CHAPTER 5

“Hello, Mr. Lawrence. Thank you for reaching back to me.” Alex said, in anticipation of hearing good news. A warmth spread through his chest, letting out a smile that ran through the corners of his lips.

“Good day Mr. Tate”, the lawyer responded, “I have been able to gather some vital information for you about Amelia Walmart, but first, I will need to speak with her and ask a few questions for confirmation.

“Okay Mr. Lawrence. That wouldn’t be a problem” Alex said. 

“Kindly choose a day favorable for you and I will make that happen”, he added

“Okay sir, I will let you know. Bye for now.” Mr. Lawrence responded and thereafter, interrupted the call.

“Is everything okay?” the manager asked

“Yes sure, everything is fine,” Alex responded. With a soft smile on his face, he asked, “When will I be signing the documents in order to make the purchase of the bar official please?”

“I will reach back to you on this” the manager answered

“Okay, just in case I get busy with work, you can leave a message for me through my secretary.” Alex responded

“I’m guessing this will be all for now?” Alex asked

“Yes, we’ll talk soon.” the manager replied, stretching forth his hands towards Alex, in an attempt to give a handshake.

In a distance, a faint murmur of voices carried through the air, hinting at an argument brewing. As the noise grew louder, the tension in the air increased and the argument echoed through the surroundings. Alex and the manager wondered what the problem was, so they both hurriedly rushed out of the office to see what was going on.

The stranger’s voice grew louder with a note of frustration as she addressed the waitress who stood before her, who remained composed and kept her cool, maintaining a professional demeanor.

“You… You poisoned my food!” the stranger said, pointing her finger towards Amelia.

“Excuse me madam, what are you talking about please”? Amelia asked in confusion. “I have never set my eyes on you before” she added, in her state of dilemma

Upon the arrival of the manager and Alex at the scene, the manager spoke, “Greetings ma’am. Please, what’s going on here?”  

“Greetings to you, Sir” the stranger responded

“Everything changed when I received an order few hours ago and I knew why. My food had been poisoned, and the only person who had taken my order was her, pointing accusingly towards Amelia” the stranger said.

“As I arrived home, my body suddenly changed, and I was hit hard by symptoms like nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and a fever. It was clear something was terribly wrong, and all signs pointed to the food she had served me” the stranger further stated.  

“Okay ma’am, just hold on a minute.” The manager said, as he took a deep breathe, his shoulders relaxing as he raised a hand in a calming gesture, palm facing outward, signaling for everyone to remain calm.

“Do you have a proof of this allegation please?” Alex asked

“Oh yes, I do.” The stranger hurriedly unzipped her bag, the sound of the zipper cutting through the air, she reached inside and pulled out a crumbled piece of paper, with a written diagnosis of food poisoning, together with a treatment plan.

“Can I see it please”? Alex requested

Alex’s eyes scanned through the paper, and as he came across the name, his lips moved silently, “Dr. Yong?” he had never come across such name before. A small disbelieving smile played at the corner of his mouth, with his brows raised as he continued reading the outrageous medical report.

Amelia stood frozen in shock at the scene, unable to move or speak. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation, she was absolutely certain she had never come across such a face before, let alone taking her orders. The weight of the blackmail hit so hard, leaving her speechless and emotionless.

“Can I please know the name of the hospital where the doctor who wrote the diagnosis and treatment plan practices? Alex asked. Also, how about I accompany you to your next appointment at the hospital to ensure you have fully recovered? It’s the least I can do to apologize for the unpleasant circumstance.”   

“Emmmm…”

The stranger stood there, dumbfounded, unsure of how to respond. Her thoughts scrambled for an answer, leaving her at a loss for words. Sensing the tension, she quickly searched for an escape as she hastily fabricated an excuse to leave for the restroom.

As she arrived at the restroom, her heart pounding and her thoughts racing, she reached for her phone and made a call.

