CHAPTER THREE

Chapter three

“Ladies of this generation think they know more than their parents. This is what befalls every daughter who fails to listen to her father. I knew this would happen. It was only a matter of time. Not if; but when.”

Perched on a seat at the dining table, Haley listened closely to the words of her father. Mr. Wilson could be brutal and outspoken, and he had not failed to live up to expectation. And Haley thought that a stubborn daughter deserved it all.

“This was exactly what I was afraid of. You are a brilliant young lady. You came out top of your class in high school. I wanted you to go to college, but you insisted on getting married. Experience is truly the best teacher for you.”

“Richard!” Mrs. Wilson chipped in to caution the words of her husband.

“Don't Richard me. You were part of the problem,” Mr. Wilson shot back at his wife.

Mrs. Wilson held back her thoughts. She was the main supporter of the marriage. Unlike the father, Mrs. Wilson thought the onus was on a mother to always support a daughter's decision. Now, it was only wise for her to take full responsibility for its failure. That's what a mother should do.

Silence returned to the table, but a buzzing soon came forth. Everyone turned to Mr. Wilson as he flipped the cellphone open.

“Yes.”

“I will be there in a moment.” Beep.

Mr. Wilson pushed back his chair after the call. Dinner could wait for pressing matters.

“You are leaving?” Mrs. Wilson asked the moment she saw her husband on his feet.

“Yes. There are urgent matters that need my attention,” he replied before exiting the building.

The Wilson Group, an asset management company, was experiencing some bad times due to the recession. They had lost many investment deals, and the call was a confirmation of another deal that had gone wrong. But Mr. Wilson was not a man to discuss business with family, especially at difficult times.

Soon, they were done with dinner. The once lively Christmas atmosphere had changed. Diana busied herself with some Telenovela series streaming on the THC network. Fabian returned to continue his PlayStation. And Haley slumped back to her thoughts. She had just finished unpacking her clothes into the closet and was unsure of what the future held. Ethan took center stage in her thoughts. She had been a good wife for three years, and all she got in return was a divorce. But what got her the most was when he called her infertile.

Haley didn't think that of herself. And Ethan had no right to pin the childless marriage on her. But Haley understood the fact that women always took the blame for whatever happens in a marriage.

Again, a tear rolled down her cheek, releasing how unfortunate her life had turned. This wasn't the life she envisioned as a young girl, especially during her days as a cheerleader.

The door opened, and Mrs. Wilson walked in. Haley rubbed the tears from her cheek.

“I'm so sorry you had to go through that.” Haley turned at her mother's voice.

“It's alright, mother. I deserved it all.”

“No, dear. Don't say that. How could you have known such a thing would happen?” Mrs. Wilson moved to hug her teary daughter.

“Your father is in a bad mood. Business can make a man that way,” Mrs. Wilson tried to explain.

“Is something wrong with the company?” Haley asked.

“Nothing to worry about. Just bad deals from some investors threatening to pull out their investment. The recession has made them scared. But let's not talk about that.” The mom covered her daughter with both palms. “What are your plans?”

Haley sighed. She had not given much thought to future plans. She had been consumed with hate.

“I don't know, mother.”

Haley found a spot on the bed, and the mom moved to join her daughter.

“Maybe go back to college,” Haley suggested.

Her mom turned her face in the opposite direction. Haley figured that her statement had not been well received.

“Is something wrong?”

“Nothing, darling.” The mom feigned a smile.

But Haley was no kid.

“Give it straight to me, mother. I deserve to know what's going on in my family,” Haley said with great resolve.

Mrs. Wilson sighed. Haley became uneasy as she watched her mother pace back and forth in the room.

“Things have not been easy on the family.”

“What do you mean, mom? Are things that bad?” Haley asked with much confusion.

“I'm afraid, yes. Your dad tried to hide it all, but I knew what was going on after stumbling upon some disturbing emails threatening to institute legal proceedings.”

“What!”

Mrs. Wilson found a seat on the bed and continued, “Blue Diamond Company, our biggest client, pulled out all their investment three weeks ago, leaving our company almost in a state of bankruptcy. Lexington Label, the biggest in the fashion business, are also on the brink of selling their assets.”

