Chapter 3

Maxwell

I walked into the office of the chairman that morning as I fastened up the buttons of the new shirt Silas had gotten me. He was the personal secretary to my dad and had gone immediately to get me a new shirt when he saw the state I was in.

My father turned around just as Silas walked in behind me, and he placed a document before leaving, "Thank you", my dad said after him.

"You could have just told me to come to the family dinner..." I said as a complaint and he ignored it.

"That you know you wouldn't attend."

I shrugged, "well, why am I here?"

"To choose the direction in which your future will go from now. I think you've sulked well enough. It's time to do something with your life"

"Like what?"

"Taking over one of the subsidiaries"

"But I'm not interested."

"Maxwell!" He sighed, exasperated "It's been two years since they announced their relationship, don't you think that's enough time to sulk? I won't take your nonsense anymore. It's either you take over a subsidiary or leave with ten million dollars in your pocket."

"What? You're disowning me?"

"It's your choice."

I scoffed, in disbelief at what he had just said.

At that moment, the door opened, the door to reveal my brother, Micheal, who was looking slick and proper in a white buttoned-down shirt with pants and a vest, and he had this surprised look on his face which he quickly covered when he saw me.

"You asked for me?" He said, facing my father, and I scoffed at his ignorance of my presence.

"Yes. I have an announcement to make. Not to call for competition or anything, but I've decided, that if Maxwell decides to take my offer, which is still pending, both of you will have to show me who is worthy of the chairman position."

"What?" He sounded confused. I was too.

"I mean, you are both going to take over a subsidiary each, and the person to bring in the most profit in two years will take over the group."

"What? Dad! Everybody knows I'm qualified."

"Yes, we all do, but I want to give him a chance, to prove himself. What do you say, Maxwell?"

My brother turned to face me with a glare, finally acknowledging my presence.

"Well..." If it was making Micheal this riled up, "... I'd love to give it a try"

"What the f*ck are you aiming at?" Micheal said, trying to intimidate me, but our dad cleared his throat.

"That's okay. It's decided then. Maxwell would take over the fashion business as he has more experience in that, and you will take over the operations here since this is where you've spent most of your time. I'm eager to see what both of you can do."

"Dad!" Micheal said in an attempt to change his mind, but he shook his head.

"It's final, Micheal. You can leave. And as for you, Maxwell, Silas will put you through the rest of the procedure and that would be all for now."

I nodded my head, "okay sir"

"You can leave". I walked out into the corridor where Michael was waiting since he had walked out earlier, and he was looking quite angry, which made me smirk.

"What? Are you so threatened that you're looking like your world just came down? I thought you would be more collected than this."

"This is not a game, you know," he said, fisting his fingers.

"I know and that's why I'm eager to show you just what I can do. Both you and I know that I've always been better than you and you having some connections wouldn't change that."

"F*ck you!"

"Yeah, f*ck you too."

"Right..." He said I was about to walk away, "...I was going to wait till Mom and Dad told you about it officially, but why not tell you now..."

He dipped his hand into his pocket to take out an envelope, then, he handed it to me, "I'd love to see you there." He left.

Opening it up, to see its content, I felt my heart drop to my stomach as I read the invitation on the paper inside, "Join us to celebrate the engagement ceremony of Mr. Micheal Sterling and Miss Diane Curlery at...".

I crushed the paper in my hand, feeling myself seethe. Engagement ceremony? They were planning to get married.

Of course, what did I expect?

I walked myself into the elevator where I felt my head race with different thoughts and ideas and I stopped those thoughts when Silas suddenly appeared in front of me. It was in the lobby where a lot of ladies and men too stopped to talk and pointed at me, and he handed me a file.

"That is the list of employees that'll be working with you closely, including your secretary and a bunch of information concerning them."

I held it, still distracted by the thought of Diane and Micheal getting married, and I listened half-heartedly to what Silas was saying, "... you're expected in the office by..."

"Okay then, I'll see you later," I said and got into my car outside and I drove it to the club where I was to meet my best friend, Ryan.

He was sitting by the counter when I walked in with a few girls around the place. "Welcome buddy," he said when he saw me.

"A glass of martini," I said to the bartender and he nodded.

"What is it? You're looking gloomy" Ryan asked.

I gave him the paper I hadn't even known was still stuck in my hand.

"What is this?" He asked a question I didn't reply to, but he understood a moment later.

"Wow, they're getting married."

I nodded, "I mean, that's what an engagement ceremony means, right?"

He shrugged.

"What about this?" He picked up the envelope that Silas had handed to me.

"Oh, a list of employees."

"Employees?"

"Yup, apparently I'm now a CEO."

"What?" He snickered, showing that he didn't believe me, but he turned to me after going through the whole thing.

"You're serious?!"

"Hmm, hmm" I glanced at the papers that were scattered over the counter until my eyes stopped at one particular one.

I immediately picked it up.

Why was the lady who had spilled coffee all over me among the list of my employees?!