite being someone that has gone through a lot in life, he was still confused about Clyde.

“What exactly was Clyde's problem? Is there something he's keeping away from me? Or he just hasn't seen someone he loves yet?” 

“Why don't you want to get married?” the chairman reached for the glass of water in front of him and gulped it all down.

Clyde simply remained silent as he stared into space. This was what he was trying to avoid in the future, this very question of the chairman and now is the time to answer since he was being asked.

“Clyde!” when Clyde didn't answer him, the chairman was enraged. He banged on the open space of the table and hollered “I'm talking to you! Answer me! let's see what nonsense reason you would give me this time!” 

Prior to this, Clyde has known the chairman to be very short tempered and strict. Hence he did not utter a word at the moment to avoid the chairman from yelling any further.

Not that Clyde was very much embarrassed that people might stare at them, since they were in a private room but because he was tired of taking drugs every night to calm his nerves. 

Being mum at this moment seemed to have gotten the chairman so infuriated that he stood up in rage and scattered the table, making everything fall into a crash.

Only then did Clyde look up and face him with a cold expression “I don't want to get married because I don't want to.” with a stiffened smile he added “What is the use in getting married when I'm not capable of it? Marriage reminds me of father and mother as they fall apart.

 Who knows if my marriage would also fall apart? I've always been on my own living like a monster and I don't tolerate anyone staying with me. Grandfather you know everything about me, so don't talk like you don't.” 

The chairman suddenly slumped in his chair and took a deep breath. Clyde was far too right and his grandfather was suddenly short of words.

Reminiscing on what he had just said, Clyde realized that he had said too much to the extent that he was extremely emotional, something he had always hated.

After keeping quiet for a while, the chairman spoke “Aren't you tired of Ferguson treating you like trash? Doesn't working as a director under ferguson churn your skin?” he clasped his hands together “Ferguson is returning from italy tomorrow.”