“Sell?”

“Yes. They are trying to recoup their losses. And the Blue Diamond Company is offering a generous amount.” Mrs. Wilson sighed. “Lexington Label are the biggest in the fashion industry, and they are struggling to get by.” Mrs. Wilson met her daughter's gaze with utter seriousness and added, “We need them for survival. Going to college is the last thing you would want to do right now.”

It took Haley a few seconds to process all she had heard. She never knew things were that bad. At least not until now. Her prospects of going to college were very slim. If not impossible.

“So what's the plan?”

Mrs. Wilson released another sigh. “There's little we can do, except to hope that your dad is able to help the Lexington Label stay afloat, that of course is if he is able to help secure the current contract being pursued.”

“Contract! What contract?” Haley inquired, staring at her mother the whole time.

“Some foreign clients are looking to go into business with Lexington Label, but after their poor performance, there aren't any prospects, and the clients are not sure of profits. So your dad offered to help Lexington Label in return to not pull out their assets from our company.”

Haley pondered on the whole situation and couldn't make sense of it. Her dad was trying to help secure a contract for Lexington Label to ensure his company's survival? How cruel the world could be.

“Well, is there something we can do to help?” Haley asked.

“I think that's too late. Your dad said nothing after answering the call, but I saw fear in his eyes.”

Haley pondered further. She had just been divorced, and a financial crisis was the last thing she needed. It seemed that all the troubles seemed to have started when the Blue Diamond Company pulled out their assets. But then, it occurred to her that her ex-husband worked in the same company. He was now its CEO.

“Did you say three weeks ago?” Haley asked.

“Yes. Why?”

Ethan had told her how the Blue Diamond Company experienced a reshuffling of board members, a move that saw him as the CEO of the company. And that happened three weeks ago. It was likely that the reshuffling, and her ex-husband's ascendance to the position of CEO, was the reason for her family's ordeal. But Haley still needed confirmation. And her dad would be the best person to give the details. But he was not back even at the late hour.

“Nothing, mom. It's nothing,” Haley replied. Later in the evening, Haley moved to join her younger sister in the sitting room. Haley tried to make conversation, but the younger sister was still mad at her.

“Are we going to be like this?” Haley asked.

“Yes, Haley. As long as it takes,” Diana barked and turned back to the screen.

Haley was disappointed that six months down the line, her baby sister still wouldn't forgive her.

“I was just trying to protect you,” Haley explained.

“Protect me!”

“Of course. I wouldn't want to see my baby sister waste her life with some Dutch bag.”

“Look, Haley, Leighton might be into drugs, but we love each other. I guess a divorced lady wouldn't understand that.”

Haley found it offensive that her sister was trying to use her recent predicament to get at her.

“Hey, watch your tongue. I'm still your elder sister,” Haley threatened.

“Of course, you are. But you should understand that who I choose to date is never your business.” Fed up with her elder sister, Diana tossed the remote control aside. “A cheater is no better than a drug addict,” she asserted before leaving.

Haley gaped.

Just then, the main door opened. Her dad walked in, looking tired.

After the recent encounter with her younger sister, Haley wasn't sure if she was ready to ask her dad the needed questions.

Mr Wilson watched his younger daughter slam the bedroom door behind her.

“What's going on?” he asked.

“Just some little misunderstanding,” Haley replied.

Mr. Wilson shook his head. He was well aware that his two daughters didn't get along with each other. And this was after he told Leighton to stop seeing Diana.

“Well, it's time you two settle your differences. I can't have both of my daughters adding to my worries. You are her elder sister, so make peace with her.”

“I already tried, Dad.”

“Then try harder,” Mr. Wilson barked.

No doubt, her dad was certainly in a bad mood. He walked and closed the door to the study room.

***

“Come in,” came a voice at the other end of the room.

Haley pushed the door open. And carefully seated behind a mahogany desk was her dad. On his hand swirled a glass of transparent liquid.

“Look, Haley, I'm not interested in some girl's talk right now.”

“I'm not here for that either.”

Mr. Wilson took a sip. He gazed at his daughter for a few seconds.

“Sit.”

Mr. Wilson took a few more sips, and Haley watched her dad squeeze his mouth to contain its sour taste.

