The company is bankrupt.

Amelia was stunned by what had just happened. she had never felt so little and embarrassed like that before. This feeling was entirely new to her. She just sat there musing and trying to grasp everything.

She was usually the one to call the shots and give the orders, but this time she was faced with a situation that she had no control over.

The flickering flashes of lightning and the lagging roars of thunder drew her attention back to reality. She regained awareness of her surroundings. It had begun to rain, and she barely even noticed it.

She finally mustered up strength to her already weakened bones and stood up. She didn't have a ride home, so she stood by the side walk under the heavy downpour, soaking wet, waiting for a cab.

After a few minutes of waiting, she finally found one and jumped in and told the driver her destination.

She wringed her hair outside through the car window and wound up the glass. Thoughts of what just happened flooded her mind causing a ball of teardrop to rest at the base of her eyes.

She hadn't cried in a long time. In fact, she hadn't cried before as a result of another person's actions or words towards her. She was usually the domineering one.

This must be the worst night of her life. But alas, the night was still young.

Little impulses of courage began to develope inside her chest, as she tried to tell herself that she was not wrong in any way and that Arthur was being an asshole. These thoughts drew the tears in her eyes away and replaced them with rage. Leaving her with a mixture of fear, heartbreak, anger, and confusion.

"Here we are, Miss." The driver said to her as the car came to a stop.

The sky was still drizzling with rain and she had no umbrella, so she paid the cab driver and alighted the vehicle. She was now back into the rain. She could have made a call for a servant to bring her an umbrella, but she was not in the mood for waiting.

All she wanted, was to be in her room right now, curled up on her bed with the duvet covered over her body with music blasting loudly.

She got to the door of the building and opened it, to find her parents in the living room, moody. They looked so depressed like someone had died. They were both seated together on the couch, next to each other. Too downcast to even notice or care about Amelia's drenched state.

"Mum, Dad, what's wrong?" Amelia said, walking towards their direction.

The silence was unusual. Nobody responded to her questions.

"Mum?" She reminded.

"Come honey." Mrs Ann Johnson beckoned, stretching her arm out to receive Amelia's body.

"There's something we need to tell you."

She sat on the couch next to her mum. Mr Clark's hand was supporting his head in a thinking position, with his elbow resting on the couch's arm rest and his face raised towards the ceiling.

"Your dad's company has been in a court case for the past three weeks." Mrs Ann said turning her head towards Amelia.

"The company was sued for several real estate fraudulent misconducts and illegal activities. Your dad lost the case. and with that, a lot of money too."

"Currently, the company is bankrupt and very soon, all our assets will be liquidated. He might even be at risk of some serious jail time."

Amelia's eyes widened in shock. Her jaw dropped, as she covered her mouth with her hands.

"We're going to lose everything, including the house." Mrs Ann couldn't hold in her emotions and ended up sobbing.

"Dad, is this true?" Amelia asked in a teary voice.

Mr Clark managed to sit up and speak. His eyes were red, and the light from bulbs reflected on his bald head. "Yes darling."

"I tried everything I could to set everything right, but I couldn't. The crimes I committed over time came back haunting me."

"They're going to confiscate and liquidate all my estates and assets in less than two weeks– Everything I've worked for."

"Dad, isn't there anything we can do?" The walls of her tear glands finally broke lose, as she cried profusely.

"Well, darling there's a solution that might just save us from collapse. Currently, the only company that can acquire our assets is Brookland Corporations. Mr Jacob Miller's company."

"But, If you get married to his son Arthur, it'll strike a partnership between both companies, and they will reconsider liquidating our assets– So honey, the future of our survival lies in your hands."

There was a dead silence in the living room. Amelia froze in shock as she listened to her father. How will she break it to her father that the only hope they have of saving the business is non-existent.

Arthur and Amelia have been dating a long time, and they were always together since they were little. In fact, their parents always thought they would end up together. And now they've broken. Right at the time when their relationship would have saved the family from collapse.

Brookland Corporations and Crown Royal Corporations (Mr Clark's company) have always been rivals, though not hateful and antagonist. The two companies were the biggest real estate companies in the country, and Arthur and Amelia's relationship managed to keep the two families connected in a way.

But now that they've split up, Mr Jacob Miller would not hesitate to acquire every of their assets, to the last pin.

"Dad, I and Arthur have broken up." Amelia muttered in broken accents.

The look of disappointment that clouded Mr Clark's face was so intense. His last hope had been shattered.

He was too busy mourning the end of his company to pay attention to the weeping Amelia.

Mrs Ann squeezed Amelia's body in a tight hug, as the crying increased.

Disappointed Mr Clark stood up fatigued, and walked away to the steps leading upstairs to his room.

"That's it. We're finished." he exclaimed in dispiritedness.

*********

Meanwhile,

Arthur had gone home and curled up on his bed. Without a specific emotion in mind, the flashes of the event that just unfolded kept him awake.

He didn't know what to feel. Happy, sad, grateful, Sorry... He was in a dilemma, but on the other hand some bubbles joy tickled his stomach at the fact that he's finally free from the toxicity in his life.

But that joy unfortunately was mixed with self-doubt at wether he had made the right decision.

As he pondered on everything that has happened, he suddenly remembered the slap at the restaurant, and it's loud, resonating sound. He quickly remembered the waiter who was the victim, and wondered if she was okay after she ran out of the restaurant crying.

Was she okay? Did she get into trouble? Did she need medical attention? He thought. He couldn't seem to get his mind off the poor innocent girl that had to bear the consequences of his ex-girlfriend's irrational behavior.

So he planned that he would go look for her the next day, to check up on her and find out if she was okay.