Chapter 6

Tom's POV

“Wah dah …!” I expressed out loudly as the call ended. I had just finished speaking with my dad's lawyer on the phone and I could not control my rage.

My dad died two months ago as a result of a tumour that started growing in his brain. I had taken him to see the best doctors but none of them could operate or do anything to save his life. Instead, they all just advised me to spend more time with him because he had very little time left to live.

Unfortunately, he died in his sleep after about two weeks on a very sunny day and when I found out, I cried my eyes out.

You expected me to be strong and not cry right? Well, he was my dad and I loved him so pardon me for crying.

After his burial and everything, I was told by my dad's lawyer that his will be read a week later. I had no problem with it so I went about my usual activity as I waited for the one week to elapse.

On the day that the will was to be read, I was very excited because I thought that I was about to get richer.

The lawyer Mr Brown read the will on the d-day, stating all of the properties that now belonged to me – I had no siblings so of course everything was mine. 

I was filled with so much happiness that day but my happiness turned into something else at the end of the meeting.

Guess what happened.

Well, I'll just tell you – Mr Brown informed me that my dad added a clause in his will which stated that I was only going to get access to the properties he had given me after I got married and he also stated that I had to get married before 6 months elapses or else I risk losing everything.

I was shaken after Mr Brown informed me about the clause, I couldn't believe that my dad could do something like that to me. So ever since then, I had been looking for a contractual wife and that's why I needed Ava.

Today Mr Brown had called to remind me that I just had three months left to get married or risk losing everything. 

Well damn this shit!

I sank into my seat, staring into space and I was lost in my thoughts.

Suddenly I felt someone tap me on my shoulders and I jumped up in surprise, "Christ! You scared me!" I exclaimed as I turned to see that it was Henry.

"I'm sorry Sir but I have been calling you for a while now with no response so I had to bring you out of your reverie," he stated and I could see that he was trying so hard not to laugh, "Are you okay? What's on your mind?"

I sighed and began to rummage through my hair as I sat down again, "He called again."

"Who called?" He asked, his brows furrowed.

"Mr Brown. He reminded me that I have just three months left," I informed Henry and he sighed, "I'm running out of time."

"There's a solution to this you know but you won't let me help you," Henry muttered and I shot him a look.

"I am not getting married to a model," I stated and turned my gaze elsewhere.

"I arranged some for some ladies already and these are supermodels," he started to say and I turned my gaze back to him, "These ladies are ready to do anything you want them to do and I mean literally anything."

"Henry I already …" but I was cut off.

"Just see these ladies, give them a chance at least. They are already on their way here,"

"What?! Henry are you …"

"Please please, please. Remember you have just three months left," he reminded me and I calmed down a bit.

"Fine but I feel like you are just wasting my time," I complained.

"I'm sorry but I just want to help," he said but before I could reply there was a knock on the door.

Henry went to answer it and I could only hear whispering. But he suddenly turned to me with a mischievous grin on his face and announced, "They are here."

****************

The supermodels walked in and were all lined up in front of me but I did not like any one of them. They were all beautiful and sexy, they had the right size of butts and tits that I fancied but damn I didn't like anyone. Instead for some reason, I was repulsed by all of them.

At the end of the day, Henry was frustrated and asked them to leave.

"Told you you were just wasting my time," I said to him immediately after the models left. But he just shot me a look and said nothing.

"I want Ava," I whispered, grinning from ear to ear as I thought about her.

Ava's POV

I stepped outside the company premises for my lunch break but I was back before the lunch break was even over.

I actually didn't step out to have lunch, rather I stepped out to get some fresh air as the air inside the office felt somewhat suffocating.

As I made my way towards my office I noticed the way almost everyone was staring at me and whispering but I brushed it off and thought nothing of it. I was the CEO after all and nothing they said behind my back was going to change that fact.

I continued my walk to my office with my head held up high and I tried to force a smile when anyone looked at me.

Something was wrong, I could tell.

As soon as I walked into my office Camilla stood up abruptly from her desk and began to walk towards me. I looked at her and saw that she looked very agitated and she was also holding some envelopes in her hands.

"I know that look Camilla. What's wrong?" I asked, stopping dead in my tracks and narrowing my eyes at her.

"Everything Miss Ava, everything." She grumbled.

"Well go on, spill," I gestured, my eyes still on her. She was getting me agitated too.

"As soon as you left for your lunch break this envelope came in and I was instructed to hand it over to you without opening it," she said and handed over a brown envelope to me, "It's from the board of shareholders."

"The board of shareholders?" I queried in surprise, I was expecting to hear from them but not so soon, "And you don't know what it is about?"

"No, it was specifically written for you so I didn't want to read it," Camilla explained, her face contorted in worry.

"I understand. What's with the other envelopes?" I asked as I looked at her hands and noticed that she was holding more envelopes, "Are they also from the board?"

"Ermm well …no," she stammered as she answered, turning her gaze away from me, "It's from a majority of your employees."

"Shit!! Resignation letters?" I asked and my heart skipped a beat. 

Camilla nodded.

The one thing I feared most was coming true.

"Camilla, what do I do?" I asked, feeling tense as though Camilla would have a solution to the situation on ground.

But she just looked at me and shook her head, the devastation evident on her face.

I sighed and made my way to my seat. As I sank into it, I first tore open the envelope from the board to see what they had to say to me.

As I read the letter, suddenly my chest began to tighten and I was finding it difficult to breathe. The board was giving me a maximum of two months to get the company stocks up again or else I'd lose my position as CEO and pay for all of their losses and the debts incurred.

And as if that wasn't enough, most of the employees had written in their resignation letters that they were resigning with immediate effect because they hadn't been paid for months now and they didn't think I would be able to pay them anytime soon.

After reading through each letter, I was distressed. I laid my head on my desk as I thought of what to do. I couldn't afford to lose my employees right now, the company would definitely crumble without them – I needed them.

My head was spinning. "What do I do? What can I do?" were the only words that were echoing in my head. Should I just call Mr Tom and apologize for rejecting his offer? But damn it, how can I marry a man I barely know?

"Miss Ava," Camilla's voice interrupted my thoughts and I raised my head to look at her, "Someone is asking to see you."

"Who is it?" I asked but decided against seeing anyone, "Just tell whoever it is that I am not in. I don't want to see anyone right now."

"But she's making a scene in the lobby," Camilla said and I gave her a pointed look, "It's Mrs Maggie Brooks."

Arrrggghhh that witch!! What the hell does she want this time? I'm sure she's just here to humiliate me and rub my failure in my face.

"You have to go see her Ava, she's saying all sorts of awful things down there," she suggested, her gaze fixated on me.

"What is the work of the security men? Aren't they supposed to throw her out?" I queried, almost shouting. I was agitated enough as it was, I didn't need this unnecessary shit.

"She's your mom so they ….," Camilla started to say and I flared up.

"Don't you dare refer to that witch as my mom!!" I shouted in anger and Camilla took a few steps away from my desk.

"I'm …so..rry Miss Ava. I didn't mean to …" Camilla stuttered as she tried to apologize but was cut off by a sudden intrusion.

"Well there she is," I heard a shrill voice exclaim and I looked towards the door to see Maggie standing there wearing a wide smile. She looked like a clown with the heavy makeup plastered on her face.

"Maggie?" I spat out, "What do you want?!"