Her dad was never a man of alcohol, and Haley figured that he was going through a lot.

“I heard of your recent troubles,” Haley broke the silence.

“What troubles?”

“Come on, Dad. Don't pretend like everything is fine. We are your family. You need to let us in. Maybe we can help.”

Mr. Wilson chuckled. “What would a lady know about business?” He took the last sip that emptied the glass cup.

“Try me!”

Silence ensued as the dad continued to gaze at his daughter, unsure of what to say.

“I don't know what you've been told, but I assure you that everything is fine.”

“Including the Blue Diamond company?”

His eyes widened at her remark. Haley smiled.

“Now you got me. Bring it straight. What do you know?”

Haley adjusted herself. “Let's just say, I know that the Blue Diamond Company has been giving you a lot of trouble lately, and it may not be unconnected with the new board members and the new CEO.”

The dad slumped back in his chair, clearly surprised at her words.

“As a matter of fact, you are absolutely right. But how do you know this?”

“Because the new CEO is my ex-husband.”

Mr. Wilson widened his eyes in shock. Yes, he has knowledge of the recent change in leadership at Blue Diamond. But his ex-son-in-law being its CEO? Something he couldn't wrap his head around.

“How is this even possible? You are joking, right.”

“I'm serious, Dad. Ethan is the CEO of Blue Diamond. He tried to hide the whole thing from me, but when I stumbled on his emails, he had no choice but to confess.” Mr. Wilson found his feet. The whole thing was making sense.

First, the Blue Diamond had pulled all their assets from the Wilson Group. And second, they were now on the verge of acquiring Lexington Label. And if successful, the Lexington Label would also pull out their assets from the Wilson Group, leading to its total collapse. The puzzle was finally adding up.

“Ethan is after my company,” Mr. Wilson declared.

Haley nodded. “I thought as much.”

“But why?”

Haley thought the question to be naive.

“Why? You asked why.”

Mr. Wilson sighed. He knew where the conversation was headed. It was no secret that he never loved Ethan.

“I asked to meet with the Blue Diamond CEO the other day, but I was denied. Lexington Label also told me that some higher powers were pulling the strings…Ethan is the higher powers.” Mr. Wilson released a frustrated sigh and added, “Do you think this is karma?”

Haley was tempted to laugh. “No, Dad. This isn't karma. You were right about him the whole time. And Dad…”

“What?”

“I need a favor. I want to make Ethan pay for his deeds.”

“God, Haley. You think this is a game.”

“No, Dad. I totally understand what's at stake.”

“No you don't. Because if you do, you would understand that so many lives are at stake, including yours. If this goes bad, not going to college would be the least of your worries.” The frustrated Mr. Wilson covered his face with both palms. Haley was surprised to hear the word college, but she figured that her mom must have spilled the secrets.

Mothers and spilling secrets.

“Do we know anything about their plans?” Haley inquired.

“Are you actually serious about your quest for vengeance?”

“Damn serious, Dad.”

“Well, here is what we have.” Mr. Wilson brought out a file. In it were some pictures and prototypes of new products the Lexington Label was looking to go into.

“Mr. Brooks is coming tomorrow. If we can convince him that it's a good deal with potential for huge returns, the Lexington Label would have the needed liquidity to stay afloat. And having the needed liquidity would thwart the Blue Diamond plans of acquisition.”

Mr. Wilson pushed the files to his daughter and continued, “If you can pull this off, that would be a good way to start your little quest.” He smiled.

Haley took the files. It was almost eleven pm, meaning she had until dawn to perform whatever magic needed to get Mr. Brooks to agree to the investment deal.

“Haley.”

“Yes, Dad.”

“This is serious. Screw it up, and we may loose the roof over our head.”

Haley now understood that this was more than a thing of vengeance. This was survival.

“I won't let you down.”

“I know. You've always wanted to study design and marketing in college. This is your chance to show what you've got. I would be waiting for your feedback.” Haley found her feet and was about to leave.

“Haley!”

She turned.

“Your ex-husband would be there at the presentation, and your success would be bad news for him. And after that, we can celebrate your birthday.” Mr. Wilson quirked up a smile at his daughter.