Exactly a week and three days later, it's very early in the morning in Charles's Worth home and now, he lives with his newly celebrated wife, who is now free to live with her husband ever since the first wife decided to leave of her own free will...
Only that a couple things are starting to change... Charles comes in frustrated and runs his hands through his hair over and over again. "Argh!" Alexa turns in bed and opens her eyes. "What's got you so riled up this early in the morning?" Charles looks over at her and sighs, trying to suppress the boiling rage within him. "It's nothing, go back to bed." It's all you ever do anyway. "Did you say something?" "What? No." He stands up from the unlaid bed and walks down the living room, he looks around and realizes how much, within a week, the whole place looks like a pigsty. His mind does a flashback to just two weeks ago, and maybe as far back as two years ago. Bethany was an early riser and even before Charles, who as well woke up pretty early would wake up to go to work, she'll have his breakfast ready, his shirt and coat for the day neat, ironed and ready... And she never sent him off without a goodbye kiss. Charles shakes his head vigorously to rid himself of those thoughts. On another note, he brings out his phone and dials her number. And it's the same response he's been getting for a whole week. "The number you're calling is out of service." Now, Alexa is still sleeping up in the room, his shirts are unwashed not to talk of being ironed and worse, there is absolutely no breakfast for him to have... Bethany... Frustrated with himself, he grabs his wrinkled coat and dirty shirt and slams the door on the way out. Later that evening, Charles decided to go say hi to his parents and possibly even eat his dinner over there since he's pretty sure that Alexa will be in bed by the time he gets home, or as is her daily routine, she'll complain of being tired running her mall to actually care about his own needs and in the end of the argument, he'll end up being the selfish bad guy, the villain. Charles plops into the chair as his Dad, John watches the evening news on the television. "I wonder why you watch the business and entertainment section, it's always so boring to me." Charles remarks John laughs lightly. "When you run a business that requires you to know what's going on around you, you will come to understand. You're just being lazy, I'll soon step down for you to take over, just a few months to go and you'll be the CEO and you don't like watching the business news? You better start now if you want to make it by then." Charles rolls his eyes. "Nothing is going to happen. Ages have changed past all of these..." Quinn comes down the staircase wearing very skimpy clothing with heavy makeup. "And where you headed young lady?" John asks her as soon as he sets his eyes on her. "I have a date with my boyfriend this evening." Daisy comes round with a spray bottle in her hands. She looks at Quinn up and down and shakes her head. "You look cute but don't you think it's a little too cute? Maybe you should tone it down a bit?" Quinn scoffs. "Such old people I have parents. You don't know anything about the current trends and fashion..." She pauses for a split second, staring at the screen. "Isn't that Bethany?" Almost immediately, every head snaps in the direction of the screen that's currently a little too silent for their hearing. John immediately turns it up. "... introducing the woman who had gone missing very many years ago, they found her recently and are announcing the old CEO will be handing over to her. This is what she had to say at her interview..." "What? CEO of where? What are they saying?" Charles mutters "That's guttersnipe. She's probably just trying to claw her way up by using some old rich man." Arthur comes into the room wordlessly and stands at the back, smirkint while watching the events on the screen. Daisy chips in next. "Maybe we should not be too worried about her. It's probably some old, run down construction company that she is getting and is only blowing it out of proportion so we can come begging or something. Don't pay any attention to it..." Bethany's rich voice, during the interview waxes out of the speakers into all their listening ears. "I am so happy to be here. Never did I imagine that I was ever going to find my real family." A reporter asks her before she walks away. "What's your relationship status? I'm sure so many eligible men would love to know." Bethany laughs lightly and turns to face the camera. Looking directly at the screen, almost like she's looking right at Charles, he sits up, hanging on to her every word. Maybe, just maybe he still has a chance? "I am Bethany Worth. Mrs Bethany Worth." "Whoa, you're married?" Bethany smiles beautifully, the light catching on the jewelry that dazzles around her neck and her fingers as she flashes her ring to the camera. "Yes, I am." Charles frowns. "That's not..." Daisy scoffs immediately. "What did I tell you about this woman being desperate for attention? She ran away from the family but she is still using our reputable name to garner attention to her useless company." "Or she's probably Bethany Worth because she's married to me." Arthur remarks, his head tilted to the side ever so slightly, observing the family in front of him. Daisy is the first to snap out of it. "What did you say? Those kind of jokes are too expensive Arthur." Arthur only laughs drily. "I, Arthur Worth, is married to Bethany Worth, the beautiful woman on the television right now." He states again, flashing an identical ring with the one they just saw on the screen on Bethany's finger."Mason! Come on, put the s'mores down for your sister." The eight year old boy pouts, and rolls his eyes. "She's not my sister." Bethany looks down at her son and raises an eyebrow. "Unless you want a smack on your non existent bum, put that smore down for Cleo." Cleo puts her tongue out, snatches the snack, eats it one whole bite and runs away, Mason on her tail. Chara looks up from her magazine and laughs, her eyes wide with age. "That's how it is, they'll grow to love one another either way. Mason must be so happy, seeing how they're getting along." Bethany chuckles softly in remembrance. It'll be eight years in a few weeks since he passed on. It'll be three since Martha also left them behind... And in another few months, it'll be eight years since these cat and mouse delights have been born. Eight years old, Bethany's Mason and Eight years old Chara's Cleo Worth. "Where's Arthur anyway?" Chara asks as she finishes the wine in the glass. Bethany chuckles... "He's..." Art