“Hello Cora. I am in big trouble” the stranger’s voice trembled over the phone

Cora’s heart sank as she listened, her body tensing in response to the caller’s distress. She could sense the urgency in the caller’s voice, a clear sign that the situation was serious.

“What is the matter?” Cora asked

“The manager and a man called Mr. Alex didn’t seem to believe my allegations” she responded.

“Alex!?” Cora exclaimed, with her eyes wide opened in shock

“Alex wasn’t supposed to be there!” Cora said

“He is very smart and intelligent, he definitely will question the authenticity of the claim” Cora further stated

“He even offered to accompany me to the hospital to find out its name and possibly meet with the doctor. But it was you who wrote the report, so what should we do in this case?” the stranger asked, as she continued the conversation with Cora, seeking advice on how to proceed.

“Hmmm,” Cora muttered, unsure of how to react or respond. She was at a loss for words, her mind racing to make a sense of the situation.

Cora interrupted the silence by asking, “How about the girl? Does it look like she’s about to get fired? Because that was the sole aim behind all this.”

The stranger responded, “Not at all, Cora. In fact, the so-called Mr. Alex has her full support!”

Cora muttered to herself, her voice seething with anger. “That bastard,” she muttered, her tone harsh and resentful. “Always choosing that little brat over me!” Her words dripped with bitterness, a mix of anger and frustration evident in her voice.

“Are you talking to me?” the stranger interrupted, having overhead Cora’s muttered words through the phone call.

“No, I wasn’t!” Cora yelled in frustration.

“You know what? Just sort yourself out by finding a way to escape!” Cora said, as she angrily hung up the call. 

After Cora ended the call, the stranger stood still in the restroom, her mind frantically searching for an escape plan.

After a few minutes had passed with no sign of the stranger emerging from the restroom, the manager grew concerned and instructed Flora to check on her well-being. Flora hesitantly approached the restroom door and gently pushed it open.

To her shock, she found the stranger lying unconscious on the floor, as if she had fainted. Flora immediately called out for help.

Upon hearing Flora’s call, the manager hurried over and, upon seeing the stranger’s condition, he decided that she needed medical attention and swiftly organized for her to be taken to the hospital.

Knowing that he needed to stay behind and finalize arrangements for selling the bar, the manager turned to Alex and requested him to accompany the stranger to the hospital together with Flora for assistance. 

Alex nodded in agreement, understanding the urgency of the situation. He therefore reached out to a security officer to assist him carry the stranger over to his car.

As he was about leaving, he turned to Amelia and asked, “Are you okay?” with his voice soft and filled with concern

“I can’t say for sure. I’m just surprised at the length at which someone would go in framing me up” Amelia responded

“Don’t worry, you will be fine,” he assured her, trying to calm her nerves. Meanwhile, “I requested to see you, did Flora tell you?” Alex asked

“Oh yes, she did. She also told me you were in a meeting with the manager at that moment, so I needed to hold on for a while.” she responded

“Okay, that’s not a problem. There is something we need to discuss. How about I call you after I am back from the hospital?” Alex asked

“Okay sir” Amelia responded

“Please, don’t call me that. Just Alex is fine.” Alex pleaded

“Okay, I won’t” Amelia responded, letting out a short smile

Immediately, he left for his car and drove to the hospital. Upon arriving, the stranger was assessed by medical practitioners. After the examination, the doctor requested to see Alex privately. 

In their discussion, the doctor revealed to Alex that there was nothing medically wrong with the stranger. In fact, he suspected that she had faked the whole fainting process. The doctor assured Alex that he was free to take her home whenever he wished.

After leaving the doctor’s office, Alex angrily confronted the stranger, demanding to know who sent her. The stranger agreed to tell him if he tripled the payment she was to get, and Alex obliged. When she revealed it was Cora, Alex became furious.

In the midst of his heated emotions, Alex’s phone buzzed with an incoming call from his personal assistant, Lucy. “Your father is in your office, waiting to see you,” she said, her voice tense and urgent.

Alex’s curiosity peaked. What could be so important that his father would come to see him unannounced?