The news spreads faster than a regular tabloid scandal now that they are corporate world celebrities, but this time, the rumor is all true.Campbell Conglomerate isn’t just back on its feet, it’s pretty much untouchable.In less than a week since the press conference detonated Robert Matrick’s legacy into legal ash, Campbell’s shares have shot up by fifty seven percent. Their reputation, once hanging by a thread, is now gleaming now that the investors and shareholders are the ones showing up themselves, a win is always a win.And at this particular moment, at the very top of the building, on the 41st floor of the Campbell Conglomerate company building, the glass conference room is full.Bethany Worth walks in with a silk blouse tucked into a navy skirt and a slightly oversized blazer she hasn’t bothered to button, it’s fashion after all. And right behind her, Arthur follows with his sling finally gone, wearing a steel grey colored suit, specifically tailored for him, his hand resting a
The hospital room is dim and quiet except for the steady beeps of the machine strapped to Mason’s body… According to the doctors, he’s already on his last lap.Outside, the sun dips low over the city skyline, casting the last sun rays of the day through the half open window blinds. It should feel warm. Comforting.But in this room?It feels like a countdown.Arthur stands near the foot of the bed, cast still wrapped tightly around his left arm, he had used it to cushion his fall that day and dislocated it, his face is pale, his jaw clenched, but his eyes fixed on the man lying in front of him, they had hated each other’s guts at first but now it’s the complete opposite, he’s family after all.Beside him, Bethany sits in the corner, unusually still. Not cold. Just... bracing. Her hands are folded tightly in her lap, white knuckled, and her lips are pressed together in silence, many things wanting to be said but there aren’t any words to convey them.Mason Campbell, the soldier who woul
The Grand Hall in the heartbeat of the whole country is buzzing.Security is doubled this early evening. Cameras line the red carpet almost like it’s a celebrity party. There’s an army of media reps, government officials, and high-profile investors all gathered in their very best suits and evening wear, murmuring with excitement. Reporters in neat blazers, cameras adjusting lenses, doing pre conference shoots and all of those. The stage is set with the usual blue velvet backdrop and a pair of flags on either side.At the front of the stage, a massive LED screen glows behind a glassy black podium. The country’s seal gleams on everything except the things it is supposed to be on and something else’s logo is on every other thing, ranging from the podium itself to the press badges to the water bottles being handed out.It's practically a coronation ceremony for someone, rather than the public announcement it is supposed to be.Because today, this conference?Robert Matrick is here to annou
“What were those shots? I have called for backup, they are on… holy moly.” Halloway exclaims as he whips his radio out and yells for an ambulance.Everyone in the room is frozen solid.A total of four gunshots. Two bodies down on the floor.Bethany stands motionless, the gun still warm in her hand, breath coming out in hard gasps, like she is struggling to breath. Her entire body is rigid, every nerve screaming as if they’d been burned from the inside out while her hands tremble the most, realizing what has just happened.Marsh slowly reaches for her and takes the gun out of her hand, wipes it off and puts it back in his holster, locking it in place. “Bethany?”The only sound is a faint groan.She turns. Slowly. Terrified.And there he is.Arthur, lying on the ground. Blood spreading across the white of his shirt. His hand is on his side, fingers sticky with red. His breathing is uneven. Bethany’s knees collapse and she falls to his side. She hits the ground beside him, hands going to
The tires of the black fake delivery van screeches very loudly as it pulls into the parking lot, and as soon as it gets to the frontm, the car stops, not bothering to park like a sane person would.Maybe because the person driving is not exactly doing it sane.Brie is just stepping out of the building, her iPad and folder in one hand, red heels clicking sharply against concrete, as her other hand is used to press her phone to her ear as she issues orders like a military commander. Outside, Brie is already descending the concrete steps of the run down building, a building that is very familiar to Marsh because he’s been there before.“Yes. The contract has been signed. Burn all the backups from befire, no need to do undercover anymore. I have the signature, we’re golden. This is checkmate. Also, have the legal team draft the press statement. No, I don’t care how aggressive it looks. The point is to make it-”The back of the van bursts open loudly and it catches her attention as she paus